Brussels Sprout Salad With Lemon, Garlic and Pecorino Romano

August 6, 2016August 6, 2016Anne

Too hot to turn on the stove? Try this easy, Brussels sprout salad for dinner.

We camped on the Deschutes this week and I was lucky enough to be hanging out with some seriously prepared campers. There was a tent and air mattress waiting for me upon arrival. The adults took turns prepping and cooking meals. We swam, hiked, napped, played games and it was super relaxing. At one point we had 8 adults and 5 kids to feed so we had a big spaghetti dinner and this Brussels sprout salad (recipe below).

The flavor reminds me of Caesar salad, in fact you could add a little anchovy paste or some bacon if you are feeling indulgent. A mandoline will allow you to slice the sprouts paper thin. A sharp knife and a steady hand works as well. As with most of my favorite recipes, this one includes a short list of easy to find ingredients, and is a cinch to prepare. Chop your veggies, combine your ingredients, and allow your salad to sit for twenty minutes, then enjoy!

Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad

Brussels sprouts salad 1 8.16

Ingredients:

2 lbs of Brussels sprouts
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pecorino romano
salt and pepper to taste

Brussels sprouts salad 2 8.16

Directions:

Thinly slice sprouts and place in a large bowl.
Mince the garlic and shallots and add to sprouts.
Add lemon juice and olive oil.
Grate cheese and add to sprout mixture.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix everything together.
Chill for twenty minutes. Taste and add salt or more cheese if you like.

Brussels sprouts salad 3 8.16

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Thai Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe

July 7, 2016July 16, 2018Anne

Last week my buddy Lisa and I took a road trip to Boise to see my favorite band Widespread Panic. The weather was hot and sunny (100 degrees hot!), and the tiny downtown was clean and bustling with healthy, fit looking people. It seemed like everyone was into some type of outdoor activity – mountain biking, fishing, camping, boating, rafting. The Boise River Park runs through the center of town and boasts ten miles of paved walking/ biking trails.

Here I am with my toes in the ice cold water.

Anne boise river 7.16

We stumbled upon this sweet Co-op where we ate several meals. My favorite was a Thai watermelon soup. When I got home I tried replicating the recipe. It was so delicious I wanted to share it with you.

As with all of my favorite recipes, it includes a short list of easy to find ingredients, and is quick and easy to make. You can find fresh lemongrass at Asian markets like Fubonn, or at New Seasons. Scroll down for the full recipe, here’s the basic outline…

Get your ingredients together

watermelon soup ingredients 7.16

your mise en place as they call it

watermelon soup mise en place 7.16

watermelon 7.16

saute your spices

watermelon soup cooking 1 7.16

add the pureed watermelon

watermelon soup cooking 2 7.16

and you’ve got soup baby!

watermelon soup final 7.16

Thai Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

6 cups (about 4 lbs) of watermelon – seed, rough chop (to measure your 6 cups) and then puree in a food processor
1 fresh lemongrass stalk – remove root end and outer leaves and finely chop the bottom 4 inches
3 tablespoons shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small Serrano pepper (with seeds if you dare)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan saute lemongrass, shallot, ginger and garlic in olive oil over med/low heat for 5 minutes.
Add watermelon puree and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add lime juice, hot pepper, and salt.
Chill for at least two hours and serve.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. she offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Jonah’s Strawberry Cake

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016Anne

Since my last few recipe posts have been very healthy veggie side dishes (seriously you must try this green soup, it is my new favorite easy summer meal) I decided it was time for a sweet treat! Also my buddy Jonah Sage’s birthday party was this past weekend and since I volunteered to make his cake, and it turned out so delicious, I thought I’d share this easy summer treat with you.

baby jonah cake final

Well actually I made two cakes, one for the adults to eat and one for the babies to smash their faces into. Here is the birthday boy with his cake.

baby j with cake b day 6.16

Beverly (Jonah’s mamma) and I decided that strawberries from their home garden would be perfect for baby J’s birthday cake. I was planning to make a 1-2-3-4 cake from scratch until I found pre made angel food cakes at New Seasons. Also I remembered that I had a full week of appointments and since it has been in the 90’s did I really want to fire up the oven? I love this baby but come on, why suffer? So this is more of a “here’s something delicious that I put together that everyone loved” than a recipe. Try it and you will not be disappointed.

