Cardamom Oat Bars!

It's no secret that I love well-spiced anything as long as it's vegan! Lately my favorite smoothie has been a creamy treat made of raw coconut, dates, spinach, and a heaping spoonful of freshly ground cardamom.  (Thanks Naturewell!) Inspired by this new favorite treat, and my recent increase in appetite due to daily yoga and long-distance cycling, I decided to make a sweet post-workout treat in the form of these chewy not-quite cookies and not-quite granola bars. Cut the bars the small, like 3 bites small so you can enjoy one batch all week!

Cardamom is an amazing spice, not just because of it's ability to make savory dishes earthy and complex and sweets aromatic, but because it's an incredible detoxifier, that supports digestion and soothes the stomach. In Ayurveda cardamom is used to balance all three doshas (not many foods are considered this balancing!) and who doesn't need a little help to feel more balanced? These bars also contain almonds and dates, hemp and flax seeds, and organic coconut-- all great sources of heart healthy fats and fiber.

Make these as an afternoon treat and let me know what you think! They're nice with a mild tea (lemongrass and mint perhaps?) or big glass of frosty cold almond milk on the side.

Cardamom Oat Bars (Makes 12 2" bars)
1 1/3 cups organic rolled oats
1/6 cup ground flax seed
1/6 cup ground hemp seed
1/3 cup organic almond meal
1/3 cup + 2 T organic, unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped raw organic almonds (chop them using a heavy knife, not in the food processor for more crunch in the bars)
6 organic noor dates, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup organic maple syrup
1/3 cup organic almond butter
1/4 cup organic unsweetened and unflavored almond milk
1 teaspoon high quality vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a small baking dish with a parchment paper sling so that you can easily slide the finished bars our of the dish.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, ground flax and hemp, almond meal, coconut, almonds, cardamom, and salt. Once well combined, work the chopped dates in until they are evenly distributed in the dry mixture.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Pour into the dry and work the mixture until it is sticky, but not wet and all ingredients are well-combined and evenly distributed. Press the mixture into the lined baking dish so that it is an even 1/2" thick and shape the edges with a spatula or your fingers so that the dough forms a neat rectangle that doesn't quite touch the edges of the dish. Score the top of the uncooked bars to make them easier to cut when they are done baking and bake them at 350 for thirty minutes.

Allow the bars to cool completely on a baking rack before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, if they last that long!

In other news, I'm working on launching a supper club in Los Angeles that will combine my love of music, literature, art, and vegan food! Stay tuned for news, and beware that I'll be moving this blog to CrownandRoots.com very, very soon.

Core Work: Day 7

Core Work

A friend sent this to me. I'm not sure where credit is due, but in the wide world of inspirational jpegs, I'm quite fond of this one!

So, yes, I've been discouraged. I've made HUGE strides with my anxiety and my eating disorder. I feel like I am swinging less between normal eating habits and weird binges on "new" and exciting, previously restricted foods, I'm not punishing myself for spending hot summer nights drinking margaritas and eating tacos with my babe... But, I find that every time I take a step forward in one area, I take two back in another! So, all this great, great work aside, I'm in constant career bum out mode, and it is great to have a reason to refocus, and show some loved ones their light, so I can remember where mine is!

Chris left for 3 weeks in the Midwest this morning and on the way to the airport I resolved to practice yoga for a minimum of 60- 90 minutes everyday until he returns. 21 days. Yoga every day. For the last year or so I've been practicing primarily with teachers who always seem to have a theme for class, so as I was sitting on the 110, crying like a baby wishing it were the end of the month already, I decided to chin up and sit up, and work on my discipline.

So, August will be about core work.

My physical core has always been my weakest link, and it results in lots of injuries, pain, and is just a disheartening and constant reminder of my lack of discipline in certain areas of my life. At work, when I'm working, no problem, I'm all discipline all the time. But, I, like a lot of others, have a hard time disciplining myself to do my own work. Discipline, of course, is even harder to maintain when I've spent more than a year un(der)employed and doing overtime (and making real strides!) on my eating disorder and anxiety. The looking for work and the doing of tough emotional work is exhausting and makes it easy to lose sight of the light sometimes. But, when I look at myself now, compared to last fall and winter, I may not look as svelte as I'd like, but I have muscles again, and a glow and a tan and a smile that I'd like to hold up with my heart out. And... I'm writing, and making art, and conceiving of (and actually starting!) projects... So, ab work, here we go!

In yoga, pretty much every pose and transition, executed properly, uses all the strength of your core. When you're not using those wrapping, lifting muscles, asanas feel heavy and crunched, your back or hips will start to strain because you aren't lifting up and supporting yourself. The same is true when you're not practicing... If you lose the support of your core, your joyful heart, your stable connection to yourself, you crunch down and get heavy, moving is laborious, goals become obscured.

So, I am confident that making this temporary commitment to intensive daily discipline will be rewarding, and illustrate that discipline doesn't have to be a vacation from my modus operandi. Instead of being a sacrifice, or something that is overwhelming, daily discipline can add levity to challenges, bring a smile to my face, and help keep things like a year of un(der)employment in perspective!

In addition to the daily yoga I'm also going to focus on revisiting the core of my other daily practices by eating simply, restricting alcohol to 1- 2 drinks / week, and dedicating time to meditation and reflection on my values, goals, and current projects every day. Having been vegan for several years, making compassionate choices for food, cosmetics, and other consumables is easy, but as these choices become automatized, the awareness they used to bring to my other activities-- the way I share the sidewalk, or my thoughts, or express my concerns, affections, or frustrations-- has diminished. At the core of myself there is an active joy, a powerful belief in a kindness that stems from active thought, creativity, and awareness, but this core can be obscured by ways of being that are "less work," like laziness, poor listening, and a short tempered response. These responses seem like less work in the present, but create more work in the future! It's the same with yoga-- work the part of the pose you can now, actively imagine yourself coming into the full pose, even if your body isn't ready. Your mind will get you there before your biceps bulge, as long as you hold your center :)

While this is usually a recipe blog, it's been so hot, and I've honestly been feeling so bummed and discouraged, that I haven't been cooking too much lately. I'm afraid the next several weeks will be equally dry in terms of exciting recipes as I'm trying to not only eat simply, but also to save money for a trip to the redwoods and a friend's wedding over Labor Day weekend. So, expect yoga updates, and lentils, and breakdown trips to cafe gratitude!

In the meantime, I made this soup, with only minor adjustments, last week and we loved it! I definitely recommend shelling out for the Rancho Gordo beans if you can (these are amazing and so creamy and beautiful, and in the bulk bins in our whole foods!!!), but I'm equally sure that black eyed peas or great northern beans would be really good in this as well. It makes a ton of soup, freezes well, and yes, you definitely are going to use two heads of garlic in this recipe. Don't skimp! I added a drizzle of equal parts parsley purée and olive oil with a bit of lemon zest and sea salt when serving, and have been reheating the soup with cubed zucchini to stretch it out and amp up the veggie component. Enjoy.

With wishes for love and lightness, and strong centers!

The best intentions lead to sushi

When I started updating this blog again, I fully intended to update weekly. I have been cooking like a grandmother who survived a war and needs to sustain her entire extended family on 3,500 calories a day, but I've been too busy to document! Last week we had potato and kale enchiladas, a riff on a Veganomicon recipe with green sauce and cashew cheese served with black beans and "Mexican" quinoa, spicy peanut noodle salad, Chickpea Picatta (the first thing I've made from Appetite for Reduction...I never use cookbooks, but I'm trying to get more protein in our dinners at the request of the gentleman in the house), pounds of peaches and strawberries, lemony massaged kale with cranberries and walnuts...And the list goes on, but I always fail to take a picture and keep track of what I'm making. I'm sorry, I'll do better in July, I hope!

