Set the Table 2017 | Week 25

It's my gorgeous Mom's 65th birthday today! She taught me how to make egg salad a long time ago and I've tweaked her super simple recipe today in honor of her, my best friend, my neighbor, my workout buddy, the AMAZING woman who taught me EVERYTHING.

I love you Mom. Happy happy BIRTHDAY!

Sriracha Egg n Vege Salad

2 hard boiled pastured, organic eggs diced (I got some this week from Radical Root Farm Stand.)

1/2 cucumber diced

1 red pepper diced

1/2 avocado diced

1 Tbsp Vegenaise (or mayo)

1 tsp sriracha

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 dill pickle slice diced

Small handful of fresh cilantro (stems finely chopped + leaves rough chopped)

Red Lettuce rough chopped

Mix eggs, cucumber, pepper, avocado, cilantro stems and mayo a medium bowl.  Taste and season with salt and pepper. Arrange red lettuce on a plate and add egg salad over the top. Add the diced pickle to the top and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Enjoy!

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• Each #SettheTable2017 post begins with a featured recipe(s) + upcoming week's game plan followed by a picture diary of last week's chaos. I sign off every post with a handy reference list of my favorite foodie articles (some new, some repeated). 
• #CatchmyGrit on my Instagram throughout the week to capture the fun, the food and the family table reactions (good and bad). C'est la vie, I selfy-ishly light it UP in pics and videos to keep truckin! 
• New to this series? Here's the STORY behind my #SettheTable2017 food adventures with Pure Barre Kildeer.
• My two go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App 2. Sarah's My New Roots Recipe App 

Week 25's Game plan:

• Colossal Cauliflower Gratin (J app) or this similar recipe online

• Taco Tuesday

• Quick and Easy Tray Baked Cod (J app) or this similar recipe online

• Cookout

• Sanity-Saving One Pot Pasta (S app + online)

Wrap it UP with last week's action:

Tacos. How about that crazy green tortilla on my plate? It was pretty darn good! Find them here.

Sarah Britton's Carrot and Red Lentil Soup (you can find the recipe on her New Roots App) was AMAZEBALLS. I get my kids to eat soup by serving it with pizza. They have to finish their small bowl of soup to have more pizza. It worked for Tommy and Mac. Not so much for Abbie:)

Take out Sushi makes me so happy.

So does meeting friends on the farm for produce pick up! Looking good Matt!

Slow-cooked Onion Jam Chicken

6 organic chicken thighs + 1 jar Holcomb Hollow onion jam + 1/4 cup water + 3-4 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano + sea salt n pepper 

Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours 

🌱🍗💜 SHRED

Homemade Strawberry Ice cream

1 cup organic heavy cream
2 cups organic half n half
3 cups organic strawberries (from my Prairie Wind Family Farms CSA!)
1/2 cup organic sugar

Purée 1/2 of the strawberries in a blender or nutribullet. Mash up the rest in a bowl by hand and mix in the sugar. Combine everything in a bowl and pour liquid into an ice cream maker. Process for 25 minutes. Transfer to a container and keep frozen.  

I cannot wait to make brownies this week!

I am in love with my new brass family table do-dah's! Find them on sale here. I just bought another set to make a perfect 10.

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

ps

My Top 10 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
2. Stay on TOP of the global Food Revolution.
3. How to Cook With Oils.
4. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
5. The EWG "Clean Fifteen + Dirty Dozen produce guidelines helps you save money + reduce the pesticides and herbicides = Antibiotics harmful to our gut microbiome + mycobiome at home. 
6. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
7. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
8. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat.
9. Kimbal Musk Says Food is the New Internet. 
10. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts With Ignoring the Guidelines (Video)

Set the Table 2017 | Week 24

Happy Father's Day Sunday! 

Here's what we set the table with last night, a perfect plate for the perfect Dad in your life!

Porked Out Waffles 

(in layered order):

1-2 Waffles (depending on size)

Pork tenderloin (2-3 slices or a mound of pulled pork)

Organic Strawberry and blueberry compote

Organic green apples (match-sticked)

Maple syrup or honey drizzle

Rosemary and mint sea salt

Lindsey’s Famous Sunday Morning Waffles (gluten free)

3 c Pamela's all-purpose flour mix (or any gluten free flour blend)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 organic, pasture raised egg yolks (whites separated into another bowl)
4 c organic rice milk 
1 c melted organic butter (avocado or coconut oil works well to make it completely dairy-free)
Optional - 1 package cooked and roughly chopped antibiotic free bacon (I only add real bacon bits when making this dish. It's delicious made without!)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Whisk in vanilla, egg yolks and rice milk. Whisk in melted butter (My Grandma Dorothy's top waffle tip: Make sure to mix in the warm butter last as it will clump if you mix it in before the cold milk!). Let batter sit and thicken up for at least 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, whip up the egg yolks into stiff peaks. Fold in egg whites, then bacon bits. (Tip: You should have little clumps of egg whites throughout your batter.) Pour into waffle maker and make as many waffles as you possibly can!

