Meaty Minestrone with Beet Greens: It'll Cure What Ails Ye

Been in a funk.
Know what I mean?  I mean come hope so slap worn out that you eat Chinese take-out two nights in a row.  Not something you want to really pontificate about on your food blog, right?  It happens.

But, HARK!  Soup can help bring one out of the funkiest of funks, and it's good for warding off those nasty little snot viruses popping up from here to kingdom come.  So I made some, and so should you.
The good news?  This soup is so good for you and so easy.  The bad news?  I scarfed it down so eagerly that I forgot to take a picture.  Good thing there are leftovers I can show you later.

Here's a few good rules for cooking up soups and stirring your brew:

1.  Use your favorite big pot, preferably one that has a heavy bottom.
2.  When in doubt, a little booze makes it better.
3.  Always, always use a wooden spoon

I'm so serious about this.

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 links hot turkey italian sausage, removed from casing
2 quarts homemade turkey or chicken stock (or boxed if you don't have homemade stock)
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 bottle beer (lager or ale works great)
1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 jar whole roasted red pepper/pimiento in its packing water, diced
1 can white beans
1 large can crushed canned tomatoes with basil
2 cups dried pasta noodles (small shapes like twists or elbows)
2 monstrous handfuls of chopped beet greens or baby spinach
2 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
3 tsp garlic seasoning blend (or just 2 tsp garlic powder if you don't have some sort of blend)
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
black pepper to taste

In your large pot over medium heat, add olive oil.  Add onions and garlic.  Stir so they don't brown, but just start to become translucent.  Add your meat.  Drain grease after it cooks out a bit.  Keep stirring with that wooden spoon.  You can add mushrooms here if you wanna be like that.  Totally up to you.
Cook onion, garlic and meat mixture until you start to see a little browning starting to happen on the bottom of the pot.  This is where all the magic soup flavor comes from, so don't be scared to let this happen.  Once you've got a few little brown bits and smudges going on, you're going to need some help scraping up that stuff and incorporating it into the mix.  Enter beer.  It's so multi-talented, no?  Pour about a third of a beer in the mix, and use some elbow grease to get those bits up and into the mix while the beer cooks down.

Bad picture, good beer.

The alcohol will cook out and leave you with intensified yum flavor.  When the beer has reduced, stir in the can of tomatoes.  This will definitely stop all your browning and give you a minute to drain your beans and dice up the contents of that jar of pimiento.  I use the Goya brand because it's cheap, easy to find, and tasty.

Add in your pimiento and drained beans.  You should have some thick looking stew on your hands.  Good job!  Add cayenne, bay leaves, basil, and garlic seasoning.  If you don't have a seasoning blend you use, you really should try a few.  It can be such an amazing secret weapon in your soups, sauces, or whatever.  My weapon of choice comes from Costco in a giant container.  I don't think it can be beat.
Wait for it....

Wait for it...

BOOM.

It says "spread" on the bottle, but it's a powder.  I use it as a seasoning, but I'm sure if you make it into a spread it's bangin'.

Add your stock and your pasta and let it simmer until the pasta is tender.  Stir in your beet greens until they are wilted and well incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese and croutons if you must.  Bring some to your mom if she's sick.

This soup looks like a lot of ingredients, but it actually comes together pretty quickly and makes a heap of soup.  I'm sure it's even better the next day with a grilled cheese faithfully by its side.  I'll take one for the team and test this hypothesis for dinner.

So long funk!  Hello, cozy.

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Sweet Potato Fries and Scenes from the Weekend

O Christmas tree, O Christmas Tree, how sappy are your branches!  So maybe that's not how that sweet li'l anthem goes, but it's certainly how Christmas tree decorating goes for me.

This is largely due to the fact that Jeremy is what some might call fanatical about Christmas light placement, distribution and saturation.  As long as the lights are being put on when he is ready to do it, that's really his problem.  Well call me whiny, demanding, or whatever you want, but I wanted the lights on NOW.  So after he'd spent a good hour putting lights on the top 1/8th of the tree, but took a break to light the grill, I picked up the slack.

And so it begins...

"You have to do it just right.  Wrapping each individual branch up and back to the core, moving to the left, from front to back."  These were my instructions.  Let's cut to 15 minutes later.  Jeremy is grilling, I am sweating, covered up to my elbows in tree sap, and have what I presume is a very fowl look plastered across my face.  Cheerful Christmas music is tinkling in the background and all of a sudden, I hear myself exclaim at the top of my lungs, a very ugly and decidedly un-Christmas-y word.  I get down off the chair on which I am standing, turn off the Christmas music and curl into a ball on the couch, glass of wine in hand, and frown firmly on face.  Consider this my public confession that I was being a total whiny baby.  After Jeremy came back inside, saw me on the couch and had a good laugh, he explained to me that I could do the Christmas lights my way and he was sure they would be just beautiful.  Well the top 1/4th of our tree is just that.  Beautiful.  As for the rest of the house, Christmas exploded all over it.  Boxes, bags, tissue paper and glitter make for a nice little Christmas sheen all over the floor.

