Tag Archives: healthy cooking

{(not-the-first) homemade maryland crab soup}

7 Mar

i am undoubtedly a marylander in this one particular way… i could unabashedly eat crabs almost every day!

{also, i’m a poet and didn’t know it} 

okay, maybe not every day, but like… all the time.

if you know you know… in that, maryland is known for their blue crabs… caught fresh off the chesapeake bay and steamed in savory spices like old bay or JO and a bit of local beer… served piping hot with corn, potatoes, and sometimes hush puppies.

but also, recreated in a simple vegetable soup… which freezes comfortably and easily.

so, that’s what i did last summer… bought a bunch of steamed maryland blue crabs… hand-picked them all… saved (most) of the meat… added it to my homemade soup recipe… and froze it…

and NOW! i get to enjoy it in the colder months… share it with friends and family… and reap the benefits of my patience, self-control, and overall appreciation for homemade preserved food…

i sometimes also make a cream-of-crab soup/dip and i’ll mix the two… this picture/recipe below is classic maryland crab soup with a tomato base. my favourite preference for sure.

audrey michelle’s homemade maryland blue crab soup :

  • 28 oz. crushed tomatoes of choice
  • 32 oz. chicken and/or veggie/seafood stock
  • 1 can light beer (yuengling is my choice)
  • carrot
  • celery
  • onion
  • garlic
  • corn
  • potatoes
  • cabbage
  • green beans
  • tomatoes
  • fresh lemon
  • OLD BAY!!!
  • S&P to taste
  • 1 pound crab meat (or as much as you want!)

typically, i build my soup in “layers” – starting with sautéing the mirepoix mix in a little olive oil and/or butter… splashing some white wine in the pan, then adding the broth… next, the canned tomatoes (or blending a little of both and then adding to the pot)… then, depending on if you are using fresh or canned veggies – add those in layers also… if fresh – start with potatoes and a little crab meat… then add in green beans, cabbage, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and lastly tomatoes… add old bay to your preferred taste, S&P, and finish with more crab meat. i like to layer in my crab meat for flavour but also because the meat will break down and “shred” as it’s cooked… therefore, the final step for me is to add in crab meat at the very end while it’s cooling (whether or not i’m freezing or serving immediately) and then i also serve it with a fresh jumbo chunk on top and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, squeeze of lemon, and more old bay.

this is hands-down my favourite soup of all time. have you ever had it?!

NOM NOM !!!

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{colorful and hearty winter greens}

24 Feb

speaking of salads and such, sometimes i just want a huge bowl of healthy and tender winter greens – lightly sautéed and wilted in garlic and olive oil… so colourful and vibrant and good for you!!

before and after… 

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{what’s for dinner?}

9 Feb

pan-seared mahi mahi – crusted with old bay and lemon juice, served with homemade roasted corn and shishito pepper succotash, and a glass of miller high life – ‘cuz we fancy. 😉

what are YOU having for dinner??

 

 

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{inspired by : stracciatella}

1 Oct

this simplistically yummy soup was inspired by the same instagram account i mentioned in a previous post {see recipe here} which i stumbled onto one night while scrolling and searching for recipe inspiration. i had never heard of this dish, but then i did some research and found out that it is derived from roman culture and the word stracciatella actually translates to “little rags” – which i think is both adorable and poignant. it was created to use up kitchen scraps… as {in my humble opinion} some of the best meals always are!

this soup is so simple and easy to make. the chicken stock is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. sure, you can buy it… but homemade is best! in my kitchen, i tend to make chicken stock about once a week. i use it for everything and i sip on the bone broth a lot during cold winter months and/or freeze or can it for future use. and now that we are officially in the autumn season, and the weather is cooling down, i am truly enjoying this soup even more. although, i tend to enjoy soup year round.

as you know, we appreciate simplicity around here at food and foto. quality in = quality out. simple, healthy, clean ingredients lay the foundation and make for the most enjoyable meals.

this is one of my new favourite soups! so soothing, so comforting, so simple, and so delicious.

  • 8-12 oz chicken stock
  • 1-2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiana
  • 1/4-1/2 cup fresh spinach
  • S&P to taste
  • parsley, optional

a crumbled up parmigiano reggiano swirl via stovetop sauté pan – also optional. {but adds some great flavour and crunch!}

method :

heat stock on medium to high and wilt in spinach. drop in the egg{s}. stir in grated cheese and season as desired.

