Swiss Chard Frittata

Once I learned to flip, there was no going back. Life was truly never the same, as gymnastics suddenly became the grounding element in my life. And then one day, sometime in college, it all came to halt. I stopped coaching (I got a different job), and with that I also stopped having a reason to be a gym rat daily (this gave way to me trying many other sports, some of which I still love, but none as much as gymnastics).

Two weeks ago I went to my old gym for an adult gymnastics class, something that never fails to make me feel old and weak and also young and nostalgic at the same time. We did bars (which was always my least favorite event) but sure enough my muscle memory held on: glide, toes to the bar— Kip. Switch kip. Free hip, cut kip. I found myself in the air again, older sure— but the muscle memory was there. In a way nothing had changed and in others everything had. 

About 15 minutes in, I spun around the bar and felt a familiar and unpleasant sensation: a rip. My palm cut open (like a popped blister, but almost and inch across). Damn does that sting! At 15 years old, a rip was nothing: a causality at most. You got back up and kept going. Man I was strong then. And that’s how it goes: a mixture of rediscovering why I loved the sport in the first place — reinforcing what I always have known, which is that I simply love gymnastics, all of it - and learning how I have changed. 

Gymnastics was the first sport that I loved — before that I just wasn’t into most of what we did in gym class - and it taught me to care. To care about results and to try hard, sure, but also to care about my body and what I ate. I love gymnastics so much that anything that might help me be a better gymnast was worth doing.

Somewhere along this road I moved from breakfast-skipper to breakfast lover. More specifically, high protein breakfast lover. Eggs! I love eggs, and they’re a great way to get some protein in your body, which you need in order to rebuild (or just build) between work outs. This swiss chard parmesan frittata is a quick one — sauté the greens in an oven-safe skillet, add the adds, pop it in the oven under the broiler, and boom! High protein breakfast (with veggies) (and cheese!) is ready. Eat up!

Swiss Chard Frittata

Published August 21, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

6 eggs 

1 shallot, sliced thin

4 swiss chard leaves 

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1/4 cup milk of choice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2-3/4 cup parmesan

Directions:

1. In a 10-inch skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.
2. When oil glistens, sauté shallots until translucent.
3. Cut the swiss chard: cut out the stems, and chop them. Add stems to the pan. Then, roughly chop the leafy green parts. Add the leafy green parts to the skillet once the stems begin to soften. Place lid on skill, and allow greens to cook until dark green.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Once yellow and frothy, pour egg mixture into skillet. You may want to use a fork or spoon to move the swiss chard into an even layer if it is in clumps. Sprinkle parmesan on top.
5. Turn oven to a high broil. Place skillet on top rack in oven, and cook for 5-10 minutes, until eggs are puffed, golden on top, and set through. Remove from oven, and allow to cool 3-5 minutes.
6. Slice and serve.

Parma Rosa Chicken

Some kids go through a mac 'n' cheese phase (it's something they can cook themselves), and some kids go through a cereal phase (doesn't require cooking at all). Me? Knorr Instant Parma Rosa Sauce was a childhood fave. It’s embarrassing but true.

To this day, I'm not sure what is even in those packs of instant pasta sauce. And frankly? I don't want to know. What I do know is that it's addicting. Back then I called it "pink sauce." 

Even though I ate many (many!) packets of pink sauce as a kid, it's not what I was thinking about when I started working on this recipe. Nope, I just thought I was making a creamy chicken parmesan. It wasn't until my first bite that my memory sprang into action: 

I know this flavor! This tastes like pink sauce! 

What was that called? Parma Rosa, a Google search told me.

And it does taste just like Parma Rosa -- a bigger, bolder, fresher, real parma rosa. A grown up pink sauce. And instead of a soft creamy pink color, it's a rich creamy orange-red, evidence of real tomatoes in there. 

You can eat this dish as-is (that's what I did, with a side salad), or you could serve it over pasta. It goes great with a glass of white wine, and the leftovers are just as good the next day. 

Between this recipe and this lasagna, I've been on quite the Italian kick lately! (Is pink sauce Italian? I don't think so, but it seems Italian). 

Parma Rosa Chicken

Published July 26, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large cut in half)

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounce can tomato sauce (Note: this is in the canned tomato aisle; it is puréed tomato -- not a pre-made pizza or pasta sauce, which will already have herbs, garlic, etc)

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced, plus more for garnish

3/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil glistens, place the chicken in the skillet. Cook on each side for 5 minutes, until browned. Move to a plate and set aside.
2. If pan is dry, add additional tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until transparent. Reduce heat to low. Pour in tomato sauce and stir.
3. Add thyme, rosemary, and basil to sauce, and then stir in the cream. Place chicken back in pan, immersing it in the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer lightly for 1-2 minutes, and then top each piece of chicken with parmesan. Place skillet in oven and turn to broil. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes — until cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven, top with additional basil for garnish, and serve hot.

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

It’s that season! Yes, the time of year when zucchini are the size of baseball bats, big enough to serve a crowd. Perhaps you’re swimming in zucchini, or maybe you found a really good deal on some oversized zukes at the farmers market — either way, zucchini bread pancakes are the way to go! 

I’ve never heard anyone complain about pancakes for breakfast, and these pancakes are extra special. Just like zucchini bread, these pancakes are spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, making them feel extra cozy, especially when slathered with butter and drizzled with maple syrup. 

There are thousands of recipes for zucchini bread on the internet. Some call for walnuts, while others call for chocolate chips. But why choose? This recipe is absolutely delicious with both, bites of nutty crunch and melty chocolate. And yeah, it feels a little bit like dessert for breakfast but there is zucchini in there.

This recipe uses for almond flour, which makes for a satisfying pancake but is also the reason why I highly recommend using a non-stick pan. I tried a few in a enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) because we own very few non-stick pans, and the results was no good. So, avoid frustration, and use a true non-stick pan! You'll be flipping pancakes like a pro. 

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Published July 19, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 90 minutes

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Ingredients:

9 ounces shredded zucchini

1-1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (tapioca flour can also be used)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking and serving

2 tablespoons maple syrup plus more for serving

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chocolate chips or finely diced walnuts (feel free to do half chocolate chips and half walnuts, too!)

Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: almond flour, arrowroot starch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine: 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until frothy, and then fold in the shredded zucchini.
2. Add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring to combine, and then add in the other half of the dry mixture to create a loose batter. Fold in walnuts/chocolate chips.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle on the stove over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter.
4. Spoon batter into hot pan, making pancakes that are 4-5 inches wide. Cook on one side until you start to see bubbles on the top and edges begin to turn golden brown. Flip pancake to second side, and cook until golden. Move pancake to plate. Repeat until all of batter has been used.
5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup. Optionally, add additional walnuts on top for garnish.