catching up + fresh starts

CATCHING UP + FRESH STARTS

First, I’ll play catch up with some dishes I never got around to posting.

Sweet Pea-tato Dumplings in Carrot Greens Broth

Excuse my constant making up of words on this blog, but I’ve got another one for you!  My sweet pea-tato dumplings are made of sweet potatoes and sweet peas.  When it comes to spring, I seriously crave peas, and this is a fun + innovative way to use them up.  I’m also a big fan of using all parts of the vegetable, so I made a broth featuring carrot tops.  The slight bitterness of carrot greens pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and sweet peas.  A whole ‘lotta sweet going on your taste buds will thank you for.

Whole Grain Porridge

Once in a blue moon, I get this awful canker sore in the very back corner of my mouth.  The pain is so intense that it hurts to swallow, smile, eat, drink, you name it.  Not to mention the awful metallic taste in your mouth (bleh).  I got one a few weeks back which put me out of solid foods for five miserable days.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll get sick of liquids pretty quick and your body will just naturally crave texture.. crunch.. something that doesn’t have to come out of a straw.  I found that I could somehow, slowly (but still painfully) eat soft vegetables and grains which meant one thing – porridge!

I made big batches, changing it up slightly each day.  The very first day is basic and as the week goes on, you tweak it and add to it so that eventually you’re left with a heaping marriage of flavors.  This dish also ensures that you pack in plenty of vitamins/nutrients/etc. that your body so desperately needs in a time of healing.

Dressed Up Cannellini Bean Salad w/ Braised Apples + Onions

Take any ordinary bean salad to the next level quickly and easily by incorporating some extra love.  In this case, I braised apples and red onions in a mixture of dijon mustard, balsamic, and maple syrup.  Pour this braised goodness directly over the beans/chopped cherry tomatoes/peppery arugula to create a wonderful steam bath of flavor that disseminates throughout.  Also, by keeping the tomatoes and arugula raw, the comforting nature of braised apples + onions are complemented with a nice touch of freshness.

Raw Broccoli Stem + Carrot Slaw w/ Almond Vinaigrette

Don’t toss those broccoli stems!  They make great raw slaws given their crunchiness.  I paired the broccoli stems with carrots, and lovingly smothered them in an almond vinaigrette.  Almonds (and any nuts, really) are secret weapons for producing healthy renditions of creamy dressings without dairy (like mayo or cream).  Soft tofu and avocados are great dairy substitutes too, but I think nuts produce the brightest and creamiest vegan dressings of the bunch.

Sweet Potato + Black Eyed Pea Kale Salad

If you ever catch yourself at a loss over what to make for dinner with limited ingredients, here is a great solution.  Think deconstructed veggie burger meets salad where the sweet potatoes and black eyed peas fill you right up.  These ingredients also soak in vinaigrettes very well, so you’re guaranteed to pull together a flavorful dish.  What more, you don’t need to douse your salad greens (in this case kale) with extra dressing because there’s already so much going on!  Try a bright, zesty vinaigrette for this one.  Great served warm or cold and perfect for picnics too.

