Hibernating with Matcha Monte Cristo

I feel that I have been in hibernation way too long this year.  Winter seems to be staying around for awhile longer, so that means that comfort food is on the menu a little longer.

If you follow our blog, Crazy posted a couple weeks ago that one of the hottest new food trends is matcha green tea powder.  "Matcha is a green tea that uses the entire leaf and grinds it into a fine powder that you mix with water instead of just steeping in water. Matcha may contain up to 10-15 more times the nutrients and 100 times more antioxidants than traditional green and other teas.

Matcha is full of EGCG, a compound that helps keep your cells happy and healthy and may possibly increase your metabolism. It also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that may help improve cognition, mood and balance stress (hello, who wouldn't benefit from this!)." 

 

So matcha sounds like a good thing that we should be adding into our diets, right?  The only problem I had was the taste of it.  As Anne posted it is earthy but she likes it.  Earthy is the nicest and most pleasant way to describe it when drinking it in tea form.  Anne told us we should be drinking it, so dang it, we should be drinking it! So how was I supposed to be adding this to my diet when I couldn't even drink it?  When I don't like a food or drink I usually take it under my wing and try to convince my taste buds to like it.  Like sometimes obsessively.  I will tell you that it took me trying hot tea every 3 months for 5 years for me to start liking it and drinking it in the mornings.  I knew it was good for me so I just had to convince my body that it was delicious as well.  I also had that problem with coffee, but for that it took my body 32 years to accept that it wasn't "that bad", and I feel like that's because there was chocolate, marshmallow creme, and bailey's in it!

 

So ever since crazy's post on matcha I had decided to take the little canister under my wing and try to get it to fly.  Try to find the perfect fit for such a perfect food.  Lucky for you, you don't even have to drink it, you can just eat it.  I found that if you bake with matcha or add the right ingredients, and you still get the health benefits, with a more pleasant taste.  I always tell people that Crazy tells you what you are supposed to be eating/ drinking/ doing to live a healthier life, and I am here to show you how to use those ingredients so that you enjoy living, eating and drinking yourself to that healthier life.  All health food can be very tasty, sometimes it just takes a little extra time to figure out the best place for it. 

 

So I hope that I have convinced you to at least try matcha, if not in this recipe, than you can try Crazy's matcha green tea recipe.  And if you need a little more pushing matcha has a very green hue that comes out when mixed so think of it as Mother Nature's gift to you to come out of winter hibernation and start thinking of spring.   

 

 This is my kind of comfort food!  The Matcha Monte Cristo has fresh apples and arugula covered with thinly sliced ham and turkey, and smoothered in Muenster and Swiss cheese.  This sandwich is great for lunch or dinner and gauranteed to keep your belly warm and full. 

 

That's not a lot of ingredients, right?

So first let's make the french toast mixture.  Just crack your eggs in a medium bowl, add the milk (I used almond milk because that's what I had, but use whatever milk you want), matcha green tea powder, and a little vanilla extract and whisk it real good.  Set aside.

So let's start assembly of the sandwiches.  Start with laying out your pieces of bread, and cover each slice in mayo.  On four pieces add the Muenster cheese, on four pieces of bread add the Swiss cheese.  As you can see, I actually only ended up using 2 pieces of cheese for the 4 sandwiches because the cheese was so big, so I cut them in half, cutting calories and saving my waistline without losing flavor.  Your call, your sandwich, I'm not the boss of you.  I just wanted to let you know that the recipe calls for 1 full slice per sandwich.

Now let's add the ham and turkey.  I only used a couple pieces of each per sandwich or a little under an 1/8 lb. of each meat per sandwich, so it's still about 4 oz. of meat that your getting in the end.  

Now it's time to add the healthy stuff that gives it the crunch and flavor.  Yes you can leave this out, but no I don't recommend it!  The green apples add so much to the sandwich, that even if it sounds weird to you, try it before you knock it.  You will thank me later!

After you have cut the core out, thinly slice the apples.  You just want a little crunch, you don't want an apple sandwich.

