Black Bean Spinach Pepper Potatoes

Wishing you a delicious Monday!

Ever have leftover baked potatoes and wonder what to do with them?

They just sit around unhappily in the fridge.

This happens frequently in my household. I love to fry them up in my cast iron skillet with spinach, bell peppers and black beans. I often top this hash with salsa for a delicious vegan lunch. It's also great with a sunny side up egg for breakfast, or served with fish or meat for dinner. You can whip this dish up from scratch by simply precooking some potatoes in the microwave or oven first. 

Black Bean Spinach Pepper Potatoes

Serves 2 people

Gluten-free; vegan

Cooking time: about 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 large russet potato, cooked and chopped

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

3 cups baby spinach

1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

salsa for garnishing (optional)

fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cumin reduce the heat to medium. Saute for one minute until fragrant. Add the peppers and potatoes and cook until the peppers are beginning to soften (about three to four minutes). 

2. Add the baby spinach and quickly wilt. Fold in the beans and cook for another few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Serve topped with fresh salsa or chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Sausage, Zucchini & Bell Pepper Pasta (Gluten-Free)

Happy Monday!

The gluten-free journey continues, and so far I feel much healthier. Though I'd been pretty strictly gluten-free when I started this blog, I'd fallen off the wagon, and consequently, my health suffered. BIG TIME. So I'm back to to it and no more shortcuts this time—I've seen the light!

I'm sure you've heard the news about the Mediterranean diet's health benefits and how it could ward off thirty percent of heart attacks and strokes, so I thought I'd share a gluten-free pasta recipe. In today's world there are so many great options for gluten-free folks, including lots of pasta choices. For this recipe, I used an organic brown rice rotini from Trader Joe's.

This yummy recipe is simple to make and super yummy with no gluten or dairy (cheese). I saute chicken sausage (organic Italian variety from Applegate that's gluten-free) with zucchini and orange bell pepper. I toss the sausage-vegetable mixture with the cooked pasta and top with just a little chopped parsley (basil would be great, too). The resulting dish is healthier than many traditional pasta recipes, but just as satisfying. I might even make it for dinner again tonight.

Sausage, Zucchini & Bell Pepper Pasta (Gluten-Free)

Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
Gluten-free; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 package gluten-free pasta (such as the organic brown rice rotini from Trader Joe's)
1 package Italian sausage (Applegate makes a good gluten-free variety)
1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
2 cups zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped plus more for garnishing
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bowl water for the pasta and cook according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and reduce heat to medium. Saute for one minute. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and cook until beginning to soften (about five minutes). Add the sausage and cook for two minutes, until heated through (the sausage should come precooked, but if not then make sure to cook first). Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Toss the sausage-vegetable mixture with the pasta, adding a little pasta water and/or olive oil if needed to keep moist. Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin (Sous Vide)

Happy President's Day!

Just took the Adorable Monster out for his morning jaunt and fed him his kibble (poor thing doesn't eat human food). I may hit the farmer's market this morning and maybe do a little shopping with some friends. Dinner is still up in the air—any suggestions?

Was thinking of maybe making mussels and fries. Yum yum yum.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite sous vide recipes I've made using my Sous Vide Supreme—Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. This dish was inspired by the restaurant Salt's Cure in Los Anegeles, which does a killer chili-rubbed braised pork shoulder over stone ground grits. I decided to cook a version of it with pork tenderloin and cooked sous vide, although this recipe could easily be made with conventional cooking methods as well.

I served it with an Apple-Ginger Relish (recipe here) and over stone ground grits. It can be plated individually, or served family style as I did for New Year's Eve.

Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin (Sous Vide)

Serves 2 people
Prep time: 15 minutes; Sous Vide Cooking Time: 2.5 hours
Gluten-free; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (cut into two pieces/logs)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 pats of butter
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (for searing)

Directions

1. Fill the Sous Vide Supreme with water and preheat to 135-140 degrees, depending on desired degree of doneness (135 = medium rare and my preference, 140 = medium).

2. Meanwhile, rub the pork chops with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Place each piece of pork tenderloin into a separate plastic bag with a pat of better. Vacuum seal both bags.

3. Once the Sous Vide Supreme has reached the proper temperature (hint—filling it up with hot water will help it heat up faster), place the pork tenderloin bags in the water bath, making sure that the meat is submerged and that the bags are not touching each other. Cook the pork tenderloin in the Sous Vide Supreme for about two hours to reach pasteurization (though it can stay in longer).

