It's a Jolly Holiday

July 9, 2011 Miranda

Glorious white sand beaches, jagged cliff filled coastlines, ancient ruins, fresh, abundant seafood, eerie yet beautiful grottos, and a great travel buddy made this trip truly spectacular.

Miranda Hammer,

MS, RD, CDN

Registered Dietitian, Natural Foods Chef, Recipe Developer, Fitness Enthusiast, and Mom, with a Passion for Healthy Cooking and Balanced Living.

50/50 breakfast situation. Local @shewolfbakery sesame wheat and greenmarket egg with unseasonal but delicious slow roasted tomatoes, avocado, and @traderjoes everything bagel spice.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Start your day with a Love Yourself Smoothie. You deserve it!
Serves 2
1 1/2 cups frozen dark cherries
1/2 frozen banana
a handful of spinach
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (I use @malkorganics)
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use @siggisdairy)
1 tsp @navitasorganics goji powder
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
Dash of cinnamon
Blend until smooth in a high speed blender. I topped my smoothie with a little @purely_elizabeth chocolate strawberry granola and dehydrated strawberries. Treat yourself to some self love today!!! 😘😘😘

Ask and you shall receive! Easy Saffron Chicken with Herbed Couscous recipe from my pal @yasminnozari . This is a super simple weeknight dish full of flavor and vibrant colors - perfect for your hump day! See it come together in my Saffron chicken highlight. Add mushrooms or cauliflower for some extra veg or serve with a simple arugula salad.
Saffron chicken with herbed couscous
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 yellow onions thinly sliced
8 organic skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon turmeric
Heavy pinch/ 1 teaspoon saffron ground in a motar and pestal
2 cups bone broth/vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper

1 1/4 cups couscous
1/2 chopped herbs - dill, parsley, cilantro
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Splash of olive oil
In a large Dutch oven warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pinch salt and pepper and sauté until onions are caramelized. About 15 minutes. Add the turmeric and saffron and toast for 30 seconds. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs and add to the pot. Sear both sides of chicken, if possible (pot may be too full). Cover chicken with broth, bring to boil, and let simmer partially covered for at least an hour, allowing broth to reduce and chicken to tenderize. Chicken should be very tender and shred easily.
For the couscous - while the chicken cooks prepare the couscous. Rinse 1 1/4 cups couscous and place in a large bowl. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water and a pinch of salt over couscous and stir. Cover with a plate for 5 minutes. Remove plate and fluff couscous with a fork. Add herbs, soaked and drained raisins, most of the almonds, vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil. Fluff again. To serve, place couscous in a bowl, top with chicken and sauce, finish with additional almonds and fresh herbs.

Last kid standing at the playground tonight.

Did someone order the romance package? I am all for dining out on special occasions but, after years of slinging over-priced prix fixe menus during my restaurant days, I relish the opportunity to cook Valentine's dinner at home. Spending time with your special person in the kitchen is the perfect opportunity to connect. Source a few unique ingredients, grab a nice bottle of wine, light some candles, put on some tunes, and you're in business.
The key to a romantic dinner at home is to keep things simple. You don't want to be too overambitious and make things stressful or complex. You also don't want to spend hours working away and end up too tired to enjoy a leisurely meal, unable to savor the fruits of your labor. If your partner is not too handy in the kitchen, give them simple tasks that are fail-safe, such as making sure drinks are flowing, vegetables are peeled and prepped, and salad greens are washed and well dried. If you are looking for a simple pasta entree consider this beet fusilli tossed with garlic, caramelized onions, chili flakes, Swiss chard and homemade breadcrumbs. Recipe in comments below.

Came back from barre to the perfect breakfast situation made by @a_shear. @sietefoods almond flour tortilla, cheesy scramble, spinach, avocado, and a hearty “splash” of @sietefoods hot sauce. Have a lovely weekend!

Sick of chili? Hopefully not! Recipe for a meatless Monday sweet potato and bean chili coming your way. This chili is simple, extremely flavor, and even Jack was a big fan of the sweet potatoes. Top with avocado, sour cream (or not), pickled jalapeño, radish, red cabbage, and you’ve got a delicious one pot meal. See it come together in my chili highlight and catch the recipe below. Inspired by @cookieandkate
Sweet potato bean chili
2tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 18oz jar diced tomatoes, I use @jovialfoods
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, I use @brodo
toppings: avocado, sour cream, pickled jalapeño, cheddar cheese, sliced radish, sliced red cabbage

Warm two tbsps olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon and toast spices for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and continue to toast for 30 more seconds. Add the onions, garlic, sweet potato, and peppers, salt, pepper, and coat everything in the spice mixture. Cook for 10 minutes allowing the vegetables and aromatics to soften. Add the beans. Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Fill the tomato jar with a little water and swirl, picking up any leftover tomato and add to the pot. Cover, bring to a broil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Partially uncover, and continue cooking for 30 minutes more until chili is reduced slightly, vegetables are soft, and flavors are well melded together. Ladle into bowls and top with your desired toppings. Happy #meatlessmonday!