 

Now place the apples over the turkey, and place the arugula over the ham.  The arugula gives the sandwich a little peppery zest with all the delicious nutrients it has to offer. 

Put those two sides together to make a delicious sandwich and dip it in the matcha egg batter.  Make sure both sides get in on the action.  

Get a large skillet and melt the butter over medium high heat and when the pan is nice and hot, add the dipped monte cristo to the pan.

**Note: I usually have to cook the 4 sandwiches in two batches unless I get out the really big pan, but just make sure not to crowd the pan.**

Let the sandwiches cook for 3-5 minutes and then flip over.  Look at that pretty golden brown color.

Look at the little green arugula peeking out of the bread.  Colorful food just makes me happy.

And if you look really close, you can see the green hue of the bread.  No the bread is not moldy, it will be green because of the matcha.  Think of it as Spring saying hello, or as a way to get ready for St. Patty's day.

After 3-5 minutes on each side, and when the cheese is melted the sandwich is ready for consumption.  Cut the sandwiches in half, dust with some powdered sugar,

and serve with some blackberry preserves.

Matcha Monte Cristo

Makes 4 sandwiches

2 large eggs, beaten

½ c. milk

2 Tbsp. matcha green tea powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

8 slices Texas toast bread

¼ c. mayonnaise

½ lb. deli sliced roasted turkey

½ lb. deli sliced honey ham

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices Muenster cheese

1 c. arugula

1 green apple, granny smith, thinly sliced

4 tbsp. butter

Blackberry preserves, for dipping

Powdered sugar, for garnish

In a medium bowl add in the eggs, milk, matcha, and vanilla and whisk until all combined.  Set aside.  For assembly: Lay out the slices of bread, and divided the mayonnaise equally on the pieces of bread.  On 4 pieces of bread equally divide and layer the Swiss cheese, topped with turkey, topped with green apples.  On the other 4 slices of bread, equally divide and layer the Muenster cheese, topped with ham and arugula.  Put the a half that has the ham and a half that has the turkey together to make a sandwich.  In a large skillet add the butter.  Dip and coat each sandwich (both sides), and place in the skillet.  Cook sandwiches 3-5 minutes on medium high heat on each side until browned and cheese has melted.  Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with blackberry preserves.

-Cool

Making It Monday: Frozen Foods Fit!

How many times a week are you thinking about what is for dinner at 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon?   Maybe this week you have not had much time to plan your meals as you would like and dining out is calling your name. As much as we’d all love to serve our families from-scratch meals seven days a week, life happens; we are busy, and that isn’t always possible. This is why you should take advantage of the benefits that frozen foods provide; they are quick, convenient and easy. I take advantage of frozen foods daily because I am right along with the rest of Americans; I usually only consume 1/3 of my daily need of fruits and vegetables and I usually have no idea what I am having for dinner until 2 hours before I am ready to eat.

Frozen foods are full of nutrition. During the winter months, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are not as readily available and as nutrient dense as they are in the warmer months of the year. Frozen produce is picked at its peak ripeness, which locks in the foods high nutrient content at that time. Once the food is picked, it is blanched and then flash frozen to lock them into their most best tasting state. In terms of calories, frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as fresh and have no added sodium as a preservative.  Living in the Midwest, I also take advantage of the options of frozen fish. Frozen fish is a great way to get the freshness from a same-day catch on the coast.

Frozen foods help you save money. When purchasing frozen foods, you can use exactly what you need and keep the rest frozen. There is less waste and spoilage when using frozen foods as part of your weekly meal planning. I recommend purchasing 1/3 of your foods fresh and 2/3 of your foods frozen for the week to reduce foods waste from spoilage. I always recommend using the fresh first and then fillling in with frozen the rest of the week.

Frozen foods are easy to prepare.  Since most of us are on a time crunch, most frozen foods can be prepared in less than 15 minutes. Fruits and vegetables are peeled and cut, so you spend less time prepping for your meal. Frozen meats are usually individually packaged and trimmed for quick preparation. Most cook methods are simple and fast as well. I prefer steaming, sautéing, and microwaving frozen foods for the best taste and nutritive value.

