{Recipe Redux} Broccoli Stalk Salsa Verde

For the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a presentation that I’m giving at a conference next month.  The topic is how to make local foods affordable—cooking on a very limited budget.  As I stewed over ideas and started testing recipes and calculating costs, I had some ‘ah ha’ moments.

Part of saving money on our food budget is about not wasting food.  Every time we pitch uneaten food into the trash, we’re throwing money away.  The average American family throws out $1,600 worth of food a year!    

I started realizing the ways in which I’m guilty of that practice—not drinking all of the milk before it spoils, having a loaf of bread go stale, letting vegetables wilt in the crisper before I get to cook or eat them.  It adds up! 

So when I saw The Recipe Redux theme this month—spring cleaning, or using up all the ingredients that seem to hang around for awhile—it really hit home.  I’ve vowed to be more inventive in my cooking and put all those bits and pieces to good use—and nourishment! 

I have lots of ideas I've developed over the last month, and I'll be sharing those over the next few weeks.  But, I'm starting with broccoli stalks, which don’t get a lot of love.  Sometimes I roast them with the broccoli florets.  Sometimes I shred them in salads.  But I played with some recipes and found they are absolutely delicious when turned into a salsa verde, which is basically just a fancy name for a green sauce. 

I pureed the broccoli stalks (I didn’t even peel them) with cilantro, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, sea salt and red pepper flakes.  Use it the same way you would pesto or chimichurri.  I put it on top of a potato hash, mashed it with avocado for a zesty avocado toast, and just ate it out of the bowl with a spoon.

What are your best waste-saving tips? We’d love to hear!

Broccoli Stalk Salsa Verde

Makes about 2 cups

Stalks from a large bunch of broccoli

½ of a bunch of cilantro, stems and leaves (about 1 cup)

Zest and juice of one lemon

½ teaspoon sea salt

Large pinch of red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process together until smooth.  Use as a dip, topping for toast, or sauce for eggs.  Or, use your imagination!

An InLinkz Link-up

Poached Eggs with Raspberry "Hollandaise" Sauce

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.

Whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s always a good idea to celebrate love.  Love of family and friends--those who are always in your corner cheering you on, love of our pets who unconditionally love us back, love of ourselves.  The world needs more love.

Since food and celebration go hand-in-hand, we’ve created a beautiful, nourishing breakfast to get you in the mood to celebrate love.  When you wake up tomorrow morning, open the window shades wide, pour yourself a cup of coffee, put on your favorite music, and make this, either for yourself or someone you love.

Tomorrow, we hope you celebrate love and enjoy this Poached Eggs with Raspberry Hollandaise.

Poached Eggs with Raspberry Hollandaise

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 eggs
12 asparagus spears
1/4 avocado - sliced

Sauce:

1 egg yolk
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of pureed frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:

1.      Over a double boiler of simmering water, whisk the egg yolk, yogurt, raspberry sauce until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

2.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking pan, drizzle asparagus with olive oil and roast for about 8 minutes, until tender, but still crisp.

3.      Poach both eggs for 2 minutes until whites are cooked and yolks are slightly runny.

4.      Divide the roasted asparagus on 2 plates along with sliced avocado. Top each with poached egg. Spoon over warm raspberry hollandaise. Top with additional raspberry puree if desired. 

Disclaimer: While we are consulting dietitians for the National Processed Raspberry Council, we are  sharing this recipe on our blog simply because we love it.

Shrimp Tacos with Tomato-Raspberry Salsa

You know how much McKenzie and I love, love, love fish tacos.  When we travel to coastal destinations, we’re always seeking the best taco truck or restaurant to get our fish taco fix.  And when we get a glorious sunny day at home, we’re thinking about making fish tacos to eat on the deck.

Last week, I switched up my favorite halibut taco recipe for shrimp tacos topped with a spicy fresh tomato and raspberry salsa.  The raspberries add the same sweetness and tangy pop as pineapple does to tacos al pastor.  The combination of the in-season tomatoes with the sweet-tart raspberries, creamy avocado and spicy jalapeno is really good.    

