healthy – Page 9 – Mommy Hiker

[Food Series] Crimini Mushroom and Mint Stuffed Zucchini

Posted on July 25, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

I would say that 95% of the meals I prepare daily for our family are in-the-moment compositions. I am generally not one to set weekly menus, we just buy what looks great and I get to have fun exercising my improvisational skills. I concocted this recipe by mingling 3 different ideas; drawing on my memory of making Turkish Dolma, seeing the hundreds of Zucchini Boat pics on Pinterest (Ha!) and using the fresh ingredients that were already in my fridge, writing down measurements for you guys as I went along! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Crimini Mushroom and Mint Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients
4 medium size zucchinis
1 large clove of garlic
1 cup of crimini mushrooms
2 green onions
1 medium size tomato
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Scoop out the seeds and inner pulp of the zucchini, leaving the sides and ends intact. Give a rough chop to all of the veggies (except the tomato) and herbs, toss them together (including the innards of the zucchini) with the spices in a mixing bowl, then throw everything into the food processor for about a minute while slowly adding the olive oil. Carefully scoop the mixture into the zucchini shells and top with thinly sliced tomato. Place stuffed zucchinis into a baking dish filled with 1/4 inch of water, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Voila! A healthy and yummy light summer dinner!

[Food Series] Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls

Posted on July 11, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

I’ve been itching to try my hand at Shrimp Spring Rolls for months now and I finally motivated myself to do it! Why did I wait so long?? It’s the perfect delicious and nutritious summer finger food and SO fast and easy to prepare! I can tell you it has already become a new family favorite!

Fresh Shrimp Spring Roll

Ingredients

1 package of Rice Paper Wrappers

1 cucumber

1 carrot

1 bunch of Radish

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch of thai basil

1/2 pound of cooked Shrimp

1 tablespoon freshly-grated Ginger

1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon of Rice Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Julienne all of the veggies, thinly slice the radish and cut your shrimp in half length-wise, then toss everything in the rice vinegar, freshly-grated ginger, salt and pepper. To prepare the Rice Paper Wrappers simply soak them in water for about a minute until they become pliable. Place a small handful of the mixture in the center of the rice paper (I double up the rice paper per roll so they are a bit more sturdy in the hand), fold in the two sides at the ends, then roll up and devour! SO easy, SO yummy, SO healthy! Enjoy!

Side Note: The great thing about Spring Rolls is that the rice paper wrapper can be a conduit for anything you want to stuff it with, so feel free to get creative! Experiment with different herbs, veggies and proteins and I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out!

And One Little Reminder: We will be on vacation next week, totally unplugged, camping and hiking, exploring and discovering in Sequoia National Park, but we’ll be back Monday, July 22nd excited to tell you all about our trip!!

[Food Series] An Easy and Nontraditional Eggplant Caponata

Posted on July 4, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

Our family loves eggplant! I was raised by a mom who is not a big fan, but after falling in love and marrying a Mediterranean man, I quickly discovered its creamy deliciousness! Caponata is an easy and tasty way to get even picky eaters to give it a try! I must admit though, my Caponata is a hybrid mixing the traditional Sicilian flavors with some of my favorite Turkish flavors and my own Southern Girl twist! Enjoy!

Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients
4 medium size eggplants
1/2 of a spanish onion
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of chopped olives
1 cup of shiitake mushrooms (I told you it was nontraditional!)
1/4 cup freshly minced dill
1/4 cup freshly minced flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/3 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Turkish or Mediterranean style tomato paste (trust me, there is a big taste difference between these and the American version!)
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of beef stock (low sodium)
1/4 cup of chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup of water
salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop the eggplant (I peel it around per quarter to leave a little skin on all sides), onion, tomato, olives, mushrooms and mince the garlic, dill and parsley. In a deep pot, saute the onions in a tablespoons of olive oil for about a minute, then add the garlic and saute for another minute. Then, I literally throw everything else in together, bring it up to a simmer and keep on low heat covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. That’s IT! So easy and so yummy!! I usually serve this with rice and plain yogurt.