If you are not fortunate enough to have hood strawberries growing in your yard, they can be found right now at farmer’s markets (like Moreland on Wednesdays and Milwaukie on Sundays) and local grocery stores. Yes there is a little bit of sugar in the cake, but it’s not too sweet. You could also make mini versions of these using slices of pound cake or mini shortcakes. I used a stand mixer,but if you want a nice arm workout try whipping the cream by hand.

Jonah’s Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

1 pre-made angel food cake
1 quart of hood strawberries (I’m guessing here, we filled two large tupperware containers from my friend’s garden, if in doubt buy more and freeze any leftovers)
2 cups of whipping cream
4-6 Tablespoons of sugar, separated
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

1. Prep your mixing bowl by placing the bowl and the beaters (or whisk if you are making by hand) in the freezer for a few minutes.

2. Give your strawberries a bath by rinsing them in cold water. Wait to do this right before you are about to make your cake, otherwise they will get all gross and gooey. These babies are not like traditional strawberries, they are almost as delicate as raspberries.

3. Slice berries in half, sprinkle them with two tablespoons of sugar, stir and and refrigerate while you prep the rest of the cake.

baby jonah cake strawberries

4.Carefully slice your cake into three layers.

Baby Jonah cake layer one one 6.16

5. Start on your whipped cream – place two tablespoons of sugar into your chilled bowl. Add the 2 cups of whipping cream and vanilla and beat just until soft peaks form. This took me maybe 5-10 minutes.

baby jonah cake whipped creme

6. Put together your cake – place the bottom layer on a pretty plate. Check your chilled strawberries for sweetness and add sugar to taste. Spread one third of the strawberries over the first cake layer.

Baby Jonah cake layer one 6.16

7. Top with 1/4 of the creme. Repeat this cake, strawberries, whipped creme process for the next two layers. Cover the whole thing with the remaining whipped cream and serve!

And here is one more photo of this delicious baby, he is so freaking cute I can’t stand it!

Baby J bday party 2 6.16 crop

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers these recipes to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

African Curried Cauliflower Recipe

April 6, 2016April 6, 2016Anne

Like other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is an excellent source of phytonutrients and enzymes as well as vitamins C, K, B5, B6, folate fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. All great reasons to add this hearty veggie to your diet. Try this curried baked version and let me know what you think in the comments below.

African Curried Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.
Toss cauliflower with olive oil, curry powder, caraway seeds, red pepper and salt.
Spread cauliflower mixture out in a single layer on baking sheet.
Roast cauliflower until cooked through and the edges are a little charred – about 20 to 30 minutes.

Roasted Radishes

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016Anne

Ever buy some random grocery item that you need just a pinch of for one recipe only to watch it die a slow death in the back of your fridge? Unfortunately this was to be the fate of some leftover radishes I had bought as a topping for Pork Posole (which incidentally was delicious). I tried pawning them off on a client. Instead of taking them she suggested I roast them and offered this recipe.

Thanks Marnie!

While I’m sure you could add fresh herbs or garlic, I do like the simplicity of this dish as is. Short ingredient list, simple to prepare, paleo friendly, and low glycemic index. Try it and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Ingredients:

Into the oven:

After 20 minutes:

The finished product:

Roasted Radishes

Ingredients:

3 bunches radishes
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°
Trim leaves and stems off radishes. Slice into halves, or slice large radishes into quarters.
Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in a cast iron skillet, or rimmed baking dish.
Bake 20 minutes stirring once or twice.
Finish with lemon juice to taste and a sprinkle of salt if needed.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood) Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.