Butter: Poppy Seed Chicken

Every cook, chef, or foodie subscribes to a certain food philosophy; my philosophy is pretty simple, I like to make or make over traditional recipes while adhering to a mostly whole foods lifestyle, while being sensitive to my son's food allergies (read more about that here). I love comfort food, especially casseroles, but I've always feel a little guilty because there is so much nasty, bad for you, processed food that I can't enjoy it without thinking of what I'm putting into my body.

So after some investigating & inspiration I have decided to take on the task of making over some of the most beloved casseroles, comfort foods, & southern foods (as any southern knows there is a ton of bad for you things in many of the traditional southern dishes) & make them into good for you, whole food versions with just as much or more taste.

Monday, I took on the task of Poppy Seed Chicken. I first had this dish when a family member cooked it for us right after our son was born & I loved it. I was surprised when I learned how easy & quick it was, but when I broke it down I was disappointed with yet another version of casserole/comfort food via cream of whatever soup [seriously have you ever looked at the back of one of those cans the ingredients & nutritional value- or lack there of- is deplorable].

This version is completely made of whole, non-processed foods & doesn't take much more time. Here's your recipe:

- 1.5 cups brown rice [regular cooking, the 10 minute rice has stabilizers that you really don't need to
  be putting into your body- seriously, its as easy as a slow cooker]
- 2 3/4 cups of organic chicken or vegetable stock [you can also use water, but stock gives more
  flavor]
- 2 tble (tablespoons) of olive oil [use a high quality 100% olive oil, the cheap stuff tends to have non-
  olive oil fillers to cut the cost]

*add rice, water, & olive oil to pot, bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, & cover for 40-50 minutes or when the rice is absorbed. After rice is absorbed, leave it covered but remove from the heat & let it sit for 10 minutes.

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- 2 slices of 100% whole grain bread [flip it over & read the back, the less ingredients the better &
  you should be able to pronounce everything without reverting to a phonics lesson]

*toast the bread in 350º oven for 5-7 minutes per side [I like to use the oven to make sure it gets very toasted without getting burned]. Remove & set aside

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- 3 tble of olive oil 

- 3 tble of flour [I used whole wheat flour -use a high quality or it will be super flaky & that's not 

  good- but you can also use white rice flour or sweet rice flour. Don't use all-purpose while flour it is 

  incredibly processed. Rice flour can easily be found at a healthy food store like Whole Foods, Trader 

  Joes, or Earth Fare, some standard grocery stores may even have it in their health food section]

- 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

- 1 tble of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tble of water [you may not need this using the rice flours]

- 1 tsp ea. salt & pepper

- 1/2 tsp onion powder [use a higher quality powder. I used the cheap stuff & flipped it over to find it 

   may have traces of milk, soy, & nuts....why? It's onion powder for goodness sakes]

- 16 oz of greek yogurt

*Add olive oil & flour to pot & whisk together, allow it to come to a boil then slowly add in 2 cups of stock. Allow this to come to a boil, if it starts to thicken you won't need the corn starch if the consistency doesn't change after 2 or 3 minutes add the cornstarch & water mixture. Whisk it consistently for about 3-5 minutes until it thickens [whisking will help to ensure it doesn't burn]. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat & add the remaining ingredients.

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- 1 tble olive oil

- 1 medium onion, peeled & chopped

- 1 clove garlic, peeled & minced

- 1/2 tsp (teaspoon) of salt

- 3-4 cups of shredded or chopped chicken [I used 1 whole antibiotic, hormone, & steriod-free 

  rotisserie chicken from Earth Fare]

- 2 tble poppy seeds

- 2 cups of frozen peas

*Add onion, garlic, & salt to a skillet of the heated olive oil, saute until onion slightly starts to turn brown. Stir in chicken, poppy seeds, peas, & greek yogurt mixture. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a sandwich bag or food processor, crush up the toasted bread & top the chicken & yogurt mixture to it. Cover with tin foil & bake for 10 minutes in a 400º oven. After 10 minutes remove foil & cook for an additional 10 minutes. Since every oven is different, keep an eye it once you remove the foil to make sure it doesn't burn. Serve over rice.

Leaner version: substitute the whole chicken for chicken breast.
Vegetarian version: substitute the chicken for mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, &/or cauliflower; greek yogurt for unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt [you will have to drain the yogurt- put a mesh strainer over a bowl with a cheese cloth draped over the top, add the yogurt into the cheese cloth & let it sit, covered in the fridge over night].

