Somebody take my temperature – I’ve got cabin fever!
All day I was itching to DO something. I hands on project. My task choices were read, watch TV or STUDY. For some reason none of them were appealing! I wanted to sort or organize but it was too cold and rainy to do any projects around the house (such as sort more things in the garage that need sorting!) As glad as I am to have a couple of weeks before my internship begins, I really do fare better when I have a to-do list that involves doing stuff.
One thing I did do today that was very hands off was make crackers with my juice pulp!
I followed Gena’s recipe pretty closely, except that I put them in my 170* oven for 5 hours instead of a dehydrator.
My crackers included
- This kale, carrot, apple, orange pulp (~2.5 cups?)
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- 1/2 heaping tsp of curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Spread out onto cookie sheet (sprayed with cooking spray)
Two hours later they had started to crisp! I tried cutting them (with my pizza cutter) and they were very fragile so I left them alone longer
After FIVE hours – I proclaimed they ready! They had crisped on both sides. Not crunchy. Crispy.
The verdict? They were good!!! I especially liked the flax seeds 🙂 I nibbled my way through them from start to finish, so by the time they came out of the oven I didn’t really have more than 2-3.
In the spectrum of store-bought and homemade crackers I’d give them about a 3
But considering that they are made from vegetables that were destined for the compost, I’d give them a 7
I will definitely be making them again – perhaps with a different spice combo. Gena says they are good crumbled onto salads. I do think that sounds like a great plan!
Dinner tonight was lazy and easy – but still very good! Matt and I just flopped around the kitchen staring at the stove and oven when it would be ready. I have no energy today!! We ate at 6 on the dot – super early for us!! We were done and cleaned up by 6:45.
The highlight was these Wild Alaskan Halibut filets I was sent from U.S. Wellness Meats to try out. This is another option that a reader recommended for ordering ethical eating approved meat + fish by mail. The company is a Missouri-based cooperative of family farms and offers a huge variety – from jerky to bison to rabbit to seafood. As one might expect, the prices are a bit high, but to have these delivered to your doorstep is totally convenient and probably worth the cost for some.
We kept the recipe simple and broiled the halibut for about 6 minutes per side, seasoned only with salt and pepper, and then added a thin slice of butter and fresh dill for serving. It was a bit on the tough side (is that how halibut is naturally?) but the fish was delicious.
On the side we steamed some green beans and tossed them in Napa Valley Bistro Pesto
And I had a slice of Dakota with another sliver of butter
I love my new fruit bowl set-up! Normally we have a limited number of fruit pieces, but I bought both apples and oranges in a bag this week so we have tons! Sure does encourage fruit consumption : )
Matt and I watched Conan together after dinner and I worked up a little growl of a stomach in my upper chamber 😉 Matt had peanut butter with Brownie Points and I had a taste of this Peppermint White Chocolate scuffin from Great Harvest!
I made Allie proud and served it in some kefir. Kefir is just like liquid plain yogurt. Allie has a whole post on it on her site: Krazy For Kefir. I love the stuff but haven’t had it in ages.
It went excellent with the scuffin! Add a bit more scuffin to this little bowl that I hate from bag 😉
Somebody Got A Haircut!
Breathe In The Season
Isn’t this cover gorgeous!? I wrote the nutrition column for Breathe Magazine’s winter issue – Mindful Holidays!
It feels like it should be nearing 10PM, but it’s only 8:30!! Might take a bubble bath. Read. STUDY. Guf.
Excited for the sun to come out – briefly – tomorrow!
Light Delight with TouTou says
Hey the dinner looks awesome! very restaurants style:-D
Gena (Choosing Raw) says
Beautiful dinner at home, as always! And glad you experimented with the crackers. I just posted the carrot pulp falafel recipe!
Nice haircut, Matt 🙂
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
so jealous about your forecasted sun tomorrow! We have freezing rain to look forward to! joy!
GREAT idea on the crackers! – only you!
whitney says
kefir combo looks great. Also congrats on the article in breathe magazine!
Carolyn says
CONGRATS on the article!
Karla says
What a clever idea with the crackers! Makes me want to try it!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
Love the pulp crackers! I’d be interested to see what different flavor combos you come up with!
I’m gonna check out Gena’s latest recipe 🙂
Sarah @ The Foodie Diaries says
Haha I like your dual rating system… they look so good–but I don’t know if I could ever wait the 5 hours!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
That scuffin sounds awesome! I wish we had great harvest.
And great ethical eating! I’ll have to look in to that company. I eat meat so rarely so I don’t mind paying a little more when I do.
VeggieGirl says
LOVE Gena’s recipes!
