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Chicken, Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo

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GumboHappy Mardis Gras Y’all!

We are in the final days of Mardis Gras season here, and thawed out Yankee can tell you, it’s quite the time!! For years I’ve heard of the madness and mayhem of the parades and bead tosses- but there is nothing- I mean NOTHING like experiencing it. 

It’s not just the beads (though as one friend of said, “It’s amazing what a woman will do to get cheap beads.”), it’s not just the crazy floats and music in the streets, it’s the whole vibe and energy of a town gone party wild!

parade

I experienced my first parade, the Krewe de Vieux, in New Orleans the weekend before last. This is one of the few parades that wends it’s way through the French Quarter, and it was a blast. Known for it’s irreverence and political bent, the Krewe de Vieux theme this year was “Where The Wild Things Are”. All along Esplanade, as we headed down to find our spot to watch, folks in costumes filled the streets and city busses. My favorite were groups dressed as Max from the book of that title, on bicycle! Tails whipping behind them as they careened down the avenue, and all around an air of frat house partying and good times.

Shreveport has it’s own splendid Mardis Gras, and no less of the chaos and rapture of New Orleans. I was told that Mardis Gras is a local holiday (schools close, businesses shut down), and though I didn’t doubt it, I just didn’t realize how seriously folks took it. Give a Louisianian an opportunity to dance and party in the streets, and they are all about it!

kratchners [Read more…] about Chicken, Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo

Chickpea Flour Crepes with Coconut Curry Vegetables

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Chickpea Flour Crepe~A Stack of Dishes

My days have been hectic here getting into the rhythm of the new business and website, A Healthy Hunger. There is nothing like the feeling of creating something from nothing. It’s so exciting and powerful, and not to mention nerve wracking. I feel like I am living in a matrix of decisions with one complete thought balancing out, or influencing, another. I find myself getting lost in thought at random moments as I think through ideas and try them on for size in my mind. It’s heady fun stuff, and my friends that know me well know that this is my best playground.

Pam and I have also decided to fulfill a bucket list dream: to hike Machu Picchu. We will be doing the 4 day hike later this Spring. I am told it will be a tough (but not impossible) hike. As a result, Pam and I have flung ourselves headlong into long workout and conditioning plans. I love having a goal, and as a past marathoner and triathlete- I LOVE the challenge. As much as I love writing, the payoff is many hours sitting at my desk, and this past year while I finished my Master’s work, I was sitting more than ever. Now, once again, I am sweaty more days than now and my laundry loads are mostly workout wear.

The first weeks were creaky and stiff as I geared these aging bones back up to speed. Which, by the way, has given me renewed respect for anyone at ANY age starting and sustaining a workout plan for the first time. After about 4 weeks of fatigue and heaviness, my muscles are now responding and I find myself not only looking forward to gym time, but actually craving it. Yes! I’ve finally reached the zone. Like an airplane on take off, I’ve pulled through the turbulence and now at a cruising altitude. Still lots of work, but I’ve got some loft now.

Chickpea Crepe with Coconut Curry Vegetables~ A Stack of DishesHealthier eating is naturally on the top of our list too. While Pam plans our workouts I am in charge of our nutrition. Lots of vegetables and lean proteins, and plenty of herbs and spices to help with building our muscles and curtailing inflammation. We are growing leaner and meaner.

Our main meal is lunch, or more precisely post workout. This dish is something we would eat in the evening along with a green salad. Pretty too, don’t you think?

Chickpea Crepes with Coconut Curry Vegetables
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251 calories
31 g
2 g
11 g
10 g
2 g
221 g
250 g
9 g
0 g
9 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
221g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 251
Calories from Fat 96
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g
17%
Saturated Fat 2g
8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 2mg
1%
Sodium 250mg
10%
Total Carbohydrates 31g
10%
Dietary Fiber 9g
36%
Sugars 9g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A
64%
Vitamin C
36%
Calcium
14%
Iron
19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
  2. 1 cup water
  3. 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  4. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  5. 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the filling
  1. 1 tablespoons canola oil
  2. 2 cups diced eggplant
  3. 1 cup diced carrot
  4. 2 cups cauliflower
  5. 1/2 cup diced onion
  6. 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  7. 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
  8. 1 clove garlic, minced
  9. 1 can low fat coconut milk
Instructions
  1. In a blender combine the garbanzo flour, water, oil and cumin. Blend until smooth. Add water to make a heavy cream consistency and then add the black sesame seeds and salt. Set aside to rest 10 minutes.
  2. To make the crepes: heat a small nonstick frying pan over medium/high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add 4 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl to evenly coat the bottom. Cook until the batter sets, then flip over and cook one minute on the other side. Turn out onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  3. To make the filling: In a large sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and curry powder and toss with the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce to heat to a simmer and cook unit the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender.
  4. To serve: lay down a crepe and place about a cup of mixture in the middle. Fold up the bottom then the two sides. Serve with yogurt if you desire.
Notes
  1. You may use any combination of vegetables here. String beans, asparagus, squash, etc., all work equally well. For extra oomph you may also add tofu or tempeh.
beta
calories
251
fat
11g
protein
10g
carbs
31g
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Cauliflower Soup Made with Bone Broth

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Cauliflower Soup with Bone Broth~ A Stack of DishesEvery year after either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, I am left with the turkey carcass, and like so many things, I say to myself- “I’m going to make stock out of that”, and then I don’t.

This year I finally got un-lazy and pulled out my huge stock pot. Though rather than just make broth, I decided to make bone broth, a nutrient dense and flavorful broth.  By simmering the bones for a long long time, a lot of the minerals and nutrients are removed from the bones and meat creating a broth that is rich in amino acids, gelatin, calcium and magnesium, plus more. The gelatin is  known for aiding in digestion, essential for those on the GAPS diet. The broth contains natural glucosamine and chondroitin, which is thought to be therapeutic for joints. The broth also contains proline, which along with vitamin C is great for your skin. The gelatin and collagen also support skin health.

So you can see that this liquid is quite the elixir, but the best part?? It’s delicious!! and couldn’t be easier to make.

cauliflower soup~A stack of dishesInto a stock pot I added the turkey carcass, the turkey wings, an onion, a couple of cloves of mashed garlic, a handful of rough chopped carrots, 2 celery stalks and 2 tablespoons of vinegar and covered the whole lot with fresh water. I then simmered it, covered, all day. It simmered as I cleaned up the wrapping and gift bags, it simmered when I swept and washed the floor, it simmered when I went to the gym, it simmered when I called my Mom and told her about the beautiful gravy and mashed potatoes I made the day before… you get the idea. It just does it’s thing while I did mine.

Finally at the end of the day I strained the liquid through a fine sieve and that was that. The result was a rich luscious broth that cooled into a jelly. (which got me to thinking about making soup dumplings… hmm)  This time when I tossed the carcass into the trash, I felt victorious.

My batch yielded 3 qts of gorgeous broth, which is delicious on it’s own, but I decided to make cauliflower soup. Into a large pot I sweated a pile of onions, a couple of cloves of garlic and some minced celery. Then I tossed in a couple of cups of the afore mentioned mashed potatoes, half a head of cauliflower rough chopped, and a quart of the broth. After about a half hour of low simmering, I pureed it all, added some milk, and the result?

The result was this conversation: [Read more…] about Cauliflower Soup Made with Bone Broth