White Chicken Chili + Prescribe Nutrition

You guys, this week has been like whoa. Two shoots, a baby shower, four batches of chocolate cupcakes, and everyone on spring break. Bouncing between stay at home mom, work at home mom, and work away from home mom has got me in a perpetual game of catch up. I am so glad that I have nothing on the schedule next week, because I need to get back in balance. 

I haven't been great about updating the blog regularly, but hopefully you're following Stir & Scribble's adventures on Instagram? The last couple of months have been a fun journey into eating a more whole foods based diet. If you've been a follower for very long - you might have noticed that I've had many false starts and stops at feeding my family a less processed diet. This time though I've had help. 

In February, I signed up for a program with Prescribe Nutrition. Prescribe Nutrition is a team of incredible woman with one incredible goal - to get you to give up a 'diet' in favor of eating real whole food. There programs are designed to shake you free from the standard American diet in a fun, approachable way with a ton of support and community. I loved my Prescribe experience so much that I shared my story over on their blog this week - you can read all about my disdain for diets here.

This weekend I'm jumping into another program with the Prescribe Nutrition team - Prescribe Balance. Prescribe Balance is perfectly timed to kick off spring. Twenty days of digging deeper into eating whole foods, getting some exercise, and daily cleaning rituals with the goal of getting everything back in balance.  I couldn't need it more right now - care to join me? Use the code 'stirandscribble' for 20% off! There's still plenty of time to sign up!

White Chicken Chili
serves 6 to 8
recipe courtesy Prescribe Nutrition

This Chili is one of the recipes from Prescribe Balance and a great example of whole foods meets comfort food that is typical of the Prescribe Nutrition team. We scaled back the spice for Ella and served it with a ton of lime and avocado. Its the perfect Sunday supper (and great for lunch leftovers).

1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
1 poblano, pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped*
1 anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground chili powder*
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
32 oz (4 cups) organic veggie or chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (about 2 lbs) cooked, shredded chicken**
Juice and zest of 1 lime, + extra lime wedges for garnish
1⁄2 cup full fat coconut milk
1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro leaves + extra for garnish

*only include if you prefer some extra spice in your chili!

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the onions, peppers, cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Pour in the broth. Add 1 can of the beans and, using a potato masher (or a handheld blender), mash the beans in the pot, creating a thicker texture.

Stir in the remaining beans, shredded chicken, lime juice and zest and bring to a boil. If you prefer a chili with more broth, add 1 - 2 cups of water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and keep on a low simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately with additional lime wedges and cilantro.

Spinach & Broccoli Stalk Pesto

Having a toddler means grocery shopping is somewhat at the mercy of what she will eat from week to week. I do not enjoy buying overpriced and out of season strawberries, but they are one fruit I can guarantee Ella will eat no matter what. Bananas and apples can be gobbled up one day and picked over the next, but strawberries are forever. Same goes for broccoli. Ella will eat broccoli raw from the cutting board, she will eat it steamed, stir fried, and obviously covered in cheese. 

I buy fresh broccoli every week, whether I want to or not, and seemingly stock pile the woody stalks. I've tried a couple different techniques for using up the stalks: 1. Broccoli soup - I liked this, but no one else did 2. Veggie noodles - Ella and I liked this, but my husband did not 3. Broccoli Pesto - which we all love! 

I've written about pesto here before, but the ratio is worth repeating and hey - its a good way to use up all that spinach and broccoli stalks. 

Peel the tough outer layer off the broccoli stalks before you use them or you'll never get a smooth pesto! Also just a tip - when you plan to make the pesto - cook up a little pasta, and "clean" blender by putting a little pasta water in the blender, giving it a whirl, and then use that water to dress the pasta. 

Spinach & Broccoli Stalk Pesto 
makes 1 cup  

This weekend I had some parsley that needed using up, so I included that as part of the spinach called for. As I've said before pesto is all about using what you've got on hand. You can use any other kind of nuts, even different herbs. 

2 large cloves of garlic
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup whole toasted pecans 
3 cups fresh baby spinach 
1 cup broccoli stalks - peeled and thinly sliced  
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil 

Pulse the garlic cloves, cheese, and pecans into crumbs in a food processor or blender. Add the spinach, broccoli stalks, and salt and process until mostly smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides of the carafe as needed. With the machine running, stream in the oil, following and continue to blend until smooth. 

Pesto will keep very well in the fridge, but dose it into ice cubes trays, freeze, and then store in a zippy bag in the freezer it will last basically forever. 

Steak Frites

The original idea for this post was something akin to Ashley's dating her husband series. I'd write some kind words about my dear husband and the relaxing evening we shared. It was a really lovely and romantic idea. 

Here's what Sunday evening at 5:09 was like at our house:  

There was a rug in our front yard, I had chocolate frosting all over my shirt, Ella was crying about something (we still have no idea after asking repeatedly), my husband snapped at me because I hadn't given him enough time to vacuum the floors (its his thing), and the Brussels sprouts were burning. This was our date night. 

