Why I Consume Art

Salmon in Foil Packets

2011-11-28T13:15:00.001-08:00

Bit of a hiatus... I'll explain why later... but for now, at least for this one post, I'm back!

And what a way to come back! This salmon baked in foil is healthy, super delicious, elegant enough to serve to company, and SO simple you won't even believe it.

To be fair, I have to credit my friend and old roomie Jennifer for the idea. She used to make something nearly identical with chicken, and like so many other things she cooked for me, I never forgot it!

The Mayo Clinic cookbook uses the same method but with salmon, and I made that recipe back in high school and was quite impressed with myself.

Well, enough said, here's the recipe.

Salmon in Foil Packets

salmon filets, skin off (as many as you want)
red onion, sliced super thin
lemon, sliced super thin
thyme sprigs
garlic, peeled and sliced super thin
S&P
juice from remaining lemon
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Arrange salmon filets on their individual sheets of foil (the foil will fold up to form a little package for each serving, later). 3. Top with S&P. Top with lemon, onion, and garlic slices. Lay thyme springs on top. Drizzle with lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil. 4. Fold up each piece of foil tightly around the salmon like a present. (Make sure you can easily unwrap it to check the doneness later though). 5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, tops.

Here it is pre-bake:

Lentil Stew Leftovers

2011-10-25T02:09:00.000-07:00

I added some chopped steamed kale to my lentil stew and it made a great, healthy lunch.

Lentil Stew With Acorn Squash

2011-10-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

When I don't know what else to cook and I need something fast, lentil stew is the answer.

I can make it mindlessly, it must be the easiest healthy meal in the world.

I roasted an acorn squash and scooped out spoonfuls to add to the stew at the end of cooking. Cornbread on the side!

A Lunch of Leftovers

2011-10-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

And omnivores want to know where vegetarians get their protein? I think between the black eyed peas, tofu, brown rice, and kale I'll be okay.

These were just some leftovers I took to work for an easy, healthy lunch.

Hospital Food

2011-10-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

Now, when I think "hospital food" I conjure images of watery instant mashed potatoes, Salisbury steak, bland rolls and jello cups. But when I visited the cafeteria in the hospital where my nephew was born, I was pleasantly surprised! It's not gourmet, but it definitely did the trick!

Below, spinach salad with teriyaki tofu:

Mixed barbecue beans (very good!)

Collard greens (kinda garlicky)

And below was my mom's salmon salad. Not bad!

My Appropriate Fortune

2011-10-25T01:41:00.000-07:00

I got this fortune in my fortune cookie when we ordered Chinese food last week. I thought it couldn't be more appropriate!

Welcome Baby Nolan!

2011-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

My nephew was born today! He is perfect, just like his big sister Abby. I love being an aunt!

Some fun facts from the day:

- Because Nolan was delivered c-section, we couldn't be in the operating room, but Laurie (my baby sister) and I had our ears to the door the moment he came out, and we heard a loud waahhhhh! It was music to our ears, and what is cool is that we heard the exact same first wail from our niece Abby, when she was born over two years ago.

- I got to go in the operating room with Abby just after delivery so she could see her baby brother for the first time. I held her as she looked down at baby Nolan squirming and screaming on that metal tray table while they cleaned him up. Her reaction and the site of him just made me cry, she at first looked shocked that this is what came out of her mommy's tummy, then immediately said in the sweetest voice, "Hey Nolan" and when he sneezed she said "Awww, bless you Nolan!"

- Mary and Zach (mom and dad) are doing great and are so proud of their new family, as they should be!

- Abby fell in love at first sight with her new brother, and considered him her responsibility to protect. It bordered on frustrating for the rest of us who were dying to hold him, but really, he is HER brother, isn't he?

- I'll end with this funny video. We love you Nolan, welcome to the world!

This morning

2011-10-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

This was my coffeepot, early this morning. I was all alone and it wasn’t light outyet. I woke up with a flutter inmy stomach, excited for everything to come. I love moments like this.

Fun, Bad Saturday :)

2011-10-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Wow. So muchcan change so fast! Oneminute, I’m telling you everything I put in my mouth, the next minute, all thatseems so insignificant, but then, significant again for a different reason.

So with that bit of vagueness, I’ll proceed with talkingabout what I eat. I probably won’tmanage to take a photo of everything I eat. It’s just too much.

But I’ll say that this Saturday, there was some debaucherythat went on. I’ll give you ahint.

And another.

Hurrah! One last.

What I Really Ate: Dinner at Apres Diam

2011-10-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

*Sorry for the flash photos.

We're at Apres Diam almost once a week. It isn't that the food is that great, though it definitely isn't bad or else there's no way I'd be there weekly. What we like is the location and atmosphere; it's right next door to our favorite theater, and has a decidedly European feel, a world music dj, and friendly bartenders.

Last night, Chris ordered the lobster crostini appetizer, and of course I had half, lobster being one of my favorite foods since I was little. It was tasty but they could have cut way down on that butter sauce.

I had a gin martini with lots of olive juice.

And a greek salad with salmon, and I left behind most of the pita and all of the of raw onions (which were cut into big chunks, don't people know better?).

What I Really Ate [Drank]: Guru

2011-10-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

This drink is very bad for me. It gives me an energy buzz to get through the afternoon atwork, but the side effects aren’t good. I get very anxious afterwards, kind of moody. Still, some afternoons, I give in to the Guru.

I only drink half. I then store the other half in thefridge for the next sleepy afternoon.

What I Really Ate: Taco Salad

2011-10-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Back so soon? you're thinking. :-)

It's me again, back with an update on what I ate. This time, it's leftover taco salad, minus the chips.

Remember, this is all vegan - ground meat substitute, homemade vegan nacho cheese sauce... and it was tasty!

That of course is Meeks in the background, not begging (he does not beg, that would be obnoxious), but posing.

Ta ta until dinner.

What I Really Ate: An Apple, Coffee with Cream, Green Tea with Honey

2011-10-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Not exactly substantial. But fruit is my favorite thing to have for breakfast. Normally I would have a couple of pieces, before lunch, but I only brought this one apple today.

Also, coffee with cream. And later, right before I left for lunch, a little green tea with honey.

What I Really Ate: Tacos

2011-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Taco night! I like to crunch up my shell and turn it into a taco salad.

I used regular old McCormick taco seasoning mix, the one I grew up with. I made a homemade vegan nacho cheese sauce and guacamole, too. The meat is not real meat. It's Quorn crumbles, and I think it's a great substitute.

These below are Chris's tacos. He had his with real cheddar cheese AND the vegan nacho cheese sauce.

Cocktail time! Cocktail for tonight is gin, vermouth, campari, and a splash of oj.

What I Really Ate: 10-Minute Tofu & Kale Stirfry

2011-10-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

I work close to home, so I get to go home and eat lunch mostdays. I save money and eat healthier this way.

Running home, though, requires knowing how to throw lunchtogether real quick. And since Iusually send leftovers to work with Chris, I often have to get creative.

Today, I quickly diced some kale and cubed some tofu. I threw it in a pan on high heat with alittle toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, brown rice vinegar, and sriracha. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, and I hada healthy, umomi-licious lunch in literally 10 minutes tops.

I capped off any remaining hunger with a banana…

and some walnuts and dried apricots (unsulfured – that meansthey’ll be darker, but closer to their natural flavor because they have nopreservatives added).

What I Really Ate: Coffee With Cream

2011-10-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

I had an idea. I am always interested in what people actually eat during the day. I thought I might start postingpictures of everything I eat. You’d have a more honest, realistic view. I portray myself as such a health nut sometimes. And I am very conscious, but lord is mydiet far from what I’d like for it to be.

My breakfast this morning was only coffee with cream,because I was in a hurry, and also I had a bowl of cheerios around midnightlast night. The lady next door,her soymilk is always old. Itlooks all clumpy and separated. SoI went with cream today.

Simple Dinner

2011-10-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Last night, dinner was simple. Just lettuce wraps, using napa cabbage leaves, tofu tossed in a little soy sauce, and carrot ginger dressing.

My Jeans Do Not Fit.

2011-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

You know how wonderful it feels to slip on a pair ofjeans that fit perfectly in all the right places, snug but not tight, smoothwith no lumps or bulges or any of that nonsense? I personally feel like I could conquer the world in a pairof jeans like that.

Sadly, if I’m not in my ideal shape, I can shop high and lowbut I will not find the perfect pair of jeans. It isn’t usually about the jeans themselves, but my ownfigure, that determines how they’ll fit.

And currently, I am not having good experiences, standing inmy closet determining what to wear.

My jeans from two years ago? They either shrunk, or I grew. I have ONE pair of grey jeans that fit. I wear them everyother day. The other days, I weardresses or somehow squeeze into my too-tight jeans and have a bad day becauseof it.

I’m tired of my shoes, too.

Sigh.

The thing is, I wouldn’t mind so much except that I’ve beenrunning consistently. The past 3 weeks, I’ve run 24 miles every weekend (12 onSaturday, 12 on Sunday), and 6 miles Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That’s a total of 42 miles perweek. Not terrible, right?

And I’ve been eating super-healthfully. I’m talking kale, brown rice, lentils,fruits and veggies.

(Okay, I do binge on fish tacos and chips andsalsa, but only at La Fonda once a week…

and occasionally I make a vegetarian meal... or two, that isn’t exactly low-processed-carb…I also dive into the chocolate chips… sometimes).

So why can’t I lose these few stubborn pounds?

Sunday morning, I vowed to DETOX.

All morning and into the afternoon, I was a miserable grouchwith nothing to look forward to. That night, I said screw it and we got sushi. I was happy again. J Obviously, detox wasn’t the answer.

Here’s what I’m thinking.

1. I need to vary my exercise to include strength training,not just running.

2. No more snacking after dinner, not even “occasionally.”

3. A few simple changes like drinking coffee black insteadof with soymilk, or allowing myself to be a little hungry during the lateafternoon instead of snacking, might add up.

4. These pounds will have to go gradually, unless I’m luckyenough to get the flu or grow new wisdom teeth that need taken out.

I realize I’m not terribly overweight of course, but there are definitely a few pounds between me and a pair of killerjeans. And I intend to conquerthem.

Not to mention, I do not feel like spending the money to buyan entire new Jeans Wardrobe, much less in a larger size! :/

I wonder if anyone else ever had this trouble and figured out the perfect answer. I thought I'd found it when I discovered the vegan diet. I get to eat amazing food AND it's healthy? And I did, but I still struggle with the sweet tooth.

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Ravioli (with Wonton Wrappers)

2011-10-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Wonton wrappers are an easy way to cheat if you want homemade ravioli. Here are a few tips.

1. Make sure the filling tastes delicious, on its own. I roasted butternut squash, and caramelized onions, beforepureeing it altogether with some fresh parsley.

2. Double up on the wrappers (two per ravioli) for a moretoothsome, pasta-like texture.

3. Flour your surface for working with the wrappers.

4. Don’t overfill.

5. Wet your fingers to seal the edges very well.

6. Steam or boil gently in batches, until the ravioli beginto look transparent. Then lift out with a large strainer.

7. Finish by searing in the flavor. You do this in a hot pan with yoursauce of choice. Since my fillingwas so sweet (roasted butternut and caramelized onions, hello) I made mine niceand spicy-salty-vinegary, with a sauce made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and hot pepper sesame oil. I topped with sesameseeds; I guess it turns out my ravioli were Asain-inpsired. Fitting, since I used wonton wrappers.

Mushroom Bourguignon

2011-10-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Warm, cozy, so flavorful... nothing greets cold weather better than bourguignon. And if you, like me, aren't a big fan of beef but love mushrooms, you can easily adapt beef bourguignon recipes to become mushroom bourguignon, without sacrificing that deep, rich flavor.