Tri-Color Saffron Infused Quinoa w/ BBQ Marinated Vegetables

Did you really think I was going to leave out quinoa?  lol.  In this dish, while quinoa sits proudly in the middle, the gold star goes to the beautifully marinated vegetables!  My marinade was a bit of a play on BBQ sauce (think sweet, smoky, & tangy).  I let the vegetables marinade all day long so they were just fireworks of flavor by the time we ate them.  Kitchen smells amazing, your family will think you’re amazing, and you’ll feel amazing because it’s all just a bowl full of heart healthy goods.

~~~~~~~~~~

And now, for a word on fresh starts coming my (and therefore your) way!

My recent rejuvena-cation and bouts of downward dogs are soul-cleansing (yes) but also meant to open up new paths and shine a light of contentment back into my life.  Why back into my life?  Because for much too long, I admit to living by the rules and for the rules of how the outside world portrays happiness, success, and purpose.  I have been my own hypocrite when it comes to things like status, hierarchy, progression, materialism, and money.

A few months back, one door closed (that’s a nice way of saying my company shut down and I was let go) and instead of stepping through the next door that opened (taking a tempting new job offer), I made what feels like the scariest decision of my life to do something for me.

An entrepreneur at heart, I have many dreams.  Small dreams, big dreams, dreams that give back to the community and environment.  Right now, those dreams are in the form of pages and pages of bustling ideas.  I hope to bring those ideas to fruition in the coming months and years with the inkling that maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to call one or more of them a dream come true.

But before I can do any of that, I need to be in the right mindset and that’s what I’m working on now.  I refer to it as my detox phase from the corporate world where yoga has been a huge help in re-teaching me how to just be present and content with where I am.  Re-learning to breathe again.  Re-discovering what it’s like to wake up on a Monday morning happy and to have a consistent stream of energy throughout the entire week.

I look forward to sharing my new ventures with all of you!  I know many of you are in a similar situation or know someone who is.  Feel free to reach out at anytime.  Happy to have a chat with anyone .

“Smile at the world, and it will smile back.”

on the menu : sprouted “noodle” soup + strawberry fields salad

SPROUTED “NOODLE” SOUP + STRAWBERRY FIELDS SALAD

Sometimes, a simple soup and salad make the perfect meal.

The salad is a bunch of organic salad greens (baby kale, power greens), strawberries (still a little tart so perfect in salads), baby oranges (to balance the tartness of the berries), and dried fruit.  The vinaigrette is a concoction of lime, honey, balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

The soup was not supposed to be a soup at all, actually, but turned into one last minute.  I started out by sautéing red onions (for the salad).  Then I decided to quickly sauté some raw sprouts & legumes with the onions; just to impart some flavor.  I then thought it would be a good idea to add some liquids… before I knew it, I was pouring in a whole cup of vegetable broth and the sprouts turned into ‘noodles.’  It was the coolest thing and tasted awesome, so I went with it!

on the menu : cannellini bean + veggie stew

CANNELLINI BEAN + VEGGIE STEW

This is a simple, comforting vegetable stew that you can make with any beans/legumes you have on hand.  I opted for cannellini beans because they’re mild and pair great with deep greens (like kale).  Within the recipe itself, you’ll save yourself some legwork by cooking the sweet potato and fennel stems together.  This also allows the anise-like essence of fennel to blend into the sweet potatoes – win win!  ’Tis the season for fennel folks .

INGREDIENTS:

• Cannellini Beans (1 cup)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Celery (3)
• Sweet Potato (2)
• Kale (6 leaves)
• Fennel Stems (4)
• Garlic Clove (2)
• Herbes de Provence (1 tbsp)
• Fennel Pollen (Pinch)
• Vegetable Broth (1/2 cup)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep the cannellini beans in advance (if using dried beans).
2. Fill a pot with water (for the sweet potato and fennel stems).  Peel and chop the sweet potato into bite-size pieces.  Place in the water.  Also add the fennel stems.  Bring to a boil, salt, then cook on low until the potatoes are al dente.