12 hour Honey Marinated Pork Tenderloin

For every two pork tenderloins, marinate them in a plastic gallon bag with the following ingredients:
1/2 c local honey
1/2 c organic gluten free soy sauce
1.5 lemons juiced & zested
4 small cloves of garlic

1 T freshly grated or minced ginger
Optional: 2-3 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean Chili Sauce) or sriracha for some heat 

Grill to perfection and slice over freshly made or leftover waffles (toasted up of course). 

OR 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker for 6 hours on low. Shred and place over warm waffles.

Strawberry and blueberry compote

1 package organic strawberries sliced

1 package organic blueberries

2 T coconut sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to macerate.

Rosemary Mint Sea Salt

Mince 2-3 T sea salt and 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves + 1 Tbsp mint leaves together. You'll have extra salt leftover and it keeps beautifully to use again and again.

***************************

• Each #SettheTable2017 post begins with a featured recipe(s) + upcoming week's game plan followed by a picture diary of last week's chaos. I sign off every post with a handy reference list of my favorite foodie articles (some new, some repeated). 
• #CatchmyGrit on my Instagram throughout the week to capture the fun, the food and the family table reactions (good and bad). C'est la vie, I selfy-ishly light it UP in pics and videos to keep truckin! 
• New to this series? Here's the STORY behind my #SettheTable2017 food adventures with Pure Barre Kildeer.
• My two go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App 2. Sarah's My New Roots Recipe App 

Week 24's Game plan (I only cooked ONE meal from last week's plan, so we're in REPEAT!):

• Taco Tuesday 

• Cook out

• Multi-Veggie Slaw with Herby Yogurt Dressing (Jamie app) or this Sweetheart Slaw with Passion Fruit dressing

• Red Lentil Carrot Bisque (Sarah's app - Sorry, couldn't find anything close to link online.)

Wrap it UP with last week's action:

How about a floating table?

It's Summer so we'll cookout every week. And yes, Tommy finished his salad first:) #welovechips

Christina's tomato and goat cheese galette.

Banh Mi toppings.

A big arse salad.

What I put in the vegan tapenade. I subbed in the fresh VeganMozz for the firm tofu. It was AWESOME.

Organic, grass fed beef tenderloin.

Crazy eyes = crazy good.

A killer first recipe go at Banh Mi - And I'm thrilled with how the "vegetarian tapenade" went (A much better description than vegan liverwurst if you want to avoid the "What did you just say weirdo?" comment.)

Yesterday, I started the Fresh Start Business Incubator dinner auction food shopping with Allison and Alex at their Radical Root Farm Stand. Gawd I love this place. It's one of my favorite organic and local food destinations where I can get all the eggs, meat and produce I want. Allison is on the Slow Food Chicago Board of Directors - I am so proud she lives here in the Northern Suburbs!

Pickled kohlrabi & daikon radish, sliced Japanese turnips and radishes, raw cheddar cheese and goat cheese from Radical Root Farms, Salami (some pickled!), assorted olives and some gorgeous Italian imported "sandwiched" dates and olive oil crustini twists from Sunset Foods in Libertyville - Thanks Cosimo, it was so fun talking food with you!

Inspired by my Slow Food Canandian Summit adventure in Shediac, New Brusnwick, I recreated this incredibly delicious and creative seafood macaroon! Chef Claude's (Taste of Paris Bakery) vanilla macaroon on the bottom, topped with salted & herbed mayo and steamed lobster or crab with fresh chives. It stole the show.

Christina put together this beautiful corn and asparagus salad. Find the recipe inspiration here.

I love local meat!

 My homemade vanilla ice cream was the perfect topping! A little lemon zest and fresh mint sealed Christina's gorgeous strawberry galette with a kiss.

I love cooking with you Christina! Cheers to cooking, setting the table, gathering with friends and spreading fun food education together! 

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL


ps

My Top 10 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
2. Stay on TOP of the global Food Revolution.
3. How to Cook With Oils.
4. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
5. The EWG "Clean Fifteen + Dirty Dozen produce guidelines helps you save money + reduce the pesticides and herbicides = Antibiotics harmful to our gut microbiome + mycobiome at home. 
6. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
7. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
8. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat.
9. Kimbal Musk Says Food is the New Internet. 
10. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts With Ignoring the Guidelines (Video)