Girl With the Hipster Glasses

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Crispy Baked Herb Chicken with Olives and Capers

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So this chicken dish took me by surprise. I made it a couples of weeks ago when I was preparing to head out of town. Whenever I’m about to leave town, I try to be strategic about what I make. This means prioritizing fresh ingredients that will perish before I get back and using things that I have on hand to avoid extra trips to the grocery store. I try to keep a can of green olives around because they usual come in handy for instances like this and I had a couple of shallots left over from another meal. I decided to defrost the hindquarters from Belcampo that I had in the freezer. 

I’m not usually a fan of chicken that has not been marinated for at least 6 hours. In my experience, marinated chicken > non-marinated always. Oh how this recipe proved me wrong. I was SO happy with the flavor that it delivered. Furthermore, the texture blew me away. I mean, who doesn’t love crispy chicken? The best thing about this dish is that it’s not deep fried in any gross hydrogenated oils. It plays on the natural fattiness of the chicken and delivers amazing richness. 

The only thing I would do differently with this recipe is to cook it in a larger pan with veggies and potatoes beneath. I can only imagine how amazing it would have been to have some nice crispy potatoes and brussels ready all at the same time. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It takes about an hour but most of that time is hands off and it’s well worth it. 

Crispy Baked Herb Chicken with Olives and Capers
Delicious crispy oven chicken.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used 3 hindquarters)
  2. 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used 2T almond meal + 2T arrowroot) *
  3. salt
  4. papper
  5. 1 tsp garlic powder
  6. 1 tsp onion powder
  7. 2 Shallots
  8. 1/4 C green olives (or more)
  9. 2 T capers
  10. 1 T dried thyme
  11. 1 T fennel seed
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 400 degrees
  2. Pat chicken dry
  3. Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder
  4. Dredge chicken though and place in pan, skin side up
  5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme, and fennel
  6. Shallots, capers, olives and garlic in pan
  7. Cook for 25 minutes
  8. Use a spoon to scoop up a bit of chicken broth and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken
  9. Cook for another 30 minutes until skin is crispy
Notes
  1. *Use a flour of your choice! If you're not grain or gluten free, sub for regular unbleached flour.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Meatball, Turnip, and Sweet Potato Soup/Curry

By: comment

 

img_3111Posted this recipe on the ‘gram and the recipe was requested. This is a variation of one of my go-to basic recipes for the fall/winter season. I love dishes like this because they only use one pot and they’re a one-stop shop for macronutrients. It’s a fun template to play around with and I encourage you to do so. Add as many veggies as you want. Add different kinds of veggies. Do away with the meatballs and add more coconut cream to make it richer in healthy fat and vegetarian. Tons of options. All are delicious. Have fun. 

 

Meatball, Turnip, and Sweet Potato Soup/Curry
Serves 4
A Delicious hearty soup for the fall and winter seasons
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
For the Meatballs
  1. 1 lb ground beef or lamb
  2. 2 TBL chopped fresh cilantro
  3. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  4. 1 tsp salt
  5. 1/4 tsp black pepper
  6. 2 tsp paprika
For the Curry
  1. 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  2. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  3. 1 large sweet potato (or as many as you'd like), peeled and cubed
  4. 3 turnips (or as many as you'd like), peeled and cubed
  5. 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (homemade or a clean storebought brand (I like the Pacific brand))
  6. 1 can tomato paste
  7. 1/2 C full-fat coconut cream or milk
  8. salt and pepper to taste
  9. fresh lemon juice and cilantro (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to combine.
  2. Roll mixture into meatballs. I don't like large meatballs so I made mine fairly small and ended up with about 20 total.
  3. Once the meatballs are rolled, place them to the side.
  4. Heat 2 TBL of coconut oil to a pot (that has a lid). Add chopped onions, garlic and sprinkles of salt and pepper. Sautee over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes until onions are translucent.
  5. Next add the broth and the tomato paste to the pot, combine, and bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. (This is a good time to taste and adjust seasonings if necessary)
  6. Add the meatballs to the pot so that they are submerged beneath the curry. Place the lid on the pot and let cook for about 7 minutes.
  7. Add diced turnips and sweet potato to the pot and let cook uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until veggies are softened.
  8. Add spinach, combine, and let cook for a minute or two until wilted.
  9. Turn off the heat, add the coconut cream and stir.
  10. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and a splash of fresh lemon juice.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/
img_3112

 

Simple Savory Chicken Wings

By: comment

IMG_0071

Hey guys,

I’m excited to be sharing one of my absolute favorite recipes with you guys. It’s so simple and so perfect for when you’re craving something fast-foody but are trying to go the healthy route.