White Bean and Butternut Squash Stew

2011-09-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Obviously on a soup/stew kick.

This recipe from The Kind Diet, a spin on Black Soybean and Kabocha Squash stew, was super, super sweet. My fault since I left out the 2 cups of tomatoes it called for. Those tomatoes would have cut the sweetness. I just was tired of tomatoes in my soup.

Even with tomatoes though it would have been sweet. One cup of [expensive] mirin made sure of that.

I'm thinking of draining and rinsing the remaining squash and beans and eating them like that.

Fried Brown Rice With Kale and Scallions

2011-09-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

This dish (recipe here) is just one version of what might be my favorite meal in the world - brown rice with veggies, sauce, and garnish.

The sauce can be anything - tahini, umeboshi vinegar, miso, soy sauce, even barbecue sauce.

The garnish can be sesame seeds, nuts, and/or herbs.

The veggies can be practically anything you can think of.

This particular version is brown rice, lightly fried with chopped kale, garlic, and scallions. It is drizzled with soy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It came from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, My Father's Daughter. Her kids call it "green rice" and apparently gobble it up.

That's because it's delicious. Perfection in a bowl, if you ask me. Proof that food can, and should be, healthy and addictive.

A Gift of a Lemon Whoopie Pie

2011-09-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

My friend's friend is kinda famous. Her name is Erin Hall and she owns Bitter Baking Company where they sell cookies with really hilarious messages on them (perfect for gifts).

Erin made some whoopie pies and shared them with my friend, who shared one with me, and now I'm sharing with you (sorry you can't taste though).

I came in to work this morning to find a little gift of a fresh-baked lemon whoopie pie on my desk. It was a perfect compliment to my cup of coffee this morning.

Mushroom, Onion & Swiss Chard Phyllo Rolls and Roasted Garlic-Cauliflower Mash

2011-09-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Not quite the beautiful photograph, but thought I'd share dinner last night. Using this recipe as inspiration, I filled my phyllo roll with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and sauteed swiss chard.

They were okay, but you know what was better? The odd pile of cream-colored mash on the side. Yes, my roasted garlic and cauliflower mash was pretty delicious.

I'm not on a low-carb diet (though I am on a low-processed-carb diet), but I like how the cauliflower has such a creamy texture, it requires much less butter and sour cream type stuff to make it creamy, than potatoes do.

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Mash
8 cloves garlic
1 large head cauliflower
1-2 Tbsp butter (to your liking)
kosher salt and pepper

Coat the unpeeled garlic cloves in oil and roast in the oven on 400 for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop and steam the cauliflower until soft (you can even do this in the microwave - microwaving vegetables is my new trick for freeing up the stove!)

Puree the hot cauliflower and now-peeled roasted garlic in the food processor, with butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Voila! Tasty, creamy, mashed cauliflower. It feels like you're eating a big bowl full of sinful carb-y stuff, but you're not. You're eating steamed cauliflower. Pretty healthy right?

Curry Tempeh Salad with Green Apples and Golden Raisins

2011-09-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I like to make this curry tempeh salad from Blissful Chef,but I add to it one diced green apple, and I find that there’s still plenty ofthe sauce mixture to cover the salad and then a little.

I also simmer the tempeh in water, soy sauce, maple syrup,and a drop of liquid smoke for a few minutes, and find it really gives a nice flavorto the tempeh.

We had this flavorful “chicken-esque” salad on a bed ofmixed greens, with one half a cheddar dill scone each. The cheddar in the scones was a perfectcomplement to the green apples and raisins in the salad.

Tomato Soup and Cheddar-Dill Scones

2011-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

This tomato soup is otherwise known as perfect tomato soupand I am giving you the recipe (however, DO use your own judgement if you try my recipe, because I'm not 100% confident in my recipe-writing skills). Ifyou have a vitamix, well, your soup might reach “velvety” status, and if youremove the seeds, well, it might be silkier then too, but in a normal blenderand without removing the seeds you can have a tomato soup that easily converts youfrom Campbells (though I am not dissingCampbell’s tomato soup).

I served our soup with my little spin on grilled cheese forthe night – warm, fresh-baked cheddar dill scones.

These were a rare treat, since I don’t cook or bake withcheese, much less epic proportions of butter, cream, and white flour, thatoften. I have to add that thescones were delicious, but I’ve made many a healthier version of baked goodsthat tasted just as good. Eitherway, we really enjoyed this simple but yummy dinner!

Way-Better-Than-Campbell's Tomato Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp margarine

1 large onion (or 2 small), diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

½ bell pepper (any color), diced

1 carrot, diced

8 sage leaves, chopped finely

Kosher Salt

½ cup wine (red or white)

10 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

4 large tomatoes, blanched and skins removed, chopped

1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, broken up in pot withspoon

2 cups homemade vegetable broth (amount may vary accordingto liquid in tomatoes)

big handful fresh parsley

fresh ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and margarine in a large pot overmedium-low heat, and begin caramelizing your onions with a generous sprinkle ofkosher salt. This should take about 20 minutes, and they will be golden. (If they start to stick, turn the heatdown a little.)

2. Add the celery, bell pepper, carrots, garlic, and sage tothe pot, with another sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes. (if they are sticking orbrowning because the pot is too dry, you can add a tablespoon of broth, but tryto coax them into cooking on their own in the remaining oil and with theirnatural juices – you can do this by not stirring unless you absolutely have toand making sure the heat isn’t too high or too low.)

3. Deglaze the pot with the white wine and let thevegetables absorb most of it. Meanwhile, add the peppercorns and bay leaf.

4. Add your fresh and canned tomatoes. Add the broth,using your judgment as to how much, depending on how much liquid the tomatoescontained and how thin/thick you’d like the soup to be. (It will thicken slightly as it cooks,but you’ll be cooking quickly and lid-on, so it won’t reduce much.)

5. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer untilthe tomatoes are cooked to your liking (for me, about 20 minutes).

6. When the soup is cooked, remove the bay leaf. Add the fresh parsley. Puree the soup in batches in the blenderuntil smooth. Return to the pot, seasonto taste with ground black pepper and more kosher salt, and simmer for a coupleof minutes just to meld.

7. Garnish with more fresh chopped parsley and serve withgarlic toast, grilled sandwiches, or as I did, with Ina Garten’s cheddar dill scones.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2011-09-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

I didn’t do the best job of shaping this one, but we (I) atethe pretty cookies before I decided to take a photo. These cookies only require 1/3 cup of oil and no eggs orbutter, use ground walnuts, ground oats, and spelt flour in place of white(wheat) flour, and call for maple and brown rice syrups instead of granulatedsugar.

And you know what? They’re delicious! Chewyand addictive, just like an oatmeal cookie should be.

Potato and Rosemary Soup with Sage

2011-09-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made this soup because tomatoes and potatoes seemed a somewhat odd andunderwhelming theme – for that reason, I suspected it might surprise me,since it is the very first recipe in the Fall Soups section of Anna Thomas’scookbook, Love Soup.

It did surprise me, a little. The addition of two caramelized onions, a little white wine, homemade vegetable broth, and fresh sage make everything come together nicely.

Think, potato soup with a spin. And without cream.

I guess I wasn't too surprised though, because tomatoes make pretty much any soup more flavorful.

I think by now I'm a soup-making expert and it takes a lot to impress me, if you want the truth.

I did take Anna's (and everyone else's these days, it seems) advice and drizzle the top with a fruity olive oil. I didn't think it enhanced the flavor enough to justify the extra calories, but that's just my opinion and my bottle of olive oil.

On to the next!

Green Soup from Love Soup by Anna Thomas

2011-09-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

As I said, Chris was in Boston for work this week, so I hada few days to myself. Currently, Ithink he travels the perfect amount. I love having a night or two to myself. I think that’s healthy. I also love trying to think of things to surprise him withwhen he gets back. Sometimes it’sa clean closet, other times it’s a new shirt, and sometimes it’s just a meal Iknow he loves. But there are alsotimes when I get busy or lazy and the best I can manage is a sink with nodishes in it.

Either way, after a couple of nights of waking up to everybump in the night and listening out for nonexistent intruders, I’m ready forhim to come home. The house gets alittle quiet, even with Meeks and NPR podcasts to help.

Anyway… this picture was my Monday night in a nutshell. After I’d stood in my clean kitchenslicing kale, chard, onions and cilantro while sipping wine and listening toThe Splendid Table. The green soupcomes from Love Soup by Anna Thomas. It was good. But not asgood as oneI made up just over a year ago.

My Sunday

2011-09-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Does anyoneelse ever try to take on too much? Early Sunday morning, I dropped Chris off at the airport for a worktrip, and returned home to sit on the rug with my coffee, Meeks, and about tencookbooks spread out in front of us. My plan: choose some recipes, make ashopping list, go to the farmers market.

Then I thought,“and when I get back, I’ll reorganize all the cabinets and fridge while doingall the laundry. And I’ll makesome vegetable stock for the freezer. Yay!”

My eyes went tothe corner where my little butcher block island stands, happily carrying someof the load for our bursting-at-the-seams cabinets and pantry. We sure could use one of those big,open, industrial-looking shelves to display prettier items and free up somemore cabinet space. Did I dare goto IKEA alone and try to select, carry, then put together a shelf, while Chriswas in Boston? On top of all theother items on my agenda for the day?

Oh, but this isexactly the sort of thing I do. I even thought I would do it all, andhave time to go for a six-mile run, after which I’d luxuriously make green soupfor dinner and even bake some oatmeal raisin cookies to take to the office inthe morning. At the end of it all, I’d curl up on the sofa with Meeks, a newbook, and a glass of wine.

I thought Iwould do all this, and maybe even more, on Sunday.

Obviously, Idid not get it all done, I did not sit down on the sofa for that glass of wineuntil 12:00am, and my dinner was popcorn with Cholula hot sauce, not green soup;there was no desert.

But after sevenback-and-forth trips to the car, I have all the things I need to cook to my heart’scontent for a long time, including a precious stockpile of homemade broth. And lots of sweat, plundering throughChris’s tool boxes, and jimmy-rigging later, my shelf is pretty darn cute! Though some parts will have to bebrought back to IKEA and exchanged for the correct parts, and the shelvesthemselves will probably benefit from actually being screwed into the frame.

I think I’llwait until Chris gets back.

White Bean and Collard Green Soup

2011-09-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

It was the Tuesday after Labor Day Weekend, and an abrupt end to summer. All day long, it was rainy, dark, and chilly. Chris was sick with a cold. Suddenly, the idea of a big pot of simmering soup seemed exciting!

With visions of hot, creamy, white bean soup in my head, I left work at 6pm and went straight to the grocery store to grab the items I needed:

white beans
collard greens (pre-chopped)
tiny multi-colored potatoes
carrots
celery
onion
garlic
basil

(Other items, like vegetable broth, dried herbs, S&P, and olive oil I had at home already)

I forwent the whole “sauté the mirepoix” step for time’ssake, instead slicing everything into the pot while the water worked up to aboil. I reduced it to a simmer,covered it, and ran out the door for my first Fall Weather Run of theseason. It was glorious.

Back from my run, I showered and checked my soup. The beans were still hard! If you don’t know, bean cooking timevaries from bean to bean, and batch to batch. You just never know. However, these dried navy beans were obviously of the “simmer all day”variety.

Besides that, while waiting impatiently, I couldn’t leavewell enough alone. Anyone knows beans combined with aromatic veggies and allowed to simmer luxuriously aregoing to taste just perfect. But Ikept tasting and tasting and tapping my foot. This led to my adding a can of rotel tomatoes, which,despite the fact that tomatoes can never do anything but good to a stew,defeated my goal for creamy, uncluttered white bean stew. The collard greens didn’t helpeither, as they colored the broth with their dingy green.