Potato Party! I am a huge potato gal, especially when they are simply roasted until crispy. For an elevated spin, crispy smashed potatoes get a delicious addition of garlicky herb yogurt, shiitake bacon, and lots of fresh parsley for a colorful and tasty side dish, snack, or super bowl centerpiece. I use @siggisdairy whole milk plain yogurt as the base of the garlic yogurt. Siggi’s is skyr, an Icelandic style yogurt which is thick and decadent with just the right amount of tartness. I always opt for siggi’s as my “go-to” plain yogurt since it is high in protein and has simple ingredients and no added sugar. The yogurt is mixed with garlic and herbs, creating a zippy and creamy counterpart to the crispy potatoes. For a finishing touch, I top everything with shiitake bacon for a riff on classic potato skins. The umami crunchiness gives dimension and texture to this rager of a potato party. Catch the full recipe in comments below or on crunchyradish.com or see it happen in the potato party highlight. #partner #dailysiggis

Super Bowl is synonymous with many foods, but game day and chili are indeed the perfect combo. Whether you are watching the game or not, this tomatillo white bean chili is the perfect belly warming bowl.
chili verde
serves 4
1 1/2 cups dried navy beans or other white beans, soaked for at least 6 hours. You can also use canned.
2 white onions, one quartered, one diced
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 lb tomatillos, husks removed, washed and quartered
3 jalapeños, stems removed, sliced in half. Remove some, none, or all of the seeds, depending on your heat tolerance.
5 cups filtered water
Sea salt + white pepper
2 limes, halved
garnishes: toasted corn tortilla strips, avocado, microgreens, radish, cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds, plain yogurt, scallions.
Warm 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Stir in diced onion, garlic, and carrot, and sauté for five minutes or until onion is soft. Add cumin and coriander + toast for one minute, coating the vegetables in spices. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Sauté for 30 seconds coating the beans with the spice and onion mixture. Add 5 cups water and a tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and partly cover for an hour or until beans are tender.
While the beans cook, heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss tomatillos, jalapeños, and the quartered onion with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of sea salt on a parchment paper-liner sheet tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are soft. Let cool slightly. Transfer tomatillos, jalapeños, and onion to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Once the beans are cooked, add the tomatillo puree to the pot. Mix well to combine and cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with white pepper, taste, add additional salt, if needed. To make tortilla strips, cut tortilla lengthwise into strips, place on a sheet tray, bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. To serve, ladle chili into bowls, top with fresh lime juice, avocado, + preferred garnishes.

Soup season going strong. This tomato, kale, and white bean soup is a mash up of recipes from @nytcooking and @bonappetitmag. Still a work in progress. Flavors weren’t as robust as I was hoping. I welcome any tips! Current iteration below.
Tomato, kale, and white bean soup
6 servings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped ( i go large for Jack)
2 celery ribs, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small russet potato, diced
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
Kosher salt
2 bunches Tuscan kale, leaves removed from stem and thinly sliced
1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind
1 bay leaf
1 14-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups water
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat warm olive oil. Add paprika, basil, oregano, and thyme and toast spices for 30 seconds. Next add in onion, carrots, and celery and 1 tsp salt. Coat vegetables in spice mixture and cook for 8 minutes.
Open can or jar of tomatoes and drain over a large bowl. You will add the liquid to the soup so make sure you reserve it! Using your hands crush the whole tomatoes catching the juices in the bowl. Add crushed tomatoes, potato, and garlic to pot and continue cooking for 10 minutes more allowing the flavors to meld together.
Add tomato liquid, 3 cups water, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf and cook for 45 minutes or until carrots and potato are tender. Next add in the beans and sliced kale in batches, allowing kale to wilt. Cook for 10 minutes more. Ladle into bowls ( make sure to remove bay leaf and parm rind) top with red pepper flakes and freshly grated Parmesan.

Rainy cold day calls for my immune boosting turmeric ginger chicken soup. My go to “elixir” whenever I’m feeling under the weather. I love the earthy grounding flavors finished with a pop of lime. If making for a tiny human, you can cut the veggies on the large side + omit the red pepper. Jack was a big fan of the carrots in case you were curious. See it come together in the “chicken soup” highlight.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 to 3 tbsps olive oil
3 lbs chicken, combination of skinless boneless breasts and thighs, ideally organic and sustainably raised meat
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps ginger, peeled and minced
6 large carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 stalks celery, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small red chili pepper, seeds removed, minced (can sub in red pepper flakes)
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup dill, chopped
2 limes, quartered
1/2 lb baby kale or baby spinach
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper

On a plate, pat chicken dry, salt + pepper both sides. In a large pot (at least 7 qts) over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chicken in batches, browning each side, approximately 5-8 minutes a side. Add more oil as needed between each batch. Chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the brown bits.
Add another 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pot. Add the turmeric + oregano stir, scrapping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Once the spices are toasted, about 30 seconds, stir in the onion, garlic, ginger. Coat in spices and cook for 5 minutes. Next add in the carrots, celery, parsnips, + chili pepper. Continue to coat the vegetables with spice mixture + sauté for 5 minutes more. Pour in the stock + bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer + slowly add the chicken. If pot is very full, leave uncovered to reduce the liquid. Partially cover pot, continue to simmer 4 at least an 1 1/2 -2 hours. When soup is nearly done, remove chicken shred w/ two forks. Return to pot. To serve, add handful of spinach to each bowl. Spoon soup over greens to wilt. Finish w/ fresh lime + dill

When you take two delicious recipes from two incredibly inspiring women you get a super fabulous mash up meal. Miso maple salmon from @coluhenry in this weeks @nytcooking and the 👑 @amychaplin soba noodle salad with peppers, cilantro and sesame marinade from her incredible book #athomeinthewholefoodkitchen. You can see it come together in my story as well in my “soba salad” highlight. If you don’t have @amychaplin book I highly recommend it. Additionally, if you don’t subscribe to @nytcooking app I also recommended supporting an industry that’s producing great and reliable content!

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Miranda Hammer MS RD

50/50 breakfast situation. Local shewolfbakery sesame wheat and greenmarket egg with unseasonal but delicious slow… https://t.co/PaSS7nu7fG
about 3 days ago