June was a full month of road-tripping through the Southwest, family time with family I don't really know in Southern IL, too much work and some big life changes. I was given an amazing gift in the form of a scholarship to my yoga studio! Yay Urth! The beloved is now member number 3 of the loveshack household, trying to be as veg as possible (Amazing, people, it's amazing and inspirational and driven by his own desires and it makes my heart sing, even when he mentions probably, maybe being OK eating "happy" meat...For the record, this girl doesn't believe in "happy meat, but she believes in people going at their own pace and doing the best they can and also really loves this person, whether he believes in "happy meat" or not.), and requesting a more calorie and protein dense meal plan. I am really, really loving being able to cook for someone else and am finding trying to balance my desires for the über healthy and low-cal/fat meals and his need for fat, protein, and carbs a useful exercise in my ED recovery. It's definitely easier to feel very comfortable actually eating meals with veganaise, or some cashew cheese, or whatever, when you have the love, support, and enthusiastic "yumming" of  a happy partner! Guys, I ate half of a vegan chocolate croissant today and did not freak out and did not spend the rest of the day planning how far I should run to burn it off. I AM MAKING SERIOUS PROGRESS OVER HERE.

July is off to a great start with a potential October internship at Animal Place, an interview to do some home-cooking, and the much anticipated quitting of the job at the not-vegan restaurant I shall not name that serves not vegan food and labels it vegan, and soon I'll never have to say "would you like bacon with that?' again unless I am referring to Tempeh! Yahoo! I will say, that I am already feeling a little bit of missing for my amazing co-workers though, seriously, I work with the nicest, most driven and funny and sweet-hearted folks at that place. But, as I said to C-- Ditch the crap job, keep the lovely friends. Best of both worlds.

C is not much of a kitchen-lover, but this past weekend he cheerily chipped in to help me make a sushi "labyrinth" for our much anticipated viewing of The Labyrinth at Hollywood Forever with our delightful (newish, yay!!!) friends, Dana and Paxton, who I've just realized share initials with another couple I love (and miss) Danica and Peter. (Come visit LA guys!) Even though Saturday was vegan pizza day, the hot weather found me craving sushi and C and I's addiction to all things Vietnamese threw me the idea of pairing maki with spring rolls for a delightful "labyrinthine" platter. (Or, actually 2...See that paragraph about me cooking like someone who lived through a war!) D&P brought some amazing picnic foods (like that spinach /phyllo thing you see below) including the most ridiculous spicy maple almonds, ever and a fabulous fairytale time was had by all!

The thing about sushi is that there are a lot of steps, but if you prep ahead, you can make a lot of rolls with not too much time spent laboring in the kitchen. Brown rice sushi has always been my favorite way to go and I like to keep my home-made rolls simple (unless I make some spicy tempeh "tuna")-- blanched veggies, avocado, maybe some almond butter. But, I'll give you my tips below and my recipe for sriracha citrus tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce...An easy crowd pleaser that will solve your Vietnamese cravings without any worries about creepy non-vegan food contamination.

Did I mention I got food poisoning in Southern IL and am back on the NO NON VEG RESTAURANTS path... Nothing like barfing on an airplane my friends, nothing. 

Brown Rice Sushi "Buddha Belly Rolls"

A friend used to make these for me and they've become my favorite combo for at home sushi. Make the rice and slice and blanch the veggies the day before while you're making dinner or prepping for the week and the rolls take a lot less time when you're hungry and ready to eat, or running late getting ready to party!

Ingredients

1 cup short grain brown rice

1 T sugar

1 T rice vinegar

1 T mirin

1/2 t sea salt

1 head broccoli sliced into long skinnies, you want to keep a lot of stem here as the florets can really only be used to poke out the ends of your rolls

3 carrots (peeled) and sliced into long skinnies

1 bell pepper, sliced into long skinnies

1/2 mango sliced into (you guessed it, long skinnies!)

1 avocado sliced into long skinies

1/2 c raw almond butter

** We also made some using some leftover minced cilantro, basil, and mint from the spring rolls and they were extra, super amazing, so I recommend making some like this if you're chopping herbs already !

nori sheets (this makes about 12 rolls, so you'll need about 12 sheets)

tamari

wasabi

pickled ginger

To make the sticky rice, cook the brown rice in 1.5 cups of water and stir in the the sugar, rice vinegar, mirin and sea salt while it's still very warm. Chill in the fridge and let come to room temperature before using. You can make your rice a day ahead NO PROBLEM. In fact, I recommend doing so!

Blanch the broccoli and carrots and then dry them well. To do this I steam these guys for about 3 minutes MAX and then immediately dump them into a big bowl of ice water. You want them to keep most of their crunch. I also usually do this ahead of time.

When you're ready to make your rolls have all of the components assembled on separate plates / bowls so you can grab things easily. Keep a clean kitchen towel and bowl of cool filtered water at your side.

Spread about 1/4 cup of rice evenly over the bottom third of one piece of nori. Wet your fingers and take about 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter in your hands and work it carefully into a little snake. Press it into the center of the rice. Neatly arrange slices of mango, carrot, broccoli, red pepper and avocado over the almond butter. You want just one "line" of each component running the entire width of the nori. Keep your filling contained and sparse. Wipe your hands. Lift the bottom of the nori and pull it over all of the rice and fillings, using your thumbs to guide the nori and your fingers to keep the rice, etc. tucked in neatly. Pull back on your edge and then roll your maki as tightly as you can. Use wet fingers to seal the roll and then set aside. Repeat until you run out of rice! 

When you slice your maki use a sharp serrated knife and clean it and get it wet between every cut. This will keep things looking tidy! Serve with tamari, wasabi, pickled ginger and a smile.

Sriracha-Citrus Tofu Spring rolls

10 oz super firm tofu (I like wildwood, but know this can be a divisive choice!)

2 T sriracha (I use Organic Valley, because it's vegan and organic, but you can use the rooster if you wish!)

Juice from 2 sweet oranges and 2 limes

1 T tamari

1 T maple syrup

1/2 package of raw kelp noodles

1/2 cup of napa cabbage, shredded

1 carrot shredded

1/2 cup cilantro, minced

1/2 cup mint, minced

1/2 cup basil, minced

8 rice paper wrappers

Peanut Sauce

2" ginger, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2/3 c natural peanut butter (meaning there are two ingredients, peanuts and salt) 

2 T sriracha

3 T tamari

1 T mirin

1 T maple syrup

Warm water to thin

To start, press your tofu for about an hour. Blend the sriracha, citrus juice, tamari, and maple in a bowl. Slice the tofu into 8 1/4" thick rectangles and marinate over night (or for at least a couple hours).

Bake the tofu at 375 on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I like to do about 15 minutes on each side. Slice each rectangle in half length-wise so you have 16 pieces of tofu.

Make the peanut sauce while your 'fu's are baking. In a small food processor, mince the garlic and ginger until very fine. Add the peanut butter, sriracha, tamari, mirin, and maple syrup and blend until creamy. Thin the sauce to your desired consistency by adding warm water 1 T at a time. (I usually use no more than 1/3 cup of water.)

Again, you'll want to assemble your components before you start rolling. You'll need a pie plate full of hot water, a clean flat surface like a large dinner plate, and a clean kitchen towel. 

Soak a sheet of rice paper in the hot water until soft and sticky. Lay it out on the dinner plate and arrange 2 pieces of tofu, a small handfull of kelp noodles, a small handful of napa and carrots, and a generous portion of minced herbs on the botton third of the wrapper like you're making a tiny burrito. I like to stack the components like floors in a building so that when you slice the rolls you can see each layer clearly. Rolling rice wrappers is basically the same as working with a sticky tortilla, so pull the bottom over your fillings, pull back on everything, fold up your ends and roll tightly! Repeat until you're out of tofu.

I like to serve these sliced in half, with the peanut sauce in a big communal bowl! As a note, this makes enough peanut sauce to garnish these rolls and to make a decent portion of peanut noodle salad the next day, or later that night, or whenever you just need more peanut sauce. It's addictive stuff.

xoxo, a

Quinoa Pasta and Farmer's Market Veggies with Red Lentil and Sundried Tomato Sauce

My favorite part of every week is waking up early on Sunday, taking a hike through Griffith Park, and then spending a long hour or two at the Hollywood Farmer's Market, doing my very best to not spend every cent I have to my name on the jewel toned produce, raw nuts that redefine what the flavor of a walnut is, and fermented sourdough bread from Bazan's bakery flecked with seeds, herbs and fruit.