3. Meanwhile, chop up the onion, garlic clove, and celery.
4. Drizzle some oil into a large stock pot and add these ingredients.  Place on your stove, turn the heat on low, and allow the onions to slowly cook.  Season with herbes de provence, fennel pollen (a little goes a long way), salt + pepper.
5. Once the vegetables have sweated out, pour in the vegetable broth and add the cannellini beans.
6. Roughly chop up the kale leaves (post cleaning them thoroughly and removing the thick stem, of course).  Add to the pot, give it a stir, cover and allow them to wilt.
7. By now, your potatoes should be a little under fork tender.  Drain, remove the fennel stems, chop them up, then add the potatoes and fennel stems to the pot.  Gently stir everything together.  Season with salt + pepper.
8. Lower the heat to a simmer and let sit for a good 15 minutes.

on the menu : weekly recipe round-up part… who knows?

WEEKLY RECIPE ROUND-UP PART… WHO KNOWS?

Welcome to another batch of home cooked meals, bundled up into one big post (aka I openly admit to procrastination in posting these when I made them).  Alas, enjoy .

WASABI SHOYU RAMEN

Inspired by a semi-recent trip to Ippudo in NYC, I made a healthier version of their only vegetarian ramen – wasabi shoyu ramen.  The broth is not overbearing in wasabi heat, but has just the right amount of kick to keep you going in for more.  I used brown rice noodles instead of traditional ramen noodles, added lots of vegetables, scallions, ginger, and sesame seeds for a no-guilt “ramen” dish.

KALE SALAD W/ BAKED MUNG-A-LAFELS, APPLES, + RAISINS

My go-to detox beans – mung beans make great imitation falafels.  I sautéed some onions and mixed them into the mung bean “batter” to add another layer of flavor, but these guys taste great with just their mung bean selves.  This time around I’ve added mung-a-lafels to some nutrition-packed kale (found aplenty this time of the year), crispy apples, and raisins.  The vinaigrette with a lemon juice base plays double duty by brightening up the dish and keeping the apples from browning.  Fun, colorful, playful, forkfuls of vitamins/nutrients/minerals/etc. = add this to your dinner menu now.

LEEK MUSHROOM + SPINACH QUICHE

A gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian quiche held together by silken tofu.  You don’t taste any tofu thanks to the fragrant leeks, earthy mushrooms, and leafy spinach.  Quiche is often associated with breakfast or brunch, but I find it makes a perfectly fitting dinner as well.  Minimal prep time, leave it alone while it cooks in the oven, all sorts of deliciousness and goodness packed in each bite.

THAI BASIL COCONUT RED LENTIL CURRY

I obsess over Thai basil – it’s crazy how the aromatics in this herb almost get amplified with heat.  This curry came together with a few simple ingredients – onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, red lentils (which turn orange/yellow when cooked) – all dancing in a smooth coconut milk base.  This is a nice, light curry that can easily be enjoyed on its own or with a side of brown rice.

DRESSED UP DOSAS

A lover of Indian food, I took the concept of dosas but gave it my own twist.  The sauce is a purée of beets, chickpeas, and lots of spices.  To combat the heat, I made a simple cucumber and tomato salad dressed with a little lemon juice and scallions.  I used a mixture of chickpea flour and water to create the dosas and dinner turned into ‘dosa night.’  You know, kinda like taco night, but with dosas.  We live on the edge .

CITRUS + AVOCADO ZEN SALAD

What makes a salad ‘zen?’  Nothing… really.  It’s just a marketing ploy, but hey, got me!  The zen mixture has some Asian salad greens mixed with traditional herb greens.  Sitting atop the zen greens are some pretty winter grapefruit, oranges, avocado, and lightly toasted pine nuts.  The vinaigrette is an emulsion of the citrus juices, balsamic, a little honey, a little mustard, salt + pepper.  This is a great way to take advantage of those bulk citrus sales at your local store.  Citrus pairs beautifully with avocado and will keep them bright green.  #namaste

PASTA CON LE SARDE ALLA PALERMITANA

My guess is that many of you are not huge fans of sardines or anchovies.  I’ll admit, growing up, I associated anchovies with anchovy pizza and that’s not the most attractive means of enjoying those omega 3 and calcium-packed guys.  I highly encourage you to ease into cooking with anchovies or sardines because they’re divine.  They don’t taste as fishy as they smell, they add a natural infusion of salt, and impart a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This pasta is an inspiration from Palermo, Italy.  Primary ingredients aside from the anchovies and sardines are fennel tops, golden raisins, onion, saffron, dried red chile, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt + pepper.  Super simple, right?  And so delicious.  A true Palermian party in your mouth.

