Category Archives: Dairy-Free

How to Cook Eggplant

September 21, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

How to Cook Eggplant
The Recipe Redux – September, 2016: First Cooking Recollections

Growing up I was lucky enough to have a dad that was a real wiz in the kitchen. He was Classical French trained, and he even cooked in a couple restaurants during college to help pay for his tuition. I remember him being really good at creating tasty dishes made up from whatever he found on hand in the kitchen. And since my mom did most of the grocery shopping, for him it really was a surprise of what foods he would have to work with in the refrigerator.

Health, wellness, eggplant, nutrition, nutritionist, dietitian, recipe, dinner, entree, vegetable, Portsmouth New Hampshire, chef — Roasted Eggplant tossed with Chicken Sausage, sauteed spinach and gluten-free Pasta. Topped with fresh grated Italian Parmesan.

One of my favorite foods dad prepared was eggplant. Whether grilled, roasted, baked or fried, his eggplant was always delicious. Sometimes he would restuff the eggplant shell with eggplant and other vegetables and roast – incredible!

Outside of the home, there have been many times where eggplant tasted on the bitter side. But never was one bite of my dad’s. He always managed to avoid that issue entirely.

How? His secret: before cooking, always make your eggplant “weep”.

Health, wellness, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, Portsmouth new Hampshire, Healthy kitchen, chef — Weepy Eggplant makes the tastiest dishes!

Yes, weepy eggplant makes for happy diners! Simply salt and rest your eggplant slices, and soon the salt will draw out all the bitterness from your eggplant. It’s so easy.

I prefer to layer the eggplant slices in between sheets of paper towels or coffee filters to help absorb all the moisture that will be drawn out of the eggplant by the salt. If you prefer not to use either option, you could just salt the eggplant slices, wait 30 minutes, and then rinse eggplant.

Whether grilled or roasted, having cooked eggplant on hand is great. Toss it with pasta, layer it into sandwiches, or serve it up on its own as a delicious side dish.

Did you know that eggplant is technically a berry fruit and part of the nightshade family? Well, now you do!

INGREDIENTS

eggplant, nutrition, nutritionist, dietitian, recipe, cooking, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, Portsmouth New Hampshire, healthy kitchen, chef — Eggplant slices, “wept” and ready for cooking

2 medium Eggplants, stem removed, sliced
1/3 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil OR
2-3 cups Tomato sauce, low sodium

PREPARATION
On a large plate lay out a paper towel sheet or 2 coffee filters. On top of the towel/filters place slices of eggplant in a single layer. lightly salt the eggplant, then cover salted slices with another paper towel sheet or 2 more coffee filters. Add another eggplant layer on top of your first pile, salt, cover and repeat process until you have used all the eggplant slices.

Let eggplant slices sit for 20-30 minutes, so that the salt draws out some of their moisture into the paper towels or coffee filters.

Separate the eggplant slices from the towels/filters. Discard the used paper towels and coffee filters. Rinse the eggplant to remove any excess salt and towel dry.

To grill eggplant: Toss eggplant in olive oil. Grill eggplant over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly.

To Roast Eggplant: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add a small layer of tomato sauce to a large baking dish. Add a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Add more sauce on top of the eggplant slices. Add another layer of eggplant in the dish. repeat the process until you have no more eggplant, making sure to have enough sauce to cover the top layer of eggplant.

Bake until eggplant is thoroughly cooked, about 45-55 minutes.

health, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, wellness, recipe, eggplant, roasted, Portsmouth New hampshire, chef, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian — Delicious Roasted Eggplant with Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce

What’s your favorite way to eat eggplant?

Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

July 22, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Salad/Side, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
The Recipe Redux – July, 2016: Get your Fruits and Veggies in Shape

Here’s the problem with pasta in a healthy, balanced diet: When properly portioned, a single serving is so ridiculously tiny on your plate, you think someone is trying to starve you. That’s why with pasta it is really easy to find yourself overeating your starch portions.