On to more successful endeavors...
Like dinner.  I found some beautiful lamb shoulder chops at Whole Foods and marinated them in some citrus juices, olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary, and oregano.

Jeremy grilled those babies up while I made some Garlicky Kale and sweet potato fries.

You can make these too.  It's a cinch.  These are my favorite side to make in the summer with some homemade grilled burgers with all the trimmings.  I like mine savory with a good organic ketchup, but cinnamon sugar works great if your into sweet sweet potato fries, sweetie.

Sweet Potato Fries
1 large sweet potato
1 to 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if you're making a sweet version, you might try coconut oil instead)
1 Tbsp rib rub or cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel sweet potato, cut in half lengthwise, and cut each half into fry shapes.  The thinner you cut them, the crispier they'll get, so you want to cut them thin, but not paper thin.  Try to cut them about the same size so they'll cook evenly.  Toss them in the olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle with the seasonings of your choice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (This doesn't mean taste the raw potatoes...)
Cook 20 minutes on one side.  Take them out and flip them over.  Cook 15 to 20 minutes more on the other side, or until fries are crisp and browned to your liking.  Sweet potatoes are incredibly healthy, and this will definitely quench any french fry craving you have, so could this be the perfect food?  You tell me.

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Thanksgiving Flavors, The Remix: Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries

Like we've discussed before, I'm a holiday person.  The minute it strikes midnight on November 1st, I become the most Melody version Melody can possibly be and I enter my element.  Strap on some jingle bells, power up with some eggnog, and tightly clutching pumpkin in one hand and cranberries in the other, brace yourself- it's time to get festive.

I borrowed this recipe from Tracy of Shutterbean and made it my own.  Tracy is Joy the Baker's BFF.  And therefore, I want to be BFF with both of them always and forever.  But you already knew that.  Anyway, this recipe tastes like all the festive holiday flavors you love wrapped into one amazingly healthy, comforting and delicious package.  What could be better?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 large or 2 small apples, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 and 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 and 1/2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper*
1 Tbsp orange zest*
1 and 1/2 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw or brown sugar
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

*Optional

Preheat your oven to 400 and get ready to do some mad chopping.  Confession:  I like chopping things so much that sometimes I cook something for the sole purpose of satisfying my therapeutic chopping needs and desires.  This is the perfect time to satisfy that need.

Let's get that butternut out of the way first.  You could use two large sweet potatoes if you prefer, but the butternut is really worth it.  Cut it in half across so it's easier to deal with.  Cut the half with seeds in it in half lengthwise and scoop them all out with a spoon.  Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel the skin off the whole thing and cut it into cute little 1/2 inch cubes.  This is not an exact science.  As you chop each vegetable, start tossing it onto a shallow baking dish or roasting pan lined with foil to prevent extreme messiness.

Now Brussels Sprouts.  You're going to want to trim the ends a good bit so they're not tough.  After that, peel off the outer layer and split them in half.  Done and done.  Onion.  Apple.  Cranberries.

Pretty!

Time to make the dressing.  Did you know that salad dressing is the easiest ever to make?  That's really all this is.  Find a jar or container with a resealable lid.  I used sweet li'l old jam jar.  In the jar, combine the curry powder, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and cinnamon, cayenne and orange zest, if you're using those optional ingredients.  I REALLY wanted to use orange zest but didn't have any.  If you have it, please use it.  Shake it like a polaroid picture.

Drizzle the mixture over the pretty chopped stuff and use your hands to toss.  Aren't you so glad to get this moisturizing treat for those dry winter hands?  Lovely.  Smooth into an even layer and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the mix.  You don't need to mix in the sugar.  Put it in the oven for 20 minutes.  Stir gently.  Back in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

While your veggies are working in the oven, you might want to prepare some couscous, wild rice, or quinoa on the stovetop, using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.  Prepare according to package directions.  I used quinoa in some homemade turkey stock.  When the veggies are done, serve yourself a heap of them over your grain of choice.  I was feeling super cozy, so I drizzled the tiniest amount of grade B maple syrup (less sweet than your average bear) over the whole thing.  Yum.

I used to be afraid of curry or cooking anything with curry.  How dumb was that?  It's delicious.
What are you hesitant to try?  Afraid of?