Frozen foods provide healthy and sensible options.   As a dietitian, I am a big fan of following proper portion sizes and frozen foods help me achieve my healthy eating goals.  I take out the exact portion I need.  Most all fruits and vegetables do not have anything added to them when they are frozen, so it is just like eating fresh. I love the variety of stir fry vegetable options to mix with my favorite lean protein for a fast and satisfying meal and frozen fruit for my daily morning smoothie.

Frozen foods can be exciting. Be creative with your meal planning! Try something new and add additional vegetables to your favorite pasta dish, try a new fruit to top your oatmeal with, or start incorporating vegetables into breakfast with the delicious recipe below (of which I wish I could claim that I created this masterpiece but I cannot!). This will make your meal look like a larger serving and will add even more nutrition and control calories. Be creative!  Frozen does not have to be uninspired!

Southwestern Sunrise Skillet

Recipe developed by Chef Stacey Wertzberger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¼ c. Millet

¾ c. Water

½ c. low-sodium vegetable juice

½ tsp. Sea Salt

¼ tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne

8 oz. Pork Chorizo Sausage, casing removed

1 c. Frozen roasted corn blend  (corn, black beans, peppers, onions)

4 eggs

2 tbsp. butter

1 avocado, garnish

¼ c. diced cilantro, garnish

Directions:

In a small saucepan add in the millet, and toast over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it turns golden brown or becomes fragrant.  Add in the water, V8, salt, cumin, and cayenne and give it a good stir.  Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Decrease heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the grains have absorbed most of the water, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a large skillet add in the chorizo, and cook until browned and cooked throughout, about 10 minutes.  Add in the frozen vegetables, millet and cook for one to two minutes until all combined.   Divide onto 4 plates.  Add butter to a large skillet and cook eggs according to your liking (over easy, scrambled, over hard).  Add one egg per plate over the chorizo millet mixture and garnish with avocado and cilantro.

 

THIS RECIPE IS SOOOOO GOOD!  YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT!

 

~Crazy

New Years Day (aka Crazy's Birthday) Redo!

So I decided this year I wanted to celebrate New Year's Day again. 2015 did not start out as smoothly as expected, so I decided to re-name my birthday and re-celebrate my next 365 days with a whole new perspective.

With that being said, I wanted to have cake and a cocktail at midnight on "New Year's Eve." Since my mom's pretty stellar baking skills were 150 miles away, I was going to have to make my cake myself. 

It all starts with blending eggs, sugar, real butter and pure vanilla extract.

I had to take this picture because it really shows how messy I am when I cook! Mixing my dry ingredients of flour, baking powder and baking soda, and salt. 

Once the dry ingredients are blended, mix in 6 heaping teaspoons of cacao. 

Blend the cacao in with the dry ingredients and add slowly to the wet mixture.

Once everything is blended, make sure

your pans are greased with butter and lightly floured.

And right before you put the batter into the pans, you add one cup of boiling water to the batter. Make sure to mix it by hand to incorporate. 

Of course, in childish tradition, do not let any batter go to waste. 

      

Bake for around 25-30 minutes for 8 inch rounds or 30-35 minutes for a 9x13 pan. Let cool and frost with your favorite frosting or I also included my moms delish frosting recipe. 

I got a little creative this year and added Heath bits to the middle and top of my New Year's cake. This recipe has been in my family for years. 

     

Even though the cake did not turn out as fabulously as my mom would make It, New Year's Eve was celebrated in style with a little cake, a little cocktail and a lot of hope and determination for an amazing 2015. 

~Crazy

       

Scotcheroo Granola Bars

Is there any better dessert than scotcheroos?  With the crunchy Rice Krispies coated in a creamy peanut butter gooey deliciousness and then covered in chocolate, I don't know how you can beat that.  So if you are like me you could eat them pretty much everyday, but because I want to fit into my pants I decided to make a "healthier" version so I at least got in some foods I should eating and I could feed them to my children without as much guilt.  Again it's all about moderation, so these are better to be eaten as snacks, but your sweet tooth will thank you for sure.  