Here’s my easy solution: mix in delicious veggie noodles, or “zoodles,” along with the grain-based pasta. Now you can have your big plate full of noodles, and feel good about it too. It is really fast and easy to make zoodles out of zucchini, as long as you have the proper slicer or spiralizer tool on hand. If fact, you can probably make the zoodles faster than you can bring the pot of pasta water to boil for the noodles!

salad, vegetable, pasta, noodles, zucchini, zoodles, buckwheat, multiveggie, gluten, celiac, nutrition, health, wellness, diet, registered dietitian, michelle moreau, Portsmouth, NH, chef, healthcare, medical, diabetes, celiac, weight loss, multiveggie, fiber, rainbow, healthy kitchen, chef, recipe — Salad and Sauce ingredients awaiting mixing and tossing

I love the color contrast between the black rice noodles and the zoodles. They sure do taste great together too.

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Can’t find black rice noodles? Then substitute with buckwheat pasta; you won’t have as much color contrast but it will still have delicious flavor (do make sure there’s no wheat in either noodle variety if you want dish gluten-free). If you are using brown or white pasta noodles I suggest substituting black sesame seeds for the white for more color contrast on your plate.

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This pasta salad includes a rainbow in veggie colors. Any meal you can squeeze in a whole bunch of antioxidants I say is a meal put to good use!

pasta, multiveggie, salad, vegetables, vegan, vegetarian, gluten, health, wellness, rainbow, healthy kitchen, chef, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, medical, insurance, counseling, healthcare, diet, weightloss, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, gluten — Great for your next picnic, lunchbox or group gathering

The secret to the best peanut sauce is using a great Asian spice blend. Here’s the one I usually use:

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutritionist, new hampshire, NH, Portsmouth, michelle moreau, chef, wellness, healthcare, diet, medical, insurance, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, gluten, vegan, vegetarian — Shichimi Togarashi (Red Pepper Mix) with Red Pepper, Roasted Orange Peel, Black Sesame Seed, Yellow Sesame Seed, Japanese Pepper, Seaweed, Ginger

I love this stuff! It adds great flavor and heat to practically any Asian dish, and a little goes a long way. It is one of my kitchen’s secret weapons, and now it can be one of yours too. I have seen it for sale in some regular grocery stores down South and out West in the US, but in the Northeast I only seem to find it available in Asian specialty stores. It’s worth the trip to the specialty store to have this included in your culinary arsenal.

INGREDIENTS

peanut, health, wellness, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, multiveggie, chef, recipe, rainbow, fiber, salad, healthcare, insurance, Portsmouth, NH, medical, diet, counseling — Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

4 ounces Black Rice Pasta
2 teaspoons Olive oil
2 large Zucchini
1 large Red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup Tomatoes, grape, yellow, sliced
1 large Carrot, shredded
2 large Scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Cilantro, fresh, minced
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds, white

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons Tamari, low-sodium
2 tablespoons Peanut butter, creamy
2 tablespoons Lime juice
1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Water
2 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Ginger, fresh, minced
2 medium Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend

PREPARATION
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break pasta in half to shorten, add to boiling water and cook until al dente.

While pasta cooks, cut zucchini into long, thin, noodle strands. Set aside.

Once cooked, strain pasta from water with a colander, then add pasta to a large mixing bowl. Toss pasta with olive oil to coat. Add the cut zucchini, pepper, tomato, carrot, scallion, cilantro and sesame seeds and lightly toss to mix.

In a medium mixing bowl add all the sauce ingredients. Whisk everything together until thoroughly combined.

Pour sauce over noodles. Toss to coat salad entirely with sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour so that the flavors meld. Serve cold or room temperature

Makes 6 servings.

zucchini, zoodles, noodles, pasta salad, multiveggie, gluten, vegan, vegetarian, celiac, diabetes, cardiac, weight loss, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, diet, recipe, healthy kitchen, wellness, healthcare, medical, counseling — Making fresh Zoodles with special slicer

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, chef, couneling, healthcare — Tip: Use a mushroom scrubber to help clean special noodle slicer

Buffalo Cauliflower

July 12, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Buffalo Cauliflower

It’s amazing how some foods seem to pair so perfectly with certain events – like that box of popcorn in the movie theater, the candy apples on a stick at the carnival, or the big tower of cake at any wedding. For many sports fans no gathering is complete without a batch of Buffalo Wings within the food mix. But with all that saturated fat and salt, traditional Buffalo wing recipes can be far from heart-healthy.