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Roasted Chickpeas Two Ways: Chai Some Chickpeas and Hummus Deconstruced

Here's something to add some fun to your life!  Or your salad, party, what-have-you.
Did you know you can roast chickpeas?!  Oh you most certainly can and should.  Even if you think you don't like them.  This magical recipe turns slop from a can into chic (or should I say chick...) snack, topping or bar munch.  This recipe was inspired by my trusty Peas and Thank You cookbook I told you about a while back.  I would double this recipe if I were you.  Just sayin.'

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chickpeas
Juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons or limes (I used limes because I didn't have lemons.  It was legit.)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine all ingredients and marinate for at least an hour, or a couple if you have time.  Spread chickpeas evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure they get nice and evenly crispy and brown.  These taste like hummus deconstructed, if you can imagine.

Want some dessert?  Try this next recipe over a salad with dried cranberries and pecans with a nice sweet vinaigrette or a splash of good aged balsamic vinegar.  Or eat them right off the cookie sheet.

Chai Some Chickpeas
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1.5 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Light brown sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.  Keep your eye on these even closer.  They tend to need more stirring to prevent burning since they have a higher sugar content.  Sprinkle a little brown sugar on these when they are hot out of the oven for a more indulgent treat.

Important storage tip: Make sure these have cooled completely before storing in an airtight container.  Otherwise, they will become a little chewy and odd.  I know this from experience, and so does everyone else who ate them at Thanksgiving.

Speaking of giving thanks, I am pretty thankful for this scoundrel.  What are thankful for this year?

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A Healthy Addiction? Garlicky Kale to Your Post-Thanksgiving Rescue

I'm not one of those people you're going to find saying, "oh, I'm SOOO addicted to exercise".  That doesn't mean I can't dream about it.  You're far more likely to find me eating some combination of bread and stuff that melts and saying "oh, I'm SOOO addicted to (insert bread and fat of the day)".  But in the past several months I've had a breakthrough.  I developed a healthy addiction!  It's kale.

Wait!  Don't leave!  Once I too was like you, thinking that kale, in all its ultra deep green roughness, could only be consumed comfortably after it had the Satan cooked out of it and had been covered in some sort of high sodium or high fat sauce to mask its overly healthy and virtuous taste.  And then, as it is known to do, Whole Foods (better known to some as Whole Paycheck) came to the rescue with its salad bar brimming with vegetables and toppings galore.  Of all the delectable delicacies in the salad bar, the garlicky kale was the crown jewel.  And then I was so cruelly betrayed.  I would sneak away to Whole Foods for lunch to have a rendezvous with G.K., and it was nowhere to be found.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, and I'm making garlicky kale from scratch.

Lucky for me, Brittany over at Eating Bird Food had the same addiction and did most of the leg work.  I doubled her recipe and doubled my pleasure.  The awesome thing about this salad aside from its delicious and addictive properties, is that it's even better the next day.  Definitely the only dressed salad I know of that can hold its own in the fridge a second day.  If you like Caesar salad, you're going to love this.

Garlicky Kale
(Recipe slightly adapted from Eating Bird Food)

1 bunch kale
1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (sounds weird but it's like soy sauce or tamari.  Sub tamari in a pinch)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (an ingredient definitely worth stocking in your kitchen)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sesame seeds to taste for garnish (optional)

1.  Remove tough stems from the kale and tear into bite size pieces.
2.  Combine all the remaining ingredients except kale and sesame seeds in a blender (magic bullet is awesome for this) until smooth.  Pour over kale.
3.  Use your clean hands (sorry, this is going to be your best way to do this) to evenly distribute the dressing and rub it into the leaves, like you're giving it a well deserved massage.  Relax, kale, you're feeling a little stiff.
4.  Wash your grubby hands, weirdo, and shake some sesame seeds on your delectable health food before you start shoveling it in your pie hole like it was bread with melty fat.  If you can manage to wait to eat and let this sit in the fridge for an hour or two, you'll love it even more.  If not, strap on the ol' feedbag.

I like to make a meal of this when I know I'm eating pizza (bread and melty fat) for dinner later that day.  It's all about balance, or so they say.

This is great for impressing friends that think they don't like healthy food.  You sneaky devil.

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Mango Habanero Salsa

I have something up my sleeve.  Thankfully, it's not a habanero.  But this awesome mango habanero salsa is part of it!  Stay tuned for the big reveal next Monday.  In the meantime, I'll tease you with a few hints.