on the menu : braised french lentils w/ oven roasted rainbow carrots

BRAISED FRENCH LENTILS W/ OVEN ROASTED RAINBOW CARROTS

Earthy.  Rustic.  Fragrant.  Yum.  This dish is all about layering flavors and aromatics into a composed dish.  My inspiration and star of this dish are the rainbow carrots.  I’m a huge carrot fan in general but when I saw these colorful wonders on sale the other day, I nearly ran to grab a bunch.  #Sadbuttrue.

Your kitchen will smell amazing as the carrots roast away in the oven, your lentils braise away in a thyme infused bath, and your mushrooms dance away with the bright carrot greens (no wasting those carrot tops!).

INGREDIENTS:

• Button Mushrooms (3/4 lb)
• Carrot Tops (1 tbsp chopped)
• Garlic (1 clove)
• French Lentils (1 cup)
• Thyme (Bunch)
• Rainbow Carrots (Bunch)
• Balsamic Vinegar (2 tbsp)
• Maple Syrup (2 tbsp)
• Mirin (Dash)
• Dried Red Chile Flakes (1 tsp)
• Water (2 cups)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F.
2. Clean the carrots well and chop off the tops.  Dry and place in an ovenproof dish.
3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, salt + pepper until combined.  Pour over the carrots and use a brush to coat all sides.
4. Once the oven has heated, pop in the carrots.
5. Meanwhile, place the French lentils in a pot.  Add the water.  Place the thyme in an herb bag and place in the water.  Turn on the heat and allow the lentils to cook up to al dente (roughly 25-30 min)
6. While the carrots and lentils are cooking, dice up the mushrooms.
7. Chop up about a tbsp of carrot leaves.  Grate down a clove ginger.
8. In another pot, drizzle some olive oil and add the chopped carrot leaves and grated ginger.  Also add the dried red chiles.  Start the heat off low and let the aroma build into the oil.
9. Add the diced mushrooms, some salt + pepper, and raise the heat to medium-low.  Let the mushrooms sauté and sweat out.
10. Pour in a dash of mirin and another 1/4 cup of water to the mushrooms.  Let the mushrooms cook up and continue to season as necessary.
11. Once the lentils have cooked, remove the herb bag, drain and place back into the pot.  Pour in the mushroom mixture and stir gently until well combined.  Season with salt + pepper as necessary.
12. Take the carrots out of the oven.
13. Plate the lentils first, top with carrots, and drizzle any leftover jus from the roasted carrots.

recipe round-up: kick start your new year with plenty of whole foods!

Welcome to a brand new year, friends!

I have been busy concocting lots of healthy, fortune-infused (read: black eyed peas), vibrant, dishes packed with whole foods.  As I enter the new year, I am reminded by the joy that my devotion to this lifestyle brings me (mentally, physically, spiritually).  Here’s to an ever-exciting 2013 filled with new opportunities and plenty of time to cook healthy and eat deliciously.

Kimchi Fried [Brown] Rice

Japanese Yam Latkes w/ Harissa Sauce

Roasted Butternut Squash + Carrot Ginger Soup

Black Eyed Pea Salad w/ Roasted Poblano + Jalepeño Vinaigrette

Japanese Yam Spinach Curry

Braised Red Cabbage Topped w/ Black Eyed Pea Salad + Apples

Wild Mushroom + Roasted Chestnut Soup

Roasted Pear + Beet Kale Salad

Kitchen Sink Red Curry

Sicilian Inspired Wild-Caught Salmon Pasta

Spinach Quinoa w/ Macerated Fennel + Cucumber and a Side of Citrus

Kimchi Soft Tofu Stew

on the menu : shrimp green curry

SHRIMP GREEN CURRY

Warm your soul this winter with a soothing curry.  This version is a fusion green curry marrying Thai and Vietnamese flavors.  Super light but full of vibrant flavors, I’ve paired the curry with mung beans (vs. rice) to kick up the health factor.  Make a big batch because this is one of those dishes that gets better the longer it sits.

INGREDIENTS:

• Shrimp
• Lemongrass
• Green Beans
• Scallions
• Ginger
• Shiitake Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Kaffir Leaves
• Coconut Milk
• Thai Green Curry
• Soy Sauce
• Lime
• Oil
• Salt + White Pepper

on the menu : lots of catchin’ up!

LOTS OF CATCHIN’ UP!

You all know the drill.  End of the year, last quarter of the year (for you business-folk), holidays approaching = absolute busiest time of the year!  But also… the most fun time of year for us cooks who have plenty of reason to push through and delight friends and family with new culinary creations.