Friends, when I say I have a love affair with plants, I mean it. My relaxation time everyday is watching the bees pollinate my vegetable plants, or visiting my favorite gardens in the neighborhood on a long walk. This pasta highlights simple spring veggies in a high-protein, savory sauce that could easily be adapted to a variety of flavor profiles. I used fresh carrots and broccoli in this batch, but asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, bitter greens, would all be nice additions. The goal here is to have equal parts veggies and pasta. Think of this as a template to add your unplanned veggies to!

Quinoa Pasta with Farmers Marker Veggies and Red Lentil and Sun-dried Tomato Sauce (Serves 4)


For the sauce
2 teaspoons
1 small leek, sliced in half moons
1 large shallot, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano, thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 cup organic red lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup high quality tomato paste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

For the Pasta
1 box Quinoa spaghetti
2 heads of broccoli sliced into florets
1 bunch carrots, scrubbed and sliced into long thin pieces
2 avocados sliced
2 tablespoons caper berries

Optional Garnish
minced fresh parsley and tarragon
chopped sun-dried tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
crushed red pepper

Heat the oil over low heat in a medium sauce pot and sweat the shallot and leek until fragrant, add the crushed garlic cloves, and cook 3 minutes more. Then add the dried herbs and lentils and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sundried tomatoes and vegetable stock, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and uncover the pot and cook until the lentils break down and there is no excess stock left in the pot (About 30 minutes). Stir periodically to avoid scorching. When the lentils are cooked, add the tomato paste and nutritional yeast and then blend until smooth with either an immersion or traditional blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When you start the lentils, bring 8 cups of water and 1/4 cup of sea salt to a boil in a large pot. When the lentils are almost done, add the pasta (which should take about 8 minutes to cook) to the boiling water. Add the sliced vegetables when you have 3 minutes left on your timer to cook them gently. If you're using greens or mushrooms, cook them separately. If you're using asparagus, you may only want to give them a minute to cook to avoid veggie mush.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and pour it into a large mixing bowl with the finished lentil sauce. Toss the pasta and vegetables with the sauce, capers, and sliced avocado. Serve topped with fresh herbs and tomatoes. Serve immediately. (If you are planning on leftovers, don't toss the avocado with the pasta!)

The Caviar of Legumes: Black Lentils!

Image from the Earthy Delights Blog: http://earthydelightsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Black-Beluga-Lentils.jpg

Black lentils are beautiful, glossy, iron-rich, mild in flavor and hold their shape well when cooked. For this reason, they're often referred to as the "caviar of legumes!" I like black lentils for salads because they hold their shape and soak up whatever flavors you throw at them. I also like them because a single serving contains 20% of your RDV of iron, 13 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fiber while only costing you 170 calories. In Ayurvedic medicine, black lentils are said to be especially good for athletes, women who've recently given birth, and others who need a boost of nutritional energy. Because of their high iron and fiber content, black lentils move slowly through the digestive system and have some detoxifying properties. All more reasons to add this beautiful lentil to your legume rotation.

With a big glass jar of black lentils smiling in my pantry, many heavy bags of produce from the farmer's market, and a busy, busy week ahead I put together a bright dressing of fresh orange, lemon, mint and tarragon to toss with the lentils, shaved fennel, tart apple, and thinly sliced Persian cucumbers. This salad is a great, high-protein component of a multi-salad lunch-- light enough to avoid the mid-afternoon urge to snack and nap and filling enough to keep you going until dinner. Plus, each one-cup serving clocks in under 200 calories!

Black Lentil Salad with Fennel, Mint, and Fresh Herbs

1 cup organic black lentils, picked over and rinsed
1" piece organic kombu (optional)

1 small bulb fennel
1 medium tart apple
2 small Persian cucumbers
1 small young sweet onion (Like you find at the market, about 1.5- 2" in diameter, and sugar sweet, not spicy. Red onion will work in a pinch, but change the flavor a bit.)

1 fresh organic navel orange, juiced and zested
1 fresh organic lemon, juiced and zested
2 T organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
~ 15- 20 leaves fresh mint
1/3 cup fresh tarragon

sea salt and pepper to taste

Tools
Box grater with mandoline
Sharp knife
fine colander
mixing bowl
3 Qt. Pot
Reamer


Simmer the lentils and kombu in 4 cups filtered water for 20- 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place the colander over a large mixing bowl. Place the lentils, in the colander, in the freezer to cool.

Either use a small food processor to combine the orange and lemon juice with the olive oil and fresh herbs, or chop the herbs very fine and toss with the liquid ingredients and set aside. Reserve 1 T of orange zest.

Using the box grater, grate the apple, and shave the fennel bulb, cucumbers, and sweet onion on the mandoline. You can also use a very sharp knife to slice the veggies into thin pieces.

When the lentils are cool, toss with the veggies, dressing, and zest. Let the salad sit and chill for at least one hour before tasting for salt and pepper and serving.

Today I had this salad paired with deep purple kale massaged with a variation on Gena's (From Choosing Raw) "Outstanding Miso Dressing," where I replaced the agave with maple syrup, doubled the ginger, and added a hefty squeeze of lime to finish it off! The kale salad just gets better with the addition of grated beets and sunrise carrots and a handful of chopped scallions. The flavors are very different, but to me, it was a perfect lunch worthy not just of my fancy stainless steel to-go ware, but also of a party platter.

30- Minute Meals, AKA MOVE OVER RACHEL RAY!

Ok, even though my goal was only to post once a week with something really super delicious, notable, and seasonal, and this will be my third post this week, it's meant as a rejoinder to yesterday's encouragement to RISE!

I think cooking every meal for yourself, especially when single, is a huge challenge. I am responsible for all the buying, prepping, cooking, and cleaning... And, while it's one of my great loves, sometimes I. Just. Don't. Have. Time. / I. Just. Don't. Wanna! Rather than go for vegan pho every time this mood strikes, I have an arsenal of very quick and easy recipes that satisfy my craving for nutrition, color, and tastiness. (Including a Pho recipe in the works! Dudes, I am addicted.) So, tonight I give you a simple plate of Caribbean Tofu with Greens, Yams, and Quick and Dirty Mango Salsa!

When I cook, I usually make enough for 2- 4 people... Just in case and out of habit. Leftovers are nice, and with a meal like this one, they're also flexible-- tomorrow the tempeh may make a salad, or tacos... Mmmm, breakfast tacos! (A favorite solution to high-protein leftovers!) This meal actually took me 25 minutes prep to plate, but let's say your less of an efficiency goddess (i.e. control freak) than yours truly, it will take you 30- 35. Not too shabby!

So let's start with some pointers for quick cooking:

1- Prep yourself to multi-task. This means setting out all of your ingredients so they're at hand, ditto the necessary tools and a bowl or a produce bag that can no longer be re-used to gather your garbage in.

2- A stove-top timer helps! Once you actually start cooking, set it for the time you know the meal will take, in this case 30 minutes. It will help you time your steps and stay on track without over / under cooking.

3- Clean as you go. It makes cooking more rewarding when the meal time isn't extended by another 30-minutes spent cleaning. Keep it rinsed, washed, and contained.

Now for the recipe!

Caribbean Tempeh with Greens, Yams, and Quick and Dirty Mango Salsa!


Tools
Sharp Knife
Colander
Small food processor
1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon
1 teaspoon measuring spoon
sealable glass container for marinating tempeh
Large pot and steam basket (I have a stock pot with a steamer that fits inside, I use it more than any other cooking vessel!)
Tongs (optional, but they're helpful for getting things out of the steam basket!)




Caribbean Tempeh
1 jalepeno
1 large clove garlic
1.5" piece ginger, peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh, raw coconut (optional! I have some lying around from a coconut kefir experiment, but this is totally not necessary, just adds a nice sweet dimension and some extra calories.)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
4 teaspoons nama shoyu
juice of one navel orange (about 4 oz)
juice of one lime (about 2 oz)
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon tumeric

1 package tempeh, cut into 8 triangles (Half it, half it again and then half those slices so they're thinner, not smaller)

For the sides
1 medium sweet potato, washed, and cut into 1" cubes. Don't peel it!
1 bunch collard greens or other green of your choice, washed and sliced into ribbons (different greens will need more or less steam time.) Only prep enough greens for the number of people eating. For just me 6 or so medium-sized collard leaves will do.