This Buffalo Cauliflower recipe gives you the best of both worlds – a spicy, flavorful treat that is also more heart-friendly. There’s much less saturated fat (especially if you leave out the butter entirely), it’s and lower in sodium than traditional Buffalo wings. It’s also nice to have a homemade buffalo sauce on hand of which all of it’s ingredients you can pronounce.

I like to serve this dish with typical Buffalo wing sides: raw carrot and celery sticks and a bit of crumbled blue cheese. But even all on its own, this Buffalo Cauliflower is quite tasty. The Chili peppers give it a really nice heat.

If you want, make the Buffalo sauce ahead of time. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Also, for this recipe you will need to use only about 1/2 of the sauce. So, there will be plenty leftover to turn just about anything Buffalo throughout the week! Toss the extra Buffalo sauce with more roasted cauliflower, or with chicken breasts, shrimp or tofu, or use it as a dip with your favorite corn chips or toasted tortillas.

INGREDIENTS
5 medium Plum tomatoes
1 medium Red bell pepper
1 medium Onion, peeled, sliced in quarters
2 large Garlic cloves, peeled
6-8 Cayenne pepper pods, dried
2 teaspoons +2 tablespoons Olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon Water
1/4 teaspoon Salt
*3 tablespoons Butter, unsalted
*(or substitute another 3 tablespoons Olive oil for butter)
2 large Cauliflower heads, cut to small “wing”- sized pieces

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add tomatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic and cayenne pods to a medium roast pan and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Cook for 1 hour, or until red pepper is soft. Peel and seed red pepper, discarding its peel and seeds. Add roasted veggies, water and salt to blender and blend smooth. Slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil while continuing to blend. Blend in the butter (or slowly drizzle in additional 3 tablespoons olive oil).

Toss the cauliflower with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large roast pan. Lightly season with salt. Cook in oven 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is slightly softened.

Toss the cauliflower with about 1/2 of the Buffalo sauce. Roast the Buffalo Cauliflower another 15-20 minutes, or until cauliflower is al dente.

Serve alongside sliced, raw carrots and celery, plus blue cheese and/or blue cheese dressing.

Serves 8-12 people.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

June 4, 2016Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Salad/Side, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

This quick and easy salad is a tasty side dish for your next cookout. The quinoa and black beans together make a complete protein, making it a good vegan entree too. Try making this once and it and it will soon become a family staple, as it keeps well in the fridge for days, and it’s also is a delicious lunchbox option.

I made this batch with a blend of white and red quinoa. Black quinoa works great in the mix too. I recommend using a blend of quinoa grains for the variety of texture.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, vegetables, multiveggie, rainbow, whole grain — Quinoa Black Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS
3 cups Quinoa, cooked
1 can Black beans, low-sodium, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup Red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1/2 cup Yellow bell pepper, seeded, diced
1/2 cup Orange bell pepper, seeded, diced
2 large Scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Parsley, flat leaf, chopped
3 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Honey
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
3 tablespoons Olive oil

PREPARATION
To a large bowl add the quinoa, black beans, peppers, scallions and parsley and toss to mix.

To a medium mixing bowl add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. As you continue whisking slowly pour in the olive oil to dressing.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes about 7 servings.
Serving size 1 cup.

Stuffed Baby Bella Bites

May 22, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Stuffed Baby Bella Bites
The Recipe Redux – May, 2016: Small Bites

For gatherings big or small, often the perfect party dishes come in little packages. Small bites are done right when packed with big flavor. It’s much so easier for your guests to mingle around with a little plate of goodies versus a big dinner dish.

mushroom, spinach, artichoke, multiveggie, vegetable, fiber, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare — Stuffed Baby Bella Bites ready to party

Stuffed mushrooms are a definite party favorite, but their fillings are often not very heart-friendly. Fortunately, there are ways to make delicious mushroom appetizers without all the added saturated fat. Here we chose to stuff the savory mushrooms with flavorful, heart-healthy veggies. The red pepper flakes add a little nice heat to each bite as well.

mushroom, spinach, artichoke, vegetable, multiveggie, vegan, vegetarian, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare — Ingredients jam-packed with flavor and goodness

When prepping the mushrooms, do make sure to save the stems so you can later add them into your next vegetable stock.