So what’s been cooking in my kitchen?

All kinds of stuff!  I’ll do a quick re-cap below and apologize for lack of details behind ingredients and directions this time around.

AUTUMN BROWN RICE W/ DRIED CHERRIES + PECANS

SICILIAN INSPIRED CALAMARI PASTA

BROWN RICE EARTH BOWL

SHREDDED RAW BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

JULIENNED VEGETABLE STEW

GRILLED CALAMARI

PUMPKIN + 3 BEAN CHILI W/ AVOCADO CREAM

RAW RADISHES + APPLES + BRUSSELS SPROUT OVER QUINOA

GRILLED WHOLE BRONZINI

Stay tuned for my annual Thanksgiving feast re-cap .

on the menu : roasted kabocha + black bean soup

ROASTED KABOCHA + BLACK BEAN SOUP

Currently obsessing over roasted squash and bean soups.  The textures and flavors of the two combined in a purée are divine.

In the world of a squashes, I have to say kabocha is still my absolute favorite.  Its nutty, caramel-under toned flavor gets me each time.

INGREDIENTS:

• Kacbocha Squash (1)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Garlic Clove (1)
• Mushrooms (Handful)
• Kale (Handful)
• Black Beans (1 cup)
• Vegetable Broth (64 oz)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep the black beans by soaking them in water overnight.  On the day of, drain and set aside.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F for the kabocha.
3. Cut the kabocha in half and spoon out the seeds.  Cut in half (lengthwise) again and place on a baking sheet.  Place into the oven to roast until tender; roughly 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, finely chop up the onion and garlic.  Drizzle some oil into a stock pot (one that can handle an immersion blender) and add the chopped onions and garlic.  Turn the heat on low, season with salt + pepper.
5. Add to the pot the black beans and stir with the onions and garlic.  Pour in the vegetable broth and water, raise the heat to medium-high.  Once the broth comes to a light boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and allow the beans to cook.
6. Once your kabocha is done, remove from the oven and set aside.
7. Once your beans have cooked, add half of the kabocha flesh to the pot and stir.  Use an immersion blender to purée until relatively smooth.
8. Chop up the mushrooms and kale.  Add to the pot and stir into the soup to cook.  Season with salt + pepper.
9. Add the rest of the kabocha squash to the pot and stir into the soup.
10. Allow the soup to simmer for another 15-20 minutes (it will be even better the following day) and serve.

on the menu : white bean + kale soup

WHITE BEAN + KALE SOUP

The autumn season really puts me in the mood for comforting soups like this one.  This particular soup is nothing fancy, budget-friendly, but indulgently yummy.  Puréeing the beans makes this soup silky smooth.  The best part?  It always tastes better the next day and therefore makes for perfect leftovers/lunch/snack.

Too much leftovers (if there ever is such a thing) – Try adding some brown rice and mushrooms to transform this into a “risotto” of sorts.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cannellini Beans (1 cup)
• Kale (Large Bunch)
• Celery Stalks (2)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Garlic Cloves (2)
• Smoked Paprika (1 tsp)
• Herbes de Provence (2 tbsp)
• Vegetable Broth (64 oz) + Water
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the dried cannellini beans a day in advance.  On the day of, drain and rinse well.
2. Drizzle oil into a large pot (one that can handle an immersion blender).
3. Finely chop up the onion and add to the pot.  Turn the heat on low and allow the onions to slowly heat through.
4. Finely chop up the celery and garlic cloves.  Add to the pot with the onions.  Season with salt + pepper.
5. Toss in the herbes de provence and smoked paprika.
6. The trick here is to allow the vegetables to cook at this low temperature, stirring occasionally.
7. Once the onions turn glassy, add the drained and pre-soaked cannellini beans to the pot.
8. Pour in vegetable broth and water to the beans.  Season with salt + pepper and stir.
9. Raise the heat to medium and allow the broth and water to heat up and come to a light boil.  As soon as it does, lower to a simmer, cover and allow the soup to sit for a good hour.
10. Once the hour is up and the beans have cooked, use your immersion blender to purée the soup.  Taste and season as necessary.
11. Add in some bite-sized kale leaves and allow them to wilt into the soup.