Quick and Dirty Mango Salsa
1/2 cup fresh mango, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1- 2 scallions
juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
pinch sea salt

Optional Garnishes
Sliced avocado
raw coconut butter or oil
smoked paprika

With your timer set to 30 minutes, set your steamer on the stove. While the water heats up, slice the tempeh. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes.

While the tempeh is steaming, make the marinade by pulsing first the solid, then the wet ingredients in a small food processor to combine.

You should have at least 5 minutes left to make your quick and dirty mango salsa and chop the sweet potato before you remove the tempeh from the steamer.

To make the salsa, peel and dice 1/2 cup mango, 1/2 cup cilantro, and 1- 2 scallions. Toss with lime juice, ancho chile powder, and salt. Set aside so the flavors can marry.

When you remove the tempeh from the steamer, place it in your sealable glass container and cover it evenly with the marinade.

Add the sweet potato / yam to the steamer. Note the time, it will need to steam for 10- 12 minutes.

Wash and chop your greens. Clean up your station and start with your dishes.

When the sweet potatoes have steamed for 6 minutes, add the greens and steam for 6 minutes more.

Slice an avocado if you'd like and grab some coconut butter or raw coconut oil to top your greens and sweet potato...I also like a little sprinkle of smoked paprika!

Ok... Your kitchen is more or less clean, your veggies are steamed and your tempeh is marinating and you still have a couple minutes left on the clock! What to do now...?

You can either plate your food as is, or quickly fry your tempeh in a well-seasoned cast-iron pan with a little coconut oil. About 1 minute / side should do it. I usually skip this step to avoid the extra fat, but it is a nice touch!

Plate your salsa, greens, sweet potatoes, and avocado (if using). Drizzle the entirety with a little extra marinade and top your veggies with a little kiss of coconut oil / butter and smoked paprika if so desired. Take more time eating than you spent cooking, and if you can, share with someone you love. Cats count, even if they're eating kibble and not spicy tempeh. (Please don't feed this to your animal companions!)

What's your favorite quick weeknight meal?

If everyone you knew jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?

I've been thinking a lot about intentionality lately. This comes hand in hand with trying to find balance, stay positive, and balancing upside down on my hands! But, my focus on setting an intention has really come from a desire to move lightly in the world, to not be weighed down by the oppressive impulse to "succeed" because I have defined my own success as being true, light, and open, not a home owner (though I do so desire), the girl with the most amazing career, etc. When I wake up in the morning I try to set the intention to rise through the day -- to levitate through my tasks, both those that I chose to take on, and those that I take on out of necessity, with good humour, appreciation for the details, and no sense that any action constitutes a failure. To do my best in this moment, on this day, even if I have done better before and will do better in the future, is enough. This moment is where I am, and I rise to it with all the lightness I have at my disposal. Some days the ratio of light to heavy is better than others, but I try to respond to the emergence of heaviness with a light and loving and compassionate heart - Why so heavy today? What happened? Did you not sleep? Or, not eat? Were you rushed? Where can you find lightness now, in this moment, to alleviate this heaviness -- Is the sun out, the air warm, someone laughing nearby, plants blooming? People say life is short, but it is also long, mindful levity that allows me to rise above the bullshit is key. Which is why articles like this one compel me to speak; in speaking my truth, I can rise above the bullshit that the NYT and NPR and many other publications continue to insist on posting about vegan diets, compassionate living, and sustainable consumer choices.

First of all, I believe in accepting challenges. Challenges give me the opportunity to rise, to cultivate my lightness, to accept the possibility of having to start many times in order to find the right path to where I want to go, and enjoy the journey while laughing at and learning from it's pitfalls. I respectfully take issue with the entire conceit of Tara Parker-Pope's article as a vegan, who lives on less than $300 / week to cover all of my expenses (rent, car, utilities, food, etc.) in an expensive city, with a family who often sneers and snickers at my ripe farmer's market plates of snap peas and squash, jewel like legumes, and whole grains sparkling with fresh, vivifying herbs. T P-P, you are a lovely writer, and writing is always a challenge, so I know that you know what it is to intend to rise, which is why I find the following thesis so disappointing.

As countless aspiring vegans are discovering, the switch from omnivore to herbivore is fraught with physical, social and economic challenges — at least, for those who don’t have a personal chef. The struggle to give up favorite foods like cheese and butter can be made all the harder by harsh words and eye-rolling from unsympathetic friends and family members. Substitutes like almond milk and rice milk can shock the taste buds, and vegan specialty and convenience foods can cost two to three times what their meat and dairy equivalents do. And new vegans quickly discover that many foods in grocery stores and on restaurant menus have hidden animal ingredients.

I'll come right out and say that, yes, if you expect rice or almond milk to taste like dairy, you will be disappointed, and yes, if you rely on processed, prepared, or take-out food for the majority of your meals (vegan or not!) you will find that you are spending an arm and a leg and then some to feed yourself. And, yes, I know, cooking takes time. I work 6 days / week on my feet and often spend a couple hours on the 7th cooking beans and grains and prepping veggies for the week ahead. Most of this cooking time is down time, curled on the porch or the sofa near the kitchen with a book or a movie, periodically rising to check water levels and bean tenderness as my tiny home fills with the sweet, warm steam of whole foods cooking. Friends, strangers, family, unless I am throwing a dinner party it never, ever takes me more than 1 hour to make dinner. Breakfast is nearly instant as it's either prepped the night before (holla overnight oats, aka Muesli!) or quickly steamed on the stove (breakfast porridge) or pulled from the toaster (old standards- almond butter or avocado toast, and lunch, lunch is a matter of minutes -- toss a salad in a container, throw some trail mix in a bag, and grab a piece of fruit... Even easier, take a single portion of last night's dinner and savor it all over again. A little mindfulness, or planning, and being vegan (or just eating healthier and cheaper by cooking for yourself) is cheap, easy, not time consuming, and maybe even a fun, safe, fortifying space to be creative! Be positive and rise to challenge of creating the best, healthiest, happiest life for yourself.

As for Megan Salisbury who says,

Megan Salisbury, 33, a social work student in Phoenix, says she prefers plant-based eating but can manage it only about 75 percent of the time. The vegan options at the campus cafeteria are limited and often expensive, and she has to drive 20 miles to find stores with vegan specialty foods for cooking.

You don't really need specialty foods. Sure raw tahini and miso paste are among my favorite ingredients, but they can be ordered if you don't live near a health food store and feel that you need or want them. However, these things are expensive and indulgent treats like raw, organic cheese. What you need are organic fruits and veggies, grains, beans, some fresh herbs, simple spices, nuts if you eat them, and maybe a fortified non-dairy milk. These simple ingredients, with a little ingenuity, can be used to make wholesome, fully nutritious, affordable and easy to prepare meals that will satisfy and keep you enjoying that healthy body / mind connection that comes from living, eating, and shopping in line with your principles of compassion and sustainability.

As for this:

Frustrating, too, is the lack of social support.

I was raised vegetarian and my parents think I'm insane. The person I'm dating, who I've been friends with for years, scoffs at the idea of applying ethics to your diet (despite being supportive, lovely, and an enthusiastic consumer, all of which I feel more or less cancel out the disappointment of our lack of shared ethics), my friends ask me to shut up about farming, slaughterhouses, the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet, and just let them do what they want... But, they eat the cookies, they make me vegan food, and we still have fun and extend love toward one another. Why? Because, yes these things are "challenges," but challenges are opportunities to rise, to learn new ways to speak and share your truth, to get creative at the grocery store, to share what you love about doing your best to make the most ethical, joyful choice all the time. What a pleasant and heart-warming challenge to encourage me and you and everyone else to be mindful, intentional, and light in their words and actions.

If you're looking for someone to show you how to eat vegan on a food-stamp budget, I highly recommend this blog. And, as a challenge to myself, I'll be doing a little tracking on how much it costs to prepare certain things and trying to share than info as well. If I do anything in my life, I hope that it is to spread the light that I cultivate through sharing the things I love and am passionate about-- art, gardening, literature, food, mountains, love-- So anything I can do to rise with you, I will do.

After this little rant, I wonder, what's your intention everyday?

