Steak & Veggies a la Chickpea Crêpe

Well three nights in a row of sauteed zucchini and onions probably warrants some real estate on the blog. I must say, multiple bouts of food envy collided to produce this wonderful concoction of a dish.

Envy #1 - Mom's grilled zucchini and onions. Yum! Nothing quite compares to the nostalgia of being at home and eating dinner (fresh off the grill) outside on the screen porch with mom and dad.

Envy #2 - Bar Suzette Crêperie. A Sunday stroll through Chelsea Market wouldn't be complete without visiting the sample sale of the weekend or more importantly some of the market mainstays - for example Bar Suzette . However, when the crêperie closes early for a special event...food envy ensues.

Envy #3 - Carnivorous cravings. Every now and then who doesn't love a good steak, even if it is in the form of thinly sliced strips!

Ultimately the crepe provided a bit of a smoky spice, while the veggies and steak offered a savory balance, reminiscent of an herbes de provence blend. All in all providing a full range of tasting experience for an eager palate.

The recipe:
Crepe (makes 2):
1/4 c. chickpea flour
1/4 c. almond milk
2 tbsp. water (maybe a little more)
dash of cayenne
dash of cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 large zucchini (or 1 medium), cut in match sticks
1 ear medium sweet corn, kernels sliced off
1 tbsp basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, fine chop
1/3 lb. top sirloin (or another lean cut of beef)
2 tsp rosemary, fine chop
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Plain greek yogurt for garnish

Begin by slicing up the vegetables/herbs. Add ~1/2 tsp olive oil to a saute pan and add onions. After about 3 minutes add in zucchini, corn and garlic (using additional oil/cooking spray as necessary to prevent burning). Cook for another 3 minutes, add desired amount of salt and pepper along with fresh basil.

Meanwhile mix together ingredients for crepes until a liquid consistency is achieved. Pour batter into a 9 inch pan and spread to cover the full pan. Cook over low-med heat. Flip once the edges start to curl.

Moving on to the steak, season with salt and pepper and press chopped rosemary into the meat. If using thin sliced meat, you will only need to cook for about 30-60 seconds on either side.

Transfer the crepe to a plate and top with all the ingredients + a dollop of plain greek yogurt. 

Purely Granola

As far as summer discoveries go, here's one for the books; Purely Elizabeth = Pure Bliss. Allow me to explain. Having two close friends with celiac has turned me on to many things gluten-free. So when I noticed Purely Elizabeth Original Ancient  Grain granola on the shelf at Whole Foods (of course) I couldn't resist picking up a bag for one of my favorite glutards...and later I returned to get one for myself. 

This amazing product is not only gluten-free, but also made with coconut oil, which gives it standout flavor; quinoa; and chia seeds - a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants. 

Chia seeds may sound familiar - and even cause you to subconsciously sing the "ch-ch-ch-chia pet" jingle. After some quick googling to get to the bottom of the similarities, hit #2 revealed, "Don't eat your chia pet, but chia seeds are proving healthy." Bottom line, chia seeds are used to make chia pets, sans FDA standards. In addition to the benefits above, chia seeds actually prove to be energy and endurance enhancing - great news for a wannabe runner such as myself.

As I eyed up the final few grains in my first bag of Purely Elizabeth, on sale  for a not so budget friendly $6, I was determined to get my hands on a cheaper version. With this in mind, I made another important discovery - granola is incredibly straightforward to make at home. One quick trip to the grocery store and I was ready to tackle a new food project.

I offered the first test run of granola to one of my coworkers, a fellow Purely Elizabeth enthusiast. She keenly picked out that mine contained more cinnamon flavor and moisture than the original. I tried a few different variations and encourage you to dial ingredient amounts up and down to your liking. For a more cluster-y granola, try using some additional honey - drizzle on the granola once it is spread on the pan.

The recipe:
2 cups multi grain oats (for the gluten free version use gluten free oats)
3 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp uncooked quinoa
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, stir together coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, salt, oats, quinoa, chia, and sunflower seeds . Mix until evenly coated.

Spread in an even layer on a foil or parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Note: cooking times may vary by oven so be sure to keep an eye (and nose) on the granola.

Tomato Layer Salad

Living up to its name as the Garden State, Jersey certainly doesn't disappoint with its tomatoes. During the several weekends this summer that I have spent at the Jersey shore, I have made a point to land the juicy red ripe tomatoes on my plate - breakfast, lunch and dinner - I don't discriminate.

 This past weekend was no different.  In between water activities, episodes of TLC's Honey Boo Boo and eating enough to grow a food baby, I managed to sneak to Jerry's Farm Market situated one long block away from the ocean in Ortley Beach to pick up my own supply of tomatoes. Jerry's is a cute little stand that is a great one stop shop for produce - as GlutenFreeBlondie's family can attest to.

With tomatoes in hand, it was a no brainer to take full advantage and make this Cooking Light recipe. With the icing on the cake being that the recipe also incorporates sweet summer corn and avocado. Oh and did I mention the buttermilk dressing bursting with fresh herb flavor adds an amazing element of contrast that is melt in your mouth good!!

In the absence of a grill, my brand new pots and pans (woo!!!) were a perfect way to apply a little pseudo-grill to the corn.

The recipe:
(Adapted and slightly modified from Cooking Light)

2 ears shucked corn
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

Actual tomato quantity and variety is up to you, but here is the recommendation:
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices total
2 globe tomatoes, cut into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices total

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Slice kernels off the corn and add to a pan with 1 tsp olive oil.Saute over medium heat until browned.

Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Sprinkle tomato slices evenly with salt. Alternate layers of tomato and avocado. Scatter corn evenly onto plates. Drizzle each tomato stack with about 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing and a drizzle of oil.

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over salads.

Spinach Artichoke & White Bean "Endive Dippers"

As healthy as endive spears are, tortilla chips are fun too... (featured - Trader Joes Veggie & Flax Seed Chips)

Last week while standing in line for salad at one of my favorite grab-and-go lunch spots, I couldn’t help but overhear a woman crafting her own salad packed with vegetables and…cannoli beans. Clearly she had Italian desert and not healthy salad fixings on the brain. While fighting back the giggles, I got to thinking about other ways I could incorporate white beans, or cannellini beans, into recipes.

One thing led to another and here we are with endive dippers in one hand and spinach artichoke and cannellini bean dip in the other.

The artichoke added a nice creaminess to the dip, while the spinach provided the green boost; white beans injected fiber and protein and rosemary the nice flavor. I guess it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but the dip did remind me somewhat of hummus.

This recipe can be as simple as a quick rinse of the beans and a toss of everything in the blender, or it can involve some light sautéing before combining. Either way, it is destined to be a hit. Pita chips, tortilla chips or crackers work for serving too.

The recipe: 

3  large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 c. red onion

4 cups baby spinach

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil + oil for cooking

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 of the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Repeat with the remaining spinach. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Place the spinach mixture, a tbsp of olive oil, cannelloni beans, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, parmesan and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve with endive spears.