Thinking of Sunday Morning...

I am flying home at this moment somewhere in the sky between Dallas and Miami.
I have had a great week. I'm feeling restored, and anxious for my two boys waiting at home, the lovely Miss Bear, a great yoga class, to turn on beautiful music, and be in my kitchen creating the homey feeling that tells my boys all is right in the world, and that we are all together again. 

I know exactly what I will cook first. I want my boys to wake to this new recipe I indulged on while I was away.

Thank you to the incredible staff at Amangiri resort for sharing this recipe as well as a couple of more treasured ones which I will share in future blogs. Don't let the fact that this is a gluten- free recipe turn you off, if you are not a convert yet... it is so delicious!!


Here's to the beautiful smells of baking, morning papers, pjs, a weekly treat of a latte, a few dishes in the sink and Sundays. May it be a beautiful one.  xo ginny



Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
**Note can use carrot, banana, or pumpkin instead of zucchini
Ingredients
1  1/2C shredded zucchini
1 C chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1  1/2 C gluten free flour mix
1/2 C olive oil
2 eggs
1 C sugar
1 vanilla Bean

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt
2. In another bowl combine oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients
4. Add in zucchini and walnuts
5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan
6. Bake at 350*F for about 1 hour (until knife comes out clean)

**remember always bake in a preheated oven

Comfort Food for My Stormy Night

Miami today was so gorgeous, warm, but not hot, dry with a little humidity. A day we Floridians live in Florida for. The news though told the story of the monster storm, the largest storm of recent history covering over 2,000 miles. Airports were closing all over the nation. I could feel a buzz all over, between the goings on in Eygpt and the monster storm, I was glued to CNN.

Funny without realizing it til I was midway through cooking dinner, I was making a comfort food dinner, as if I too was in the midst of harsh elements. Gathering family around a warm meal. I laughed at myself and yet understood. One of my sons is in school in Chicago. He was having a PJ day in the frat house, chaos in their kitchen as the cook could not make it in. I longed to be there, maybe not around all those guys, they would really be wondering about me...but just with my son hanging out. Cozy- watching the elements go by the window.  For some reason I found it hard to comprehend him living such a life so different and far from us. My comfort food was a way of connecting to him. Once again the heart strings pull tight.

I overcooked by quite a lot, but who wouldn't on a cold stormy night.

My made up pasta recipe. Lets call it- White Bean Roasted Tomato Sauce

I had a white bean puree sitting in the refrigerator (white beans cooked from scratch or canned-rinse well). The puree was made by cooking the finished beans in olive oil, garlic,  rosemary and salt and pepper. Add grated best quality Parmesan cheese. (I used food processor) blend to puree.

To this I added roasted tomatoes and basil (from my garden). Roast cherry or grape tomatoes in olive oil,  salt and pepper, and tons of fresh chopped basil.

Then I combined the two mixtures in a large sautee pan.
Then a lot of zucchini- chopped and added to the pan. Then I left everything on low heat, added more olive oil, stirred frequently to blend the bean mixture thoroughly so it thinned out.

I boiled salted water to cook penne pasta.

While this was going on- I cut up a large butternut squash, again tossed with olive oil, S&P, and added sage. I roasted it in a preheated oven at 425 for 30 minutes. Then added 1/2 cup maple syrup and mixed gently but well.  I cooked it another 20 minutes and then added grated pecorino cheese, to the hot squash. Absolutely incredible.

I also made kale chips spray with olive oil spray (less oil that way) sprinkle with salt cook 25 min at 300degrees. Remove leaves from stem and cut into chip size.

Since I was almost finished cooking- but not quite- I took more basil and fresh arugula (both from the garden), then took some large tomatoes- and cut them in thick rings and laid them over the arugula with fresh organic mozzarella, with a splash of some balsamic vinegar and you guessed it, olive oil.

We lingered over the meal as comfort food has a way of drawing us in tight. Conversation was ongoing, homework and responsibilities waited, and Bear on cue seemed to get it she snored soundly in the background, while the beautiful, balmy South Florida night seemed so very far away.

xo ginny

Fast Life? Slow Cook!

In the spirit of the new year- I want to focus on helping you all (including myself!) make improvements in our daily lives. Eat better, sleep more, exercise often and live mindfully, with passion!

I strongly believe that baby steps guarantee permanent lifestyle changes. Whether you are trying to lose weight, quit sugar or exercise more- you will have a better chance of achieving a goal as long as you adopt reasonable steps that are easy to digest and incorporate into your daily grind. 


For those of you with fast-paced busy lives- like myself, cooking more and eating out less is a sure-fire way to eat cleaner and healthier.  Although going out to eat instead of cooking up dinner at 6pm after a long day is always tempting and habitual for most, I have two magic words for you to try: Slow Cooking.

Before the holidays, a good friend urged me to buy a slow cooker. Surprisingly I didn't already have one- so I bought one one...and boy it made my holiday in Utah quite delicious! 


In the morning, I would toss all my veggies, legumes, beans, quinoa, spices, broths into the slow cooker. Set it and leave for most of the day. When we would all return from a day on the slopes- invigorated and cold- it was such a nice surprise to be able to dig into the most delicious, healthy stews and soups! My slow cooker officially has re-defined the concept of 'apres-ski'!

This year I plan to make great use of my slow cooker from hereon out- using my newest cookbook, The Italian Slow Cooker, and just experimenting with recipes and getting creative. Really, it's hard to mess up a slow cooker meal so its perfect for beginner or reluctant chefs. And the big bonus is being able to walk into the house after a long, tiring day and have a healthy, clean meal that is hot and ready to eat- is such a nourishing blessing to our bodies and souls.

Without further ado- here is a great simple recipe that is rich in protein, fiber and taste. Feel free to experiment with this recipe by adding in different spices such as curry and even a little cinnamon (helps regulate blood sugar) too!

Mushroom and Barley Stew
Ingredients: 
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 can of tomato paste

• 2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces
• 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 3/4 cup dry lentils
• 1/2 cup golden onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• sea salt to taste
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Put all ingredients into the slow cooker
• 2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. 
• Remove bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!!

XO ginny