Two Spring Green Recipes and Some Thoughts

A lot has changed in my life since my last update-- But, I'd rather focus on the change of the season. Spring has never been my favorite time of year, I'm just not a fan of rain! But, being back in Southern California makes springtime seem like a time of year worth reveling in... 75 degree days, sunshine, Sunday hikes, the Hollywood Farmer's Market, long walks in the magic, radiant green of my neighborhood, buds on all my plants... I cannot get enough! What's more, my first Fall in LA left me in need of that freshly scrubbed with sunshine feeling that only dry California spring days can bring. After having a long winter of heartbreak and struggle with the eating disorder that has defined so much of my adulthood, spring also finds me hungry for healthy, fresh, savory meals that meet my nutritional needs without making me feel weighty or anxious over the proposition of three square meals a day.

One of the reasons I started this blog in the first place is that throughout grad school being vegan became this joyful home that I could occupy, a way to manifest my positive outlook and share my heart with people, a source of confidence in my ability to think critically about the world, and respond in a positive active manner to change the things I can. It also allowed me to place compassion for myself, others, and the animals at the fore of my thoughts and encouraged a safe space for creative action. Working mindfully to lead with compassion, patience and recognition of things that I can and cannot change has allowed me to emerge into this Spring stronger, wiser, and happier. For that I am very thankful.

The one thing I have always loved about the Spring time is that it is GREENS TIME! Particularly bitter greens, like my perennial favorite, dandelion! Nothing is better on a hot sunny day with a chilly breeze than a big bowl of salad, a cup of soup, and a hunk of bread and that pretty much sums up how I've been eating lately.

The thing about a bitter green is that it's best tempered with a little sweetness- The balance of bitter and sweet that comes from combining Spring greens with berries and fruit is one of my favorite flavor combos, and I think the balance is a nice reminder of the balance I am always trying to build in my life.

With that said, my favorite salad lately has been a toss of romaine, arugula, and dandelion with sweet 100's, cucumber, bell peppers, raw zucchini, shredded apples and carrots, avocado and toasted pepitas tossed with a fresh strawberry dressing. This dressing is a little savory, a little sweet, and a lot creamy. Try it on your favorite mix of bitter greens and fresh Spring veggies!

Creamy Strawberry and Spring Green Herb Salad Dressing (Makes about 1.5 cups)

1/2 pint very ripe strawberries
1/2 c fresh dill
1/3 c fresh morrocan mint
2 cloves garlic
3 T raw tahini (I like this one!)
1.5 T local raw honey (try an equivalent amount of agave or date syrup if you refrain from honey for ethical reasons)
2 oz fresh lime juice
1- 2 T warm water
sea salt to taste

In a food processor or blender finely chop the garlic and herbs. Add the strawberries and purée until liquefied. At this point add the tahini, sweetener of your choice, lime juice and 1 T of warm water. Blend for about three minutes until the dressing is totally emulsified. It should be thick and creamy, but definitively a dressing and not a spread, so depending on how juicy your berries were, you may need to add another T of warm water. Season with sea salt to taste and drizzle heartily over your salad! If you find that it needs a little something because your berries aren't quite red all the way through, try adding a little extra lime and a shake of mirin!

It hasn't been all warm sunny days this Spring so far, so I've also been making a far amount of soup. A recent favorite adds a beautiful yolk-y yellow (Vegans don't need eggs to enjoy a sunny ochre!) to the color palette of berry pink and Spring green that has dominated this post. I've been trying to pack in the winter squash as long as I can and the recent acquisition of a perfect, nasturtium orange red kuri squash coupled with several cold rainy days conjured images of fresh coconut and savory curry so I decided to make a higher protein, more savory version of my standard squash soup that would sustain me through long, long days of waiting tables. The result is a rich and complex creamy soup that satisfies at all times of day... Believe me, I've been having it for breakfast with a slice of avocado or banana toast!

Curried Red Kuri with Fresh Young Coconut


1 T raw coconut oil, divided
3 cups red kuri squash flesh, cubed (About 1 med squash)
1 sweet onion
1 large shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c red lentils
4 c vegetable stock (I use Imagine Organics No-Chicken Broth)
1 Thai coconut or 1 can light or regular coconut milk
1.5- 2 T Curry Powder (I used Muchi Curry from Whole Foods)
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cayenne
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t ground cardamom
1+ t Nama Shoyu
1+ t mirin

Chopped cilantro, lime, and dried unsweetened coconut to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375. Peel and chop the squash and yellow onion into 1" chunks. Melt the coconut oil in your soup pot and brush the squash and onions lightly and then arrange the chunks in a roasting pan with a small glug of your vegetable stock. There should be enough melted coconut oil left in your pot to caramelize the shallot. Roast the squash for 45 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, open the coconut and blend the coconut water and flesh in your blender until smooth to make a fresh coconut milk. You can also use canned with great results (lite, to my mind is as good as the full fat.) You will need about 2 cups of coconut milk.

In the soup pan, caramelize the shallot over low heat in the remaining coconut oil. When the squash is done, add the garlicand red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the squash and lentils to the pot and cover with all of the vegetable stock. Simmer with the lid on until the lentils are cooked, about 30- 45 minutes. When the lentils are done, add the coconut milk and remove the pot from the heat.

In a cast iron skillet, gently toast the curry and other spices until fragrant. Shake the pan gently to avoid sticking and burning. Add the toasted curry to the soup pot and blend until silky smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in your traditional blender. Season with shoyu and mirin to balance the flavors. Serve with a lime wedge, a sprinkle of coconut and a generous garnish of cilantro.

Thanksliving 2011

This year for Thanksgiving I've apparently made a controversial choice by choosing to skip the meal and the festivities to fast, be mindful, and reflect instead. While the idea was not initially mine, and I will admit, I was reticent at first (Mostly because of skipping the pie baking), I feel really confident in the decision to spend the day, and the surrounding days, being present in a different way. Over the last couple of years I've managed to squelch my previous frustrations with the holiday by making it my own-- a Celebration of Life and Love and Graciousness, with pie. But, after the "Arab Spring" and being in the midst of the "American Fall," this year seems like an appropriate time to reevaluate the mythology around Thanksgiving that allowed me to ensconce it in my own language, "re-message" it, and celebrate it for my own reasons. This isn't to say that I'll never make another Thanksgiving meal, just that the history of this day and this country has me thinking that we could all use a little clarity in place of a food coma whether we chose to celebrate the day in the traditional way or not.

Instead of the big meal, T and I are planning to fast for 7- 10 days starting Sunday. We'll be drinking about 20 ounces of juice everyday, so it's not a total fast, just some abstinence from the preoccupation with food that frequently dominates my mind. Instead, I hope the clear air space will offer up a little time to think about my motivations as a writer, in the arts, as a human being. While T is thinking of this as a "boycott" of Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of it as an opportunity to give thanks in a new way, and also as an opportunity to"boycott" Black Friday by not consuming anything on that day except the contents of our minds and hearts and the beautiful atmosphere of this incredible city that we live in. I feel like the last week of November is a week in which we, as a country, glut ourselves with food, with shopping, with excessive ingestion in general, and it is this insatiable craving for excess that acts like a parasite, gnawing at our collective ability to move our country forward, to envision a better way of living, to really live our lives. So, what better time to try something else?

When I made the shift from "excusitarian" to vegan (Thanks for the vocab Colleen Patrick-Goudreau! Actually thanks for a lot CPG, you inspire me!) it was part of a decision to live a more intentional life-- To live everyday with an intention, with compassion, with openness, with an optimistic vision of the future, and with the courage to speak my truth and listen to others who may or may not agree with me with an always open heart. It was also a decision to critically evaluate my own complacent participation in the academic world, American capitalism and democracy, consumption of goods and services, interpersonal relationships...everything. And these evaluations have led me to do a little restructuring, face my addictions, recognize my hypocrisies, and do my best to do my best everyday to buy less, want less, and think more. 

Delicata Squash and Kale Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

Being back in California means that I am eating massive amounts of Mexican food, what with all of the vegan-friendly taco stands and restaurants, there is a real glut of cumin-flavored rice and beans and chips and salsa in my belly. But, as vegan-friendly as many Mexican places are, they still have mixed kitchens, and as this year progresses, I become less and less comfortable eating in restaurants with mixed kitchens for a variety of reasons. So, I'm trying to make more of my own delicious Mexican treats at home...More on that in a minute.