Have you noticed a trend here?  You may have gathered that I enjoy Mexican food.  A LOT.  If you live in California (you lucky dog), you probably have access to some pretty darn tasty authentic Mexican.  If you live in Durham, NC, you can find some authentic Mexican food, but for the most part it's limited to food trucks, carnicerias (meat markets) and little hole in the wall spots that are pretty amazing if you can dedicate some time to making an adventure out of finding one.  And I hate to break it to you, but for the most part, you are not going to find truly authentic Mexican food (which can actually be quite healthy) at that Torrero's or Bandido's Mexican Restaurant downtown. 

One of the reasons I think Mexican food is so much fun is the crazy beautiful array of colors!  Check out this confetti-lookin' beauty:

Mango Habanero Salsa Fresca

Confession time:  I only used one habanero because I was a scared little baby.  You should use two.  I will certainly use two in my next batch, which I am making this very night.  Two batches in two days because I loved it just that much!  If you are feeding more than just a couple people, you might consider making a double batch.  Trust me, you will have no problem figuring out things to put it on.

Ingredients

1 mango, cut into a small dice

Juice of two limes

Pinch of sea salt

Small red onion, cut into a small dice

2 habanero peppers

2 handfuls fresh cilantro, chopped

First, you're going to want to deal with your mango.  If you've ever dealt with one, then you know the deal.  If not, let me give you a pointer or two.  Mangoes are not a straightforward fruit.  They are tricky and slippery little devils.  Peel your fruit for starters.  It should look like so-

Are you singing the "Rango" theme song while substituting the word "mango" for "Rango"?  Because you totally should.  It made my salsa better, and it can do the same for yours.  Try it- 

"Mang-o! Mang-OOO!"

Now you're ready for the tricky part.  Mangoes don't have a "pit," per se.  At least not in the way a peach or avocado does.  They just get really dense and fibrous and hard to cut in the middle.  This means you aren't going to get all the fruit off of it that you feel entitled to, and that's okay.  Know that it's frustrating for the rest of the world as well.  Just cut off what you can from the outsides, first in large slabs, then in smaller pieces as you get closer to the center.  Get what you can from it, then give the middle to some cool kid or messy adult to chew and suck on.  If they're feeling all Mexican about it, they'll squeeze some lime juice on it and dust it with chili powder because that's what all the cool kids do.  Dice your fruit and proceed to the next step.

Get out your latex gloves for some habanero handling.  No, I'm not joking.  If you do this with your bare hands because you think you have something to prove, then your proof of idiocy will be your burning hands that feel like you stuck them in to an unquenchable fiery furnace.  Enjoy that for the next several hours.

Cut the tops off those bad boys and strip them of their seeds, membranes and dignity.  If you like things a little spicier, feel free to leave some of the membrane in.  

Not only is the habanero one of the hottest peppers in the world, I feel it is also the cruelest.  Why?  Because it tastes so stinkin' fruity and delicious that you want to eat more of it, but you will be punished accordingly.  Give your charming and hateful pepper the fine dice treatment and toss it in a bowl with your diced mangoes.  Add your chopped red onion, cilantro and lime juice.  Add salt to taste.  Taste a couple times and be sure to add your salt a little at a time.  Like toothpaste, you can always add more, but you can't take it back.  You can eat this immediately, but it's going to be even more amazing after sitting in the fridge for a bit to let the flavors get to know one another.

Now, I highly recommend you do this with your salsa:

Toast one corn tortilla on a cast iron pan on your stove top or char it a little over a gas burner.

Mash half an avocado mixed with a squeeze of lime juice, a dash of hot sauce and salt with a fork.  

Top tortilla with avocado mash and a generous heap of your salsa.

Eat this standing up because there's no time to sit when it's this good and this fresh!

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Jose the Dog and Butternut Squash Fries

One of my favorite parts of the week every week is going to spend Sunday evenings with my parents.  Jeremy and I corral Sampson into the car and head over for dinner.  It's always a challenge to keep Sam reasonably calm enough to not give Jose (the overly neurotic yet adorable chihuahua belonging to Mom and Dad) a massive stroke.  It's not as easy as it sounds.

Jose enjoying his throne after a romp in the snow last year.

Chicken wings were on the menu for dinner this Sunday, so I whipped up a batch of butternut squash "fries" and made a humungo salad.  And then I did something brilliant:

Using fries for croutons > using croutons for croutons.

Just look at this delicious mess.

Butternut Squash Fries

2 small butternut squash, peeled and seeds scooped out

1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil

Garlic powder

Chili powder

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Chop up squash into fry shaped pieces.  Spread out on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle desired seasonings on top of fries.  You could do cinnamon and nutmeg here for a sweet version or really any combo.  I like my fries garlicky.  Use your hands to toss the whole mess together, evenly distributing oil and spices among the fries.  Bake for 45 minutes, flipping fries once halfway through.  If they aren't as crispy as you'd like, by all means leave them in a bit longer, but just make sure to check to make sure they aren't burning.  Serve with ketchup if desired or use as a topping on a salad like the one below.

