Zucchini with egg

You know this dish is good, because it's one my Mom would make it for me. (Hi Mom!)

Whenever I eat it, I can't help but make those "mmmm yummy" noises.


Try it.
I bet you make those noises too.
Yes, and it even counts if you make them in your head where no one can hear.

It's a delicious, healthy vegetarian dish (for those who eat eggs), packed with protein and flavor. At four ingredients, it's a great dish to have in your culinary arsenal when you need a quick side or main meal.

It's the trifecta! Fast, yummy and healthy!

All you need:

• Zucchini
  
• 1/2 of a white onion (per zucchini)
  
• 2 minced garlic cloves (per zucchini)
  
• 1 egg (per zucchini)
  
• Olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchini in half, then slice each half into half moons.

Slice onion in half, then into strips.

Heat a large sauté pan to a little above medium. Get the onions and garlic working, and sauté for a couple of minutes, or when the onions just start to become translucent. Then add the zucchini. Sauté for a couple more minutes, or until zucchini just start to lose their firmness. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl - they need to get ready to join in on the fun. (They like to pre-funk a little bit and hang out on the counter til they get to room temperature.)

Push the cooking zucchini party to one side of your pan, add a little more oil if needed, and scramble the eggs in the newly created space. Once the eggs get to a soft scramble, begin mixing everything together and reduce heat.

Plate, serve, enjoy!

Theres something magical that happens when these foods play together. It's somewhat creamy and decadent. (I am so making those mmmm yummy noises in my head...right...now. I'm on the bus. People are staring.)

Gluten free meatloaf muffins with blood orange balsamic ketchup

Nothing says lovin' like a muffin made outta meat. Ok, they are more like large meatballs - but the trick is the cooking vessel: a standard muffin tin. No more hour plus waits for meatloaf!

For my recipe I use 2 pounds of grass-fed beef. This yields about 12 or more large muffins. Hey, I like leftovers!

To the beef, I add:

• 2 eggs (I have to give a shutout to The Good Eats Gal, my next door neighbor. In the middle of making these I discovered I had no eggs....FAIL. She graciously lent them to me. Don't you love neighborly neighbors!)
  
• A generous amount of chopped garlic and 1 small finely diced or shredded purple onion (If shredding, raw is best. If chopped, a quick sauté with the garlic til caramelized is a great way to add flavor.)
  
• 1 bunch of fresh basil (finely shredded)
  
• A couple pinches of dried thyme
  
• A palm of that awesome Spanish oregano I mentioned in ratatouille with spinach
  
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour to help it bind
  
• 2 tablespoons milk (cut this to 1 if you are using shredded raw onion, as it lends moisture)
  
• A few shakes of pepper flakes to taste
  
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  
• A heaping quarter cup fresh shredded cheese - I used Romano and Parmesan.

Now comes the fun part - use those utensils at the end of your arms, dig in, and mix well! To form the muffins, I grab a palmful of meat and cradle in my right hand. Then I use my left hand to "lift and turn" quickly to lightly form into a ball. We are aiming for a size just under the actual size of a cooked real muffin. Now they are ready to be muffinized. Place them in the tin, and place the tin on a cookie sheet. They will give off enough love to not stick, and if there's too much love - the cookie sheet will keep the love from getting the oven all messy. Bake these guys at 375 for 20 minutes and let everyone know dinner's on in half an hour.

Now for the sauce! To make our own sugar free healthy ketchup, we'll start with a can of tomato paste, some salt, powdered mustard, and blood orange balsamic. Regular balsamic would also work great here - or you could make your own flavored citrus balsamic by simmering some balsamic lightly and adding your citrus of choice. The balsamic will add just the right hint of sweetness, which helps curb the acidity of the tomato paste.

Start by drizzling the balsamic into the paste and a sprinkling of mustard. Mix, taste, add salt, adjust....until you have it just how you want it. Once the muffins reach the 20 minute mark, smear some ketchup on them and pop them back in the oven for 5 minutes more.

Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving, they worked hard and deserve a little break. Use a fork to remove them from the pan by gently "carving" around the exterior of each muffin (to release the sides from the pan) and lifting out. (There will be some juice and fat accumulated in the bottom of the cup. The fork helps to remove the muffin from its juicy bath.)

And then the fun part. Eating!

Served with ratatouille with spinach and roasted winter squash purée topped with black lava salt.

I need better lighting in the kitchen. I will work on that....

Until next time!

Crème fraîche

You are going to kick yourself this is so easy.

• Get a jar.
  
• Add 1 cup of whole cream. (And trust me, not "low fat")
  
• Add a tablespoon of buttermilk. (Again, not low fat. We aren't drinking the stuff, so go "all in".)
  
• Shake.
  
• Let sit on counter for 24 hours. (I know, it's weird. But it'll be ok. Plus, don't you love an element of danger in your life?)
  
• Open, stir, and tell people how fancy you are because you make your own crème fraiche. (Then you can refrigerate. It'll keep for two weeks! If it lasts that long....)
  
  
  

What can you do with it? What can't you do with it!
Try adding to a brown sauce to make it sexy. Or, drizzle on soups for a creamy garnish. Would you put sour cream in it? Try adding the crème. It's tangier, a little softer, and a fun way to play with your food.
Cheers!