There are so many exclusively vegan/vegetarian restaurants here that I would prefer to spend my minimal discretionary income in businesses that support and spread compassionate living and eating in this beautiful city with year-round maximal produce. Also, having worked (and continuing to work) in the restaurant business, I see and have seen first hand that even the BEST restaurants sometimes slip non-vegan things into vegan food, or don't wipe knives between meat and veggies, or any number of other little things. And whether or not we get the tell-tale belly aches, we never really know how vegan our food is when we don't make it ourselves. And, as much as I love restaurants, I'm starting to feel like I'd rather know exactly where my food comes from, that it is indeed all organic, and verifiably animal part and excretion free.* So, I've resolved to only eat in vegan/vegetarian restaurants unless I'm eating out with someone, who for various reasons can't/won't eat vegan meals, or travelling in places where it's not possible to find vegan/vegetarian restaurants. So, I'll be eating my way through Los Angeles' many vegan/vegetarian restaurants when the boyfriend and I have the money and the hankering for a date night, and skipping the non-veg establishments. (Except my favorite and well vetted Mexican treats. I'm not ready to totally abandon them yet!)

But, I'd like to minimize the number of times that I eat chips fried in the same oil as pork, vegan beans cooked in proximity to non-vegan ones, eat sauces that I am told are vegan, but may well have had a drizzle of chicken broth added that day. I know I am starting to sound a little paranoid, maybe like I'm moving into psychotic purism, but is it really so bad if I'm learning to become a Mexican cooking genius?! And, I haven't forgotten that going to restaurants and asking about the veganness of food, getting excited when there are options, and showing businesses that there is a demand for vegan food so that there will be more of it, more readily available, and in a whole range of flavors, textures, ingredients, price brackets, etc. I just feel like, at this point in my life, my money is better spent elsewhere.

So, with that said, let me share my newest experiment turned brilliant success! I am still without a camera, so I apologize for the lack of pictures. It was too dark to make do with my iPhone! And, with this recipe in particular, the spice ratios are approximate as I've started just using a baby spoon to spice my recipes. It holds about 1 tsp, so that's what I've used as a base to guide this recipe, but use your gut to get this spiced to your liking.

Delicata Squash and Kale Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

For the sauce
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw pepitas

3 large poblano peppers
3 medium anaheim chiles
1 serrano chile

3 large cloves garlic

1 large teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice (I subbed this in because we were out of nutmeg)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T shoyu
1/2 dark beer
1 cup chopped cilantro

3 T olive oil
2 cups filtered water
1 salt-free vegan bouillon cube (I like the Rapunzel brand.)

Soak the cashews and walnuts for at least 6 hours.

Roast all of the chiles over the open flame on your stove and place them in a paper bag to cool. When they are cool, rub the skins off and pull the seeds out. Be careful, you may want to wear gloves for this step to avoid burning hands. Chop the chiles, but keep them separated by type.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small cast iron pot and sauté the garlic. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add the chopped poblanos and cover with 2 cups of water and add the bouillon cube. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. While the broth is simmering, toast the pepitas, cumin seeds, and other spices in a cast iron pan.

Place the spices and pepitas into your food processor and chop for one minute. Drain the soaked nuts and add them to your food processor. Ladle off most of the broth from the poblanos and purée the nuts in the now fragrant broth. Once the nut mixture is smooth add in the cilantro, poblanos, anaheims, and serrano along with any broth that may remain in the pot. Pulse the food processor until the sauce is as smooth as you can get it. Transfer the sauce back into the cast iron pot and simmer on low to combine the flavor elements. Stir in the shoyu and beer until well mixed. Taste the sauce and adjust the sauces as necessary.

For the enchiladas


2 small delicata squash, skin on, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 onion sliced in thin half moons
1 pound lacinato kale shredded

1 package of ezekiel tortillas (I used the big ones and one package filled a large lasagna dish.)

(for the squash)
1- 2 t ancho chile powder

1/2- 1 t coriander
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t smoked paprika
1- 2 T agave nectar
1 T shoyu

(for the kale)
juice from one lime
1 T shoyu
1 t cumin

1/2 cup raw pepitas

Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the squash in the spice mixture above and roast it for 20 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, heat 2 T olive oil in large cast iron skillet, turn the heat down to low and sauté the onions until soft, add the cumin to the skillet and toss the onions once before adding the kale, lime, and shoyu. Wilt the kale only briefly to avoid over cooking. It just needs to be soft enough to fit into the enchiladas.

Leave the oven on and prepare a large casserole dish by spooning a layer of the poblano sauce into the bottom. Using tongs, put 1/6 of the kale and 1/6 of the squash in your tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down in the prepared dish. Repeat until you've used all the filling and tortillas and then top the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce. Squeeze the other lime over the top of the enchiladas.

Bake the enchiladas at 400 for 15- 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and a little crisp around the edges. Toast the pepitas and sprinkle them on the enchiladas before serving.  Let the enchiladas cool for 5 minutes before serving.

These are super rich, so a light salad is as good an accompaniment as black beans and rice.





* I currently work in a café that will remain un-named that claims it's food is organic when it is not, I pour the not-organic juice into containers marked organic and sell it for crazy, marked up, organic-gourmet prices... It gives me the sads, but not as much as the fact that they serve a "vegan" sandwich on bread that contains milk and eggs. And, while I have spoken to my boss about it, I need my job, so what more can I do...? Keep looking for my next opportunity!

ZHUG!

When I was living in New York I developed an outright addiction to both Maoz Vegetarian and the Hummus place. Both serve a version of Zhug, a middle eastern chile sauce with cilantro, garlic, and I think mint?!

Having moved back to Los Angeles this past August, I have been culinarily disheartened by only one thing by my return to the West Coast, the lack of this delicious green paste to smear liberally over the equally absent, super-rich Israeli style hummus. If we're being honest, I'm also a little disappointed in the falafel. Tell me, where is the best falafel in Los Angeles?

After spending nearly a month painting and getting settled in our palace of tininess, nestled in a cactus forrest in Echo Park, another month eating out in total jubilation between our birthdays and excitement over the sheer variety of AMAZING vegan restaurants in our 'hood and beyond, I'm ready to get back on the frugal bus and start cooking more regularly. So, I thought I'd get started with an old standard, and a chile sauce experiment to stir into it.

And, I have to say...I was ZHUGSESSFUL! Though it's missing a small dimension of flavor that the Hummus Place zhug has, I think I'm on the right track, and it is definitely delicious even without that final dimension of rootedness. I looked at a lot of recipes, but none of them included mint or cinnamon, both of which I am positive are in the hummus place zhug, so you'll see those additions here.

Make this. Stir it into simple soups, slather it on veggie burgers and falafel, use it in a wrap with some chickpea salad, through it on some quinoa and lentil salad...just go for it!

Ingredients
10- 12 green chiles (I used 4 jalepenos, 4 serranos, 1 red freson chile, and a big ass poblano.)
6- 8 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon whole cumin
1 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I think I would use whole cardamom and grind it fresh next time.)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh parsely
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint
juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil + more for roasting

Preheat the oven to 375. Rub half of the chiles with oil and roast them for 20 minutes, seeds in. De-seed and chop the other half.

Place the whole spices in a food processor and grind them until they are fine. Add in the garlic and pulse until it is well chopped. Next, add the raw peppers and blend until fine, then add the roasted peppers and blend until the mixture starts to become a paste. Then add in the fresh green herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil and blend the mixture until it forms a paste. You will have to scrape it down and blend repeatedly. Add the salt and agave nectar and blend to combine. Taste for salt and lemon.

This recipe makes about one cup. Store the zhug in the refrigerator, but remember it will probably only last for about one week.

Super healthy whole wheat muffins

So, I love big, cupcake like muffins with the perfectly crusty puffy tops. But, they're nutritional disasters and send me off into crazy sugar land resulting in feeling great for an hour, a horrific crash, and several subsequent days of cravings. For some of us, sugar acts on our body like crack or some other highly addictive drug, and so I'm always trying to find a muffin recipe that helps with the craving for some carb-y goodness without sending me into a sugar spiral. I've been working on these whole wheat muffins for a while. They are a great base from which you can go either sweet or savory and they're nice plain with soups and salads. I use standard whole wheat flour, so be sure to mix as minimally as possible to avoid making tough pucks! For portion control and storage, I recommend making a batch, letting them cool, and then freezing them individually in little freezer bags. You can stash them in your lunch and they will thaw by the time you want to eat them. I just threw together a blueberry batch because I needed an excuse to turn the oven on. And, I'm eating one right now with a little unsweetened jam! So, so good.