Portobellas, mushroom, spinach, artichoke, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, appetizer — Portobellas stuffed and ready for the oven

Planning on using plain, and not marinated, artichokes for this recipe? Then I recommend you add a 1/2 tablespoon vinegar to your saute pan while as you are cooking the shallots and spices. But the marinated artichokes will give you the most flavor, so do try your best to use those instead.

Have a big crowd coming over? This recipe can easily be multiplied.
Bonus: There’s no such thing as eating too many of them!

portobella, mushroom, baby bella, spinach, artichoke, vegetable, multiveggie, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, appetizer — Stuffed Baby Bella Bites

INGREDIENTS
1 pound Baby portobella mushrooms
2 teaspoons Olive oil, divided
1/8 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon Smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon Dried mustard
1 large Shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
5 cups Baby spinach
3/4 cup Artichokes, marinated, minced
salt and pepper

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Carefully remove the stems from the baby portobella mushrooms. With a small spoon, gently scrape gills out from the underneath of the mushrooms. lightly baste outside of mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Set aside.

Add the second teaspoon of olive oil into a heated saute pan over medium high heat. Add the red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, dried mustard and shallots and saute until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Add baby spinach and saute until the spinach is softened, about another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the minced artichoke. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Stuff mushrooms with the artichoke/spinach mixture, making sure to pile the filling high for each bite. Bake mushrooms until mushrooms are fully cooked, about 15-18 minutes.

Plate the stuffed mushrooms, making sure to drizzle some of the liquid on the bottom of the baking pan onto each bite.

Serve warm.

Makes about a dozen servings
Serving size: 2 Baby Bella Stuffed Bites

portobella, baby bella, mushroom, spinach, artichoke, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, appetizer, dairy free, multi veggie — Stuffed Baby Bella Bites

Quick-Fix Chocolate Almond Cake

March 22, 2016Baked Goods, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Fruit, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Quick-Fix Chocolate Almond Cake
Recipe Redux, March, 2016: 7 or less ingredient recipe

Some days, you just really need that quick-fix of chocolate, but you don’t want all that extra sugar. This Quick-Fix Chocolate Almond Cake recipe is sure to please, and even when you are in a real hurry. It takes only 6 ingredients to prepare, and cooks in less than 2 minutes in your microwave. Since it makes only 2 servings, you are not stuck wondering what to do a bunch of leftover cake pieces once your craving has been satiated. Sweetened with ripe banana and apple sauce, and not with processed sugar, you will feel good about what you are eating too.

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You could make this whole recipe in one mug (all the rage these days). The up side to mugging it is you can mix and “bake” all in the same container. The down side to that method is that you will be tempted to eat it all yourself! (remember this recipe feeds two people).

chocolate, cake, dessert, fruit, banana, almond, veganhealth, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, vegetarian, dairy free — May prepare a bit quicker, but it’s so much harder to share a cake from one mug

Instead, I recommend using 2 silicone muffin cups for cooking. This way each serving size is obvious. Do lightly spray cups with olive oil before adding the batter so the cakes remove easily after baking.

chocolate, cake, dessert, banana, almond, vegan, dairy free, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, vegetarian — Silicone muffin cups: perfect for personal-sized cake making.

The riper the banana, the sweeter the cake. I recommend using a banana that is very ripe for this recipe. Also, make sure to serve this cake alongside fresh fruit like berries. The tartness of raspberries pairs especially nicely with the chocolate.

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To make your own easy sauce: add 1 cup fresh berries to a blender with a little squeeze of fresh lime juice and a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

Quick-Fix Chocolate Almond Cake

Chocolate Almond Cake, microwave, banana, almond, fruit, vegan vegetarian, dairy free, grain free, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, dessert — Quick-Fix Chocolate Almond Cake

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Almond flour
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
1 medium Banana, ripe, mashed
3 tablespoons Apple sauce
2 teaspoons Coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract

PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, add the almond flour and cocoa powder and stir to mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Lightly spray to silicone muffin cups with olive oil. Divide batter between the two cups. Microwave cakes together for 1 minute and 45 seconds on high heat. Allow cakes to rest 1-2 minutes before gently removing them from cups.

Serve with fresh berries, mint and/or berry sauce.

Makes 2 servings.
Serving size 1 cake.
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