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Appetites and Adventures

Jackfruit BBQ Taco

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Have you ever seen a jackfruit?

jackfruit

Looks aren’t everything…

I had passed by them in the farmer’s market, not knowing what that prickly thing was.  Never thought twice about it.  Until I saw this recipe by Jessica @ Clean Green Simple: Carolina Pulled “Pork” BBQ Sandwich.

BBQ?  Jackfruit?  Curiosity killed the blogger.

Exhibit A: the funny-looking fruit in the back left corner of the $35 farmer’s market pic I posted Monday:

Jackfruit.  Not just any jackfruit – that is just 1/4 of a jackfruit (they pre-slice them).  They can grow to be 8o lbs and 3 ft long!  My quartered piece was just 99 cents.  So cheap – I would have been losing money if I didn’t buy it!

The Low-Down

It was delicious raw – a little chewy, tropically-sweet, reminiscent of a mango in flavor.  It’s also in season right now!

Jackfruit is also super-nutritious:

  • Energy replenish-er and revitalizes the body instantly (I can vouch for this – I perked up and went to the gym after dinner!)
  • Good source of Vitamin-A, B, C cancer-preventing antioxidant flavonoids (like β-carotene and lutein)
  • Mineral-rich (potassium, magnesium, manganese and iron)
  • Full of fiber
  • Improves iron absorption
  • Normalizes blood sugar levels and supports healthy thyroid gland

I took about 1.5 C of fresh jackfruit (you can also find it canned), and tossed it in a quick dry rub. I used Jessica’s dry rub recipe for guidance, but simplified it a bit for a change.

Tossed in the dry rub

After that, I added ad-libbed a wet sauce.

The best thing about BBQ is that you can really make it up as you go!

Coated in wet sauce and ready to bake

So.  Good.

It took a long time to make since I had to peel/seed the jackfruit and I got the spice rub in my eye, but it was TOTALLY worth it.

Doesn’t it look like the taco is levitating?!

I had just seen Evan @ The Wannabe Chef post a socca taco shell, so I decided to turn Jessica’s sandwich into a taco!

These were super easy to make and I liked them much better than “regular” hard taco shells.

Coolest thing I’ve ever made

Served with a salad of roasted tomatillo, cilantro, watercress, and lime juice.

Oh, and did I mention you can eat jackfruit seeds?  Yup.  I can’t find the stats, but they are rumored to be a good source of protein.  I toasted those up in a skillet and tossed them on my salad too!

My BBQ-Taco ended up being vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. Combine that with a 99 cent jackfruit, it felt $$$ free.

 

Favorite dish so far this year

Jackfruit BBQ Taco

  • 1.5 C jackfruit (~1/2 of a jackfruit)
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Socca, bread, or taco shell… whatever you want to put it in

For the dry rub:

  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • pinch garlic powder

For the wet sauce:

  • 4 T fire-roasted tomato chunks
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sauté shallot with a splash of oil over medium heat until translucent.  Add garlic and sauté ~1-2 mins longer, until fragrant.  

Mix together dry rub spices and toss with jackfruit pieces until coated.  Add to a medium-sized pan and cook over medium-high heat for ~5 mins to toast spices.  

Stir together wet sauce ingredients and add to pan, along with shallot and garlic.  Simmer jackfruit in sauce for 20-30 mins until softened.

Using a fork, shred the jackfruit pieces into small stringy bits.  Spread mixture evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 mins until slightly dried out and toughened.

Scoop in to taco shells (or bread) and garnish with lime and cilantro.  Enjoy!

Serves 2-4.

***

Happy WIAW!!!

It’s certainly not everything I ate, but everything else paled in comparison.

Have you ever had jackfruit?  

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever made?

Avocado-Mango Soup

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Warm weather is finally here to stay!  I complained all winter about the frigid temps… subsequently swearing not to complain about heat.  So I won’t.  (Someone please remind me of this in July.)

Unfortunately along with the heat has come some crazy storms.  No matter, I need to do a few treadmill runs to test my new kicks by Newton.

 

Newton Motion

Cool, huh?

Apparently these are also magic shoes – they supposedly help you to land midsole (thus alleviating some impact, reducing injury, and improving efficiency), and return energy back to you. From their website:

“When your midfoot/forefoot LANDS on the ground, the technology’s four external actuator lugs are pressed into hollow chambers inside the shoe’s midsole via an elastic membrane (ACTION). This movement absorbs shock.  As you LEVER inside the shoe, the lugs release their stored energy and propel you forward through a burst of energetic return (REACTION) from the Action/Reaction Technology™.”

I love new “toys.”  Happy 24:10 to me.

I’ll report back when I’ve formed an opinion. 🙂

In the spirit of warmth, I made the season’s first cold soup.

There’s nothing more refreshing than a fresh avocado.

Except when you blend it with mango and call it soup.

Mangoes, like avocados, can be frustrating to buy.  It seems like they are either hard as rocks or well past their prime.  The time is NOW to find some good ones!

Purchase them a bit on the firm side and let them finish ripening at home for a day or two.  If you need to stall the process, simply stick them in the fridge.  Works like a charm to extend the life of your fruit another couple of days.

When they are just right, use them for this delicious soup.  It’s crisp, refreshing, and has just a teensy kick from the jalapeno.  It is a great summer appetizer, or compliment to a quesadilla, grilled chicken, taco salad, or all of the above!

Best of all, it’s all natural, loaded with good fats, and will “fill you up without weighing you down” for dinner.

Avocado-Mango Soup

  • 1 medium avocado
  • 1 champagne mango
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • Juice from 1 small lime
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 6 T fresh cilantro
  • 1 T EVOO
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • S+P, to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender (a Magic Bullet works perfectly!) and blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust spices as needed.

Spoon into 2 bowls, garnish as desired, and enjoy!

Potential garnish: red pepper (pictured), salsa, toasted walnuts/almonds/etc, tomatoes, pineapple, coconut shreds, cotija… anything else you typically like with your Mexican food.

***

I’m curious about Vibrams…

Have you tried any “specialty” shoes?

Do you treat yourself with new gear after a run?  

Sunday Winners

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Last night I stayed up way to late watching the Oscars.  I wasn’t amused until the very end.

Favorite dress was definitely Reese Witherspoon’s classic strapless:

 

Source: Fox News

Least favorite?  Cate Blanchett.  *shudder*

 

Source: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I did have 2 wins of my own yesterday:

Win #1:

 

America Gra-frutti: mayo-chream cheese-gluten- free pimento cheese

Peachtree Pimento - Spicy

Pimento Cheese by American Gra-frutti.  No cream cheese.  No mayo.  Gluten-free.  Only 60 calories for 2 T.

I typically do not like pimento cheese, but this was delicious.

Thank you, Whole Paycheck Foods sampler lady.

I had never heard of this gluten-free bakery before, but I look forward to trying more from them.  No, I’m not gluten-free… but I do like good food.  This was good.

And how cute is the company’s name!?  Totally Oscar-appropriate.

Win #2:

My favorite maker of Greek-style yogurt, Atlanta Farm Fresh, now has a chocolate flavor!

Chocolate Rocket.  In an amazing act of self-control, I have not tried it yet.  But I guarantee it won’t make it through the night.

***

Did you watch the Oscars?  Who is on your best/worst dressed list?

 

Spice Up Your Dessert

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I don’t want to run.

At all.  

This frigid, icy weather has taken a toll on my workout motivation.  Yet I did.

Want to know the secret steps to success when you’re held captive by the weather?

  1. Make a plan – mine was a incline interval run
  2. Write it on a piece of paper
  3. Get dressed in workout gear (it helps you commit to going!)
  4. Get on the “dreadmill” WITH the written plan in front of you
  5. Promise yourself that if you go 10 mins and still feel terrible, you can stop
  6. Promise yourself a giant spaghetti squash dinner and a glass of wine
  7. Wait for about the 8 min mark
  8. Motivation/resolve sets in. At this point you realize you will go the full time and survive.

I have no idea how I got through that one, but I did.

Then I ate this:

Thank god for the cleanse and my discovery of Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti.

My derby teammates, the Sake Tuyas, are having a sleepover this weekend.  Everyone is bring a dish and the theme is Mexican.  Because I am crazy, as I was laying in bed last night I was contemplating the possibilities (doesn’t everyone lull their self to sleep thinking about food?).  Then it hit me.

When I made these Black Bean Brownies, I thought I had hit the jackpot.  But… no. There’s something better out there.

Black beans are in (I think) every taco at Moe’s (clearly an authentic Mexican specimen).

This alone qualifies them for the potluck.  But why stop there?

Amp it up and add some spicy-goodness!  The addition of cinnamon and spice and everything nice adds a depth of flavor that is not to be missed.

Protein-rich, fudgy brownie with ~150 calories per serving (less than the original since I reduced the sugar and egg). Does it get any better?

Mexican Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

  • 3/4 C cocoa powder
  • 1/2 C salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 C applesauce (unsweetened)
  • 15 oz canned black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 C walnuts (chopped)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 T instant coffee
  • 1 1/4 tsp roasted ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 3/4 tsp cayenne powder
  • Shake of kosher salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 C light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Prepare an 11 x 7 in pyrex dish by lining with parchment paper or lightly oiling with Baker’s Joy/Pam/butter/etc.

In large bowl, mix together melted butter, applesauce, and  cocoa powder until combined.

Place the beans, 1/2 C of walnuts, vanilla extract, and 3-4 spoonfuls of the cocoa mixture into a food processor.  Blend until smooth (~ 1 min).  It will be very thick.  Set aside.

Add to the cocoa mixture the remaining 1/2 C walnuts, instant coffee, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and mix well.  Add bean mixture to cocoa mixture, manually stirring until well blended.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer until light and creamy (~ 1-2 min).  Add agave nectar and beat well.  Fold the egg mixture (reserving 1/8 C to drizzle over top if desired) into the bean and cocoa mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Bake for ~45 mins, until the brownies are set.  Cool completely in the pan before cutting. You may need to refrigerate first – these are extremely soft.

Optional: Sprinkle top with a mixture of cinnamon, chili powder, and powdered sugar.

***

Now to do a quick core workout before bed.  If I can just get started…

What are your secrets to motivation for a bad-weather workout?

Figgy Wild Rice and Mushrooms

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My favorite day of the week is Funday.

Ok, it’s the only day I really adore.

It all started with sleeping in, which I LOVE.  I can rarely stay asleep past 9a any more, which was the case this morning.  However, I turned back over and didn’t wake up again until 1030a.  *insert sigh of happiness*

This luxury was followed by a hot cup o’ tea and Man vs. Food – in Atlanta!  Adam Richman ate the Double Bypass burger at The Vortex.  This burger is “topped with 2 fried eggs, 6 slices of American cheese, and 8 slices of bacon.”  Served between 2 grilled low-fat cheese sandwiches.

Mr. Richman needs a cleanse after that one. 🙂

After drooling over red meat some TV watching, I made a tasty salad with grapefruit, daikon, cucumber, guac, and grilled chicken.

Mmmm… chicken returns!

And a little bit of my new favorite soup for dessert.

Butternut Apple Soupy Goodness

Then it was looking rainy… so I went shopping.  It couldn’t be helped – it was Gap’s 30% off Friends and Family!  Reusable and good at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

You better believe I made good use of it at all 3! 🙂

Tonight I adapted KERF’s Stuffing.  The SP Cleanse doesn’t allow bread or nuts (oh sweet peanut butter, how I miss thee…), so I had to make a few adjustments.

Cooking on the stove top

Now that I’m on the the lean protein portion of the cleanse, I added grilled chicken.  You could easily leave it out though.  My version is gluten and nut-free.

This dish was one I’ll definitely make again!  The wild rice and mushrooms had a great earthy taste.  I was tempted to just serve it as a stir-fry without adding the broth and putting it in the oven.  That would have been a mistake – those additions gave the dish a creamy texture you don’t want to miss.  The figs provided just the right amount of sweetness, too.

Crisped in the oven

Served with sauteed garlicky mustard greens

Wild Rice with Figs & Mushrooms

  • 1 1/2 C Wild rice (cooked)
  • 2 T EVOO
  • 2 T butter (I used black truffle butter)
  • 3 Celery stalks, chopped (about 1 1/2 C)
  • 1/3 C Yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 C Mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of shiitake, baby bella, and oyster)
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Rosemary springs, chopped (about 3 T)
  • 4-5 Sage leaves, chopped (about 4 T)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 Fresh figs, quartered
  • 2 Chicken breasts, grilled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 C Vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and oil in a large iron (oven-proof) skillet over medium heat.  Add celery and onion.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until celery and onion are tender.

Add garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper and mushrooms.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender.

Add cooked rice and stir.  Then add figs and chicken, tossing evenly to combine.  Pour in broth.  Cook until just warmed through, about 3-4 mins.

Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 10 mins. Remove foil and bake 10 more mins, until top is slightly crisped and broth is (mostly) absorbed.

***

Figs are fun.

Are you a fig-fan?

Do you ever sleep in?

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