Ingredients
1 1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t each baking soda and baking powder
1/2 t salt

3/4 c unsweetened plain soy milk
1 T olive oil
3 T agave nectar (if you're going for sweet muffins) OR 3 more T of soy milk or veggie broth for savory muffins
1 t vanilla for sweet muffins

Optional mix- ins:
1/2 c frozen berries, 1/2 c finely chopped fruit, 1/2 c caramelized onions and shallots, 1/2 c chopped herbs, nuts and seeds, raisins, etc.

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Toss the mix ins in with the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl and fold gently with a spatula. I'd say to make five folds and then stop! It is better to have lumpy batter than tough muffins. Portion the batter out into a muffin tin (This recipe makes about 8 muffins in my standard muffin tin.) and bake for 13- 15 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before eating and cool completely before storing or freezing. These puff up pretty good, but if you want that big top, fill the spaces in your tin to about 1/8" below the top. When I make 8, they puff, but there isn't enough batter in each muffin to make a big top...Perhaps its time for a smaller muffin tin!

Vegan Quiche + A Pear Tart

Today, after a languid Sunday morning complete with Stumptown coffee, a bagel and a long walk in the snow I came home to tackle my produce box. After a long afternoon in the kitchen I now have a beautiful quiche cooling on my stove and batches of potato leek and lentil soup in my freezer. I used the second crust for the quiche, which kept the recipe simple. This is a veggie-loaded recipe that is SO much lower in fat than traditional quiche and perfect for all three meals.

Spiced Pear Tart with Cashew Custard
1 unsweetened spelt crust, 9"
3 firm, but ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 t brandy
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/8 cup granulated sugar
2 T lemon juice, divided
1 c raw cashew pieces, soaked in water for one hour
1/4 c maple syrup
1/3 c filtered water
1 vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the pears with the spices, brandy, sugar, and 1 T lemon juice. Drain the cashews and blend them into a smooth paste with the water, syrup and the scraped out inside of the vanilla bean. Spread the cashew custard evenly in the crust and then top with the pear slices. Take about one spoonful of the liquid from the pears and drizzle it over the top of the tart and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pears are soft. Serve warm.

Vegan Quiche with Leeks, Shallots, Mushrooms, Chard and Fresh Herbs
1 9" spelt tart crust
1 12 oz container of Firm Silken Tofu
4 oz Extra Firm Tofu
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/8  c corn starch
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 t smoked paprika
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 leek, sliced into thin half moons
2 shallots sliced in thin half moons
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 bunch chard, stalks rinsed and diced, leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces and well washed
1/2 c fresh parsley well chopped
5- 6 large basil leaves, well chopped
1- 2 T white wine
Olive oil

In a large skillet, heat about 2 T of olive oil and sauté the shallots and leek until lightly caramelized, set them aside in a large bowl. Sauté the mushrooms until browned and set them aside with the leeks and shallots. De-glaze the pan with a splash of white wine and sauté the diced stalks of the chard until soft, add the chard and allow it to wilt. Drain the chard in a colander and squeeze all of the extra liquid out. Add the chard to the other veggies and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a food processor or blender, purée the tofu, nutritional yeast, corn starch and turmeric until totally smooth. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the tofu mixture to the bowl of veggies, add the chopped herbs and lemon juice and stir until the ingredients are well-combined and evenly distributed. Spread the mixture evenly in the crust and bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Warm-up Cream of Carrot with Ginger Soup

Oh, Chicago you are a cold, cold place to live and your winters make me eat like a champion to survive the cold, to stay awake in the face of never-ending darkness and lately to compensate for my "I can't write my thesis" guilt. Despite only making it a week on my no-drinking plan, and only 10 days on my no sugar plan, I'm doing my best to keep the winter munchies healthy...And trying to make a jar of almond butter last longer than 7 days. Almond butter is like crack to me, it's a sick, sick addiction. Today when my produce box arrived, I discovered about 2.5 pounds of big winter carrots in the bottom. I'm not a fan of eating the big ones raw because they lack the intensity of flavor that I value in a summer carrot, but I have been craving ginger flavored soups. So, I threw together a quick carrot-ginger soup to keep those carrots from languishing in my produce drawer. In the summer, I like to make carrot ginger soup without anything creamy and enjoy it on lazy evenings with a big salad dressed up with orange slices and avocado. But, look, I'm cold all the time, I'm strapped to my space heater, and I'm up to my eyeballs in my own mediocre writing so I thought it might be nice to take my summer recipe and winterize it with the addition of a little cashew cream and a hint of toasted sesame oil. What results is still a fresh, light bowl of soup...But, with a little more commitment and depth. This soup is emotionally available. And, when garnished with a quick chop of fresh mint and cilantro and set up next to a simple spinach salad it makes a simple, warming lunch or dinner.

Ingredients
(Serves 6)
1 T olive oil
1/2 T toasted sesame oil

1 sweet onion roughly chopped

2.5" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped into rounds

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

About 2.5 pounds of carrots, peeled and chopped. Don't worry about dicing them too fine, I find 1/4" rounds to be about the right size.
1 large apple, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2- 1 t red pepper flakes
4 cups water
1 vegan bouillon cube (alternately, use a favorite veggie stock in place of the water + cube)
1/2 cup cashew cream (equal parts soaked cashews and water, puréed until smooth)
Sea salt, shoyu or Bragg's to taste (I like Braggs)
1/2- 1 t rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped mint and cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Sauté the onion until translucent and then add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute and then add the carrots and apple stir to coat in the oil and let sauté for about five minutes. Add the water and bouillon cube and bring the soup to a boil for 5 minutes. Add the cashew cream. Reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes. The carrots should be soft, but not mushy. Remove the soup from the heat and purée with an immersion blender until totally smooth. Taste for salt/salty substance and add the vinegar or lemon juice. Serve garnished with chopped mint and cilantro.

Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Pictures coming soon...I ate all the ones I baked off before I could take a photo :)

These are the perfect little bites of oats and raisins, a little crunch on the outside and soft in the middle...Try them with tea while snuggled up with someone sweet.

Ingredients
1 T ground flax
3 T water
1/2 c unrefined coconut oil
3/4 c brown sugar
1/8 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t mace
zest of one orange
1/2 c raisins
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 375. Blend the flax and water in a small food processor until thick and creamy. Cream the solid coconut oil, sugars, vanilla, orange zest and flax mixture until thoroughly blended. In another bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mace together. Mix the flour and sugar/oil mixture thoroughly. Add the oats and raisins and stir to mix. You may need to knead the dough with your hands to get it to come together. Use a 2t scoop to measure the cookies out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and press them lightly with a fork because they will not spread. Bake for 12 minutes and then cool on a rack, if you can somehow avoid eating them all as they come out of the oven...Makes about 36 small cookies.

Black Eyed Peas, Greens + Biscuits...Mmmm, biscuits.

Despite only having lived in Dallas for the first and least remembered five years of my life, I retain a strong attachment to the rituals involved in celebrating the new year. So, every January 1, for as long as I can remember, I have eaten spicy black eyed peas and a pile of greens, regardless of how harrowing a hangover I might have and without thought of whatever disappointments or excitements happened the night before. Despite a few small complaints, I've led a rather charmed life until this point, so I'm not one to mess with fate by skipping out on the meal that at least 20% of me believes might have some small part in preserving my quality of life and persistently Pollyanna-ish nature.

Yesterday afternoon a small, comfy clothes clad, pack of my nearest and dearest sat on my living room floor, reading cookbooks, playing with the cat and munching our way through a delicious first real meal of 2011. I'm not one to sit around and share resolutions...yet...maybe when I get a real table and some chairs?!  But, I really can't think of any better way to spend the first frigid day of any year.

My first serving...

Hoppin' John 
I've never quite figured out exactly what spices are supposed to go in Hoppin' John...I make it up every time and my version tends to be a little more Southwestern than Creole. But, I've yet to receive any complaints on that front.