Butter: Simple Lunches that are more filling || Augusta, GA Food Blogger

One of the dilemmas I am most often left with for lunch is a lunch that isn't quite filling enough. Yesterday I had a great lunch of ravioli with marinara & a side salad (here's my instagram pic of it). It was yummy, but I was still left feeling a little empty. So today I took a look at yesterday's lunch & wondered what went wrong. How could a plate full of stuffed pasta & sauce not fill me up. Then it hit me.

One of the things that is most important when it comes to eating light without gorging yourself is to hit all the different flavor profiles & create depth. Yesterday I just added the frozen ravioli to the pot of water & then topped it with marinara when it was done. Today I took it a step further, by using a few tips I've garnered from the Queen of Pasta, Giada De Laurentiis.

I brought the water to a low boil, added salt & then my pasta (yesterday, my pasta was a little underdone for my taste, so I added a few minutes to the cooking process). Once they were pillowy, I removed them from the pot & dumped the water. Next I returned the pot to the hot burner, added a small drizzle of organic olive oil, a handful of organic baby spinach, a pinch of salt & pepper & allowed the spinach to wilt slightly. Then I added a few spoon fulls of homemade marinara, 2 pinches of dried red pepper flakes, & added the pasta back it. I let the mixture cook for about 2 minutes, slowly stirring the whole time to keep anything from burning or sticking. I added it to my plate & topped it with just a little parmesan cheese.

Score. It worked. The ravioli took on a new flavor with the addition of the salt to the boiling water. The spinach added a slightly different texture with the tiniest hint of bitterness & the red pepper flakes add a little bit of heat & bit. I felt so much more satisfied & appeased than I did yesterday.

 To recreate:
- half a pack of Rising Moon Organics Wild Mushroom & Cheese Ravioli
- 1/4 cup of homemade marinara, but store bought would be fine too
- 2 pinches of Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 handful of Organic Spinach
- a pinch of salt & 2 cranks of freshly ground black pepper
- about a teaspoon of salt added to the boiling pasta water

Butter: Southwestern Egg Rolls

-1/2 lb organic or grass-fed beef
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 14oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 carrot, peeled & shredded
- 4 green onions, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp chili
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese
- 12-16 egg roll wrappers

~ Add meat, 1/2 tsp salt, garlic powder, & red pepper flakes to a large skillet to crumble & brown. Should take about 7-10 minutes over medium high heat
~ Add corn, beans, carrot, onions to pan & saute for 10-12 minutes.
~ Add remaining ingredients [except for wrappers, because that would be weird] & cook until the broth is absorbed.
~ Take 1 wrapper & add about 1/4 cup of filling. Wrap up all 4 sides & place seem side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until all filling &/or wrappers are used.

~Bake at 425 for 8 minutes, flip eggrolls over & bake for another 8 minutes.
~ Serve with Salsa & a side salad.

Butter: Working my way into the new year with a Chicken Tortellini Soup

One of my resolutions this year was to blog on here, Butter Bokeh Baby, once a week instead of sporadically like I have been. Well this resolution was made more achievable when I decided it was time to start writing a cookbook. I have been wanting to write one for a few years now & last year I started writing books but never got very far because my passion for them wained shortly into the endeavor, but I am always passionate about food. I love talking about it, watching it be made, making it. So I decided it was time to start putting my multitude of recipes into one book rather than on random pieces of paper & notebooks through out my house.

With my son having been diagnosed with quite a few food allergies (diary, all nuts, wheat, & eggs) I have been left swirling in what to feed him & how to make sure he is getting lots of options & maintains his healthy appetite. So I did what lots of people do, I started researching. My research has lead me into the dark underbelly of the food world. The part that grocery stores, government, & politicians don't want the consumer to see.

Upon the prompting of a friend, I watched Food, Inc. I was floored, disgusted, & amazed by the things I saw & heard. I then followed up with Forks Over Knives, Ingredients,  Frankensteer, & Food Matters. I loved what I was seeing about organic & whole foods & all the options that are actually out there & readily available in mainstream grocery stores. I've also been reading Living Without (a fantastic magazine about living with food allergies) & Natural Health.

I encourage everyone to do your own research into food & develop your own opinions. My opinions are my own & I will share them with you & please questions me, challenge me, agree or disagree (respectfully please) with me. I'm just beginning our [my family] journey of whole food, organic, healthful, & allergy free eating & am all about more knowledge & understanding.

Today I have a wonderful winter recipe for you to warm you up on those super cold, windy days. Its very simple & can easily be allergen free which I will explain after the recipe.