#sipsip #nomnom

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{homemade chow chow}

14 Sep

i had never heard of chow chow until i lived in the south a few years back. y’all know i’m a big fan of sauerkraut… and this has similar ingredients, but with a different taste and process. chow chow is not fermented, although i’m certain you could change the ingredients and i bet a ferment would also taste amazing!

what i enjoy about making stuff like this is you don’t have to be so specific. you can play around with different measurements and/or sizes of veggies, combinations of veggies, etc. being in the kitchen is all about exploring, and i love to “play” with my food… and that is something i will never stop doing! 😀

some recipes that i explored suggested adding green tomatoes and/or spices or hot peppers… but this is what i came up with :

simple ingredients :

  • cabbage
  • onion
  • green pepper
  • red/yellow pepper

simple brine :

  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1 cup water

start by heating brine ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat until salt and sugar dissolve, then allow to cool to room temperature.

if you find that you have extra brine, you can always save it for something else like pickles or whatever other veggie you may want to use.

meanwhile, finely chop up all of the veggies…

pour {slightly cooled} brine mixture over the ingredients…

take some pictures, if you fancy…

then, add lid and store in the refrigerator for about a week. you can also use this same recipe and then pressure can or water-bath can and store in the pantry.

i made it both ways and both were delicious! i have one more jar left in the pantry, and i have been using the jar in the fridge for all kinds of fun stuff! it is SO GOOD with sausage or on a pork roll/bun… it adds the perfect balance of sweet to the savory. and it’s also good as a little snack or adding it to a charcuterie board or on a cracker, etc.

one thing I do like about the “canning” method is that the texture is a little softer. heat-processing this does break down the veggies a bit more and although i like it both ways, i do prefer the canning method. the nice thing is, canning is always an option even if i start with the fridge method.

do you like and/or make chow chow?! please share your comments and/or recipes below!

 

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{meatless monday : a flavourful riced cauliflower dish}

9 Jul

i made this delicious riced cauliflower one-pot make-ahead meal for lunch last week and it was so yummy, i just had to share the recipe! i love experimenting with random things in the fridge!

i’ve been really into using riced cauliflower as a replacement for grains and it does a wonderful job as an understudy. 😉

riced cauliflower has a great texture and maintains it well during the cooking process. i’ve purchased it both fresh and frozen and they both seem to hold up just fine.

i made this dish as i was trying to use up some leftover ingredients such as frozen asparagus from another recipe. i also had some frozen jalapeños that i grew last year and wanted to use.

so this is what i came up with {amounts are “ish”} :

  • 16 oz. fresh riced cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 1/2 cup sweet corn
  • 1/2 cup diced asparagus {mine was frozen}
  • 1 medium size jalapeño, diced {ribs and seeds removed}
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • salt & pepper to taste

heat some butter or oil of choice on medium heat and toss in riced cauiflower. cook slowly until al dente. add in asparagus and jalapeño, cook until slightly tender then throw in black beans and corn and cook for another minute or so. sprinkle in hot sauce and spices and toss together. keeps well in the fridge for a few days. can be frozen for future consumption.

organic chicken or grass-fed ground beef makes a nice addition to this recipe. i made this one vegan because i like to eat vegan at least once a week… not for any particular reason other than keeping things in balance 😉

and i just-so-happen to love cumin! it’s one of my favourite spices… do you like cumin?

 

 

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{seriously obsessed with spices}

5 Feb

everyone knows i love to cook.

for the most part, i keep it super simple when making meals. and my philosophy is :

quality in = quality out.

in other words – if you start with good ingredients, you generally end with a good meal…

i have only recently begun experimenting with spices in my cooking. i have been collecting spice jars over the last few years, as i was gypsy-ing around the country… and when i settled in a place i feel at home in, i felt super excited to finally display my spice jars.

i received these cool 3-tiered bamboo spice racks as a christmas gift, and i was so eager to get my spice jars out of the cabinet and onto the counter.

it’s the little things, right?!

something about seeing this beautiful rainbow collection of spices just makes me feel so happy inside. and it’s really been fun to experiment with the different aromas/flavours.

of course, in true audrey michelle form, i alphabetized my spices.

here’s what is in my collection :