This recipe is so easy to make—it’s ready in minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal.  To serve, let everyone make their own tacos by setting out plates of warmed tortillas, shrimp, and the tomato-raspberry salsa.  I like to serve this with a tangy cabbage slaw and roasted sweet potato fries.  We hope you invite some friends over, make a pitcher of margaritas and enjoy a casual dinner on your deck. 

Shrimp Tacos with Tomato-Raspberry Salsa

Serves 6

1 shallot, thinly sliced

Zest and juice of one lemon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 pint cherry tomatoes, tomatoes sliced in half

½ cup frozen raspberries, thawed

1 avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, diced (seeded, if desired)

2 – 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves

12 corn tortillas

¼ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

¼ teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground

¼ teaspoon paprika (sweet or hot, your choice)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

24 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

First, make the Tomato-Raspberry Salsa.  Place the shallot, lemon juice and zest and salt in a bowl and let set for at least five minutes.  The lemon juice will mellow and slightly pickle the shallot.  Add the halved cherry tomatoes, thawed raspberries, avocado, jalapeno and cilantro.  Stir together and let sit while you make the shrimp tacos.

Heat a large cast iron skillet (or heavy bottomed skillet) over medium—high heat.  Place the tortillas in the skillet for a minute or so on each side, to toast and warm.  Wrap the tortillas in a clean dish towel to keep warm until serving.

In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, paprika and salt.  Sprinkle the spice mix on both sides of the shrimp.  (Extra spice mix may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.)

Drizzle the shrimp with extra virgin olive oil on both sides.  Place the shrimp in the hot cast iron skillet and cook, about 1 – 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through.  Be sure to place the shrimp in a single layer, not crowding the pan.  You may have to cook the shrimp in two or three batches, depending on the size of your skillet.  The shrimp will turn an opaque color when done.  Remove shrimp from the heat as soon as they are cooked and place in a bowl.  

Place two cooked shrimp in a corn tortilla and top with salsa.  Enjoy, preferably with someone (or several people!) you love!   

Although we do work with the National Raspberry Council, we were not compensated for this post.  

All our opinions are our own.  We really do just love raspberries!

Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup

We have a new juice bar opening in Bellingham, the Electric Beet Juice Company.  Isn’t that a fun name?!  I couldn’t be more excited for the owners, Sara and Kara, and their new venture.  Watch how cute they are in their video, talking about the juicery!

I recently helped Sara and Kara with a fun community event launching their crowdfunding campaign.  They served a variety of their cold-pressed juices, chilled soups, and bliss balls, and I contributed my chilled cucumber and avocado soup—perfect for beating the heat!

This simple, no-cook summer soup is so refreshing and delicious.  The avocado adds creamy richness and a healthy dose of fiber and monounsaturated fat.  If you like, you can also blend in a cup of Greek yogurt for added protein and calcium.   

And if you’d like to help Sara and Kara make Electric Beet Juice Company come to life, you can donate here! 

Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup

Serves 8

2 cups cold water

1 large English cucumber, cubed (peel left on)

1 large or 2 small avocados, skinned and pitted

1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed

½ bunch cilantro, stems and leaves

½ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

½ teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Zest and juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Place in the refrigerator until well chilled.  Serve cold, topped with the tomato and cucumber relish.  Enjoy, preferably with someone you love!

Tomato-Cucumber Relish

½ pint cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters

½ English cucumber, cut in small dice

Zest and juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir together.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes.  Relish can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days. 

Are You Getting Enough Calcium? And a Green Avocado Smoothie

Sometimes, we just need to talk about the basics.  It’s not sexy, but it’s important to our overall health.  And we want to help you have the healthiest, most vibrant life possible!  And truthfully, writing these blog posts makes us think about our own health, too.  Like, are we getting enough calcium?

What is calcium, and why do I need it?