Ah well. Itsimmered until bedtime. The next night, I pureed a little of the soup with theimmersion blender to thicken it and warmed it on the stove. It hit the spot, with a side of garlictoast.

Still, I have a vision of creamy, silky, white bean stew inmy head that will not go away. Ialmost hope it storms on Saturday, just so I can make it, the perfect way.

First Fall Run

2011-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

The first Fall run is nice. You realize you’re faster than you thought, without 100-degreeweather draining you of all but the minimal energy required to maintain runningstatus. Everything feels lighterand all bouncy, and you run like you’re running away from something the entire7 miles or whatever distance.

If some mal-intending bum or crazy person spotted youtowards the end of your run and thought you an easy target, thinking you’reprobably all worn out from that running, he’d be wrong! You have more energy than when you started an hour ago. You are almost sprinting.

There’s something else, too. Change, literally, stirs the air. You feel a distant nostalgia for moments that took placelong ago, for seconds, days, people and opportunities you’ve lost forever. But you also wonder, excitedly,what’s to come.

You take long, rhythmic strides, leaping over obstacles(because you remember), with your chin up (you breathe better that way). You take it all in, because it is everso brief.

Baja Shrimp Tacos from Goop + Mango Margaritas from Ellie Kreiger

2011-08-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Another simple and yummy dinner idea from Goop.com: baja shrimp tacos with a side of black beans.

You can find the recipe here. I made homemade pico de gallo (which turned into chunky salsa because I was too lazy to chop and used the food processor), and guacamole. Sauteed some shrimp (no grill inside). Put it all in a corn tortilla with some Cholula hot sauce, as recommended. Simple and delicious.

Instead of canned beans, I used homemade black beans I had in the freezer for a night like this. I just reheated them as directed with a crushed garlic clove and cilantro stems.

I also saw Mexican night as a perfect opportunity for some frozen margaritas. They're one of my favorite drinks, yet for some reason I've never made a perfect-tasting margarita at home.

I stumbled upon Ellie Kreiger's recipe for frozen mango margaritas, which was perfect since I had a bag of frozen mango chunks in the freezer.

They were really good, but nothing beats the original. :-)

Very nice dinner, but it will be a long time before anything can top last night's dinner!

Bibimbap from Goop

2011-08-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Been wanting to try this bibimbap from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.com for a long, long time. Finally did.

Verdict: I've long been a fan of build-a-bowls with rice. This one is amazing. You better go try it, NOW. And make sure you make that red miso sauce. Holy amazing.

Cajun Quinoa

2011-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Normally I like my grains simple, simple, simple. I cook them all - rice, quinoa, barley - with only water. I don't even add salt.

I do this because I know I'm going to top them with something very flavorful, like spicy curry, garlicky black beans, or a tangy vinaigrette. I love the contrast of the soft, warm, subtly nutty grains with cold, vinegary olives, acidic-sweet tomatoes, or toasted seeds.

But, sometimes I want a hot, savory, rib-sticking grain dish that doesn't even need contrast; it just IS mouthwatering and flavor-packed alone.

You can accomplish a crazy-flavorful grain dish with any aromatic vegetables, spices, and grain that you like. All you need to do is apply the basic principles. Start by sautéing aromatic veggies. Add your grains and spices to toast and deglaze. Add something protein-y, like tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, or field roast sausage. Cover with 2 parts water or broth (to 1 part grain) and cook until done. That's it!

This particular quinoa dish has a bit of a cajun or creole thing going on, I suppose. It's a simple weeknight meal, and I suggest you serve it with a side salad and be done with it.

Cajun Quinoa

1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 field roast sausage, sliced
1 1/2 cups quinoa
big pinch garlic powder
big pinch chili powder
cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 big tomato, diced (or a few cherry tomatoes, chopped)
1 splash red wine
3 cups vegetable broth
S&P

1. heat oil and butter over medium heat in a pot
2. meanwhile, chop onions, peppers, celery, carrot, and garlic, in that order, and begin adding them to the pot with a generous pinch of kosher salt, as you chop.
3. while the veggies soften, slice the sausage and add it to the pot.
4. add the quinoa, stir to coat, and let toast a little while you add all the spices to the pot
5. deglaze with red wine
6. add tomatoes and broth, bring to boil, cover and reduce to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork, and your quinoa is ready.

Stir Fried Udon Noodles, Tofu & Veggies

2011-08-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Stir fry with udon noodles, tofu, broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots, napa cabbage, and a yummy sauce. Stir fry tips here.

Here's the counter with all the ingredients prepped.

The sauce is delicious, and I got the inspiration here.

1/2 c hoisen sauce
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet red chili sauce
1-2 Tbsp sriracha
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 nub grated ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
black pepper

Mmmm. I would like some more of this right now.

Pistachio rosewater date brownies with himalayan pink salt

2011-08-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

I'm telling you right now, you won't find THIS much flavor in such a tiny package anywhere else. These little date squares are IN-SANE. And the credit goes to my co-worker, Patricia, who came up with the genius idea and brought them to the office to share with everyone. We couldn't stop running back to the refrigerator to pop "just one more" little square of deliciousness into our mouths.

But let's start from the beginning. I've shared with you the wonder of date brownies, and date truffles before. Patricia's idea is a spin on the classic. But something about the rosewater, pistachios, and pink salt elevate these treats to an entirely new level.

So start with the original recipe, and try Patricia's or your own spin on it for a healthy and decadent treat.

Seafood Gumbo

2011-08-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

Growing up I always loved soup, and I always loved seafood, so I ordered lots of seafood gumbo at many restaurants while on vacation with my parents. I've never not been a food critic, so I judged very bowl by flavor, thickness, and whether or not it contained generous chunks of seafood (good), or token slivers (not good).

I also remember my Uncle Hal making duck gumbo and chicken gumbo for family when we'd come to Gray, Georgia to visit.

My exposure to gumbo continues because my boyfriend is somewhat of a gumbo connoisseur. That's to say, he has never made it but having lived in New Orleans he has eaten lots of it and he continues to order it at every restaurant where it appears on the menu. I've put off making it, because a) we weren't eating seafood for almost a year and b) his standards are high; it would have to be perfect, and we all know what perfectionism becomes in the hands of a procrastinator.

But one night, I bit the bullet. And as insurance, I warned Chris that this gumbo was not going to be that great, that I was using a bag of Trader Joe's frozen seafood, not fresh, that I'd "give it a whirl" but that I wasn't putting much effort into it aka he should adjust his expectations accordingly.

Ahh. Pressure off. Then, I proceeded to read recipes and watch gumbo how-to videos on YouTube until I understood the process. Beyond the basic ingredients, I figured I had enough cooking judgement to season and measure how I saw fit.

The result: gumbo that stands up to any gumbo I've ever had. Gumbo that you'll want to dip your garlic toast into to sop up every drop, like you would a good mussels dish (and I definitely recommend garlic toast as a side. This was Chris's excited recommendation, and I love when he gets excited about dinner!).

*Two things. I used vegetable broth and it worked wonderfully. Homemade seafood/shrimp stock would be even better I'm sure. If you have fresh seafood, simmer the shells of your seafood in water with anything else you'd like to flavor the broth, like garlic, herbs, and vegetables until the broth becomes fragrant and nicely flavored. Also, traditionally gumbo contains crab in its shell, but I don't like this because I find a gumbo with chunks of seafood and no shells much more enjoyable to eat. Besides, as far as I can tell, the only reasons for keeping the shells on are a)flavor and b)quicker. You can get the flavor from the shells by making stock; you don't have to serve soup with shells hanging out of it. Personally, I used a bag of frozen seafood and guess what - it tasted great.

Ingredients

¼ c oil/butter mix

6 Tbsp flour

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

4 cups fresh okra, sliced into thin rounds

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups stock

2 bay leaves

thyme, 1 generous pinches

oregano, 2 generous pinches

chili powder, 1 Tbsp or more

garlic powder

generous sprinkle cayenne

salt & pepper

3 6-in andouille sausages, sliced (here's an excellent vegetarian option)

1 can diced tomatoes

seafood of choice (I used a bag of frozen shrimp, scallops & calamari via Trader Joes)

Steps

1. chop all ingredients and measure spices, warm stock in a separate pan, so all is ready to go

2. Stir oil and flour over medium (or med low, depending on your stove). It will become thick like a paste, but keep stirring constantly and it will thin out and become more liquid. Stir constantly until the color of chocolate or mahogany.

3. Add onions and kosher salt, and continue to stir for about 5 minutes. Mixture will seem very thick; that’s okay as long as you keep stirring. If it starts to stick you can add a little hot stock.

4. Add bell pepper, celery, garlic, more kosher salt, and continue to stir the thick paste until the vegetables soften. You may need to add a little hot stock again to loosen it up.

5. Add okra. Mixture will become very slimy. Stir, stir, stir until the slime starts to cook out. This will keep your gumbo from being slimy. It will take 5-10 minutes. Add some stock if you need to.

6. Add spices and sausage and stir a couple minutes to combine.

7. Add tomatoes, remaining stock, and S&P to the pot. Stir and simmer for at least an hour. If your gumbo already seems thick, you can cover the pot. If you want it to reduce some, simmer uncovered (I simmered uncovered).

8. Add seafood and simmer a few minutes until cooked through.

9. Garnish individual bowls with file powder if desired. Don’t add the file to the pot, because the gumbo will become too thick.

10. Serve over a little brown rice with toasted garlic bread on the side for dipping (you’ll want to soak up all the juice)!

My stove on any given night

2011-08-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have spent so many happy evenings right here! This is a picture of the stove, right in the middle of me cooking dinner.

Now, this particular dinner was somewhat of a palooza. Dishpalooza, is what Chris named it. That happens sometimes. I get pulled in too many different directions as I consider what to make, and I never quite reach a decision. Then, I end up making something that never really had an end goal, and the result is, in this particular case, brown rice and chopped kale with caramelized onions, sauteed pattypan squash, black beans, and toasted sesame seeds.

The sum was much less than its parts.

Do you see the sweet red chili sauce and the whole grain mustard over there on the left? That is how all-over-the-place my creations are, on occasion.

But I made up for it the following night. Oh - and I don't normally like for the stove to be that crowded. Simple is best.

Speaking of simple, last weekend we went to our friends' home for dinner. We grilled on the back patio. The dinner ended up so spontaneously wonderful, with everything working out in courses that we shared, so we got a little taste of everything. We ended it with espresso and strawberry shortcake. We left around midnight, but we could have sat there longer just chatting.

At one point, our friend Derek went inside to get the barbecue sauce. Little did I know he was whipping it up from scratch in a little pan on the stove, with ketchup, onions, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and I can't remember what else. When I went inside to grab something though, there was NO sign of it being homemade. No ingredients left out, no messes, no recipe, no stressed out look (thinking of myself here). He simply whipped it up as if it were nothing. That is the kind of cooking we should all strive for!

The Best Fish Tacos You Will Ever Eat

2011-07-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

The best fish tacos you will ever eat, you will eat at La Fonda Latina in Atlanta. However, you can attempt to replicate them and get sort of close, if you follow the instructions in this blog post.

Unfortunately, you will have to visit the real La Fonda for the rooftop patio, the perfect frozen margaritas that are just the right balance of sweet and tart and frothy-frozen with a rim of crunchy salt…. ahhh, I want to be there now – and the salsa: the best salsa anywhere but it’s so, so simple. It must just be tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, salt, and sugar… but I’ve never had it anywhere else and I haven’t been able to replicate it.