  • some kind of awesome spice my friend brought me from argentina 
  • all-spice
  • bay leaves
  • celery seed
  • chives
  • cilantro {homegrown and dried}
  • cinnamon
  • comfrey
  • coriander 
  • cumin
  • curry powder
  • dill {homegrown and dried}
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • herbs de province 
  • kelp 
  • lemon peel 
  • marjoram 
  • nutmeg
  • old bay seasoning (can’t live without it)
  • onion
  • oregano 
  • parsley
  • paprika
  • pickling spices
  • rosemary
  • sage
  • sesame seed (black)
  • salt (black)
  • tarragon (LOVE THIS STUFF!)
  • turmeric
  • saffron 
  • vanilla 

 

 

 

 

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{foodie friday : vegetarian buffalo cauliflower bites}

2 Feb

i kind of made these by accident… as in, i-got-super-hungry-and-didn’t-have-much-in-the-fridge-to-eat-but-got-creative-and made-these-buffalo-cauliflower-bites-which-accidentally-turned-out-to-be-ahhhmazing!

…and so i just had to share the recipe. these {veggie} buffalo cauliflower bites would make a great game-day snack for superbowl sunday! and they are a great vegetarian alternative to the classic buffalo wing. {i would devour both!}

i was inspired to make this dish because i was scrolling through instagram and spotted a recipe for cauliflower florets that were battered & fried, and served with buffalo sauce and ranch – like a chicken wing! and i was thinking, “that’s probably sooooo delicious!” 

then i remembered that i had frozen riced cauliflower, and i created my own version based on what i had in the fridge…

very simple ingredients : 

  • frozen riced cauliflower
  • chopped celery hearts
  • buffalo sauce {i opt for franks!}
  • ranch dressing {i use brianna’s!}

i began by chopping the celery into approximately 1-inch pieces…

next, i sautéed the cauliflower with a little butter over medium to high heat, adding a little water as i went along to soften the cauliflower a bit more…

then, i added in some buffalo sauce to taste, and cooked until almost al dente…

finally, i scooped some of the cauliflower mixture into the celery bites and drizzled a little ranch dressing on top. it can be a little messy, but that’s what buffalo sauce is all about, right?! 😉

these little buffalo cauliflower bites are soooooo yummy and i will definitely be making them on game-day! it’s always funny to me when i cook something on the fly and it turns out to be my new favourite thing ever.

this was one of those recipes. 🙂

by the way, i didn’t watch one single football game this season, and i could care less about the patriots or the eagles… but it should still be a fun day full of snacks and silliness!

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{pan-seared wild-caught salmon}

13 Feb

]salmonsalmon-2

i love salmon! and although it’s not in season just yet, i try to eat it at least twice a month, but ideally i would like to get back to consuming it once a week or more. it’s full of omega 3 fatty acids and healthy lean protein. this particular wild-caught salmon filet was hand-delivered to me by an alaskan fisherman! 🙂

my favourite way to prepare salmon is to pan-sear it. don’t be intimidated, it’s a very easy method.

i simply sprinkle my salmon filet{s} with a little S&P and squeeze a little lemon juice over it, as well.

then, start with a medium-high heat skillet coated with a little olive oil, and place salmon filet in skin-side up. cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip over and finish with skin-side down, another 4-5 minutes. cooking it this way usually allows for the filet to come up easily off the skin when serving. i like to serve mine over a bed of greens or a simple couscous recipe.

bon appetite! 

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{farmers market turmeric root}

6 Jan

 

turmeric-2turmeric

have you ever seen turmeric root like this before?

i was fascinated when i spotted this at my local farmer’s market. when i go to visit, there is one stand in particular that i like to frequent. the lady who owns it is so sweet and always has a ton of good information on her products and she is always willing to answer my and all of my questions. it seems that the prices for produce at farmers’ markets are sometimes half the price of grocery stores or health food markets, which is just another reason why i love to support the farmers!!!

a few other reasons i choose to put my money into farmers markets are as follows : accessibility, freshness, availability, integrity, seasonality, friendliness, knowledge, willingness, and as i mentioned, affordability.

i had never seen turmeric root in this form, and i couldn’t wait to pick some up to take fotos of. sometimes i’ve seen parts of it broken off into larger and smaller pieces, but not in a huge chunk like this. i have been wanting to incorporate turmeric into my diet more frequently, particularly because i have been experiencing some pain in my elbow lately. and as you may know, turmeric is known for having anti-inflammatory properties. i am hoping that by consuming turmeric regularly, the pain in my elbow will substantially subside.

