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

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.

Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

This salad is made of three quintessential mid-summer crops: corn, zucchini, and basil.

Zucchini is one of my all-time favorite veggies, because it’s so versatile. It’s good sautéd, raw, zoodled, or in this case, roasted (any grill masters out there? You can do the roasting over an open flame if that’s more your style!). Use young zucchini in this recipe. They are more tender, have smaller seeds, and you can simply cut them in half (the long way) rather than into strips. Yellow summer squash would work well too! 

There’s a saying, “things that grow together go together,” and it’s certainly the case here. Roasted zucchini needs little in terms of seasoning, but a little fresh basil brightens this dish up. Good warm or cold, this salad is the perfect backyard grill out side dish! To turn this recipe into a heartier salad, one you could eat for lunch, try adding shredded parmesan and diced avocado. 

Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

Published July 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 small zucchini

3 cobs of corn

1/2 cup fresh basil

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice the zucchini into long strips, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Brush zucchini and corn with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until softened. Turn oven to high broil, and cook for 3-5 more minutes, just to get the corn and zucchini really roasted. (Note: You can also do this step on your grill, and skip the oven!)
2. Allow zucchini and corn to cool so that you can handle them with out burning yourself. Arrange zucchini in a salad bowl, and then use a knife to cut the kernels from each corn cob. Add kernels to the bowl. Cut basil chiffonade style, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish, and add to the bowl. Toss everything to combine.
3. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake. Pour over salad, top with reserved basil leaves, and serve.

Raspberry Pistachio Fool (Sweetened with honey!)

A simple dessert such as this one hardly needs a full blog post to go with it — soft folds of whipped cream, fresh raspberries accentuated with just a touch of honey and lemon, bits of slightly salty pistachio. That ingredients list alone will do. 🤤

A “fool” is a British dessert where puréed fruit is layered with custard or whipped cream. This version used whipped cream, which is lighter and pairs well with fresh raspberry, which are sweet and delicate at their peak.

The raspberry bush I planted last year is producing it’s first round of berries right now (a miracle really, because the backyard is basically a jungle of weeds). There are only a few berries and they’re not quite ripe yet, so I used store bought for this recipe. In a pinch, frozen berries would work — just thaw the berries before macerating.

And — I’m all for dessert-for-breakfast, so if you're looking for something you could eat in the morning, you could swamp the whipped cream in this recipe for your favorite Greek yogurt and make a parfait.

Pistachios add a nice crunch to this fool, which is otherwise all fluff and fruit. You could really use any type of nut, but I like the flavor of pistachio with raspberry and whipped cream, and also love the way the color pops!

And now, onwards, because there’s really nothing better than tasting this one for yourself. 

Raspberry Pistachio Fool (Sweetened with honey!)

Published July 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

10 ounces fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-3 teaspoons honey, divided

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup crushed pistachios

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 8 ounces of raspberries with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey. Set remaining raspberries aside. Using a fork, mash the 8 ounces of raspberries with the lemon and honey. The mixture should resemble a jam or compote. Set aside.
2. In a second mixing bowl, whip cream to soft peaks using an electric mixer. Add in vanilla and 1-2 teaspoons of honey, depending on your tastes, and continue to whip cream for another minute to incorporate.
3. In three serving glasses or bowls make alternating layers of whipped cream and the raspberry mixture. Place reserved fresh raspberries on top, and sprinkle with crusted pistachios. Serve immediately.