This wing recipe is my go-to on days when I want something tasty and comforting but I don’t want to put in too much energy. What I love about wings is that, unlike other cuts of chicken, they are super flavorful without marination. I highly recommend keeping some in the freezer. On the day when you wake up with wings on the brain, throw them in the fridge to thaw. Come home from a hard day of work (or play), season them, and bake. No complicated marinade necessary.

The most “difficult” part of this recipe is the porcini mushroom blend. I am grateful that I live close to a local spice shop (The Spice Station Silverlake) that carries an amazing blend. Before I discovered their blend, however, I used to make my own using the Magic Mushroom Powder recipe from Nom Nom Paleo. I highly recommend trying this spice blend whether you’re using it for wings or for something else. 

I love eating these wings as is but this seasoning blend also works great as a base blend for sauced wings. Just season them and cook them as directed and then cover them in your sauce of choice. Barbeque wings and this new recipe that I tried last week with shishitos (soon to be published on the blog) are some of the ways that I choose to sauce up my wings.

Simple Savory Wings
Serves 2
Quick and easy recipe for yummy flavorful chicken wings
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
50 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
50 min
Total Time
55 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 lbs chicken wings
  2. 2 T olive oil
  3. 1 tsp salt*
  4. black pepper to taste
  5. 1 T porcini mushroom blend**
Instructions
  1. Remove wings from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking.
  2. Preheat oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Once wings are about room temperature, toss them in a large bowl with olive oil and spices.
  4. Place wings on wired rack and place rack on top of a foil lined cooking sheet.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and flip wings on the rack.
  7. Cook for about another 20 minutes.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Coconut Cherry Dessert Rice

By: comment

cherryrice

Ciao ciao, 

I’ve been making this dessert in varied versions for the past few months and I finally decided to post it. It’s so simple that it never occurred to me to posted but then I realized that super simple can be a good thing when it comes to food-making. This treat is great when you’re craving something rich but want to stay away from breads and other glutenous foods. Simmering the fruit in coconut cream allows the natural sugars to release and create its own syrup so there is no need to add more sugar. The richness of the cream along with the starchy carb goodness of the rice makes this dessert feel sinful despite its clean nutritional profile. I highly recommend experimenting with different fruit/combinations. I can attest to the deliciousness of using frozen mango and figs instead of cherries. Amazing. 

Coconut Cherry Rice
Serves 1
Hearty, warm dessert.
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Cook Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 C cooked white rice
  2. 1/2 C frozen cherries (I used sweet dark cherries from Whole Foods)
  3. 1/4 C full-fat coconut cream or milk
Instructions
  1. Cook the cherries and coconut cream in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat for 5-10 until cherries are soft and maybe even begin to burst. You want the juices to release and the texture to be somewhat thick.
  2. While the cherries are cooking, heat rice (either in microwave or using a separate pot on the stove).
  3. Once cherries are ready, pour the mixture over the rice.
Notes
  1. You can do this with any fruit that you'd like. I loooove doing this with mango as the taste mimics the mango sticky rice found at Thai restaurants.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Super Simple Golden Beets and Greens

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goldenbeetsandgreensLife has been lots of fun lately. Since finishing my quals, I have held true to becoming a social being again and there has been more than enough to keep me busy. With socializing always comes eating out more than usual, having more wine (or tequila!) than I’d planned. I reached a point this weekend when I started to feel off balance and I began craving fresh wholesome homemade veggies. Naturally, I took to the farmer’s market! 