Their beans and rice are also delicious, but I think my own rice is pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

Anyway, here’s as close as we’ve come to La Fonda fish tacos. As we continue to unravel the mystery, we’ll keep you posted.

Fish Tacos

- soft flour tortillas, warmed gently in the microwave with a damp towel

- tilapia or salmon, hot-pan-seared quickly with a little butter and spices (?)

- shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and a token bit of shredded purple cabbage

- special sauce… mmmmm – mostly sour cream, some mayo, a squeeze of lime, and a generous pile of diced pickled jalapenos and their juices!

That special sauce is KEY. If you don’t have pickled jalapenos, forget it!

We have these once a week, at least, at La Fonda, with frozen margaritas and chips and salsa. I want to go there right now!

Made at home or on a beach trip, I think it’d be nice to have the men grill the fish outdoors so that’s one less thing I have to worry about!

Pizza Night!

2011-07-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

I think we’ve started our own little tradition! Pizza night on Sundays. It’s really easy to make the pizza dough in advance and freeze it, so you have homemade pizza whenever you like. I use Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipe, which you can get a variation of here, or here. The crust turns out so well you can top it with the simplest of things, and the pizza will be delicious.

Our pizzas here are topped with A) olive oil, mozzarella, homegrown tomatoes, and salt & pepper and B) olive oil, caramelized onions, olives, and anchovies. Both tasted perfect.

There's something really fun and special about homemade pizza for dinner!

Masala for Crispy

2011-07-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

Chris had been talking about potato cauliflower curry (or aloo gobi) for weeks. But I kept getting distracted by homegrown tomatoes (heck if I’m going to cook those things down! we had them as sandwiches, with fresh creamed corn, and sliced on homemade pizza instead) and other cravings that weren’t hot, spicy curry. It is summertime, after all!

But I did have potatoes from momma’s garden, sitting there waiting and starting to whither. And I do love my Chris. So last night I made him not only potato cauliflower curry, but homemade banana naan to go with it, even though we had a package of storebought garlic naan. That’s how much I love him (and cooking).

And even though my naan didn’t meet my expectations exactly (I’ll have to try it again, since it is super quick to make), it’s a good thing I went for homemade because we tried the storebought naan and Chris declared it disgusting, after saying mine was yum. J

Buffalo Tempeh Salad from Little House of Veggies

2011-07-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Morgan's vegan recipe for buffalo tempeh salad and ranch dressing is really packed with that satisfying buffalo flavor for those of us obsessed with all things buffalo. The ranch dressing recipe is perfect, too.

Just make sure to toss the crispy, oven-baked tempeh in the sauce just before eating. Also, because there's so much rich flavor in one dish - the buffalo sauce, avocado, beans, and ranch dressing - a little serving of this filled me up.

Kale and White Bean Caesar Salad

2011-06-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend this salad! Just not the dressing (I tried a healthy raw vegan caesar dressing which turned out to have a check beside every important category except 'tasty' - it wasn't bad, the salad was still yum, but we can do better).

Go find yourself a good caesar dressing recipe (UPDATE: I suspect this one might be perfect!!) and make this delicious, beautiful, healthy salad.

Kale & White Bean Caesar Salad

1. Chop up a whole ton of dinosaur kale. I mean really chop it. I hate big leaves in my salad, and for kale you especially want to "tame" it by chopping it to bits with a big chef's knife.
2. Massage the leaves with your (good) caesar dressing. Besides coating the leaves very well, massaging helps tenderize the kale, so they say.
3. Toss in some sundried tomatoes (in oil, or dried ones reconstituted by soaking in warm water for 15 minutes), navy or other white beans (isn't it ironic that navy beans are white?), and homemade croutons (cut bread into squares, toss with oil and salt, toast under a double broiler).
4. Season heavily with black pepper. If your caesar dressing isn't salty enough, you can add salt to taste to the salad.

Sexy tattooed arms not included.

sweet little apples... in june?

2011-06-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know why my parents' tree produces apples in June. But these little apples are perfect, with just the right amount of crispness and sweetness.

I'm not the only one who loves these apples. They're just the right size for my beautiful niece Abby!

Quick Lunches: Miso Soup

2011-06-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been running home from work for lunch. When I get there I usually have no idea what I'm going to eat. And though we often have leftovers, we usually have nothing ready-made unless you count frozen veggie burgers.

I've been throwing together some pretty fast, yet satisfying meals lately. This one may have taken 5 minutes of my time.

Miso Soup with Collards, Broccoli and Leeks, + Crunchy Nori Garnish

Get a little water boiling. Toss in fresh collards (i chiffonade them, really small), broccoli, and leeks. Simmer until just tender. Remove from heat and stir in a tablespoon or so of miso paste until dissolved. Garnish with toasted seaweed crumbles (you can get these in the Asian section at Whole Foods; they're often toasted with sesame seeds, salt, and sugar - they add a nice crunch).

Ratatouille

2011-06-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

There's little I love more after work than cooking an easy, healthy, delicious meal while having a cocktail or glass of wine. The routine of it is so comforting to me. And the process is very therapeutic. I love cooking for myself and it's even better if I have someone else to cook for.

One night last week I was alone and needed to figure out dinner. I also had a big bag of vegetables from my mom's garden. Here's a sample of the types of veggies in the bag.

Perfect for ratatouille, right (minus the cucumbers)? So I made two huge pans of super flavorful ratatouille, all for me, and had them for lunch all that week.

Of course, I couldn't let the cucumbers go to waste.

Pizza from My Father's Daughter

2011-06-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I wanted a simple, delicious way to enjoy my mom’s garden-fresh tomatoes for dinner. Obviously, my first thought was a tomato sandwich, but I wanted really good bread, preferably homemade.

I thought I might bake some bread, then I thought I might make a pizza crust (seemed a little quicker and more no-fail). A simple homemade pizza crust with tomatoes, basil, cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Truly, nothing in this world can beat that flavor combination.

I used Gwyneth Paltrow’s pizza crust recipe from My Father’s Daughter. Despite my lack of proper tools – you know, pizza peel, wood-fired brick oven – the crust came out tasting (I said tasting, not looking) restaurant-quality.

Before baking, we brushed the crust with olive oil, then adorned our pizza with sliced tomatoes, rather than sauce, to appreciate the amazing flavor of our homegrown tomatoes in “wholer” form. A few slices of buffalo mozzarella, torn basil leaves, and salt and pepper, then into the oven at 500 degrees on a preheated pizza stone until the crust starts to brown and the top is bubbly and melty.

So simple, so perfect.

*I thought I should address the cheese. I know throughout the course of this blog, I started out omnivore, then went vegan, then started to slacken up a little, eating dairy and seafood on occasion. I'm sorry if that is confusing to anyone. But for many of us, our diets naturally shift and change over the course of our lives. If you want to know where I stand, here it is: I believe that a vegan diet is the best diet. I think we should all strive to eat as close to vegan as possible. I admire those who truly stick to their vegan diets 100% of the time. We all have our reasons for eating what we eat, whether ethical, health-related, taste-related, or all three.
I have seen enough science and research to be convinced that I should not support the meat, poultry, and dairy industries. Not only are their factory farming practices often cruel and unsustainable, but their marketing dollars go so far as to lie and convince us their products are a healthy, and even necessary part of our diets - not so.
I know there are many kind farmers out there. Ideally, if we want to eat animal products, we ought to go to them. But lets not fool ourselves: there's nothing kind about killing a cow when we have plenty of other food that's much healthier for us and does not require a living creature dying.
Do I still love lobster? Yes, I do. I love it, and oysters, and shrimp, and fish. I eat them without giving much thought to whether or not I should. But I don't eat them often. As for meat and poultry, I do have some on very rare occasion, but I wouldn't care if I never tasted them again. I prefer gentle, pretty plants and delicate tofu that treat my body well, to heart-clogging animal products any day.
As for cheese and eggs... they're a very occasional treat that I could easily live without. Either I choose to buy them for a very specific recipe, or they slip into my diet when I eat at others' homes and am not in charge of the menu.
The most important thing is, I've learned I don't need these foods that for some reason, are considered staples in the American diet, and I've learned to use delicious, healthy plants to create exciting meals that taste as good or better than their counterparts. I feel I've found a happy medium and am making a difference to my and my loved ones' health, to the planet, and to animals.

Broccoli and English Pea Soup

2011-06-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

This photo is actually my broccoli and pea soup on Day 3. Not bad for leftovers, right?

This bright green soup is tasty, healthy, pretty, and a snap to make. Garnish with croutons or whatever you like. Chris had his with tangy feta the first night. I like mine plain or with toast.

Broccoli and Pea Soup:

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large heads broccoli, chopped
5 cups vegetable broth
1 package frozen peas
Coarse salt & fresh ground black pepper

Saute the onion and a generous pinch of kosher salt in a bit of olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute or so. Add the broccoli and the vegetable broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the broccoli is just tender and bright green. Turn off the stove and remove from heat. Stir in the peas and allow to warm through. Puree in batches in the blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Home Alone Dinner

2011-06-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Home alone (well - not totally alone, as you can see) dinners mean giving in to whatever craving I'm having, in whatever way I want, no matter how odd the final manifestation.

I present to you: brown rice with chopped kale, slow roasted tomatoes, anchovy vinaigrette (from My Father's Daughter), and fresh ciabatta straight from the oven. To the right, a vodka orange juice to wash it down. With lots of pulp.

About the pulp. See, I normally buy Low Pulp because my roomie doesn't like pulp. However, he is insane. I finally experienced this moment of realization as I stood by the Kroger cooler, reaching for Low Pulp, when Lots of Pulp was what I really wanted (according to Tropicana there is no in-between), and so suddenly changed my mind and thought I'd try a little experiment and put myself first. Now my loony roomie is using a fine mesh strainer to strain his own orange juice. You'd think he'd just go buy some Low Pulp. See, further evidence he is nuts.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner!

Gwyneth Paltrow's Corn Chowder

2011-06-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

I did it, naturally. I bought Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook. I knew I'd love it before I bought it.

On a side note - how can someone be so impossibly blonde, thin, and beautiful??? Could it be all the slow roasted tomatoes and anchovies she's eating, if her cookbook is any indication of her actual diet?

First recipe - corn chowder, made from fresh corn I bought at the farmers market on Sunday. Verdict: delicious. And a cinch to make, even with shucking the corn. Obviously I made the vegan version, which calls for smoked paprika instead of bacon, and unsweetened soymilk instead of milk.

That's right, no cream. I do get tired of every soup recipe calling for cream. I mean, yeah, if I top every meal I make off with cheese and cream and bacon, it will probably taste good. It takes a little more skill to make something decadent without all that stuff, right?

*One tip. I grew up harvesting, shucking, creaming, and freezing corn every summer. Creamed corn, if you don't know, basically involves running the cob down a cheese grater. That way you get all the creamy starch from the cob. Whereas simply using a knife, you just get the intact kernels. I like to use a knife to remove the kernals, then run the cob over a grater to get the rest of that good sweet starch out.

More recipes to come. I've got slow-roasted tomato and anchovy pasta, teriyaki tofu and shiitake lettuce cups, and warm potato and radish salad with lovage butter on the menu for this week.

Green Bean, Shell Bean, and Sweet Onion Fatoush

2011-06-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'd never even heard of Fatoush, but my friend Jenn gave me a recipe. It's basically the Lebanese version of Panzanella, or bread salad. It calls for pita, feta, mint and parsley, and a lemon vinaigrette - all classic Middle Eastern/Mediterranean flavors (food cultures do all fade into each other, don't they?).

This salad would be so perfect as a side dish at a Greek barbecue and it makes a perfect light, flavorful lunch. It also works just fine for dinner on a hot summer night.