Awesome column feature!
rhodeygirl says
I’ve never had a piece of tough halibut, but it can be more firm than other fish. Not as firm as swordfish but firmer than tilapia…
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
I feel the same way…it should be like Midnight by now!!!!!!
Dinner looks yummmmmmmy and those crackers are very interesting…Must try!
Enjoy your evening!!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
Mmm I love halibut.
Mastering Public Health says
I, too, have much to study. Ugh, graduate school. Finals are upon us… 🙁
christie @ honoring health says
What an interesting use of juicer pulp! I bet they would be pretty tasty on a salad, exspecially if they are nice and crispy!
Gloria says
good-looking dinner… but i’ll take the 10 frozen salmon fillets I get from Safeway for $15 anyday
Jenna says
dinner looks great!
jenna
Erin @ Big Girl Eats says
I love finding ways to make new foods out of “old” foods. And I LOVE Allie! And you too, Kath. 🙂
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
Hmm i have never tried halibut but it looks tasty! I love the addition of dill 🙂
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Those homemade crackers look great!!! What a neat recipe. And I’m loving the single-packaged salmon. Perfect for a easy dinner!
CONGRATS ON THE ARTICLE!!!! That is an AMAZING cover!
Christy says
Cool magazine cover — and even cooler that you wrote in its nutrition column!
Erin says
I’ve heard of kefir but never tried it. The article looks great!
Annie says
Lookin’ good Matt! Kath is one lucky girl ;-D
Hillary @ Nutrition Nut on the Run says
That scuffin sounds terrific!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
We had a “stare at the stove” night too. Your scuffin looks delish 🙂
Cole says
That is a great magazine cover. I only wish I looked that blissful out in the cold!
Lora says
Halibut is not a tough fish…meaty, yes – tough, no. It’s my favorite fish…my only guess is that maybe you broiled it a little too long. Fish always takes less time than I think it should. And that scuffin looked awesome…the closest Great Harvest to me is an hour away – I miss it!
larbs says
I would like to request that scuffin for christmas morning!
Kath says
I have put your request in with the baker
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
Crackers with juice pulp is my next new project!! Catch that? Popuuuular!! I hate throwing out the pulp when I juice and it always seems a little ick to bake with it. I’ll give cracks a try though! I could totally go for some kefir+scuffin right now!! You’ll have to try it with a dollop or 2 of Greek yogurt next time 🙂
monica says
Kefir is one of my favorites. I like the pom flavor. I like it a lot more than yogurt myself.
Kat (Kat's Daily Plate) says
Congrats on the magazine article- its awesome to see your career taking off!
Megan says
I am gearing up for my final exams next week. Looking forward to being done with first semster!
Chloe (Naturally Frugal) says
I am definitely the same way when it comes to being busy – I thrive on it and get restless very easily! Hopefully the weather will clear and you’ll be able to get some more organizing/packing done for your move!
Amanda says
I totally hear you on the cabin fever! I worked from home the other day and was going totally stir-crazy!! I nearly bounded out the door to go to the gym when the day was over 🙂
A cool website to check out: gazelle.com … you can sell your old electronics and get some money back. If they’re not worth anything (like my water-damaged cell phone), they will still take it and recycle it for you. And you print out a free shipping label to send all your stuff! (They’re on twitter too, I believe they are @gazelle_com)
Kath says
Cool!! Thanks
Julie @savvyeats says
Could you possibly get any more “green”? Using up the pulp that most people (myself included, probably) would immediately discard?
Genious.
Beth says
Loved reading, as usual 🙂
Be careful storing apples and oranges together… something about citrus fruits make apples ripen super fast.
Tania @ Moment Anew says
Hi
Your halibut looks lovely, but I think it was a tad overcooked. It should be substantial but easy to separate and soft on the palate.
Jill Maysmith says
I was very impressed by your recycling and making pulp crackers!
Halibut is my fave and should be tender and flake apart easily. I love it poached in a little bit of water with lemon juice in it. If I forget about it on the stove it does tend to get a wee bit chewy–gotta watch it close 🙂
Katy @ These Beautiful Feet says
That is a beautiful cover shot! Congrats on writing the column for the issue! I’ve been seeing kefir a lot lately, I want to try it! The way you served it looks amazingly yummy! 🙂
Maggie Brod says
“probably worth the cost to some”…the thing is, eating ethically isn’t a personal choice. it’s a little like saying “not littering may be worth the cost to some”. such behavior has a global effect.
as someone who is often frustrated between eating what I like and eating what the environment likes, i’m curious to see what nutritionists make of eating fish. i personally love salmon, halibut, tuna, but am terrified by reports of what we’re doing to our oceans. I would have appreciated to hear more about this sustainable fish company. you might want to check out this article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/dining/10Seafood.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Kath says
Maggie,
I meant more with the cost of the online purchase and shipping verses having to hunt down ethical foods in your area – if there even are any. Not the cost of ethical eating in general.