3 cups cooked black eyed peas
1 cup long grain brown rice, soaked over night
1 large red onion, diced
2 shallots, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 fresh red chile, diced (pick your heat level)
1 package of Tempeh bacon, crumbled
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t smoked paprika
1 t dried thyme
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 bay leaf
1 T brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, roasted
~3 cups vegan stock
3 T olive oil + 1 T earth balance buttery spread

Heat the oil and earth balance in a large stock pot. Keeping the heat at medium-low, add the onion and shallot and sautée until translucent. Then add the chopped chile pepper, bell pepper and celery. Stir to coat and then cover the pot and let the veggies sweat for about 10 minutes. Add the spices, bay leaf, and sugar and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the rice, and stir int he oil for about 2 minutes. Add the beans, tempeh and stock and cover the pot. Let the Hoppin' John simmer for about 30 minutes before removing the lid to reduce the liquid over low heat. When the rice is done cooking, taste for salt and pepper and season to your taste.

Rosemary Cashew Gravy
1 cup raw cashews
3 cups veggie stock, divided
1/4 c earth balance butter spread
2 heaping T all purpose flour
2 large shallots, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 sprigs worth of rosemary leaves, minced
1.5 t nutritional yeast flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Soak the cashews in enough veggie stock to cover them for at least an hour. Drain the cashews (I drain the stock into a measuring cup so I can keep using it in the gravy.) and place them in the blender with 1 cup stock. Purée until totally smooth.

In a medium soup pan, heat the earth balance over low heat until melted. Whisk in the flour and keep whisking for one minute. Add the shallots and garlic and then slowly pour in the cashew cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly to avoid clumps. Reduce the heat to low and keep whisking as the gravy thickens. Add veggie stock until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. When the gravy is where you want i, add the rosemary, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper. Whisk well and add another small glug of veggie stock. Serve as immediately as possible.

Southern Style Flaky Biscuits
2 c all purpose flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t nutritional yeast
1 stick earth balance
1/2 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

Sift the flour, baking soda, nutritional yeast and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles the texture of small peas. Do not over mix and be sure to use cold margarine. Stir in the soy milk and form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for one hour. When the dough is chilled roll it out to about 1/2" thick on a heavily floured counter. Using a water glass or a biscuit cutter with a 2" diameter, cut out your biscuits and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Stick the whole sheet in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 450 and then bake the biscuits for 10 minutes. Serve as immediately as possible.

Holiday Treats

I've been having a really good week. I finished my final papers last Thursday, spend Thursday night in a cozy mess of kittens, Friday getting my haircut and napping, and Saturday baking all day in preparation for my holiday party...I may have gone a teensy bit overboard as I made four kinds of cookies, a chocolate tart, pizzas, brussels sprouts, roasted mushrooms, fresh bread and a 2 gallon jar of my Christmas punch (i.e. highly brandied sangria with cloves, cinnamon and cointreau)...But, the payoff was well worth the nearly 12 hours in the kitchen. There really is nothing like cramming all your friends into your house, feeding them, watching your cat be the belle of the ball, and sending everyone home a little bit drunk and a little high on sugar.

I've shared my take on the PPK's double chocolate cookies before...But, for the party I dreamed up these Whole Wheat Maple Sugar Cookies and a Dark Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Crust to accompany the little chocolate bombs and a batch of PPK "gingervegans." I also made the butternut squash pizza that has become my go to party snack, garam marsala crusted sprouts, and wine roasted mushrooms. The food was a big hit...And given that I made 8 dozen cookies and have less than 2 dozen left...I'd say we all gained about 10 pounds this weekend. Now, to go home, hang with the family and enjoy the slightly balmier weather in Southern California for a few days before coming back to ready myself for all-writing, all the time in January!

Once again, please pardon the pictures. I swear, I need to just hire a food photographer because I cannot keep a digital camera in working order to save my life and the things I make are actually quite pretty!

Whole Wheat Maple Sugar Cookies

1 T ground Flax Seed + 1/4 c Plain unsweetened Hemp milk

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking powder

1 1/2 cup stick of Earth Balance baking shortening

(heaping) 3/4 cup maple sugar

1/2 t vanilla

In a small bowl, whisk the flax seed and hemp milk. Set aside for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and maple sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy. Add the flax "egg" and vanilla and mix well. 

Using a rubber spatula, work the dry ingredients into the wet. (This will be a little bit of a workout!) At some point you'll want to get your hands in there and knead the dough lightly to help it come together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out to 1/4" thick on a well floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut whatever shapes you like...I used a heart because I <3 Maple-anything. Bake the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 6 minutes. Cool completely before frosting if frosting them is your intent. Unfrosted they're slightly savory, frosted they're totally decadent and super-mapley. 

Super Intense Maple Frosting

1.5 c grade B maple syrup

1/2 c non-dairy butter

In a small sauce pan (non-stick!!!) bring the maple syrup to a boil. Boil the syrup very carefully until it reaches the "thread stage." I don't have a candy thermometer, this is about 235 degrees, but you can smell and see when its ready...It will smell like caramel and the bubbles will be thick. The convection currents in the pan will stir the syrup for you, so watch and don't touch. Carefully transfer the hot syrup to a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until it is about room temp. When the syrup is cool, cube the non-dairy butter, toss it in the syrup and cream with a hand mixer until the frosting is soft and fluffy. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to frost your cookies.

Dark Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Crust

Filling

16 oz Dairy Free Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped (I like this one.)

4 T good quality brandy

1 t freshly ground cinnamon

15 oz can coconut milk (not lite!)

Crust

1 flax "egg" (1 T ground Flax + 3 T plain unsweetened hemp milk)

2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins rubbed off and allowed to cool completely

1 cup all purpose flour

3 T sugar

1 t salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cubed

1 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. In a small food processor, pulse the hazelnuts, salt and sugar until finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to mix. Add the cubed shortening and pulse until the mixture is clumping into fine pea-shaped lumps. Add the vanilla and "egg" and pulse until the dough just comes together. 

Turn the dough out into a 9" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press it evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Once the dough has been patted into place, cover the surface of the dough with parchment paper and either weight the crust with pie weights, or use  rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and paper and bake for another 10 minutes until the whole crust is golden. If the edges look like they're getting over done, cover them lightly with aluminum foil.

Let the crust cool completely in the pan on a rack.

To make the filling: In a large glass bowl, pour the vanilla and brandy over the chocolate. Bring the coconut milk and vanilla to a boil. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Then stir slowly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the ganache is smooth and shiny. Pour the chocolate into the prepared tart shell, allow to cool completely (at least 3 hours) before refrigerating overnight to set. Serve at room temperature. 

 Savory Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizzas (Makes 2 smallish pizzas)

These are my signature party snacks. Super simple, rather healthy, and always a crowd pleaser.

Crust

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 t active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water

4 tablespoons dark beer

1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar

2 teaspoons salt

2 T olive oil

Mix the yeast and water in a large bowl. Then add the beer, syrup, salt and olive oil. Stir to combine. Using a fork, work the flour into the liquid until it becomes hard to mix, then use your hands to form it into a large ball. Knead the ball gently on a lightly floured counter, wash the bowl, dry and coat with olive oil. Place the dough back in the bowl and allow to rise for about 2 hours. It should double in size. When the dough is done rising, punch it down on a flour counter and break in half. Form each half into a ball and allow to rest for 10 minutes before rolling and topping.

Topping

4 red onions, sliced into thin half moons

1/8 c olive oil + 2 T

1 3lb butternut squash, roasted

6- 8 sage leaves

3 large cloves of garlic

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Heat the 1/8 c of olive oil on LOW HEAT in a large, deep saucepan with a tight fitting lid. When the oil is hot, add the onions and stir to coat. Cover with the lid and stir every 5 or so minutes. It will take about an hour for the onions to properly caramelize. You do not want them to start to brown up immediately as this will result in a charred flavor. 

In the mean time, chop the garlic and sage in a food processor. Scoop the squash in and purée until well mixed. 

When the onions are done, preheat the oven to 450 and prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper and cornmeal if you like to use it. Place the rolled out dough on the sheets and brush 1 T olive oil over each pizza crust, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread about 1 cup of the squash mixture over each pizza crust, garnish generously with onions and walnuts and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust is crisp and the walnuts are well toasted.