Strawberry Basil Frozen Yogurt

Life is all about seizing the moment. Everything doesn't have to be planned down to the minute. If something I’d like to do comes up on the spur of the moment, I don't hesitate and just go for it.
It’s a rule of thumb that I tend to apply in every sector of my life, kitchen included.
For instance a couple of days ago I was crAAAAAving ice-cream. Badly.
All I had were strawberries, Greek yogurt and some basil. What to do with it? Strawberry basil frozen yogurt of course. What a silly question...

Kale Pasta Salad

 
I kind of hate pasta salads drenched in mayo. To be honest, I can’t stomach them. I think they’re gross, loaded with calories, and just the very opposite of what a salad should really be.
A salad is supposed to be crunchy and light, not mushy and heavy. Final.
In other words, I’m a strong believer that pasta salad should never be made with mayo. You can disagree, of course. But that’s my opinion and until you’ll be able to prove me wrong, I am going to stick to my guns.

Let's Talk About Freekeh

Let me introduce you to freekeh (pronounced FREE-kah in case you’re not in the know), an ancient grain about to become very popular.
Freekeh is the name used for any wheat (usually durum), that’s harvested while still soft, young and green, then parched, roasted and dried. The process captures and more importantly retains the grains at the state of peak taste and nutrition. Freekeh tastes awesome and it’s good for you.
No wonder it’s quietly stealing quinoa’s limelight. 

Credit: Image courtesy of Natasha V Photography

Light and Tangy Potato Salad

 
This recipe is a total revelation. Seriously. I was very skeptic when I first saw it; but decided to give it a try nonetheless.
The mayo is subbed with an emulsion made of cooked leeks, Djion mustard and a couple of other ingredients.
To my own surprise, Dijon mustard gives body to cooked leeks in a very unexpected way. Making for a velvety dressing with a rich mouthful. No one will miss the fat.

Some of the Benefits of Running

I run almost everyday and every so often someone tells me: “Running is no good for you, it’s too hard on your joints, knees and your body. You should not run that much!" 
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I’ll stick to my guns and say: “Everything has pros and cons, but if done right, running it’s actually good for you, very good for you!”

Three-Tomato Sauce

This is my go-to sauce recipe when I’m craving spaghetti with tomato. It’s a special recipe. So special I was actually on the fence whether sharing it with you guys. I then reminded myself how my mom taught me the importance of generosity. So here it is (I know, I’m such a giving person!)
Why so special? 
First off because it comes together while the pasta is cooking (i.e., 10 minutes or so). This makes it a preferred choice when you’re in crunch time.
Secondly because it’s very light. There’s no frying or sauteing the onion in fat. The olive oil is added “raw” as the very last step. There’s nothing wrong with sauteing (don’t get me wrong) but skipping it makes the sauce much skinnier.
Lastly, it’s soooo tasty. I mean REALLY good. If it wasn’t so, it wouldn’t be my go-to tomato sauce recipe.

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Chicken Parm Meatballs (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)

Is there anything better than a juicy and tender parm meatball? I don’t think so. It’s one of the bestest thing ever. The food you expect to eat at your grandma’s, on a typical lazy Sunday; when life’s good.
For some reason, there’s always room in your stomach for that 4th helping of parm meatballs.
Even though you’re incredibly full. How’s that possible?
The answer involves an explanation of hormones called Ghrelin and Leptin, your brain, your stomach and some psychological nuances.
In short, the desire to eat an extra serving of your grandma’s parm meatballs is a toughy one to beat. Nearly impossible to overcome. It’s like fighting against Rocky. You’re getting beaten up. Sure.

Whole Wheat Focaccia with Caramelized Onions

 
I got into a focaccia kick and started making it just about every other day, topping it with vegetables and sometimes filling it with them. I mean, Stuffed Whole Wheat Focaccia with Arugula, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes or Whole Wheat Focaccia With Cherry Tomatoes and Oregano, anyone?

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Climb Your Own Everest

Today marks 60 years since two men, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, against all odds, became the first people to conquer the world’s highest mountain. Proving that nothing is out of reach if you set your mind to it.

Cauliflower Power

Not everyone is a fan of cauliflower. I get that. It’s a non pretentious vegetable, that deserves much more attention it’s actually getting. 
Cauliflower is cheap, versatile, and features a high concentration of nutrients for the calories contained. The bad rep has something to do with the fact that it stinks badly when it cooks. The taste can also be a bit off-putting. Cauliflower is definitely not a kids favorite and sometimes that also applies to the grown-ups. 
Cauliflower is enjoying a revamp lately though. No longer just for dips and soups, this unlikely veggie is taking the center stage in main dishes at some of the best eating spots around. 
We have also found new ways to use it: what about cauliflower crust pizza? Or cauliflower rice?
Back in the days, even Mark Twain was very fond of this cruciferous vegetable. In Pudd’nhead Wilson he states “Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” Conferring cauliflower a college degree. 
Cauliflower was indeed an expensive and fashionable vegetable on the Victorian table. It was the queen of vegetables, and was often steamed whole and served elaborately garnished. Cabbage, on the other hand, was on everybody's plate, with no college education.