Calcium is a mineral that is important for many functions in our body.  We all know calcium is important for building strong bones and healthy teeth, but it also is important for blood clotting, nerve impulses, hormone secretions, and muscle contraction.  Our body stores calcium in our bones and teeth.  We cannot make calcium, so it is an essential nutrient we must get from food.  Our body maintains a constant level of calcium in our blood, so when we don’t eat enough calcium, our body takes calcium from our bones, resulting in weak bones.  That’s why eating foods rich in calcium is so important. 

How much calcium do I need?

The amount of calcium you need every day depends on your age and sex.

Children

Ages 4 – 8 need 1,000 mg daily

Ages 9 – 18 need 1,300 mg daily

Women

Age 19 – 50 need 1,000 mg daily

Age 51 & older need 1,200 mg daily

Men

Age 19 - 69 need 1,000 mg daily

Age 71 & older need 1,200 mg daily

Which foods contain calcium?

Dairy products, like milk, yogurt and cheese, are all great sources of calcium.  However, if you don’t eat dairy, there are still many other sources of calcium, including fish (sardines, salmon, perch, rainbow trout), leafy greens* (like kale, collard greens and broccoli), tofu, beans that have been soaked and cooked, and calcium-fortified foods like orange juice, oatmeal and breakfast cereals. 

*Although spinach, chard and beet greens also contain calcium, the calcium in these foods is not well-absorbed because they also contain oxalic acid which binds the calcium and prevents absorption.

When you are buying boxed and canned products, check the nutrition facts label to find out how much calcium the food contains.  The nutrition facts label will list the calcium content as a percentage of the DV (1,000 mg of calcium per day). For example:

• 30% DV of calcium equals 300 mg.
• 20% DV of calcium equals 200 mg of calcium.
• 15% DV of calcium equals 150 mg of calcium.

Examples of Calcium Content in Foods*

Food	Serving Size	Calcium (mg)
Milk, whole	1 cup	305 mg
Yogurt, whole	1 cup	274 mg
Cheddar Cheese	1 ounce	200 mg
Cottage Cheese	½ cup	103 mg
Feta Cheese	1 ounce	140 mg
Broccoli, cooked	½ cup	47 mg
Kale, cooked	½ cup	45 mg
Butternut squash	½ cup	45 mg
Sweet potato	½ cup	32 mg
Chickpeas	½ cup	38 mg
Almonds	1 ounce	72 mg
Almond butter	1 tablespoon	43 mg
Tahini	1 tablespoon	64 mg
Sardines with bones (canned)	4	242 mg
Blackstrap molasses	1 tablespoon	172 mg
Tofu, firm	½ cup	258 mg
Dried figs	8	107 mg

*Check the nutrition label of the brands you buy for calcium content. Calcium may vary.

If I can’t get enough calcium from foods, should I take a supplement?

If you’re not getting enough calcium from foods, you can consider taking a calcium supplement.  The two main forms of calcium in supplements are carbonate and citrate. Calcium carbonate is the most common and least expensive, but it is best absorbed with food.  Calcium citrate is absorbed equally well with or without food.  If you experience gas, bloating or abdominal discomfort with the calcium supplement, try taking a different kind.  Also, spread the dose out throughout the day to increase absorption.

What else should I know about calcium absorption?

• Your body only absorbs about 500 mg of calcium at a time, so it’s best to spread out calcium consumption throughout the day.
• You need Vitamin D to properly absorb calcium, so be sure you’re getting at least 800 mg of Vitamin D3 each day. 

Here’s a recipe for a calcium-rich green smoothie, to get you started with filling your calcium needs!  It's a delicious way to start your day.

Green Avocado Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

1 cup milk or milk substitute (fortified with calcium)

½ banana (preferably frozen)

1/2 small avocado or ¼ of a medium avocado
1 cup baby kale

1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 dates, pitted

Optional:  ½ cup frozen fruit of choice (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.) or an apple for added sweetness and fiber.

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love! (Make them a smoothie, too!)