One of my most prized produce possessions from this farmer’s market trip were the golden beets. I absolutely adore beets. I didn’t eat them for most of my life and now I feel like I’m making up for lost time. I find the golden variety to be a bit less intense in flavor than the purples ones, to which some have a strong aversion. The natural sweetness of beets makes this veggie a go-to for me when I’m craving carbs but don’t want to indulge in an actual dessert. 

This recipe is super simple and savory. It’s great on a cloudy day like this one in LA as the chicken broth adds an element of warmth and greens hint of Southern comfort. 

Super Simple Golden Beets and Greens
Simple savory veggie dish
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 bunches golden beets with stems and leaves attached*
  2. 2 T olive oil (or other cooking oil of choice)
  3. Salt and Pepper to taste** (don't overdo it, see note below)
  4. 2 cups chicken broth***
Instructions
  1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees F.
  2. After washing and scrubbing, chop the stems and leaves from the beets and put to the side.
  3. Chop beets into medium/bite size pieces.
  4. Place the beets on a baking sheet and spread so that they are in one layer.
  5. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing and rotating the pan half way through.
  7. While the beets are roasting, remove the leaves from the stems and put them in a pot.
  8. Once beets are done, add them to the pot with the leaves and add the chicken broth.
  9. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil.
  10. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
  11. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until most of the broth has evaporated.
  12. Munch.
Notes
  1. * You could also use purple beets and it would be just as tasty.
  2. **Account for the fact that there is probably salt in the broth that you use (unless you buy a salt free variety) so don't overdo it!
  3. *** I have also made this with homemade bone broth and it's delicious. Though I haven't tried it with other broths such as vegetable or beef, I'm sure they would be great though they would change the flavor slightly.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Caponata

By: comment

CaponataCaponata and I have a beautiful relationship. I first learned about it when I was doing food research before a trip to Sicily in summer 2014.  After reading about it, I was so excited to taste this traditional Sicilian dish made up of eggplant, tomato, and other cooked veggies. While I was in Palermo, I made a point of getting caponata at every restaurant that I went to in order to get a feel for the flavors and in order to try to recreate them at home some day. Since then, I have been trying different recipes, sometimes tweaking them along the way, in a quest to find a home-made version of caponata that would take me back to that summer. 

At last. 

My love has come along. 

If you enjoy cooking and you’re not familiar with Smitten Kitchen, you sleeping under a rock. Deb Perelman’s recipes are absolutely amazing, always delivering flavor and eliciting joy. She’s had the blog for over nine years (and I know this because she links back to recipes from previous years in every post!) so there is SO much to try. SO much yumminess to devour. I’ve tried a number of recipes both from the blog and her book and they never fail to impress my tastebuds and make my tummy smile. 

This week, I finally tried her caponata recipe and it is, hands down, the best of any that I’ve tried so far. Beautiful balancing of savory and sweet flavors. Wonderful texture. Super simple. I made two simple modifications to her original recipe: (1) Instead of table sugar, I used 1 TBL of raw honey. (2) Instead of frying the eggplant, I roasted them in the oven. Here is the recipe as I made it: 

 

Caponata
Serves 4
Traditional Sicilian eggplant and tomato side dish
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 pound eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes
  2. 1 large sweet onion
  3. 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
  4. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  5. 3 tablespoons tomato paste + 1/4 cup water combined
  6. 1 cup diced tomato (I used Glen Mur Organic brand with onion and basil)
  7. 1 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  8. 1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar
  9. 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
  10. 1⁄4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
  11. 1 TBL honey
  12. 1⁄2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  13. 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Dice the eggplant into bite size pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Once oven is hot, bake eggplant for 30 minutes, flipping eggplant and rotating pan about half way through.
  5. While the eggplant is baking heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  6. Add chopped onion and celery and sauté for about ten minutes until starting to soften.
  7. Once onions and celery are soft, reduce the heat to medium, and add tomato paste + water combination.
  8. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes and then add olives, white wine vinegar, raisins, capers, and honey to the pan and combine.
  9. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  10. Once eggplant is done, add to the pan and stir.
  11. Turn off heat and add basil and pine nuts.
  12. This dish is traditionally served cold or at room temperature but it's also delicious hot. I also recommend making this advance and letting the flavors settle in the fridge. It's even tastier on the second day.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Blueberry Plantain Pancakes