Green Bean, Shell Bean, and Sweet Onion Fatoush

2 lemons, 1 zested and both juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
coarse salt
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing (I actually use less olive oil and more lemon juice)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shelled fresh shell beans, such as cranberry or lima
3 rounds (6-inch) pita
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Make vinaigrette with lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients, tossing out the garlic right before you pour over the salad.
2. Blanch the green beans (1 minute).
3. Blanch the shell beans (takes longer than the green beans depending on your beans, about 18-20 minutes)
4. Grill or toast the pita with oil, salt, and pepper. Cut into squares.
5. Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Stir Fry Tips

2011-06-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Since I didn’t have a picture of my stir fry, I thought I’d offer this consolation-prize-of-a-picture, as proof of my stir fry’s goodness.

I am pretty sure all you cooks out there recognize these words - this ___ is amazing! - as music to our ears.

After many failed attempts at stir fry I finally got it right. You know by now I hate writing recipes, so instead I’ll provide some tips you could apply to any stir fry recipe with success.

1. Dry fry your tofu first, using this method.

2. Don’t have soba or udon noodles, or rice?? Whole wheat angel hair pasta works great! (I learned this from Jennifer Morgan, whose mom uses spaghetti noodles for stir fry sometimes. I still remember Jennifer cooking up peppers, broccoli, and spaghetti in her wok when we lived together).

3. Get the wok super, super hot first. When you add an ingredient, flip it around quick and it’ll be done fast. We’re not caramelizing or simmering here, we’re flash-cooking for crisp veggies!

4. Only cook one ingredient at a time, transferring to a plate when done, before adding the next ingredient. Add them all back in the pot at the end. Then, you…

5. Add this sauce (halve the recipe; it makes too much for a 4-serving dish).

There ya go! The hard-learned lessons that helped me make a stir fry good enough to prompt this reaction.

A little on running this morning

2011-06-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

This morning, I woke up at 7:30am (right when I usually start my run), and decided I would not run as I was tired and could use another hour of sleep.

But. My neighbor’s dog was yowling as if being tortured (he’d been doing this since about 5:00am and I’ll go ahead and say I do not care for this particular neighbor or her miniature pinscher and he does not care for my Meeks – there’s your red flag; who could not love Meeks??).

And, I started regretting the fact that I hadn’t run this morning before suddenly realizing that I was regretting not running while I still had time to run.

So I got up and threw on my clothes fast, as I was now running (pun!) late.

Goodness, there is just no better way to start my day than with a run! Even when it’s hot and humid and I wipe out while people in cars and on bikes watch and I know they’re giggling as I pick myself up quickly and examine the big bloody scrapes on my knees, hands, and elbows.

After the wipe out, I skipped my ipod to Michael Jackson’s Bad and continued running, faster this time. As I passed other runners and bikers going the opposite direction they glanced at my bloody legs with varying expressions of disgust and what I imagined in my mind could only be admiration. That girl is hard core!

Yes. I guess so, I guess I am. I picked up my pace but only for a few seconds because honestly I was getting tired towards the end of the run.

There are so many things I love about a morning run. The beautiful red female doberman pinscher I stop and pet (and drool over) almost every morning. The surge of energy I experience afterwards as I shower and dress for work. The iced espresso I reward myself with on my way in to work. The endorphin buzz that carries me into the afternoon and makes me a generally more cheerful person to be around.

What I don’t love: Getting up and going straight out the door before my muscles warm up. How after a hot run I continue sweating sometimes as I blowdry my hair. How my face sometimes stays red – not just the cheeks; that’d be cute, but my whole entire face including nose, eyelids, forehead, etc. Less cute, more Oompa-Loompaish.

Anyway, now I’m sitting here on my lunch break with big white bandages on my knees looking silly and I’m here to tell you that the bloody knees, the getting up early, the sweating, and the red face are all worth it. Besides, you only wipe out like once a year. Last time I busted my ass was May 2010.

Party Food

2011-06-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

You can not know how much it pains me to put a photo I'm not happy with on my blog. Yet, those have been the photos I've posted for the last few months! I LOVE a photo of food in natural light; in contrast, a photo of food in artificial light pains me.

But, I DO want you to know about the hummus platter and blackberry macaroon tart I made for a bridal shower this past weekend.

As I said, the photos do not do them justice. They - particularly the hummus tray - were beautiful!! The hummus tray was so fun and full of unexpected colors. It is definitely one of my favorite things I've ever made. I love it so much I want to make it again, soon, and take lots of pretty pictures in natural light.

The tray contained: toasted pita, cucumbers, french radishes, stuffed grape leaves, baby orange and yellow carrots, peppadews, kalamata olives, and homemade hummus.

The blackberry macaroon tart got rave reviews (especially since I remembered to prebake the crust this time) and could NOT be easier to make. You can find the recipe here or here, depending on if you'd like a larger or smaller tart, respectively. Note: These recipes don't mention it, but definitely replace 1/3 of the flour with almond meal if you can get it; I love the taste and texture it adds.

Well, there you go, two of my now go-to party contributions. I'll be making this tart again and again, but with different fruit variations. I think cherries would be great, and also mixed berries.

Blackberry and Coconut Macaroon Tart

2011-05-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

This blackberry and coconut macaroon tart was almost ridiculously easy to make. Very pretty, too. If you make it, just don't forget to prebake the crust, like I did!

One thing - I replaced about 1/3 of the flour in the crust with almond meal, because I like the texture and flavor.

Potato salad with herbed dijon vinaigrette.

2011-05-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Pretty little potatoes from my mom's garden. It's that time of year again! I'm sure for the next few months I"ll have gifted produce up to my ears, which I LOVE.

Nothing from the grocery store can taste like these fresh baby red potatoes. And there's nothing better to do with them than something simple.

I loved this recipe from Vegan Yum Yum for potato salad with herbed dijon vinaigrette. So springy and flavorful.

My recommendations: use more vinegar and herbs than called for, and definitely use a blender because you want the herbs and liquids to emulsify so they coat the potatoes.

We had our potato salad with steamed veggies and bbq tofu sandwiches.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (and I need a new camera)

2011-05-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Blurry photos! Curse you! It is bad enough I am never home to cook in natural light, which is far superior to artificial, and even farther superior to my dim little lamp that looks out of place on the edge of my counter and tries not to get splatters of pesto and tomato seeds on its shade.

As I was saying, how come a perfectly clear photograph downloaded to my computer from my iphone turns out blurry once I upload it to my blog? Anyone?

This strawberry rhubarb pie is blurry but it sure is delicious. Who can resist long, gorgeous stalks of rhubarb in the spring? Not me. No sir.

Portabello mushroom lasagna

2011-05-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Had plans to make this lasagna for my bosses, who have a tiny (and very precious) new baby boy at home to take care of. Or course, I ended up making two because someone at home wanted to eat lasagna, too. :-)

I started with Ina Garten's recipe for portabello mushroom lasagna, but tweaked it in the following ways:

1. I added more veggies: leeks, spinach, and garlic (never use frozen spinach in lasagna, always microwaved fresh - frozen is too tough, strong-tasting, and wet).

2. I added a second type of cheese: mozzarella (for this dish I recommend sticking to just parmesan because the dish relies on the stronger, salty flavor of parm - I just bought moz on accident because I originally was making a tomato sauce lasagna).

3. I added thyme to the mushrooms and leeks as well as a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of sauteeing because I thought they needed all the flavor boost they could get, this being a béchamel lasagna.

Turned out pretty well but I'm partial to tomato-based lasagnas!

Build your rice bowl: rice with beans and fresh garnishes

2011-05-03T15:40:00.002-07:00

One of my very favorite things to eat is plain brown rice adorned with things like toasted seeds, tahini sauce (or ume vinegar or soy sauce), fresh herbs, vegetables, and of course beans.

I love it because it's the healthiest meal you can have, yet it is also so tasty and has all the varied aspects and contrasts that make a dish interesting: warm, nutty brown rice; soft, meaty beans; crunchy toasted seeds; cold, crisp vegetables; fresh, fragrant herbs; creamy, tangy tahini sauce... I know that's a lot of adjectives but I hope I've convinced you to try some similar combination. It's my go-to meal, what I would eat if I could only eat one sort of dish forever.

It helps that beans, rice, and all the adornments keep really well in the fridge for easy lunchtime assembly all week.

Ina's Roasted Tomatoes

2011-05-03T15:40:00.001-07:00

Not that you need a recipe, but Ina did give me the idea to add a little balsamic vinegar to my tomatoes before roasted. I think these would be good in a pasta dish.

I ate them with rice, and they reminded me of the sweet tomatoes and rice my grandmama used to make all the time.

Field Roast sausage on sourdough with caramelized onions & peppers, and spicy mustard

2011-05-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

This was one of my families' favorite sandwiches, sausage with mustard, peppers and onions, and cheddar cheese on bread. I can't remember if I used Daiya cheese or not on my vegetarian version, but it was yummy.

If you haven't tried Field Roast vegetarian sausage, it's worth trying even if you eat meat. Especially if you're the sort who likes the flavor of sausage, but is bothered by the little specks of fat and who knows what else in traditional sausage. That part always grossed me out so I am thrilled to have a vegetarian sausage with a short ingredient list of recognizable, healthy foods!

Trust me, this faux meat is not like the others - it may be "fake" meat, but the ingredients are anything but fake. Anyway, my sandwich was good! So there!

Breakfast potatoes in nappa cabbage wraps

2011-04-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you get home late, not having thought through a dinner strategy. We had the cabbage leaves already wrapped and ready to go for whatever I might fill them with, but we also had the potatoes and onions and scallions and fresh herbs, so I ended up chopping the potatoes very small, sauteeing them with onion, garlic, crazy amounts of chili powder and other spices I won't bother to name (many of them Indian combinations, because I'd toasted and ground the spices for another meal and didn't use them all so why not throw them in, too?), first uncovered then covered for a long time until everything was very soft and caramelized and delicious. That's when you add the fresh herbs and scallions and plop them in lettuce wraps and dip them in sweet chili sauce because that stuff tastes good on anything. I'm not saying breakfast potatoes in lettuce wraps are a natural combination or recommending you try them, but the potatoes were perfect alone and I do recommend you have lettuce wraps more often and get creative.

The night i outdid myself

2011-04-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

I cook a lot of yummy food, a lot of bad food, and a lot of food that falls somewhere in between. When I cook something - particularly when I create the recipe myself - that comes together exactly as I'd imagined, I get really excited! I give myself lots of pats on the back and watch Chris's expression to make sure he enjoys it as much as I do and if he doesn't I think he is obviously crazy.

I am sorry if I offend anyone by not featuring strictly vegan foods on this blog, but that wouldn't be honest. As a marketing person, I know the importance of knowing your audience but the way I see it, I don't have a very big audience and after a quick cost-benefit analysis I don't have much to lose by portraying my diet accurately here (minus the ridiculous amounts of candy I sometimes eat).

Our meal last night was:

Whole wheat shell pasta with caper pesto, roasted fennel, and smoked salmon.

Bibb salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh raspberry vinaigrette.

For the pasta, all you do is roast the sliced fennel with oil, salt and pepper in a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pesto by blending roughly one-third cup capers, one tablespoon white miso, one big handful of parsley, a small handful of walnuts, a big pinch dried oregano, a big pinch red pepper flakes, one tablespoon ume vinegar, and one-fourth cup olive oil. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and stir in the pesto, a pat of margarine, roasted fennel slices, and pieces of smoked salmon. Delicious!!

The raspberry vinaigrette is made by blending one-half cup fresh or frozen raspberries, two tablespoons raspberry vinegar (I have a really high quality one that I could practically drink from here), and one-fourth cup olive oil.