Chicken Tortellini Soup
- 2 tble of olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled & diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced
- 2- 14oz cans of organic diced tomatoes
- 1- 14oz can of organic green beans, drained
- 1- 14oz can of organic cannellini (sometimes called northern) beans, drained & rinsed
- 32oz of organic chicken broth
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tble of dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1/2 tble dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups diced chicken [I used 2 breasts of an antibiotic & hormone free, free-range rotisserie chicken]
- 1 cup of frozen organic peas
- 1 package of frozen or fresh cheese tortellini (organic if you can find it)

~in a large pot [I used a dutch oven which is a heavy, coated cast-iron pot. The best Christmas present ever...thanks Mom & Dad!] add olive oil to the pot & heat over medium high for 2-3 minutes. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, & half of the salt (1/2 tsp) [this helps to bring out the moisture in the onion & layer in the flavors].
~once the onion turns translucent add the tomatoes & beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
~next add the broth, water, parsley, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, oregano, remaining salt, & chicken. stir, reduce heat to medium low, & cover for 20 minutes.
~cook your tortellini according to the package directions in a separate pot & set aside once finished
~turn off the heat under the soup & stir in the peas [the soup will easily warm up the peas]
~add the tortellini to the soup & serve

*to make this recipe allergen free omit the tortellini [I removed a few cups of the soup before adding in the tortellini for Brooks. The tortellini has everything he can't have except for nuts]
*to make this vegetarian omit the chicken & use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
* to make this vegan omit the chicken, substitute vegetable for chicken broth, & use a vegan tortellini.

Thanks for ready & happy eating,

Marissa

Misc: An open letter about Sandy Hook Elementary & a call to action!

Today started with heartbreak. Heartbreak for others. Heartbreak for mothers & fathers who lost their babies. Heartbreak for the evil & depravity this world posses. Heartbreak from all mothers & fathers across this county that it could be us in their shoes, we could have lost our babies.

But praise to the gracious Lord above, this isn't the case for most of us. But what do we do with this heartbreak? How do we as a nation move on & make our world better for our babies? What can this teach us? How can we help?

I'm sure every parent reading this wants to wrap their arms around the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary; but since we can't do that there is something we can do.

Pray- Don't just say you will. Don't just spread the words of "our prayers are with you". Do it! Get down on your knees, cry out to God to have mercy. Cry out to Him to bring peace to the 20 parents that lost their babies & the 6 families who lost part of their family. Pray hard & pray fervently & don't stop praying until YOU stop hurting and once you get to that point, pray a little more for those parents & the brothers & sisters. Pray for those little eyes & ears that saw & heard just how evil this world can be. Pray for the souls of those who aren't broken to pieces by this ugliness. Pray....never ceasing...pray!

Hug your babies- Say something sweet & nice. Tell them they are special & loved & you will love them from here to the moon & back no matter what. Kiss their heads. Rock them to sleep. Cry over them. Pray over them. Love them endlessly. Then spend more time with them than you ever have. When they frustrate you, hug them. When they yell at you, tell them you love them. When they leave your sight, pray for their safety. When they sleep, pray for their souls.

Make this world a better place- It sounds like a tall order, but it's not really. Your actions, words, & life are a pebble in the pond of America. Everything that you do or say or act on has a ripple effect on this world. Wish people a merry christmas. Say please & thank you & offer a smile. Francesca Battistelli says it so well in the song Heaven Everywhere, "it's the grace that we show to a world without hope..its the joy that we feel & the love that we share". Bring positivity & love to those around you. Those you know & those you don't. Be considerate of the way to treat people & the way you talk to them. It's a small action, but can make a huge different in someone else's day & won't take that much from you.

Praise- Praise the almighty Lord above for the blessings in your life. Praise Him & thank Him for bringing your family home safe. Praise Him that he protected hundreds of other students in that school. Praise Him for the opportunity you & I have to have an effect on this world.

Turn to God- I've heard so many times in the last 12 hours or so "Where's God? How could he let this happen?". God didn't let this happen. This country has pushed him out of our schools, our homes, our lives. How can we expect Him to step in when we have forced him out. The single, best thing we can do to save our nation, our children, & ourselves is to turn our lives back to Christ. He will never force himself into our lives, He wants to be invited. Invite Christ into your life. Tell him that you need him & want him in your life. Drop to your knees (again) & ask His forgiveness for the sins in your life. Then start over. Start fresh. It's not easy to be a believer, especially on days like today, but my hope remains in Christ & it is because of him that I am able to function & praise on a day like today.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit- Psalms 34:18

Because of their wickedness do not let them escape, in your anger, God, bring the nations down. Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I know that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise. - Psalms 56:7-10

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOT_tcwMN-w]

Baby & Butter: Beginning Our Allergy Journey

In the last 8 weeks I feel like our world has been turned upside down. With a host of unexpected expenses (& quite large) & now the diagnosis of B's allergies, I feel like I'm in a tail spin.