It has almost all the ingredients of scotcheroos, while adding some other healthier fillers like chia, oatmeal, and pecans.

So first you will actually need two jelly roll pans, I believe mine are a little bit bigger than 9x13. Place parchment on one pan, for easy removal.

 

First let's start by adding all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: granola, Rice Krispies, chopped pecans, and chia seeds.

 

Now let's start cooking.  Add the corn syrup, agave nectar, and brown sugar and being to a boil for 1 minute.

*RECIPE NOTE:  you can substitute honey, agave, and corn syrup for this recipe, making sure you still use as much liquid as the recipe calls for.  I have used all honey, all agave and I appreciate the taste combination of the agave and corn syrup the best.

 

Once the sugar mixture boils for 1minute, take off the heat, add in vanilla, peanut butter, and salt.

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until all combined. 

Pour out granola bar mixture onto parchment paper and spread across the pan with your fingers.  Mixture is sticky so I spray cooking spray on my hands so that it doesn't stick.

Now once it's all spread out, we want them compact them so they don't fall apart.  Put a piece of parchment paper over the granola bars, and then place the other jelly roll pan on top of it.  Use your muscles and push down as much as you can.

Look how delicious they look?  What could make these any better? 

Oh yea, what about chocolate!  After the granola bars have cooled for a couple minutes, pour the mini chocolate chips over the granola bars.  I then place the parchment paper over again, so that they stick and don't fall off when eating.

Cut pan into halves or thirds lengthwise, and cut 1 1/2 inch across, so they are little granola bars.

They do keep well in the freezer if you even get to that stage.  My family eats them so fast that we never get to even freeze them!!

Scotcheroo Granola Bars

 

4 c. crispy rice cereal

3 c. quick oats

1/2 c. chia seeds

1/2 c. chopped pecans

3/4 c. corn syrup

3/4 c. agave nectar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 c. mini chocolate chips

 

Take your jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper, and set aside.  In a large bowl add the crispy rice cereal, oats, chia seeds, and pecans and set aside.  In a medium saucepan over medium hight heat add in the corn syrup, agave nectar, and brown sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add in the in the vanilla, peanut butter, and salt.  Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir until all combined.  Pour out the granola mixture onto the parchment paper and spread out evenly.  Now take another piece of parchment paper and place over the granola mixture.  Take another jelly roll pan about the same size and place it on top of the parchment.  Pressing down for a couple minutes to help compact the granola bars.  Remove pan and parchment, and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until cooled slightly ( you don't want your chocolate to melt!), sprinkle chocolate chips on top and repeat with the parchment paper and pan, pressing the mixture down.  Cut bars into desired sizes and serve. 

 

 

-Cool

Trendy Tea Thursday

By now you all know my love for tea. So when reading an article about food trends for 2015, Matcha tea was a major one on the list and I got curious. 

Matcha is a green tea that uses the entire leaf and grinds it into a fine powder that you mix with water instead of just steeping in water. Matcha may contain up to 10-15 more times the nutrients and 100 times more antioxidants than traditional green and other teas. 

Matcha is full of EGCG, a compound that helps keep you cells happy and healthy and may possibly increase your metabolism. It also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that may help improve cognition, mood and balance stress (hello, who wouldn't benefit from this!).

I think I am sold. So here it goes!!! The greenest and healthiest tea I have ever tried.  2 teaspoons of the tea mixed with hot water, it's as easy as that!

 

 

 

I tried it and I liked it. It is very earthy and very much the same flavor of green tea, except a little stronger. I also liked it iced down mixed with a little skim milk. I would recommed a little honey or agave if you are going to drink it hot. 

 

 

 

Enjoy it iced, enjoy it warm, just enjoy this healthy beverage.  Here is to the new green tea on the block! 

 

~Crazy