Brown rice with peanut sauce and raw crunchy vegetables

2011-04-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

I can't always get the the farmers market on a weekday, and Kroger or Sevenanda (our co-op) work most days.

But sometimes when I need inspiration during the week, I really, really appreciate the produce section at Whole Foods. Everything looks so fresh and colorful and in its place! I stocked up on bok choy, radishes, baby cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, leeks, fennel, peppers, and nectarines.

Unfortunately, the nectarines turned out to be duds. :-/ This did NOT make me happy.

But dinner tonight was nice and light and full of flavor. :-) I used this recipe from Orangette, subbing brown rice for soba noodles. I love that the only cooked part of this dish is the rice, yet it still feels like a hot, comforting meal. I need to get into the habit of incorporating more raw vegetables into my dinners.

I think hot rice, crunchy vegetables, and nut butter sauces much be one of my very favorite food combinations.

Cajun Cheese Grits (Except it's millet and there's no cheese)

2011-04-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

By far, one of the most interesting things about switching to a plant-based diet is learning how easy it is to make food taste rich and creamy without the traditional components: butter, cheese, cream, bacon, etc.

I've been trying to use up all the grains and beans in the house before stocking up on fresh ones, so I used millet instead of grits.

These "grits" turned out creamy and full of flavor.

Start by sauteeing a "holy trinity" base of onion, celery, and bell peppers. Add the grains and vegetable broth and cook until al dente. Stir in tahini sauce (sesame butter, garlic, lemon juice and water), unsweetened soy milk, nutritional yeast, and a dash of soy sauce to taste. Use an immersion blender to blend some of the millet mixture to really amp up the creaminess factor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley.

The Mystery Package

2011-04-07T07:31:00.002-07:00

Wait... what is that mysterious, paper towel-swathed lump in the silverware drawer?

Oh! It's the last of the samoas! Someone hid them here to ensure their safekeeping until he was ready to eat them himself. Wonder who he was hiding them from...hmm.

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Wine

2011-04-07T07:31:00.001-07:00

This picture was from about a month ago, when I made red velvet cupcakes for a co-worker's birthday. Of course I had to try one. I'm not sure who was drinking red wine from the mason jar and who was drinking it from a brandy sipping glass (which by the way, is way too big for an old-fashioned cocktail glass, I think I'm over the oversized beverage glasses trend).

The blurry guy is Chris, who moves super fast when it's time to eat or go to the pool among other things.

Vegetable Soup

2011-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

I won't insult anyone by including a recipe (oh, darn, I do so love writing down recipes! :-), because you do not need a recipe to make vegetable soup.

You only need to know the basics of making any soup, which is to start by caramelizing some aromatic vegetables in a pan (think onions, carrots, celery, garlic, peppers, shallots, leeks, etc),

...add vegetable stock or water, then the herbs and vegetables of your choice in the order of their individual cooking times (add potatoes early on, asparagus towards the end, frozen baby peas once the soup is done).

Onigiri (rice balls), Tofu Katsu (with Turkish spices and pomegranate molasses) and Broccolini

2011-03-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

After quite a blog hiatus I’m back! Things like work, vacation, and truthfully, just not being interested in posting kept me away. I have been feeling for a while that this blog needed to grow into something else, because I’d said all I had to say about vegan food at least once, at least for now, and I’m just no good at providing recipes. I love to cook but I hate to measure. I wonder if I could write recipes that call for a “bunch” of this, and a “pinch” of that. It’s an option I’ve considered.

Above all else, I started this blog because I needed to write about something; the writing has always been much more important than the food and politics – though I love food and am passionate about politics (because I’m passionate about justice, and there seems to be so much injustice in today’s politics).

I feel called to write about something else, but I haven’t quite put my finger on it. I’m ready for a shift, more truth and less surface, more creative liberty and less concern with mainstream appeal, and I think I’m a chicken when so many people – coworkers, family, etc – know about my blog and it’s very hard to put yourself out there.

Actually, if I did just write whatever I wanted to write, I have a feeling everything would be just fine, in fact probably better, but there’s taking that chance.

I’d really like to write a novel. Now if I could just figure out how to do that when I come home from work ready to cook a meal, then kick my feet up before bed. How do other novelists do it? I think they probably get into what they’re writing so that it becomes the thing they want to do in all their spare time, more than cooking, more than reading, more than watching Jersey Shore (can you imagine?!).

Just because I write about boring things all day doesn’t mean I can’t write about fascinating stuff when I get home.

All that to say, the picture is our dinner last night. First, tofu katsu based on this recipe, except I used a Turkish spice mix called Ottoman instead of Japanese 7-spice, and pomegranate molasses for dipping instead of sweet chili sauce (these are ingredients my co-worker Jenn brought me back from her trip to Istanbul, and they are amazing!), making my tofu katsu a sort of Japanese-Turkish hybrid. I also omitted the egg for a flour-cornstarch-baking powder-water wash.

Second, onigiri, or rice balls, using sushi rice and pre-packaged toasted seaweed that was already seasoned with sesame seed and sugar. I only started getting the hang of making them towards the end. The secret is to wet your hands so the rice doesn’t stick to your hands, and press as hard as you can to make a very tightly pressed ball with the rice. Next time I’m sure my onigiri will look a little smoother.

Third, a little steamed broccolini. Broccoli is Chris’s favorite thing ever. He was pretty happy to come home from the gym to a little bamboo tray of rice, tofu, and broccolini waiting for him. After our travels we both wanted to eat a little healthier. Airport food is not the best!

Pistachio Rosewater Cupcakes

2011-03-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Pistachio Rosewater Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I overcooked them a little, but the flavor was really nice and unique.

Pierogi with The Candle Cafe's Tofu Alfredo and Spinach

2011-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

I was super excited about this meal but it turned out just so-so because The Candle Cafe's tofu alfredo was a disappointment. It's the first recipe I've tried from their cookbook, and I have a feeling it will be the only bad recipe in there, because I am way too excited about that cookbook!

It was just super garlicky, even after simmering an hour, and even on low I found that the tofu wanted to curdle. So if you make it, take this into consideration and watch it carefully. I think I'll try their concept again (after all, there's no butter or anything "bad" in there!) but cut back on the garlic (for me, this is saying alot because I love garlic), maybe use roasted instead of raw, and simmer on VERY low.

Here are the veggies (minus the spinach and fresh chopped cilantro, dill, and parsley) I added to the dish.

I'm super happy today. I'm loving my job, loving my co-workers, loving my boyfriend, loving my family... Yesterday was my birthday. Last weekend and this week my family, my co-workers, and my boyfriend just went out of their way to make it so special. I felt very lucky and didn't expect so much thoughtfulness. I'm grateful for all of them. :-)

A Valentine's Day Lead-Up Meal

2011-02-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

I like hearts and I like love and I like pink, so I feel free to use all of these Valentine's Day elements liberally throughout the entire month of February.

Use cookie cutters to cut hearts out of pre-made polenta, then grill or fry it. Place the hearts on a bed of marinara sauce. Top with caramelized onions and sauteed kale. Cute.

I Do Sometimes Hesitate

2011-02-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

I do sometimes hesitate to post non-vegan things here. Because it's a sensitive subject for many, and I've (happily) acquired vegan guilt - meaning I feel it's wasteful and cruel to eat meat when I'm fortunate enough to have plenty of alternatives, and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by surprising him or her with a photograph of a big slab of animal on a plate, after months of bok choy and rice.

But... I also believe in telling the truth. And the truth is, I am not a perfect vegan. In fact, I've been eating a lot of seafood lately. It has always been my weakness. Especially when prepared by a thoughtful and loving boyfriend for Valentine's Day. He should be proud of himself because he made Valentine's Weekend and Day so fun and exciting for me. I was a happy, happy girl. Really, I was happiest just being with him.

He came in from long day at work and went straight to work. Meanwhile, I watched him while sipping my fruity cocktail and nibbling on the appetizers he'd laid out - cheese - how dare he! I am not a cheese eater. I have given it up with very rare exception. But he'd brought what used to be my very favorite cheese before I went vegan. So I sighed and had cheese.

(It tasted good... but I don't miss cheese.)

I can't leave out that Monday morning, I woke to find him sneaking around downstairs with my favorite V-day candy and a vintage bracelet. Thank you, Boyfriend, for my Valentine's Day sweetness.

Spinach and Potato Curry (Aloo Palak)

2011-02-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight was curry - Indian spinach and potato curry, or aloo palak. I used this recipe as a guide but adjusted according to taste and such.

You may or may not appreciate a big pile of pureed spinach with some lumps in it, but if you're on the "not" side, you may feel otherwise if you taste it! You know why I love curries (Thai and Indian both)? Because curries are big plates full of healthy, amazingly-seasoned vegetables. So comforting and so full of flavor and so, so nourishing.

(I'm having a hard time concentrating while writing this post because I'm watching Beyond Scared Straight).

Anyway, curry it was because I needed to use up a jumbo-sized box of spinach and these cute fingerling potatoes.

And here the sweet things are all chopped and ready to boil.

We finished it off with some dragonfruit, oranges, and passion fruit. The lineup:

And their insides... if you haven't tried passion fuit, there's nothing like it!

Strawberry, Orange, Avocado and Spinach Salad With Ginger-Carrot Dressing

2011-02-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Been needing some raw foods after too much junk food since the Superbowl. I don't crave salads too often during the winter. During the summer I eat them every day. But I made this salad and filled it with lots of tasty things including admittedly very not-in-season strawberries. It was nice to have a big bowl full of juicy, flavorful fruits topped with a pungent ginger-carrot dressing. My only complain was the spinach, which was a little tough this time. I think I'll cook down the rest of the big container I bought in soup.

Strawberry Basil Rolls

2011-02-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am lucky in that I work with some of the sweetest, most thoughtful people I know. One of those people brought me some rice wrappers to make spring rolls. I made six of them tonight, and packed them away for lunch tomorrow (much to the disappointment of another who assumed they were to be his dinner).

I stuffed them with spinach, basil, cucumbers, avocado, and strawberries. I'll have them tomorrow with plum sauce and chopped peanuts.

Pictured is the ginger carrot dressing from Goop's Detox post. It's perfectly suitable for people who aren't detoxing, turns out.

UPDATE: I ate these today. I do believe they will become a staple! Here's why. 1.) They keep excellently. They hold up much better than a sandwich or wrap; no sogginess! I made them yesterday and they were perfect today for lunch. The herbs, fruits and vegetables inside were completely fresh and crisp. The wrapper had the most fun texture. I can't really describe it; you'll just have to try it for yourself! 2.) They're adorable. And you're looking at the first wrap I made, so they can be made to look much neater once you get the hang of it. 3. They're versatile. You could put just about anything in them. I bet purple cabbage would be so pretty! 4. Um, can you say gluten/soy/sugar-free? 5. Totally light and won't make you need to take a nap at your desk after lunch.

I know that when beach weather gets here (and it will, soon, right??), these sweet little things will make it into my margarita cooler.

Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Frosting

2011-02-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

I made this chocolate cake for the superbowl... sadly, I wasn't too impressed with it. It was totally edible, and it still calls my name from under the aluminum foil, but that's just the problem, because if it were as delicious as chocolate cake should be, there would be no cake left to tempt me at all.

I've been experimenting with chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and brownies. I have decided that I like brownies best when made from cocoa powder, not chocolate chips or bars. And I think I like frosting or icing better with cocoa powder, too. I feel like if I wanted to eat chocolate candy I would just eat the bar; why bother melting it just to harden it again in another form. I guess if you are going to use chocolate chips to make your topping, they should be a really high quality chocolate.