His clinical allergy tests showed positive for Eggs & inconclusive for dairy & peanuts. After venturing to the store & finding out how much dairy & eggs where in products, I was discouraged & catatonic for about 24 hours. I just walked around with a blank stare on my face. By day 2, I was done feeling sorry for myself & decided this was a wonderful opportunity to make my family healthier. B wasn't doing this alone. I started reading up on some whole food recipes & getting ideas for products & recipes to incorporate into his diet so that he wouldn't be lacking in any nutritional area.

I've always been a food person & have always had a good handle on where food comes from & how food is made, but I was sent for a loop when I had to start reading food labels to make sure there where no allergens in them. I was floored how much unnecessary stuff is in the food we eat everyday. For example, I bought some chicken broth & when I got home & flipped the box over out of curiosity...milk. In chicken broth? Why is there milk in chicken broth? It made no sense. I started to get a handle on everything & even did my first grocery shopping trip working towards our whole foods & anti-diary & egg household...then the blood tests came back.

B had been tested for 13 different allergies (I think its 13) & I was more than floored...I think I fell through the floor, but all I could do was laugh, I had no other choice. For those of you who don't know anything about allergy testing, there is a scale from 0 to 6. 0 & 1 classify a person as negative to that allergen, 2 is low, 3 is moderate, 4 is high, 5 is extremely high, & 6 is super high (death high, well maybe that's a bit over exaggerated, but maybe not). B came back as a 2 in dust & peanuts & the allergist thought it best to lump in all nuts because of the how quickly the allergy can develop, 3 in milk & wheat (yes wheat, something that didn't even show up on the first test), and 4 in eggs & dogs.

At this point everything has set in & I have to figure out how to do this. How to have a dairy, egg, wheat, dog, & dust free home without going broke & while still maintaining the health of my husband & I. I often find myself with my face in my hands sighing.

But even now, I refuse to feel sorry for myself, my son, or my home. I've gotten a lot of "oh poor thing" or "that's so sad" & it is. It stinks! But what can you do? Flourish is what we are going to do. I am determined to maintain my holiday traditions even with his allergies. I am determined to incorporate more into our holidays that don't have to do with food. I am determined for my family to be healthy despite our small monthly budget for food. I am determined. Period! Determined!

So where do we go from here? What's the next step? I don't know yet, but I'm going to figure it out & I will be more than happy & willing to share our journey with you. So stay tuned lots to come from this Allergy Mom! 

Veggie & Turkey Stirfry with brown rice (recipe to come later)

Sweet B eating up his stirfry....I was amazed at how much he loved that stuff. 

This was our first lunch after finding out about the wheat allergy. Left over roasted chicken heated in Organic, Free-Range (non-milk added) broth, mexican mixed beans (recipe to come later), & brown rice toast with honey.

Day 2 lunch: Apple sauce with chicken & beans from yesterday.

Bokeh: Lessons from Project 365

So in the 27 days I have been doing project 365, I have missed 6 days of my assignment. If this were a New Years resolution it would have been a statistical 90% failure by February 1st, but since it isn't & I'm still going, it's not a failure.

I have been thinking about how often times in life a challenge doesn't necessarily mean it's done perfectly or the way you imagined, but that it is completed. I have missed a few days; 6 days where I didn't even pick up my camera unless it was to move it. For 6 days in the last 27 it wasn't turned on or focused or viewed through.

A few things prevented me from picking it up, like the 2 days I was in the hospital with a sick baby. I wished I had it just because I want to remember all the times in life, not just the smile inducing ones. But in the hospital I didn't even think to pick up my phone to take a picture. It was stressful & the less important things were pushed aside or forgotten in lieu of the more immediate needs.

Other days that I missed where because I plum forgot, didn't remember till I was laying in bed, until I woke up the next day, went to take my pictures, or until a few minutes ago when I logged all the days, pictures, & titles into my computer calendar. Oh well!

This is one of those times when "it is what it is". It has changed the way I view things though. I see everyday as a potential photo-op & everyday things like a rising moon, baby painting with yogurt, or a squirrel sitting on the ledge of the porch are all beautiful moments that make me look at my day just a little differently & that is the entire purpose of this assignment, even if I do have a few incompletes when it's all over with.

This is Day 21: Night Sky. The color in the sky was the prettiest shade of blue & much like Pink in the Fall a few days ago, before this challenge I would have passed up the opportunity to capture a moment like this.