I am on day two of a Whole Life Challenge. My main goal a) be accountable b) be conscious c) loose weight d) exercise more. For the next eight weeks I (and my family) will be eating grain free. And drinking lots of water. And exercising. No cheese, no potatoes, no dairy, no bread, no grains, no sugar, yet lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein. I need the challenge and am up for it.
While I embark on this journey, I will be modifying many of my favorite recipes. And at the same time, I will be looking for inspiration from friends; Carrie and Sylvie, and sites that are new to me; Nom Nom Paleo, Against All Grain, and Everyday Paleo. Going forward, my meals will not contain pasta or grains and my baking will be kept at a minimum (sorry).
These stuffed tomatoes are one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight meals. Stuffing them with either cooked millet or quinoa (whatever is on hand), loaded with lots of herbs and cheese, they are always a special side dish. Cutting back on so many of my pantry staples, today I created a mixture with sautéed vegetables, kale, and ground turkey. Super happy with the results. However, if you prefer a strictly vegetarian option, omit the protein. You decide!
Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
3 ripe but firm large tomatoes, organic
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 teaspoons organic unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil (plus a little more for the baking dish)
1 shallot, minced
1 small zucchini, small chop
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 ounces ground turkey, organic
Celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Instructions
• preheat oven to 400*
• cut tops off of each tomato. cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato. discard.
• in a small baking dish, rub 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the inside of the dish.
• sprinkle a little bit of Celtic sea salt in each cavity of the tomato. place tomatoes, open side down on to a small baking sheet covered with paper towels. let drain for 30 minutes. place tomatoes, open side up, in the prepared baking dish.
• heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. add butter and olive oil and once butter is melted, saute shallots for 3 minutes. add zucchini and saute until soft (about 4 minutes).
• add ground turkey and brown until you no longer see any pink.
• add kale, 1/4 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt, and a pinch or two of pepper. saute until kale wilts (about 2 minutes).
• remove from the heat and add the quinoa. mix to combine.
• scoop quinoa mixture into each tomato.
• bake for 30-25 minutes until the outside of the tomato is soft and the juices are starting to bubble.
• serve hot or at room temperature.
The Urban Baker / SusanSalzman.com
This week our dinner table will look something like this:
Sunday 1/12/14:
Arugula Salad
Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
A fresh brew of Kombucha
Fresh Pineapple
Monday 1/13/14:
Tomato Soup
Quinoa Cakes (modified – omitting cheese and replacing quinoa flour for the garbonozo bean flour)
use left over quinoa from the previous night’s dinner
Tuesday 1/14/14:
Lamb with Spinach Sauce ( Saag Gosht)
Roasted Cauliflower
Wednesday 1/15/14:
Roast Chicken
Moroccan Spiced roasted Sweet Potatoes + Carrots
Thursday 1/16/14:
Asian Patties (recipe to follow)
Rice Noodles
Friday 1/17/14:
Shabbat Dinner at Friends
Isaac’s best friend is being Bar Mitzvah’d this weekend and I am one of the hosts of his Shabbat dinner
Saturday 1/18/14:
Dancing the night away with our favorite people!
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[…] myself to leave behind dairy, grains, sugar, and a host of other food choices (read here) has forced me eat way more protein and fiber (fruits and veggies). Two weeks into it and I can […]
[…] I do my marketing on Friday’s. Sunday’s I load up on fruits and veggies at a local farmers market. By the time Saturday roles around, whatever is left in my vegetable bin isn’t so pretty. Inevitably, these items end up in a soup or a salsa or something random. […]
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Grain free? I’ve heard of gluten-free, wheat- free, sugar-free, vegetarian, and others, but grain free? Isn’t quinoa a grain, anyway? Frankly, this sounds crazy to me and a perfect example of California food weird (and I’m a native CA to boot)!
Now I need to check out that site…
Good for you for taking on the challenge, I know you and your family are going to feel great eating that way!