Running

2011-02-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Since starting this blog, I’ve totally intended on writing about running. I never knew my blog would be all about food; it just sort of evolved into a (mostly) vegan food blog. I still meant to write about running, as it’s as much a cherished hobby as food. I’ve even written posts about running and never published them because they struck me as wrong somehow – too cheesy, or whatever.

Then, this blogger started incorporating her training experiences into her own food blog, and I love reading about it, and it reminded me again that I want to talk about running.

So here I am to say that I absolutely love to run. I like it like Sam does not like green eggs and ham. More on running to come. J

Listening to Cravings (the Healthy Kind)

2011-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

Everything told me to make collards, collards, collards! They'd been in the fridge for days, they're super good for us, and I eat them several times a week.

I even found the perfect recipe, and went to the store and bought chickpeas.

But I was secretly thinking lycopene (you know you're a health nut when you think in nutrients). And it'd been forever since I'd had pasta. Since I couldn't seem to get pasta with marinara off my mind, I made a garlicky, simmery, deliciously reduced-until-sweet marinara (with a little Field Roast Italian sausage) and some penne pasta (ingredients: semolina whole wheat - period). I stirred in and topped off with a generous amount of nutritional yeast and this supper totally hit the spot!

Good morning :-)

2011-02-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

I woke up extra early this morning, and also decided to skip my run, so here we are slowly waking up with some green tea and a blanket.

I have been meaning to update anyone who might be interested on the status of my quitting coffee. I'm sorry to report that it wasn't a complete success. While I stay away from it on the weekends and have cut way back on the amount, I found I simply need coffee for work.

I really am disappointed to arrive to that conclusion. I also have not given up on the idea of being coffee free. I still want that.

But I am in an office working on a computer trying to come up with creative ideas and write witty, persuasive sentences and paragraphs and pages for 8 to 9 hours, 5 days a week. I don't think humans were necessarily built for that, and I could probably manage 6 hours of quality computer work at a time, without coffee, before needing to switch gears into some other form of productivity, like running or cooking or cleaning.

As it stands, coffee helps me concentrate longer than I can without it. So for now, I'll continue to appreciate the little boost it gives me. Life is short, and coffee makes my life easier right now.

I still consider being coffee-free on weekends a big accomplishment! Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

Split Pea Soup and Grilled Cheese & Tomato on Sourdough

2011-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhhh.... how to make split pea soup look remotely appetizing.

Eh, forget it. It looks terrible. And actually, it didn't taste amazing either. I've made much tastier split pea soup. (Those chunks you see are Field Roast Italian sausage - I recommend!)

Let's skip to the really tasty part.

Pictures don't do it justice. Because I used amazing homemade (in someone else's home) sourdough bread from the farmers market that I stuck in the freezer to pull out for occasions like this ("this" = thunderstorm outside and cold dark rainy gloom all day). I put a little Vegenaise on the inside, Earth Balance on the outside, some Daiya cheddar (a real treat, we rarely buy it lest it wear out its welcome) and tomato slices, and then I put it in the George Forman and forgot about it until it was done.

I almost wonder if cheese eaters - though perhaps not cheese coinesseours - might not like a Daiya grilled cheese as much as a cow's grilled cheese. I think when you eat it in moderation, on a pizza or a sandwich or to top a lasagna or stirred into a casserole or scattered over nachos - as opposed to in big blocks on a cutting board or enormous chunks encased in a calzone - the difference is insignificant. But the health benefits are not.

Rice Pilaf With Caramelized Onions from The Kind Diet

2011-02-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

Another winner of a recipe from The Kind Diet. I supplemented the caramelized onions with leeks, and used two carrots instead of one because I had no parsnips... Chris's comment as he ate a huge plateful was "How can it have so much flavor?"

(It's because of A.] The variety of textures and flavors in one dish B.] The brown rice vinegar, which makes things pop and C.] The caramelized onions' intense flavor.)

We ate our rice pilaf and caramelized onions with sides of purple yam chips (intended to be soft-roasted but turns out I don't know much about the cooking properties of yams) and steamed bok choy - a staple and favorite (not pictured).

Almond Cupcakes With Apricot Preserves Filling

2011-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

MmmmmmmMMM! If you love cupcakes, you should seriously get Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World - I don't care if you're vegan or not, they are awesome. Just make sure you substitute agave for sugar in the recipe (and in doing so, reduce all liquids by 1/3, and use 3/4 the amount of sweetener [agave] the recipe calls for [sugar]), because I think agave is the secret to why the cupcakes turn out so tender and delectable.

I replaced 1/2 of the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour and loved the results.

I love these cupcakes because I happen to adore marzipan, and apricots, and the cupcakes with their addition of almond extract (which should normally be used VERY sparingly if at all because it's just so strong) and almond meal were very much like the cake version of marzipan candy, and the filling/glaze just compliments the nutty taste so perfectly.

Please forgive my poor photos and my poorer decorating skills. ;-)

I wrote to Whole Foods about genetically engineered alfalfa. Here's my email and their response.

2011-01-31T17:24:00.000-08:00

I know you all heard about the USDA's decision to deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa, despite cries of outrage from those entities that represent organic food, local farmers, and quality produce (with real taste... tasteless tomatoes, anyone?).

Well, upon reading THIS, I was horrified and immediately emailed Whole Foods. Here's my email, and Whole Foods's response. Please take the time to follow the link at the very end of this post, to voice your concern (if you feel concerned) to the "powers that be."

"Due to your recent decision to support Monsanto and the mass commercialization of GE crops, I will no longer shop in your store. I am sure you've performed adequate research into Monsanto and their unethical business practices. I'm just so upset by your decision. You were a trusted leader in Organic food. No more. Your brand is severely tarnished and diminished in my eyes and in the eyes of people who care enough to pay the price for quality food - the people who [used to] shop at Whole Foods."

Whole Foods responds:

Hello Helen,
Thank you for being passionate about genetically engineered (GE or GMO) crops and for expressing your concern about the availability of non-GMO foods. We are very passionate about this too and are extremely upset that our position has been distorted out there.

Don’t be fooled by the OCA (Organic Consumers Association) as it often twists the truth which confuses consumers. This time, OCA is misleading you by implying that we have “surrendered” to Monsanto and “cut a deal” for co-existence and that we’ll receive “compensation.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Whole Foods Market, along with the National Cooperative Grocers Association, the National Organic Coalition, the Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farms, United Natural Foods and many others in the organic community, were trying to secure protections for organic farmers so biotechnology companies for the first time would be held accountable if GE crops polluted non-GE crops and would be forced to pay for the damages. (No money would ever go to us!) We were also pushing for measures to protect seed purity so that non-GE alfalfa supplies could be maintained.

Unfortunately, none of those protections were approved as, to our utter disappointment, the USDA decided to completely deregulate GE alfalfa without restrictions. This means farmers will now be able to plant Roundup Ready GE alfalfa beginning as soon as this spring without having to take into consideration its potential to contaminate neighboring organic and other non-GE alfalfa fields intended to be sold in markets demanding non-genetically engineered products. This is a huge loss for organic and non-GE farmers and consumers who want to have access to non-GE foods.

For the OCA to widely spread misinformation and lies about Whole Foods Market and other organic companies by saying that we are joining forces with the biotechnology industry (Monsanto) is beyond ludicrous--especially at a time when we all need to come together to support our goal of ensuring the availability of non-GE foods in the marketplace. To help clarify our overall position, we think it is helpful to see how Megan Westgate, Executive Director of the NON-GMO Project, describes the coalition efforts:
Leading up to the ruling, a broad coalition of organic organizations and companies were working around the clock in an attempt to influence the USDA’s decision. The USDA had already made it clear that alfalfa would be deregulated, but hope remained that there might be some way to soften the blow. Organic Valley, Whole Foods and Stonyfield Farm, along with many others in the organic community, were doing everything in their power to secure protections for organic farmers so that if their fields were contaminated once the GMO alfalfa was released, biotechnology companies for the first time would be held accountable for their pollution and would be forced to pay for the damages. These groups were also pushing for measures to protect seed purity so that non-GMO alfalfa supplies could be maintained. Unfathomably, these tireless organic organizations are now being criticized for their efforts. In total denial of the incontrovertible fact that the USDA was never even remotely considering a full ban on GMO alfalfa, some are suggesting that these group’s efforts to make the most of a bad situation *somehow* (though no one is very specific on how, exactly) signals corruption, and are even calling for boycotts. HOW ON EARTH is taking this out on 1200 organic family farmers going to help anything?! This is divisiveness we cannot afford.
You can read the full article here: http://www.nongmoproject.org/2011/01/29/team-organic-will-never-surrender-to-monsanto-now-we-continue-the-fight-together/

Additionally, you may have seen strange accusations saying that Whole Foods Market has agreed to sell genetically engineered foods. We haven’t agreed to anything! This is another attempt to twist the facts. The reality is that no grocery store in the United States, no matter what size or type of business, can claim they are GMO-free. While we have been and will continue to be staunch supporters of non-GMO foods, we are not going to mislead our customers with an inaccurate claim (and you should question anyone who does). Here’s why: the pervasive planting of GMO crops in the U.S. and their subsequent use in our national food supply. 93% of soy, 86% of corn, 93% of cotton, and 93% of canola seed planted in the U.S. in 2010 were genetically engineered. Since these crops are commonly present in a wide variety of foods, a GMO-free store is currently not possible in the U.S. (unless the store sells only organic foods.)

Since the U. S. national organic standards do not allow the use of GMO ingredients and practices in the growing or production of organic foods, choosing organic is one way consumers can avoid GMO foods. The other is through labeling, of which we are strong supporters. Here is a look at some of the other things we have done on the non-GE front over the past couple of decades:

We have advocated for mandatory labeling of GMO foods since 1992, even before they were made commercially available.
We were founding members of the Non-GMO Project, which works to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through an industry-wide product standard to create a non-GMO labeling program that can be fully substantiated.
Our 365 Everyday Value® and Whole Foods Market™ brand products are sourced to avoid GMOS, and our partnership with the Non-GMO Project will enable us to verify and label both natural and organic products. In fact, we have enrolled our store brand food products in this pioneering product verification program, which ensures the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through an industry-wide product standard. These include products that natural as well as those that are organic.
Beyond our stores, we have publicly advocated for clear labeling of GE food and shared our concerns that the USDA and FDA’s policies on GE foods are not consistent with our consumers’ expectations.

We will continue to work aggressively on this issue because we believe that GMO food ingredients should be clearly labeled, and that consumers who want to avoid them should have an actionable way to do so. While the USDA’s decision will make our work more difficult, we are as committed as ever to ensuring that non-GMO food remains available and we will continue to advocate for our farmers and for our shoppers on this issue.

Thank you for the opportunity for us to present the more complete picture on Whole Foods Market and our position on non-GMO foods. If you’d like to take action, we encourage you to write to Washington to express the importance of preserving organic and non-GE farming. Simply click this link and follow the directions:

http://ota.capwiz.com/ota/issues/alert/?alertid=24747501.

If you have any further questions please use our on-line response form.
Best regards,

Rachael

Rachael Gruver | Global Customer Information Specialist | Whole Foods Market | 550 Bowie Street | Austin, Texas 78703

Rustic Potato and Leek Soup (With Kale) from Love Soup

2011-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Rustic potato and leek soup (with my addition of kale) is the second recipe I've made from Love Soup.

We thoroughly enjoyed our soup tonight, especially with the suggested additions of fresh lemon juice, parsley, and scallions.

But this recipe isn't my favorite for potato soup. See, I expect potato soup to be creamy and slightly more "mashed," with chunks of potato. This recipe didn't call for any pureeing; instead the diced potatoes float in a vegetable broth. I did a little pureeing with the submersion blender (thus the greenish color, since some of the kale got pureed too), but not enough to suit me.