i thought it would be fun to share these fotos of turmeric, since it is so intriguing to look at! check out all the ‘knobs’ and ‘nodules’ and the funny/fascinating shapes it takes on and how it forms that way. i love all root vegetables, and when i find something in its natural state, i get even more excited about it. did you catch that cool post about ginger-root? i just love going to the farmer’s market and i one day hope to have a nice big garden in my backyard, as to grow lots of wonderful food. i basically want to be a farmer.

one of the things i’ve been doing with turmeric lately is making tea, which i am just loving! have you ever tried turmeric tea? i have been wanting to try it for so long now, but as with anything “new,” i tend to get intimidated until i actually just go for it! and i’m so glad i finally did! i made some tea with this beautiful chunk of turmeric, and i loved it so much that i wanted to share the recipe.

you can usually find fresh turmeric at health food stores. or if you have access to one, check at your local farmers market, as well. some of my research has discovered that you can also use the ground spice to make turmeric tea, however i prefer the fresh stuff. it’s definitely more time-consuming, but for me, it’s so worth it. plus, i just love the creative process. having said that, to be even more economical, you could make it with a mix of fresh and dried root.

super simple health-boosting turmeric tea :

turmerictea Continue reading →

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{chopped!}

13 Jan

chopped-1

bok choy!

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{eat the rainbow!}

9 Jan

eattherainbow-1

happy new year, friends!

in honour of resolutions and commitments to a healthier life and all that jazz… and just because i truly believe in this lifestyle, i want to present a gentle reminder – don’t forget to “eat the rainbow!” as in : plenty of colourful foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables!

some things i’ve been enjoying lately: 

– baked purple sweet potato

– roasted cabbage w/ bacon bits

– kaniwa w/ sautéed garlic and onion

– red kuri squash risotto

– slow-cooked smoked ham and green beans

—

nom nom!

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{meatless monday – “the av-egg-ado”}

3 Mar

aveggado-8

i saw this somewhere on the web recently and i’ve been so eager to try it. i mean – isn’t is so apropo for food & foto? simple, easy, delicious, and healthy!

two ingredients: {3 if you decide to sprinkle cheese on top…}

– 1 ripe avocado

– 1 medium egg Continue reading →

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{meatless mondays – farmers market pasta!}

24 Jun

oh my goodness was this a lovely meal. the whole day was lovely yesterday : there was such amazing energy in the air!  that supermoon energy was flowing all around me and through me, it was awesome!!!!  did any of you get a chance to see the super moon?  it was too cloudy here, so i will have to camp out next year 🙂  but i definitely still felt the energy this weekend!!!!

i took a little trip to a farmers market a little north of me in search of some kirby cucumbers to make pickles with.  no luck in that department, unfortunately… however i did discover some amazing things while there! and with most of the ingredients i purchased yesterday, i made this incredible pasta dish!

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farmers market pasta.

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most everything in this dish was purchased fresh from the market yesterday…

– garlic chive pasta from pappardelle’s {amazing!!  family-owned company and they have over 100 kinds of pasta!}

– organic heirloom tomatoes

– garlic scapes

– volcanic garlic {i can’t wait to blog about this!}

– fresh chives from my friend’s yard

– basil dressing, cream cheese, tomato paste, and a little parmesan {not from the market, but perfect to have in the fridge for this dish :)) Continue reading →

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{light and fresh quinoa pasta}

21 Mar

happy first day of spring!  i got the fever, do you?!

quinoapasta-3

it seems like everywhere i look, i read and hear more about gluten-free products.  i have opinions about wheat and gluten and the heightened sensitivity sweeping our nation, but i’ll save them for a day when i decide to get on my soapbox again…

while i am not aware of any sensitivity to gluten personally, i have to admit i like eating gluten-free pasta a lot these days.  it’s much lighter compared to regular pasta and i just find it to be a great any-time food because of that. excellent for the spring season, as it’s waist-line approved!

quinoapasta-2

i am in love with this pasta from ancient harvest.  it’s made mostly from quinoa and corn.  i love their products – i also buy their polenta.  they use non-gmo corn and it’s also organic… and as i mentioned, gluten-free!  those are three big pluses in a packaged product for me! Continue reading →

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