4. Remove the pork tenderloin from the Sous Vide Supreme and cut open the bags to remove the meat. In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Quickly, sear the pork tenderloin on all sides until nicely caramelized (about 1 minute per side). Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

5. To plate, layer the slices and top with the Apple-Ginger Relish. Enjoy!

My Bookshelf: "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD

Let me start by saying that I have tons of great recipes to write up, already cooked, already photographed. Let me continue by saying that I'm crunched for time right now.

It's a high class problem.

My agents LOVE my new book. That's super duper awesome. It means that my novel will be going on submission to publishers (it's young adult science fiction in case you're curious). I'm very proud of the book and hope it will find a great home. It's also responsible for my time crunch. My agents gave me a set of notes, so I'm working hard to turn around revisions in a timely manner. 

Adding to the pile, we've just attached a director to my romantic comedy script. So right after the book, I'll be rolling right into revisions on that project.

Like I said—a high class problem.

You can read more about my fiction and TV/film endeavors on my author website here.

I promise to get back to posting recipes on a regular schedule soon (and I have hundreds of recipes in my archives). In the meantime, I thought I'd share this book that's rocking my world—WHEAT BELLY by William Davis, MD. I suspect that I harbor a wheat intolerance (and that's the reason why this blog is largely gluten-free, with some exceptions that can easily be adapted). 

But recently, I'd allowed wheat (mostly in it's whole grain form) to creep back into my diet. It happened slowly and then suddenly, and I've found myself with health problems that I used to experience back in my wheat-eating days (sinus issues, fatigue, insomnia, etc.). Now I can't say definitively that they're caused by wheat, but I'm going back on a strict gluten-free regimen to see if it helps. 

While pursuing that, I came across this bestelling book and picked it up. The author makes the argument that the genetically-altered strain of wheat that we call "modern" wheat has crept into almost every aspect of the American diet and causes a litany of health problems, most notably the obesity he calls "wheat belly." Of course, I've known this for years, but he puts the pieces together with a well-researched history of wheat. I also learned that whole wheat bread is just as high on the glycemic index as white bread, and even HIGHER than sugar. Uh, what?!

Of course, there's a lot of nuance to the argument, but the proof is in the pudding. The author is a cardiologist who notes that when his patients go on a wheat-free diet, they lose weight, their blood pressure and blood sugar go back to normal levels, and they can get off their medications.

He also has a blog that many people like—Wheat Belly Blog.

I'll report back on my GF experiment. 

And here's the link to the book if you'd like to purchase it from Amazon.

New Restaurant Opening: Smashburger Debuts in LA!

Smashburger has opened in LA.

Already excited for this restaurant, I jumped when my invitation arrived to be one of the lucky food bloggers to sample the entire menu on a warm, sunny January day. The location is technically in Culver City (the other Southern California location is in Thousand Oaks).

Let's just start with the Smashburger itself. Juicy, tender, great seasoning—the burger lived up to its reputation. I sampled Classic Burger with Smashburger Fries (start with the basics). The favorite burger was the L.A.—made with crispy wonton, fried egg, cilantro, cucumber, and ginger dressing.

We were invited to view the special process as demonstrated by Tom Ryan, the CEO and Chief Concept Officer. The ground beef is loosely packed (and not put through a traditional meat grinder). The key part of the process is when the meat is "smashed" with a patented press.

It's then generously seasoned with a salt and pepper mixture.

Sweet Potato Fries

Other highlights of the menu included the Sweet Potato Fries. If you're craving something healthier, you can do a side of "Veggie Frites"—flash-fried carrot sticks and green beans. Very tasty.

Fresh Mex Veggie Black Bean Burger

If you're not in the mood for beef, the chicken options are stellar. The chicken breast is pounded thin and marinated. Any burger option can be made with chicken instead. And if you're hoping for a vegetarian option, the Fresh Mex Veggie Black Bean Burger was awesome. The biggest surprise, considering that Smashburger is known for being burger restaurant, was the quality of the salads. If you're hoping for something on the lighter side, try the Baja Cobb and add the chicken.

I loved the burger, but the milkshakes made my day. Using Haagan-Dazs ice cream, I loved both the vanilla and the strawberry. Malts are also available in tempting flavors like Butterfinger and Chai. There's also an IBC Root Beer Float.

Vanilla Shake

So if you're in the neighborhood, or looking for a fun foodie field trip, check on the new Smashburger in Culver City (Los Angeles, CA). And now I'm hungry...

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Smashburger, but received no compensation and the opinions expressed here are my own.