Sunshine Salad

6 cups mixed greens or salad mix

1 large avocado cut into slices

2 handfuls dry roasted almonds

1/4 cup sliced sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

2 tangerines, peeled and segmented

1 handful butternut squash fries for each serving

2 Tbsp lemon tahini dressing or citrus vinaigrette for each serving

Layer all ingredients on top of the bed of greens except the dressing (add that after the salad has been plated).  This salad is so crunchy, bright and full of citrus.  I hope it makes you think of sunshine too.  

As for Jose, he made it through a night of having all his precious little toys (Moo, Squirrely, Chicktoria, Dolphie, Roo and Baby Hedgie) slobbered all over and dominated by Sampson.  And then the next morning after the threat was gone and he had reclaimed his possessions, he neatly gathered them into a pile and peed on each one.  He might need some doggie therapy, Mom.

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Hummus Among Us

How was your weekend?  Mine was pretty excellent; especially the part yesterday when all I did from 9am until 12pm was listen to John Mayer really loud, lay on the couch with pup, and make hummus.  What, hummus doesn't sound like breakfast food to you?

When the clock struck 12 noon, Jeremy and I decided it was time for him to put on a hat and me to put my hair in a ponytail and head out the door to The Federal to meet Mom and Dad for some crazy good grub and beer. This place never disappoints in either category.  I was too hungry to get a picture of it, but I had the veggie sliders and a side salad.  And lots of Jeremy's delicious garlic fries he forfeited by having his plate near me.  Sometimes really good food does make me happy, is that such a crime?  Just like this hummus is going to make you happy.  So don't feel bad if you find yourself half a bag of baby carrots deep into this stuff- it's tasty taste AND full of protein and healthy items for the win.

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
Juice of two lemons
2 cans organic chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
2 Tbsp tahini (ground sesame seeds)
1/3 to 1/2 cup reserved liquid from chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Dump all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  You will have to stop a couple times and push down the stuff on the sides to make sure everything gets incorporated and blended smoothly enough.  You want it really smooth.  If you want to make it a little richer, add the olive oil.  It's perfectly delicious without it, but I added it for good measure.  Pour your super duper hummus into a storage container with a tightly fitting lid, or a serving dish if you're smart and eating it right away.  Top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some paprika.  Feel free to make limitless variations.  Add some roasted red peppers to a batch.  Toss in a little jalapeno and cilantro if you're feeling spicy, or give it some zing by stirring in some finely chopped olives and capers.  Heck, top it with some fresh chopped parsley while you're at it and save some for me.

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Dinner in 5! (or 10, tops...)

This isn't rocket science here, folks.  But it is a tasty, healthy and lightening fast dinner that you can put together in less time than it takes me to dry my crazy hair every morning.  Full disclosure: (I recently purchased some dry shampoo and now only have to dry my hair every other day.  Whoop Whoop!).

Like many if not most of the recipes I make up, this came together completely haphazardly based on the fact that I didn't get home last night until 9:15pm, was ravenous, and had these particular items in my fridge/freezer/pantry.  Feel free to make any substitutions you like while still following the same basic idea for endless combinations.  I did peas, pesto, walnuts, and soba noodles with broiled grape tomatoes, but you could do peanuts, teriyaki sauce, red bell peppers, and rice noodles with broiled whole green onions.  See how this works?

Tomatoes after broiling

Here's the breakdown of what happened to create this li'l ditty:

1.  Come home and turn oven on to broil.  Dump full dry pint of (almost at the end of their rope) cherry tomatoes onto baking sheet.

2.  Drizzle with a little olive oil (a couple teaspoons should be fine), sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Give the baking sheet a good jiggle so it does all the even distribution for you.  How thoughtful.

3.  Put it on the top rack of your oven and broil it while you do the rest of the steps.

4.  Boil water.  Add one bundle (soba noodles come in bundles that serve one to two people) of soba noodles to boiling water.  Pat yourself on the back smugly, knowing that since soba is made of buckwheat, you are doing your health a favor.  Cook noodles for four minutes, when they will be done.

5.  While waiting for the water to boil and then for the noodles to cook, grab a jar of homemade or store bought pesto (the Classico brand is totally delicious) out of the fridge.  Also grab a handful or two (1/3 cup) of frozen peas and defrost them in some warm water.  Cut a lemon in half.  Get your strainer.  Does this seem like several steps?

6.  Drain pasta and put back into pot with defrosted and drained peas.  Take your tomatoes out of the broiler and add them all to the pot.  Add about 1/4 c. pesto to the pot, and squeeze your lemon half over all of it.  Stir.