Anita says
You need to make your own real LIVE Kefir, not store-bought stuff. This is a Probiotic of the best kind. So easy to make when you have your own grains. Put the grains in milk, leave to ferment 24 hours, strain grains out, drink Kefirmilk.
Lexi says
Such a great idea to use your pulp to make those yummy looking crackers! I love halibut too.. yours looks like it would melt in your mouth! Beautiful!
Susan says
I am so intrigued by those crackers!! I bet they taste good with hummus – everything does! I have yet to try kefir. For some reason I think it’ll taste like those “Yop” drinks.
Simply Life says
WOw, I’m so impressed you made your own crackers! They look great!
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
You’re so lucky you guys have SUN coming out! All we have is pouring rain – it’s awful.
I seriously exclaimed “OH MY GOD YUM!” like 8 times while reading this post! Haha. The peppermint white chocolate scuffin?? That dinner! Dakota bread! It all looks so good.
Have a great day and good luck with studying! My sister is a PhD student at Emory and is currently doing the same :-/
sarah says
Some of these comments amuse me: write more about fish sustainability, make your own Kefir. If you’re like me, you already set very high expectations for yourself but you’ve got to give yourself a break every now and then. I’ve reached the point where almost everything I cook is made from scratch (including items like pasta and cheese), and now I almost feel guilty buying pasta at the grocery store!
Thanks for demonstrating balance 🙂
Kath says
Sarah,
I agree with you. You have to pick your battles and start with what is actually a realistic goal verses something you might never stick with. Making your own kefir isn’t something I have the time for….now.
sarah says
Oh I thought of something I watched yesterday…it was dialogue between Mark Bittman and someone (can’t remember…) discussing how to have a positive impact on our food system. They agreed that the impact would be greater not by convincing a small number of people to eat very “pure” but to get most people to make more informed but not extreme decisions, such as incorporating vegetarian meals several times a month.
Anne [email protected] Weigh of Life says
What a creative way to use pulp leftovers! I love when there are alternatives to throwing food away.
Ally says
Halibut is not usually tough. It is extermely moist and flaky. I’m not sure if it was how you broiled it or that it was frozen beforehand that caused it to be tough? I’d guess that if you made fresh halibut that way it would have come out moister. If only fish wasn’t so expensive!! Looks delicious anyway. I think you guys do a great job using local and healthy products. Way better than I do anyhow, haha.
Matt is looking hot as usual with the hair cut! Hope you have a great day!!
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale says
Halibut is definitely a bit of a “tougher” filet… it’s thicker like a swordfish steak, I’ve found. I love it though for the buttery flavor!
Also, I agree with Sarah’s comment. You’d make yourself crazy if you tried to be perfect in everything you bought or ate. We all should be mindful of these things, for sure, but also realistic and balanced in our approach! Zealotry is just too extreme!
Meg @ Be Fit Be Full says
White choclate & peppermint are two of my favorites! I bet that scuffin tasted like peppermint bark? 🙂
Meagan says
Dakota bread is my absolute favorite, you got me so so addicted.
The fish looks so fresh and light. I love this dinner!
Chelsea says
I agree with most that Halibut SHOULD NOT be tough. It is the BEST fish in my opinion and is usually moist and tender. YOM. Too bad it’s so expensive or else I’d eat it ALL THE TIME.
Allie says
Hey Kath,
I juice too and am always wondering what to do with the pulp. I usually do a beet+granny smith+carrots+ginger combo (+sometimes spinach). Anyway, your “crackers” got me thinking so I just made a batch but instead I did this: pulp+1 egg+ground thyme+sea salt+onion powder, spread on a pan and cooked for ~30-40 on 350 and they turned out yummy. Just thought I’d throw that idea out there (I think it was adding the egg that helped).
Allie
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i don’t like juice, but those crackers make me wish i had a juicer!
Erin says
Thx for the blog shout out about ethical eating. YAY for a company that is trying to embrace it!
Kenzie says
Your crackers look delicious.. and I love all your pictures. My husband would be through the roof if I could pull off a dinner that looked half as amazing as yours! My favorite part of this has to be the fresh green beans though.. I could eat those all day!
-Kenzie
Deep Fryers
Kevin @ Fat Burning Recipes says
Those crackers look really interesting & tasty, but I especially like that they were saved from the compost & eaten instead. Oh, and I give you bonus points for US Wellness meats. Woo hoo! 🙂