My husband works a lot. We are lucky if we get to have one meal as a family together during the week, luckier still if we get to have a Friday or Saturday night together. I'm not complaining - I'm happy to have a husband who works really hard (and likes it) and all that provides our family is incredible. It just means that we've been approximately 127.5 days without a proper date. 

It also means that when my husband has a day off - there are about 2,700 projects that I want to get done on that one day. This is totally doable and not insane. This Sunday was one of those days. 

Sundays are also the day when I shoot all the photography for Stir & Scribble or any freelance recipes I'm working on. Usually I'm shooting two full recipes plus two tips in a 2 hour window between nap time and losing daylight. This is also totally doable and not at all insane. 

Did I also mention that we have a toddler? What is that saying "the days are long but the years are short"? Our days are very very short right now.

I want to celebrate our little family in small ways more often - so I created this little riff on one of my husband's favorite meals - Steak Frites. Typically Steak Frites, steak and fries, is a served as rib-eye steak with deep-fried shoe string potatoes. If you think I have the time to prepare either of those - please re-read above. No, instead I bought a flank steak which is rather inexpensive and cooks very quickly and paired it with our new favorite oven fries. And because we are working on eating fewer processed foods - I also made steak sauce; My husband loves the stuff. 

The beauty of this meal is that it kind of cooks itself. Sure there are a few prep steps - but most of them can be started and forgotten; The same cannot be said for the Brussels sprouts. 

Steak Frites with Steak Sauce 

serves 2 (or 2.5) 

for the steak sauce: 

1 small onion,  chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon  dijon mustard

Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool the steak sauce for 30 minutes, strain out the onion and garlic and store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

1 - 11/2 pound flank steak 

kosher salt

2 large russets potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking. Salt liberally, I used about 2 teaspoons for my 11/4 pound steak, and set at room temperature. 

Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick matchsticks and cover in cold water. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Soak the potatoes for at least 30 minutes. It takes my oven about this long the heat up. 

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels. Spread the potatoes into a single layer on a baking pan and coat with the oil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden - flipping them once about half way through. 

Heat a large cast iron pan on high heat. When the pan is ripping hot - sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on one side then flip and sear for another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Remove the pan from the heat and cook the steak an additional 5 to 10 minutes (to desired doneness - I cook mine for an additional 5 minutes for medium rare). Wrap the flank steak in foil and rest for 15 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and serve with juices from the foil, the fries and steak sauce. 

Barley, Apple, Feta, and Pomegranate Salad

      

This Barley, Apple, Feta and Pomegranate Salad is the epitome of a Mama's lunch. It can be thrnow together quickly, keeps well for a good long while, and can be eaten straight from fridge or at room temperature - you know, in case you get pulled away from it by a work phone call or a crying toddler. 

Ok, so maybe you're not a Mama - but you are a busy working gal or guy and having a healthy lunch during the work week is a challenge. This Barley, Apple, Feta, and Pomegranate salad is for you too. 

Easy Curried Pumpkin Soup

Sometimes I don't want to write headnotes. I want to skip any superfluous wording and head right to the recipe. This is one of those recipes - Crazy Easy Curried Pumpkin Soup that takes as little time as opening a can of soup would to heat. The smartest of smart supper recipes, I dare say. 

Smarter Supper | Roasted Tomato Sauce

I’m eating tomato toast as I write this, not because I love tomato toast but, more or less because I had a craving for toast and there are so many damn tomatoes in our kitchen right now.  I wanted to have a lovely little garden but at a plant sale this spring I got a little crazy and bought 16 tomato plants.  I clearly had no idea how many tomatoes would come from 16 plants and the rainiest year I’ve seen in Georgia yet. 

The BLP | Bacon, Lettuce, + Peach Sandwich

There is a small problem in my house: my husband does not like tomatoes. Sure, he'll eat tomato sauce, but do not try to serve that man a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich; in fact don't even eat it in front of him. 

Though he helped plant 16 tomato starters in our vegetable garden this year and has lovingly weeded them, pruned, and nurtured them. He still refuses to eat a ripe, perfectly seasoned, raw tomato. And I refuse to make dinner twice.

On Gardening + Buttermilk Herb Dressing

Here is something I never thought I'd say: I'm a gardener. Until this spring I had managed to kill more plants than I had kept alive and I felt like I tried everything. I tried container gardening on apartment balconies, my husband built raised beds in the first house we rented together, but every summer ended in a few squash and a bunch of dead tomato plants. I even managed to kill a few cacti, which I was told were impossible to kill. Still I didn't quit trying. 

Chickpea Burgers + Crispy Carrot Fries

The battle of my pantry has begun! So far I've actually managed to add things to my freezer (whole wheat pancakes and these burgers) while also using both pantry and fridge items up in the process. I'm seeing more pantry room already! 

the Smarter Supper series: Lentil Tacos

Lentils are one of my favorite legumes, because they don't require soaking or long cooking and they are still full of fiber and protein. I started experimenting with them as a replacement for ground meat this summer and while lentil loaf isn't making another appearance in my kitchen for ever a while again - these 'taco lentils' are in heavy rotation.