7.  Divide into two portions (or one if you're really hungry) and top with chopped walnuts, parmesan cheese, or a good dose of "nooch" (nutritional yeast).  Feast, Beast!

This photo makes it look gross.  It was really un-gross!  In fact, it was pretty, pretty tasty.

The thought for the day brought to you by the tag on my Apple Cinnamon tea:

"The finest pleasure is kindness to others."
-Jean de La Bruyere

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Pesto Change-O!

Oh, now I remember why I don't watch horror movies!  Because they make me cry like a pathetic little scared baby.  In honor of Halloween, Jeremy and I decided to watch Season of the Witch while eating dinner and answering the door.  (Once, by the way.  We had only one group of trick or treaters.  Sad panda.)  It had Nick Cage in it- how bad could it be?  Pretty bad.  Like "release the demons and watch the plague eat peoples faces and turn them into zombies" bad.  Mmmm.  Hungry now?

Let's talk about pesto.  Our favorite pizza ever is the Cosmic Karma pizza at Mellow Mushroom.  It's this totally delicious swirl of regular pizza sauce and pesto sauce as the base, with toppings of fresh tomato, feta, and sun dried tomatoes that turn it into melty pizza bliss.  I can make pesto!  And you can too:

Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
3/4 cup raw walnuts or pine nuts (walnuts are cheaper, my friend)
1 tsp kosher salt

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Some people like it chunkier, and that's fine.  If you are into eating dairy, by all means dump at least 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese (use the good stuff, like parmigiano reggiano) into the mix.  This will make it thicker, so add more olive oil as desired.  Use as a topping for pizza, on fresh bread, mixed with pasta (or zucchini spaghetti) or mixed in with some ricotta and used in lasagna or eaten right of the dang spoon.  I chose to paint with mine.  Behold the artistry:

Finger painting for adults!  Wouldn't it be so festive if I smeared some on my face before answering the door for Trick or Treaters?  "Happy Halloween kiddos, from Swamp Thing's home to yers."  Oops, I just lost a reader.  Back to pizza construction.

I made swirls of my homemade pesto and jarred Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce from Whole Foods (because it's Halloween and I'm not trying to be Martha Stewart tonight) onto my homemade pizza crust.  I made an easy spelt flour/regular flour crust that was okay but not my favorite, so I won't post the recipe this time.  But you could totally make it so much easier on yourself and use a premade refrigerated crust.  Please do yourself a favor and don't use one in a can.  I have never been to a pizza place that wouldn't sell me a ball of their unbaked dough for super cheap.  Definitely work up the courage to be a weirdo and do this.  Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and many supermarkets also carry freshly made refrigerated or frozen pizza dough that is convenient, cheap and ready to go.  After you've painted your sauce(s) onto your blank canvas, it's time to start decorating.

Ours was festively decorated with thinly sliced onions and fresh red peppers, olives, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and local fresh goat cheese with herbs.  Jeremy's side had Cabot Seriously Sharp White Cheddar, and mine had the tablespoon I had left of my Daiya shredded vegan "cheddar" which I would totally recommend in a heartbeat.  I decided to let a few goat cheese crumbles mingle on my side since I am not trying to be a nazi about the whole no dairy thing.  Ten minutes at 425 degrees and dinner is ready and handheld.  Win!

We made short work of this pizza and totally demolished it.  I gave mine a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast and it was so good Jeremy actually put "that weird stuff on the counter" on his seconds!  Why don't I make pizza more often?  Happy November!

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Ecto Cooler, Anyone?

Ello, Poppet.

I have a confession, if you will.  While once I was a carnivorous, wild beast of a cook, feasting on delicious animal fats and hearty meat, cheese, and eggs (evidence here)... those days are gone.  At least for a little while.  Fear not omnivorous friends!  I'll continue to post recipes that can have meat, cheese, eggs, or what have you added to them.  But for my health's sake, I've decided to go with a largely meat and dairy free diet for a bit.  (I won't freak out if some animal product slips in unknowingly or in a pinch).

I'm not here to tell you that you should do the same either.  It's purely a personal choice, and the way I've been enjoying eating for almost a month now.  It's nice sometimes to step out of one's comfort zone and do something you thought you never (literally NEVER) thought you would or could do.  So when you see recipes on this site that use Earth Balance (a vegan butter substitute), or vegan "cheese," please feel free to substitute the real deal.  You'll also see some interesting ingredients you might not eat as a part of your regular diet- don't be afraid!  In the past three weeks I have discovered that chia seeds, hemp seeds, sea vegetables, and nutritional yeast are awesome additions to any diet and any chef's pantry.  Check out the links for more information on these power foods.