By: comment

IMG_5332

Hi yall, 

Got another recipe for you! This time, it’s one of my own. I’ve been making it for about a year now and I’m just getting around to posting it. So what’s great about these pancakes? They only have six ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand. There is no complicated procedure involved – you just throw everything in the food processor. They are perfectly sweetened by nature – no extra sugar necessary. And of course, they’re yummy. This is one of my favorite things to have after a workout since it’s full of starchy carbs. Also pairs FABULOUSLY with the Cracklin Chicken that I link to in this post. Enjoy! 

Blueberry Plantain Pancakes
Sugar-free, guilt-free, carby goodness
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 plantain, roughly chopped
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1/2 T vanilla extract
  4. 2 T of tapioca flour (could probably sub for other kinds of flour but I used tapioca)
  5. 1 T coconut oil (or other fat of your choice)
  6. pinch of salt
  7. 1/2 fresh blueberries
  8. 1-2 T fat for cooking (I recommend grass-fed butter!)
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients except the blueberries in the food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Once smooth, remove the blade of processor and fold in blueberries.
  3. Heat butter or other cooking fat in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
  4. Add batter to the pan. Feel free to make these as large or small as you'd like - they shouldn't fall apart when you flip them.
  5. Once the pancakes begins to bubble on top (after about 5-7 minutes), flip to other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  6. If you cooked these in butter, they're all good to go right out of the pan. But extra toppings can obviously be fun!
Notes
  1. My batter generally comes out perfect for my preferences but if you feel it's too thick, you could thin it out with a tablespoon or so of a milk of your choice.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Bluffin with my Muffin? Chocolate Chip Tahini Muffins with Butternut Squash

By: comment

chocotahini

Hey guys, 

In my attempt to be better about posting, I thought I would be more diligent about passing along recipes that I’ve made and enjoyed. I tried this recipe for the first time last week and I quite enjoyed it. I had a can of pumpkin to finish up and an urge to do some baking so I googled and found this great recipe for Pumpkin Tahini from NerdyBites. I LOVED that it used tahini because…it’s amazing and it should be used for things besides hummus. 

After making these the first day, I was so pleased that I decided to make another batch adding my own little inflections. Three people had the pleasure of eating these muffins and they all approved. Thus, I blog.  

It’s free of gluten, grains, refined sugars, and dairy.It’s also SUPER simple. It has a touch of sweetness but not too much. My friend Mandy said she was actually fooled into thinking it was a “real” muffin, which takes the idea of “bluffin with my muffin” to a whole notha level. She also insisted that I put the phrase in the title of this post because it gave her a “deep chuckle.”

Chocolate Chip Tahini Muffins with Butternut Squash
Serves 4
Moist and delicious grain-free muffin
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 mashed ripe banana
  2. 1 egg, whisked
  3. 1/2 cup tahini
  4. 1/4 cup butternut squash puree
  5. 1-2 Tbl Honey or maple syrup (I didn't want mine to be too sweet so I used about 1.5 TBL)
  6. 2 TBL coconut flour
  7. 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  8. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  9. 1-2 TBL semi-sweet chocolate chips**
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
  2. Use a fork to smash the smashed banana in a large mixing bowl (make sure you really smash up the banana and try to get rid of the clumps as much as possible)
  3. Add the egg, tahini, butternut squash puree, and honey and combine
  4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together coconut flour, pumpkin
  5. Add the dry ingredient to the well and stir to combine
  6. Line four muffin tin slots with baking cups and distribute the mixture evenly
  7. Bake for 35 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and let cook on a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes before devouring.
Notes
  1. *make sure you stir to get the thicker parts of the tahini as well
  2. **Make sure to check the ingredients on your chocolate chips for ingredients that you might be trying to avoid such as dairy or soy
Adapted from NerdyBites
Adapted from NerdyBites
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

By: comment

FullSizeRenderLong time, no recipes. Life has been coming at me fast and I’ve had to be efficient in the kitchen, which means not much time to play around with recipes or write them down. I enjoyed this soup tonight though and it’s super simple so I thought I’d share while I still had it on the brain. 

