Fitness with Flavor

Ingredients:

(yields 6 to 8 servings)

2 Pints of Any Combination of Mushrooms: Button, Shitaki, Oyster, Cremini or Portalbella

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided

2 Tablespoons Spanish Seasoning

5 Roasted Garlic Cloves, Mashed

1/2 Cup Dry Sherry (Substitutions: Red Wine, Sweet Vermouth)

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

Pinch-1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Worschestshire Sauce

3-4 Springs Fresh Thyme Leaves, Chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in nonstick pan until oil just begins to smoke. Add mushrooms, and sauté until mushrooms release liquid. Add Spanish spice and roasted garlic. Cook until spices become aromatic. Then add vinegar, Worschestshire, dry sherry. Continue to cook until liquids is almost absorbed into the mushrooms. Add olive oil and thyme and remove from heat.

Stove method | Add all ingredients into a roasting pan, add a bay leaf and 2 tablespoons chicken broth, olive oil or water. Roast at 375-400 F until mushrooms are golden brown. Check the mixture frequently during the cooking, adding additional liquid to prevent burning.</span>

Ingredients:

(yields 8 to 10 servings)

• 1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved

• 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 small red onion, halved and shaved (in half circles)

• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

• 1/4 cup hothouse cucumber, cut in half moons.

• 1 teaspoon basil, chiffonade (about 4 medium sized leaves of basil)

• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro leaves

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest

• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4-1/2 half jalapeno, finely diced (deseed for lesser heat)

• Salt and pepper to taste (we used about 4 turns of the salt grinder and pepper mill)

• 2 avocadoes (Hass) ripe, cut into chunks

Combine all ingredients except avocado. Gently fold avocado into mixture. Serve on top of chili, alongside fish, or use in Latin American dishes.

Ingredients:

(yields 2 to 4 servings)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 shallot

1/2 frozen spring peas

zest 1 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 leaves of mint (chiffonaded)

1/4 cup feta Crumbled

1 ounce cucumber cubed

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

In a frying pan with a teaspoon olive oil, sautee one shallot, slice in thin half-moons. Once carmelized, add ½ cup frozen spring peas, zest of ½ lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 leave of mint, chiffonaded. Take ¼ cup of feta, chopped in cubes or crumbled. 1 ounce cucumber, cubed. Mix until combined and remove from pan to cool. Serve on its own or add to Rheata.

Ingredients:

½ acorn squash, peeled, seeded and membranes removed, cubed to the size of dice

1 medium-sized parsnips, peeled and cubed to the size of dice

1 oz. fresh sage

½ oz. majoram

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest and juice of one orange

1 oz. red onion, cut in small dice

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 oz. dried sherry

3 oz. stock (chicken or vegetable)

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Add wet ingredients and herbs, onions and garlic. Add parsnips and squash and turn to coat. Roast in a 375 F oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Put nonstick pan at high heat with ½ teaspoon of olive oil or nonstick spray. The oil should simmer but not smoke. Add cooled mixture. Gently pat down mixture until it covers the bottom of the pan. Let cook for about 1-1.5 minutes until crisp. Gently flip over and crisp other side.

SIDE NOTE | When roasting you rarely need salt, as it tends to intensify the flavors naturealy. If anything, salt after roasting.

Ingredients:

(yield 6 to 8 servings)

• ½ head of cauliflower, separated into florets

• ¼ cup golden raisins or currants

• ½ cup whole almonds

• Zest and juice of 1 orange

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

• 1 teaspoon chopped mint

• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic

• ½ red onion, sliced thin

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry sherry or white wine

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Heat oven to 375 F.

In a mixing bowl, combine cauliflower, raisins/currants, almonds, roasted garlic, orange juice and zest, thyme, mint, roasted garlic, red onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to combine and spread in a roasting pan. Add chicken stock, vermouth, salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sweet Potato Hash and Apple

Serves 2

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced roughly the size of a quarter

1 large Granny Smith Apple, chopped and core removed

Pinch of nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cumin

¼  teaspoon dried thyme

Zest and juice of ½ lemon (all citrus on counter in bowl; put sliced fruits in fridge)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 oz. chicken or vegetable stock, or water.

Pinch of nutmeg

1 shallot, finely diced

½ clove garlic

1 oz. dried sherry, vermouth, Marsala, brandy

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Pour all wet ingredients and all herbs, shallots and garlic in pan. Add apples and sweet potato to the pan. Stir to coat.

Roast at 375, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes or until a knife enters sweet potato easily.

Tip | Whole nutmeg and grate on a microplane. If liquids begin to dry in oven, add more stock or water. You should have a slight carmelization, but not to the extent the mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Once done, set aside to cool to room temperature.

Put nonstick pan at high heat with ½ teaspoon of olive oil or nonstick spray. The oil should simmer but not smoke. Add cooled mixture. Gently pat down mixture until it covers the bottom of the pan. Let cook for about 1-1.5 minutes until crisp. Gently flip over and crisp other side.

The beauty with that is you can serve it in a cake form, or can serve it loose. If you think hash, you think something loose. I think hash, I think crisp. I think when you go and get potato hash or home fries.

Spanish Quinoa and Beans (version of Spanish Rice and Beans)
(Yield 4 cups)

2 cups cooked Quinoa (follow package directions for cooking)
1 oz. Spanish Spice (see recipe)
1 Tbsp. Tumeric
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
12 oz. can Black Beans or Kidney Beans
4 cloves Roasted Garlic
1/2 Red Onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 oz. Sherry Vinegar
1 oz. Olive Oil
S&P to taste

In sauce pan, saute onion, garlic and spices in olive oil until onion are translucent.  Add cooked quinoa and beans, stir until blended.  Deglaze with worcestershire and sherry vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste.