And if you have any of your own tips, please share them over on the Satisfied Cravings facebook page, twitter or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Labor Day!

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What defines the end of summer for you? Chilly weather? The kids going back to school? Do your eating habits change? Let me know in the comments  below or over on the Satisfied Cravings Facebook page.

So, whether it’s work, family or play, we all get busy from time to time which leaves little time for elaborate (or heck – any) homemade meals. Yes even as a cooking coach I often struggle with motivation to dirty up yet another dish (after doing 2-3 batches of dishes already!) and preparing something from scratch after a long day.

My solution? Preparing my meal ahead of time!

One of the reasons I love cooking is because I can tailor the dishes to my taste preferences and I get to control exactly what goes into my food. Delivery is often way too greasy to make me feel good about what I’m putting into my body and store-bought frozen meals are full of preservatives and other ingredients that make the dishes sound like a science experiment rather than real food. So why not prepare your own on a weekend or a slower weeknight and have meals at the ready for weeks, even months to come? I find this process kind of meditative as you scoop and wrap each burrito, but you can even make a burrito making party out of it and get the help from your kids or spouse!

This particular recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart’s, but I amped up the spices and played with the ratios. I cooked my black beans in the crock-pot the night before but feel free to use canned beans if you don’t want this to become a multi-day project.

The resulting burritos were incredibly tasty (and even portable) little packages of rice, beans and spice (they are not spicy – a little smokey and definitely flavorful). You can add shredded chicken to them but we didn’t miss the meat! Also, I loved finishing them up in the oven to get that crispy exterior and a gooey interior. Delicious! These babies have been saving me for the last few weeks.

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Hope you try these soon and let me know how you liked them!

Guess what I’m having for lunch today?

Before taking off for the holidays, earlier in the week I had a private custom lesson with a client who was afraid to cook chicken at home (he only tried it once and due to the fear of undercooking it, he kept it on the stove top for way too long… which of course resulted in nearly inedible chicken hockey pucks!). I was happy to help! We not only cooked perfectly moist chicken breasts with the assistance of a thin coating of  whole wheat flour and a meat thermometer, but made them a bit more special by stuffing them with feta, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. We then put them over the top with a beautiful white wine sauce and served them over garlicky whole wheat couscous and roasted asparagus. What a meal!

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Do you have any kitchen fears I can help with? Comment below and I may feature a post around it (or book a lesson with me for in-person coaching). In the meantime, whether you’re afraid of cooking chicken or not – try this recipe. It’s quite simple and incredibly impressive. No one will know this dish is light!

It all starts with making a flavorful artichoke “pesto” – you blend some artichokes, fresh parsley, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and zest and olive oil and try not to eat it all before the orzo (rice shaped pasta) is cooked through. Combine with some roasted corn kernels (Trader Joe’s came to the rescue here again with their frozen pre-roasted kernels – easy!), halved grape tomatoes and a healthy helping of grated parmesan. This recipe was based on Giada’s version, but of course I used whole wheat orzo (try it, it tastes just like the white orzo but provides you with a serving of whole grains!), cut down on the herbs (to let the artichokes shine), olive oil (it’s healthy but should still be used in moderation) and parmesan cheese. I also upped the lemon juice because I really wanted that lemony kick. Quickly adjust the seasonings for salt and pepper and you have a winning dish that comes together in about 10 minutes. Done and done!

Printable recipe

What’s your favorite dish to bring to a cookout or an outdoor party?

[broccoli rabe, hakurei turnips, spinach and garlic scapes]

The hakurei turnips were enjoyed “straight up” raw and had a mild radish favor. I also used that gorgeous bag of spinach and a few garlic scapes in a fantastic pizza recipe for three-cheese white pizza with spinach. A healthy pizza, really? It’s definitely on the “enjoy in moderation” list but the part-skim ricotta and part-skim mozzarella kept the fat content in check while the parmesan cheese was used sparingly to add a punch of flavor. And – we even got some veggies on that baby. I think it’s the perfect way to healthify an indulgent treat!

Since it was incredibly hot out this week (nearly 100!), I decided to grill the pizzas instead of cranking up the oven to 500.* Here is how to grill pizzas:

1. Preheat the grill on high for 15 minutes so the grill grates are hot, oil them, then place the rolled out dough (without toppings yet!) straight on the grates. Keep the cover off. It should take about 3-4 minutes for the dough to get beautiful grill marks and form a crust.

2. Remove the pizza crust from the grill and place your toppings on the side with the grill marks (raw dough side will be on the bottom). Cover the grill while you do it so it stays hot.

3. Re-oil the grill grates and place the pizza on the grill. Cook for an additional 5 minutes with the top open until the cheese has melted and the dough is cooked through.

This was dough from our favorite pizza joint in Boston and I found it difficult to work with, so I made a last minute call and turned it into mini pizzas. My husband and I both loved the chewy crust, creamy cheese (ricotta is the main cheese in this recipe) and tender garlicky greens. My special addition to the recipe was garlic scapes. Just cut them thinly on a bias and sprinkle as an additional topping. Delicious!

Have you ever grilled pizzas? What are your favorite pizza toppings?

This summer I will have another special treat. Since it’s such an amazing time to shop for local produce (at least here in New England), I will give you tips and ideas on what to do with the produce you may spot at your local farmers market. I actually belong to the Farm School vegetable CSA so I’ll show you what I pick up every week and what I do with my produce loot

Here are this week’s goodies:

{from top left, clockwise: baby greens, baby bockchoy, strawberries, mustard greens, baby radishes, swiss chard, kohlrabi}

The strawberries were incredibly sweet and juicy so they were eaten “straight up.” The rest of the veggies will be incorporated into our meals for the week. Those purple alien looking things? That’s kohlrabi and they were the star of this week’s featured recipe for kohlrabi, carrot and radish slaw:

I always look through magazines, cookbooks and blogs for inspiration- this slaw recipe I found on the Green Thyme blog and it incorporated 2 of the veggies in my week’s CSA! I omitted the chives and cut way down on prep work by shredding the kohlrabi and carrots in my food processor (no need to even peel them first!).

Kohlrabi on it’s own has a bit of a mild radish bite (and if you cut it into thicker slices, it will be crunchy like jicama) but in this slaw it beautifully absorbed the mustardy dressing. The result was an amazingly refreshing salad that will be perfect at your next cookout or as a side for a weeknight dinner!

Do you shop at farmers markets or belong to a CSA?

What would YOU make with this week’s CSA share?