Have I lost you yet?  Leaping lizards, you're still here?!  Then let me tell you about my breakfast obsession.  It's big, green, and it's ALIVE!  Have you heard of the craze over green smoothies?  Google it.  It's rampant.  And no wonder!  Did you know that you can shove handfuls of greens like spinach and even kale into your fruit smoothie and not even TASTE IT?!  It's true.  The smoothie I made this morning was one of my favorites so far.  Behold:  The Ecto Cooler...

Okay, so it's not the ectoplasmic mucus that Slimer leaves behind in Ghostbusters, but remember that Hi-C juice box?!

Ingredients
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 ripe fresh or frozen banana
1/3 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 Tbsp nut butter (I used almond)
1 cup cold water
Ice cubes (optional)

Combine all ingredients except ice in blender.  Blend the heck out of it until it looks like the delicious slime above.  Add ice to thicken if needed and blend again.  This makes about a 24 oz. smoothie, or one serving.


Just in time for Halloween, this concoction looks disgusting, sounds scary, but tastes amazing and gives me enough energy that I don't even need my morning coffee!  Adding a healthy fat like almond butter, ground flax seeds, or hemp seeds gives it staying powder to hold off your appetite until lunchtime.  I have had a variation of this smoothie every single morning for the past three weeks, and I'm just getting started.  The key is to raid the frozen fruit section of your local Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, and you're always ready for a new combination.

Have you ever tried to go vegetarian/vegan/primal/paleo/etc?  
How did it go?

Asian Crunchberries

 

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Whoa!  Guess what?  I'm back.



Blogging takes a good deal of time and effort.  It's just the nature of the beast.  I can't tell you how many pictures of food I have on my phone from days that I almost got it together enough to share what I'd been up to.  I definitely missed it, and I'm so glad to be back!  But enough talk.  Let's cook!  Wheat berries. Yes, let's cook wheat berries.  I promise it's tasty. 

 This is one of those complete accident dishes that I'll totally do on purpose again soon.  I had just bought my very first pack of rice wraps so I could try my hand at fresh spring rolls.  Gotta get those veggies in.  After literally turning my kitchen upside down and having a mini meltdown when I wasn't able to find them, I was in a funk.  Seriously pouting.  I'd already chopped up a nice array of radishes, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, carrots and avocado into neat little matchsticks and slices and now my beautiful avocado was just doomed to turn brown.  In comes red wheat berries to save the day!  I'd been boiling the heck out of these babies for the last hour or so on the stove to add to salads and wraps during the week.  I'd had them once in a salad at Panera and have wanted to try them since.  They are a really affordable (bulk bin fun), delicious and chewy way to seem like your totes in the know and healthy chic. 

Because I made this in a frenzy of needing to use ingredients, needing Asian flavors (okay wanting), and needing to eat soon, this recipe is going to have a lot of approximations.  Don't let this stop you.  Make your own version and taste and season as you go, fair lad or lassie.  I promise you can't screw this one up even if you were born with hands like Edward Scissorhands.

Ingredients

4 large radishes, diced

1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries (hard red variety)

1 large or 2 small avocados, diced

2 large carrots, diced or shaved with vegetable peeler

1/2 large cucumber, seeded and diced

handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

two handfuls dry roasted peanuts, roughly crushed

2 whole chopped green onions, white and green parts

1 large yellow or orange bell pepper

Dressing

1 T toasted sesame oil

juice of 2 limes

2 T tamari or soy sauce (or to taste)

1 T rice wine vinegar

Dash of Sriracha
2 t brown rice syrup or maple syrup

Generous sprinkling of dulse flakes (dried seaweed)

 You can either make the salad and the dressing separately using the ingredients listed above and then combine, or if you're totally into winging it like I did, you can toss all the salad ingredients together, and then season according to taste with the individual ingredients listed above.  Keep tossing stuff in there until it tastes good.  Chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat or serve it.  I'm a sucker for anything that has a bunch of crunch and tangy flavor, and this has it all.  Are you totally weirded out that I have seaweed in my cabinet?!  Me too.  You can enjoy this salad chilled over a bed of lettuce, on its own, or wrapped up in a ginormous collard green leaf like I did for lunch today.  It doesn't get soggy like a tortilla and gives it a lot of eye appeal.  It's totally easy to be a collard burrito pro - check out this sweet tutorial for a leak free and oh-so-chic wrapper.

You could totally throw almost any vegetable in your fridge into the mix here.  The rules are there ain't no rules!  What was your last successful kitchen accident?  Do tell.

