Clean eating can mean a multitude of things to different people but, at its core, the ideals of eating pure, real food remain. In essence, clean eating is centered around whole foods and the avoidance of anything processed or refined. I try to eat this way for the most part, but understandably it's not possible to be a purest all the time. My most common "hick up" is during the 3pm post-lunch almost done with work slump, when I retreat to the cafeteria for a pre-packaged Sabra with pretzels and an iced double espresso. However, by focusing on eating foods in their most unadulterated state, you maintain control over what you put into your body and hence your overall health. The recipes I share here, on The Crunchy Radish are my attempt to "keep it clean". Although nothing is quite overtly complex, the recipes remain true to the "real" ingredients which I use and always focus on overall wellness and of course flavor.
Read moreEggplant Napoleon- The Little Tower that Could
Slow roasting tomatoes requires minimal effort yet yields great reward. By roasting sliced tomatoes at 250 degrees for around 2 hours with olive oil, salt, and pepper, the flavor concentrates 10 fold and you are left with slivers of robust, sweetly dense lobes that can contribute their delectableness to just about anything. In my case I used them in my Eggplant Napoleon. Originally, I had planned on making a rolantini, but time was not on my side so I came up with another way to utilize my ingredients in a more time-friendly fashion.
Read moreGet Nutty
Who doesn’t love those peanutty, spicy cold noodles from Chinese take-out? Well, more often than not you're not just getting a quick meal, you're getting tons of calories, fat, and additives that come with processed peanut butter and excessive amounts of peanut oil which are likely added to those "to go" noodles. Don’t let that get you down. I whipped up a delicious and nutritious version that is bolstered with nutrients and protein and will take you less time to make and eat than it would for your local MSG haunt to ring your bell.
Read moreTaco, Taco Night, I Love it When, its Taco Night
Sprouted corn tortillas, seared wild grouper, vegenaise crema, salted cabbage, pico de gallo, guac, and organic broccoli sprouts
Read moreIt's Gumbo Time Y'all
For my spin on the traditional Creole dish gumbo, I concocted a roux made with whole wheat flour and canola oil rather than white flour and butter. A roux is used as a base to thicken sauces and stews and is composed of a fat and flour.
Read moreDipity Dopity Do
In honor of my good friend’s visit, I threw together a little gathering to welcome her home. Having excess time is not something I am familiar with anymore, as the demands of school and my dietetic internship have taken priority of my life. Luckily, I was able to throw together two very simple and nutritious dips to accompany my cheese platter, crudités, and home made pita chips. At the end of the day, all you need is some wine and good company.
Read moreFarro Study Break
Whole faro with sun dried tomato anchovy pesto, broccoli, peas, boston lettuce, red onion with an apple rhubarb spritzer
Let the studying beginning…..but I couldn’t continue without refueling with my favorite grain…FARRO!
Farro is a whole grain and contains, fiber, protein, and iron and when paired with legumes create a complete protein.
I can not seem to get enough of these nutty chewy Italian morsels!
Goodnight Irene
Irene came and went and caused most of us to hibernate in our houses for most of the weekend. To our great disappointment, a member of The Crunchy Radish had their birthday festivities put on hold due to the storm. To make the best of things, we made a birthday dinner with some goods that we loaded up on the day before at the farmers’ market.
Read moreHere Fishy Fishy
This was certainly not your typical "run of the mill" fish dinner. Our friendly fishmonger generously supplied us with some incredible silky, smooth black cod and not one but two types of caviar! This was an exceptional and special meal and we deeply appreciated having “friends with benefits."
Read moreBanana Baby
"Ok, I know what you are thinking, what is up with this turd looking thing on a stick?" Well, despite its lack of beauty, this frozen banana coated in dark chocolate and walnuts was an amazing and delicious dessert on a 100 degree day. I had a few too many bananas laying around my apartment, so I did what any logical person would do; peel them, insert a popsicle stick (or chopstick) all the way through, and stick them in the freezer. I got really good quality dark chocolate, melted it over a double boiler, and coated the frozen bananas. (I am not an expert confectioner, so I am sure there are better techniques that would have created a more pleasing appearance.) I then covered the chocolate in chopped walnuts and stuck the banana babies back in the freezer. About an hour later, I was able to enjoy this frozen treat. The creamy cool perfectly ripe banana coated in the crunchy and sweet nutty outer layer was a divine dessert and had health benefits to boot!
- Bananas contain more than just potassium. They also have vitamin C, folate, iron, B6, and copper as well as fiber.
- Dark Chocolate has flavonoids that come from the cocoa bean, which are antioxidants that maintain heart health and healthy blood vessels.
- Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are a polyunsaturated fat, contain antioxidants which reduce cell damage, have fiber and protein.