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage
Serves 3
Deliciously rich and creamy butternut squash soup with fresh sage.
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Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 T ghee, coconut oil or other cooking fat
  2. 1 white onion
  3. 2 carrots
  4. 3-4 cloves garlic
  5. 2 T fresh sage leaves, minced
  6. 2-4 cups chicken broth (depending on your preferred thickness/texture)
  7. 2 15-oz cans butternut squash puree
  8. salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
  9. 1/4 C coconut cream/milk (can use more if you'd prefer it creamier)
Instructions
  1. Chop onions, carrots, and garlic into small pieces (or if you're lazy like me, add them all to the food processor and pulse for 5-7 seconds).
  2. Heat the ghee in a large pot over medium heat.
  3. Once oil is hot, add chopped/minced veggies and sauté until softened (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add sage, broth, and squash puree to the pot and mix everything together.
  5. Add a sprinkle of each salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  6. Turn the heat down a notch and allow everything to heat for 5 minutes or so.**
  7. Add the coconut milk. Feel free to add more than 1/4 C if you'd like it creamier.
  8. Once slightly warm, starting adding salt and pepper in small amounts. After adding a bit, stir it in and taste until you get the taste that you like.
  9. Serve once hot.
Notes
  1. ** If you'd like your soup super creamy, at this point, you can pour it into a blender and blend it until smooth before returning it to the pot and finishing up. I like my soups with a bit of texture so I skipped the blender step.
  2. ** You could also use fresh squash for this recipe. Just roast it beforehand and scoop out the insides and puree it in the blender with all the other veggies.
Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

Why I Hate Saying, “I’m Paleo”

By: comment

As many of you know, I’ve been about the paleo life for about a year and a half now. Last April (2014), I decided to do a month-long paleo challenge to see what all the fuss was about and…I was sold. I loved the new relationship that I developed with food and health more broadly. I loved my new understandings of how different foods affected my mind and body. I loved the motivation to be creative in the kitchen – trying new techniques and flavors as well as varying my produce and meats. What I have enjoyed the least about “being paleo” is having to navigate awkward social/dining situations. Recently, I’ve found myself saying things like, “I’m not eating grains right now,” or “I’m staying away from gluten at the moment,” as a way of trying to draw less attention and not be the weird-eating girl. 

Like most buzz words, “paleo” functions to convey information succinctly and efficiently, but with that comes oversimplification. While telling someone that I’m “paleo” can be a easy way to give them a sense of my dietary preferences (assuming that they are familiar with the term), it can also lead to being stereotyped as a cross-fit obsessed freak who eats insane amounts of meat and walks around barefoot. 

This overly simplistic understanding of the paleo lifestyle often gives way to substance-less critiques of the paleo diet that ignore both the foundational ideas behind it and the fact that “living paleo” goes far beyond food. For example, the fact that our cavemen ancestors didn’t have very long lifespans is one of the most common critiques of paleo. This is a fact that no one who lives the paleo life would contest. We would, however, note that our ancestors also lacked the inventions of modern medicine and often encountered predators that no longer roam the Earth. While it’s easy enough to retort this critique of the diet, this conversation distracts us from thinking about the ideas that underly the paleo lifestyle. Paleo is not a nostalgic quest. It is not about resisting modernity or mimicking a pre-existing time. Rather than doing a strict compare and contrast between modern human beings and our caveman ancestors, it’s more productive to think about the framework that history provides for thinking about present day.

When we examine health historically, the positive correlation between the increased “production” of food through industrial development and the decline of our overall health is evident. Paleo forces us to confront the impacts that over-development and capitalism have had on our minds and bodies. It asks us to question the information about food and nutrition that we have been fed (pun intended) for years and to start listening to our bodies. It highlights the uncertainty of “fact” by exposing flawed scientific studies. It makes us uncomfortably aware of how our health is linked to larger social, political, and economic structures over which we as individuals have little control. 

So while I might find myself saying, “I’m paleo” as a quick reference, I do so in hopes that it will open a space to think critically and holistically about healthy living.