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Quinoa and Turkey Meatballs with Tahini Sauce

 
In order to stop meatballs from falling apart you need a binding agent. That’s one of the sacred rules of cooking. Without a binding agent, meatballs hardly hold their round shape and most of the time they will break while you cook them.
The most used binding agents are eggs or bread crumbs. Cheese (such as Parmesan cheese), flax meal or almond meal are among other favorites. I never thought (until yesterday) that quinoa could be used as well...now I know, quinoa makes for a perfect binding agent. Who knew?

Spicy Mexican Quinoa Casserole

If you’re familiar with this blog, you know how much we love quinoa. We already made bread, patties, soup, frittata, more patties, salad and tabbouleh with quinoa. Apparently, quinoa fits in almost any dish we’re cooking. Which got me thinking...maybe I should change the name of the blog from “TheIronYou” to “TheIronQuinoa” or “TheQuinoaYou”. Doesn’t sound bad, at all. I’ll give it a thought.

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Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

I’m pretty much obsessed with pancakes (who isn’t?). Good thing there’s like a million ways to make them.
This recipe has been my staple breakfast for a while. You might argue that this will never replace “real” pancakes made with butter and white flour; au contraire, they’re just as good. 
They fill you up, they taste awesome, they’re nutritionally complete and  good for you. Just what a power breakfast should be really about.

What I'm Reading: "Making Supper Safe"

The topic of food safety is more current than ever before. Over the past few decades, foodborne illness has shifted from being a fairly regionalized threat with the potential to sicken a handful of people in a single outbreak, to a national hazard capable of felling hundreds (if not thousands) of consumers from a single point of contamination.
Food recalls have become so ubiquitous we hardly even notice them. In 2008-2009 the massive salmonella contamination has killed nine people and sickened about 22,500 people. Only few weeks later, a contaminated frozen cookie dough has sent 35 people to the ER. The outbreaks are getting bigger and more deadly. These events are an alarming symptom that there’s something wrong with our food system.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Hollywood’s new diet craze is nothing like the usual offerings. It’s not even a diet; there’s no counting calories, carbs forbearance or faddy detoxing. It’s a scientific based eating regimen that focuses on your body cells not your waistline. It seeks to operates on a biochemical level and it's designed to neutralize the inflammation that occurs inside your body. 
The anti-inflammatory diet got Hollywood hooked promising big benefits such as a clearer mind, fewer cravings, glowing skin and slimmer waist1.

Credit: Image courtesy of drweil.com

Crustless Veggie Tart

This recipe is a great dinner idea. Also a lunch idea. And now that I’m thinking about it, it could make for a great breakfast too. So this is more of great idea.
It’s loaded with summer veggies and there’s no crust. Well, there’s a sort of crust made with eggplant. But no typical tart crust made with flour and butter. No grains + no gluten = paleo friendly (i.e., primal). And vegetarian. Honestly it doesn’t get much better than that.

Negative Calorie Food: Fact or Fiction?

The term "negative calorie food" has been around for quite some time now, creating a good amount of confusion. 
Allegedly “negative calorie food” identifies certain foods that use up more calories in digestion, absorption and metabolism that they contain in the first place. In other words, calories from these foods are so hard for the body to breakdown and process, that their thermic effects are greater than their calorie values. This in turn could cause a calorie deficit, giving these foods a tremendous fat-burning advantage.  
If this assumption was true, eating these foods will cause weight-loss. The problem is that it’s not true. The calories your body burns in the digestive cycle are minuscule compared with the calories in the food itself1.

Black Carrot Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting

Springtime is party time. Long sunny days and mild temperatures provide the perfect conditions for fun gatherings.  It seems like any excuse is a good excuse to throw a party and invite friends and family over. In NYC, especially among “youngsters”, it’s all about rooftop parties (and neighbours complaining about noise). 
I like being invited to those parties where you are asked to bring some food and beverage to share: potluck parties! They take some of the pressure off the host, and guests can bring their own flavor to the party.

Stay Hydrated!

There are plenty of hot days ahead of us and while it's always a good idea to stay hydrated, it's especially important when summer temps start rising. Whether you’re training for the NYC Marathon in Central Park, hiking some peaks or just going on a shopping spree in the street of Soho with your friends. 
Here are some tips for how to stay hydrated during the warm weather months.

Apple Crumble Muffins

I just found out that there’s a right way to eat an apple. I’m not talking about manners, but how to chomp on it so that you won’t waste half in the process. Essentially, I’ve just learned that I’ve been doing wrong what I considered to be a fairly common eating routine.
So, how have I (and you too) been eating an apple to this day? Down to the core. Holding the top and the bottom with the fingers. Chomping from left-to-right (or right-to-left) until reaching the “inedible” core. 
But no, that’s not the way to do it. 
The one and only way to eat an apple (according to my friend Ryan) is to pluck the stem and bite right through the top of the apple. Or from the bottom, you decide. 
If you do so, you won’t even feel the core as you bite and you’ll eat it all...yes, all. It really works. You’ll probably discard (read this as spit out) the seeds and the little indentation at the bottom; but that’s how much waste you’ll generate. 
The notorious apple core will be something you’ll show a picture to your grandkids saying “That’s how we used to eat apples back in the days.” No more apple core, what a strange world to live in.