Granted, the recipe called for heavy cream, with the option to omit it, and naturally I omitted it. But potato soup shouldn't have to rely on heavy cream to be creamy.

Now that I've voiced my complaints - I still have to say, the soup was yummy, and I'm already looking forward to taking it to lunch tomorrow.

UPDATE: I just let the soup sit for about 30 minutes to an hour... then tasted it again. YUM. I guess it had time to cool a little, and thicken, and the flavors meld a little better. It came together so much better after having that time.

Coffee Free for Eleven Days

2011-01-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Eleven days have passed since I had my last sip of coffee. Any withdrawal symptoms supposedly should have passed. While I felt amazing the first few days after quitting coffee, I now have been feeling tired and unfocused. I am thinking about rest, blankets, cuddling with Meeks, cozy pajamas, and other comforting things.

I know quitting caffeine isn’t solely to blame, and the way I’m feeling must be a result of other things, like my diet of white flour and sugar this weekend… but I also think if I had my cup of coffee in the morning, I may be able to mask the exhaustion.

I have to wonder if my body has become truly dependent on coffee in some way, so that now it isn’t able to function properly without it.

One thing is certain; I plan on sticking this out. I suspect my energy and concentration will return 10-fold after some good sleep, a regular exercise routine, and dedication to eating healthy every day.

Sorry if I sound like one of those sickly complainer types; I’ve never thought complaining about feeling sick did anything but make a person keep on being sick! But I think it is very important to document the transition from drinking several cups of coffee every day for years, to drinking only a cup of green tea each day.

I'd Rather Be With Him.

2011-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today I am feeling exhausted, grouchy, and kind of sick. Plus I have a headache. Could it be all the sweets I ate this weekend? Or the dreary weather outside? I don't know, but I would rather be at home curled up with this little guy, watching Little House on the Prairie. Or something.

Green Tea

2011-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

When Chris was in San Francisco, about a year and a half ago, he went into a Chinese tea shop and bought what I came to refer to as "fancy tea."

It's fancy, that's all I know.

Anyway, I like having a cup of it around lunchtime, since I stopped drinking coffee.

...since i stopped drinking coffee...

Suddenly I love the taste and experience of drinking a cup of fancy green tea.

So are all the tea fanatics out there just caffeine addicts, no different from coffee fanatics?

I'm not discounting people's appreciation of gourmet things.... I'm just saying, why do I suddenly LOVE the way this tea tastes and feels when I never gave it the time of day while I was sucking down coffee?

Maybe my palate is more refined, delicate, sensitive, now that I'm off the strong black stuff, the way I love the taste and feel of simple brown rice after I gave up cloying, icky Krispy Creme doughnuts over a decade ago.

Maybe we all need a vice, an addiction, an obsession, a simple pleasure, a security blanket, a substance, to cope with and enhance our stressful lives.

Or maybe - stand back, genius observation ahead - the reason is a little of both. Mmmkay, bedtime.

Slow-Rise Pancakes from Vegan Yum Yum

2011-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Listen, if you read the last two posts, arrived to this third post, and wondered if I might be carb-loading in preparation for an endurance race, I have only to say:

1. I don't believe in carb-loading before endurance sports because it slows me down and I truly don't understand the purpose; I believe in carb-loading in spontaneous bursts of utter indulgence, controlled chaos, you might call it, which can sometimes stretch over the course of a few days, but is easily and happily reined in on Monday, with a refreshing run, nourishing steamed brown rice and kale, and plenty of water, and...

2. Don't judge me.

Review for Vegan Yum Yum's slow-rise pancakes: I'll be saving this recipe. It isn't QUITE perfected in my kitchen, because I found it a little "eggier" and less fluffy than the pancakes my mom effortlessly threw together on Saturday mornings (but cruelly never wrote down measurements for), and I wasn't sure about the slight "yeasty" taste in my pancakes, but they were probably the best pancakes I've ever made, not being the greatest pancake maker, especially with bananas and/or chocolate chips, and I really appreciated that I could make them the night before and them be ready to pour in the morning (genius!). I'd recommend these pancakes to anyone looking for a pancake recipe... but I still need to watch my mom make her pancakes and try to learn a thing or two.

At least I'm not still in Spain, trying to convince my Spanish roommate that pancakes don't contain a cup of sugar and are actually not crepes... ugh... that's a story for another day.

Grandma's Dinner Rolls from Love Soup

2011-01-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

Light, fluffy, yeasty, warm... right out of the oven, with some honey butter, and a hot bowl of soup, these dinner rolls can not be beat.

That's the trick though - timing it just right! I ate five of them straight away - SHHH!

My Favorite Cupcakes from The Kind Diet

2011-01-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

When you're trying to impress a Little One, you don't make green tea cupcakes with a honey lemon glaze. You make vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles.

They're so pretty and festive - I loved making them and I felt like a little kid myself, impatiently anticipating "time to decorate."

I also love playing with color, and, colorfully speaking, there's nothing I like more than pure white with bright, pretty pops of color.

These cupcakes worked as I'd hoped, because when adorable, not-quite-three Olivia arrived, she spotted them right away, and refused to let the subject die until she'd had one.

Normally I bake cupcakes (and cakes) from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. It's a wonderful cookbook. But I decided to try Alicia Silverstone's "Favorite Cupcakes" from The Kind Diet this time, except I made vanilla buttercream frosting instead of her recommended fudge frosting. Her cupcakes are yummy, but I think her fudge frosting would stand up to her whole wheat cake recipe better than my airy vanilla frosting... next time I'll go with the empty-calories theme and use a bleached out flour for such a silly cupcake. :-)

Love Soup by Anna Thomas

2011-01-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

My sweet coworker gave me this book for Christmas. It's full of vegetarian soup recipes, elegantly simple yet creative menus, and perfectly complimentary bread and dessert recipes. The best part is, Anna takes the time to tell stories behind her recipes, and describes very well what makes each soup unique and good.

Sometimes you make so much soup until you think you know everything about soup, and you just can't think of another possible combination of vegetables and liquid... that's when you need to buy this book.

My creative juices are totally flowing and I can not wait to try some of these recipes! Fortunately, the weather has been cold and icy - perfect for soup. And, we have family coming to Atlanta all the way from California this weekend. I can't think of a better greeting in this cold weather after a day of driving than some sort of stew and homemade bread.

That's what my Grandmama Newberry used to make on Friday nights in the wintertime, when we were little and came to visit for the weekend. She'd have her vegetable soup and cornbread waiting. We loved it and it was such a comfort sitting around the table dipping cornbread in soup.

Black Bean Burgers from Veganomicon

2011-01-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

I've heard such good reviews for Veganomicon's black bean patty recipe, so it must be a matter of personal taste that I didn't like them.

1. While I love vital wheat gluten for seitan or other dishes that mimic meat, I don't like it in my black bean patty. Because black beans aren't meat, and they don't pretend to be, and they're supposed to have that chunky, almost falling apart, crispy-on-the-outside texture. They're not supposed to be rubbery or gummy or any of those adjectives that describe things that unnaturally don't fall apart. So I could have done with a dusting of vital wheat gluten, if any at all. Not 1/2 cup.

2. Something was lacking. My burger didn't taste savory and flavorful and mouthwatering. It tasted kind of bland - to me.

The quest to find the perfect black bean burger recipe continues.

Waking up (sans café)

2011-01-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

After being snowed and iced in for going on four days, I am attempting to go back to work today... just a little later, once the sun has had a chance to melt any ice on the road.

For now, Meeks and I are sitting here enjoying the sun and a cup of hot water.

Drinking hot water may sound strange to you. But I have to have something hot to drink on winter mornings, and I find that hot water actually does a lot of things for me that I attributed to caffeine. I'm not claiming hot water gives me a caffeine buzz here. But all this time I thought caffeine was responsible for the warm, buzzy "wakening" of my body, but it was actually just hot liquid. So, therefore, hot water does the job and is probably better for me.

Potential side effect of quitting coffee to report. I have said that since I quit drinking coffee (after the initial few dumb days) I've had more sustained energy throughout the day. Well, that goes for night, too. And I'm not sure if it has anything whatsoever to do with coffee, but I haven't been able to sit still at night, and I am waking up increasingly early in the mornings. Basically, I can't relax. I'm sure this will pass, and there are a number of other factors that could be the cause.

Since I stopped eating junk food and processed food for the most part after the New Year, I may be more sensitive to other things, like juice right before bed, or a chocolate peanut butter cup... perhaps? Or maybe my lunchtime cup of green tea has powers I do not know about.

Or maybe there's no reason at all!

Moroccan Couscous With Saffron from The Kind Diet

2011-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

First time I've ever cooked with saffron, and it made this dish so warm and yummy! I like this picture, because you can see the steam coming from the couscous, and the little red saffron strands, and it's such a warm sunny contrast to the grey snow and ice outside!

Moroccan couscous with saffron, I recommend it, but follow the instructions exactly. I've discovered in most of Alicia's (I figure we're on a first name basis by now) recipes, she calls for just enough water. I'm pretty sure this has something to do with macrobiotic cooking and retaining as many nutrients as possible, but it doesn't leave room for a heaping cup of couscous or any other such discrepancies.

I always marvel at how pretty and colorful veggies can be while I'm prepping them, but I rarely stop to take a picture. I had to take one of the yellow kabocha squash and green leeks and zucchini (I had to alter the veggies in the recipe according to what I had in the kitchen, because I'm not up for a hike across the glacier that is Atlanta to the grocery store).

Millet and Sweet Vegetable Porridge from The Kind Diet

2011-01-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

This might be the first time I've tried millet. I think this recipe is in the superhero breakfast section of The Kind Diet. Which makes sense, because I had it for lunch and it seemed more like a gentle breakfast porridge, except savory - not sweet like most breakfast porridges - which I actually prefer a lot of times.

The recipe calls for millet, kombu, kabocha squash, celery and onion to be simmered in water until cooked. During the last few minutes you stir in miso, so as not to kill the enzymes.

Very mild, tasty but not bursting with flavor. I think it'd be even more soothing and replenishing than chicken noodle soup for someone under the weather.

I find that a little splash of soy sauce in my bowl was a good compliment.

Bye Bye Coffee

2011-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

After a 5 days of gradually reducing my cup of coffee down to 1/4 cup of weak coffee, I took the weekend to do away with it altogether.

I am really excited. I had SO much energy this weekend. I doubt that has anything to do with my body being less caffeinated. It's because I've been eating really well all week - no junk or crappy processed food, and tons of whole grains, beans, leafy greens, and other vegetables.

What I did notice, from not drinking coffee, is that I never hit that horrible caffeine wall. It's like, the first cup is so awesome, then you want another... it isn't as good, then suddenly you feel weird. Kind of tired and your muscles feel very tense. Instead I felt amazing all day.

On Saturday and Sunday, around lunchtime, Meeks and I took a long walk to a little tea shop, and bought a hot green Darjeeling.

Wine Slushy

2011-01-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

We've been experiencing some wintery conditions this winter in Atlanta... Snow Day tomorrow!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from The Kind Diet

2011-01-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Chocolate peanut butter cups from The Kind Diet. :-D

Couple of tips if you make these (which you should because if you like regular peanut butter cups you will LOVE these, but that's no surprise):

1. make sure you let the peanut butter layer set up a bit before pouring on the chocolate; otherwise the chocolate sinks in a bit and doesn't spread out evenly, as you can see in my pictures - although... who really cares?

2. The recipe is perfect, but you could play around with proportions according to your taste... I think next time I'll cut down on the Earth Balance and add more graham cracker crumbs, plus a few chunks of cracker (I like the crunch). I say this because it would cut calories a little, and I think it would be just as yummy.