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Autumn in a Pretty Little Package

This is my favorite time of year.
In the season where everything is dying or preparing to hibernate or go dormant for winter, there is somehow an exciting tinge of hope for renewal in the air.  Something that just stirs my soul about the crispness in the air, the vibrant colors that seem to explode out of nowhere in the trees, the faint smell of burning leaves.
When the nights turn cool again and I start to crave soup constantly, well that's about the time that I become obsessive about "seasonal" dinners and my beloved deep orange Le Creuset dutch oven.  And while my perfect little pot helped me crank out some hearty lamb stew last night, our focus at present is the stuffed acorn squash that sits happily digesting in my belly in its fall festive splendor as I type.  Hungry yet?  Let's get to it.  Here's what you do:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Split an acorn squash (carefully) end to end, scooping out the stringy flesh and seeds in the middle.
3.  Cut a small sliver off the outside skin of each half so it sits level on a surface before seasoning the fleshy side with salt and pepper.  Put half a tablespoon of butter in each half.
4.  Place squash flesh side up in a roasting dish or casserole, and fill the dish with hot water to about halfway up the squash.  Bake in the oven loosely covered with foil for about 40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile
5.  Treat a small to medium onion to a fine dice and saute in 2 T olive oil with some bell peppers (if you have them on hand).  I used frozen tricolor peppers from Trader Joe's.  Also at this time add whatever meat you choose to add (if you want to add meat).  This would be a great meatless dish.  I used chicken olive artichoke sausages, but this would be great with ground beef, lamb, or really any kind of ground meat or sausage.  Cook on medium until vegetables are soft and meat is cooked through.

6.  While your veggie-meat mixture is working, and your squash are still in the oven, cook up some rice, couscous or quinoa.  I am a sucker for those Near East seasoned couscous-in-a-box deals, so I highly recommend those.  High on flavor, low on fuss, cooks in 5 minutes.  I used the parmesan couscous, but if I had the wild mushroom kind, I DEFINITELY would have used that.  (The earthiness would go so nice with this stuff).
7.  Take your squash very carefully out of the oven so you don't scald yourself, for goodness sakes.  Put each half on a plate.
8.  Dump couscous/rice/what have you into the veggie-meat mixture and stir.  I like to throw in a few tablespoons of raisins here.  Toss in some spinach to wilt if you like.  I left out the spinach tonight.
9.  Scoop your stuffing into the hollowed out squash halves, using an ice cream scoop if you really want to be snobby about it.  I like topping mine with herbed goat cheese (because it was in the fridge and almost gone) and some fresh parsley.
10.  Stuff yourself with the stuffed awesomeness.

So that looks like a lot of steps.  (I admittedly might have even listed two steps combined as one step just to see if you're paying attention.)  Look.  It's not a lot of steps, and it's all in all a pretty impressive dinner for minimal effort.  On the table in 40 minutes (with downtime therein!), and depending on what you choose to include or omit, a pretty darn affordable meal.

On a personal note:
Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue with the blog.  There is something so wonderful and gratifying about cooking and sharing it with others.  It really means a lot to know there are people willing to endure listening to me pontificate and spew food-talk.  I love you guys, and am happy to be back!

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Pad Thai Success!

Okay, so technically it might not be Pad Thai since I used ground turkey breast instead of shrimp.  But darn if it wasn't tasty.  And so easy!  Really, it took me no time to whip up this exotic weeknight meal.  I used the flat rice noodles I found at Trader Joe's called "Rice Sticks," but really you could even get away with using vermicelli.  Here's what I did:

Saute approximately 1 lb ground turkey breast with 1 chopped and seeded red pepper, 1 Tbsp shredded ginger, salt and pepper to taste, a couple tsp fish sauce, and 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic. 

While the turkey is working, grab a saucepan and whisk together 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 1 or 2 tsp sriracha (or other Asian hotsauce).  Bring to a simmer while the turkey finishes cooking.  Combine turkey and sauce and set aside or keep warm on low heat.

Bring the noodles to a boil and drain them when they are al dente, or slightly firm in the very center.  Toss with a large container of mung bean sprouts before combining this mixture with your turkey and sauce.  I added just a touch more soy sauce at this point.  Toss to thoroughly combine before plating.

Top each serving with sliced green onions (use white and green parts), crushed peanuts, and a bit of chopped cilantro if you have it.  Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top. 

Let me know if you try it!  To be honest, Asian is the most intimidating cuisine for me to cook.  One of my intentions in 2010 is to cook a lot more Asian dishes.  I want to feel more comfortable with it and expand my cooking into other cultural realms I've yet to explore.  Does anyone have any good tips for experimenting with this type of cuisine?  I may have to try and master a favorite of mine- Hot and Sour Soup!  Although I don't know if anyone can beat Shanghai Restaurant's preparation of that one.  Yum!

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