It happens every year, sometime in [...]]]> So, it’s February 24th; it’s raining with a chance of snow.  When I arrived home in a downpour late last night, I didn’t manage to shake that raw winter chill from my bones until several minutes after I had climbed underneath my covers.  I’ve definitely reached my winter breaking point.

It happens every year, sometime in the midst of my least favorite month.  I’ll make it through Valentine’s and President’s Days, and then, I’ll realize the groundhog has given us at least four more weeks of this bleak season.  We were teased this past weekend with balmy weather, and now we’ve been slapped back into reality.  It’s at this point that I usually begin to complain on a daily basis.

warm summer colors in today’s lunch: golden beets, celery, and carrots, later mixed into a blend with quinoa, sunflower seeds, and a mustard-oregano vinaigrette.

Some recent gripes:

• I would like to wear a pair of shoes that aren’t boots.  My shoe collection is suffering from neglect.
• While my puffy parka was by far the best purchase I made this winter, I am tired of walking around inside a bubble.
• I have been dreaming up so many recipes for zucchini, cucumber, and asparagus, but I don’t like buying them out of season.  [I now have a perpetual craving for a cucumber-coconut-basil smoothie].
• I’m struggling to be creative with the cruciferous vegetables in season.  [Ideas are always welcome!]
• I have a piece of furniture that I want to paint, and it has to wait until I can hang out on my rooftop while the paint dries.  I’m not a fan of the currently mismatched colors of my bedroom furniture.
• I’m cold.

Rather than wallow in my winter grievances, I’m trying to bring in some summertime warmth.  My parents recently took a snowy trip to our August paradise, and hearing their weekend tales instantly took me away to sun and sand.

thanks for the flavorful trip to summer, amanda.

Then, a few days ago, I made an easy dinner that I had spotted on – where else? – a blog.  As I took my first bites, I felt immediately transported to summer.  Perhaps it is possible to surround ourselves with the aromas and the seasonings of July, simply by sacrificing just a bit of freshness.  In summer, I would have made this recipe with fresh tomatoes [oh, fresh heirlooms, I miss them!] crafted into homemade marinara.  But as I have actually been known to gag on February tomatoes, I used – gasp – a jar of pasta sauce, courtesy of the low prices in the aisles of Trader Joe’s.

I also added some canned diced tomatoes that were leftover from one of my sister’s dinners, and I subbed kale for spinach, because I do adore that wintertime green.  It was the perfect amount of Italian flavor [not to mention color] cooked up in a recipe ideal for we vegetable devotees.

Ok, I have another complaint: I wish the sun would set later so I could have some natural light for late evening photography.

What are your winter complaints?

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I was immediately struck with the need to make it as [...]]]> A couple weeks ago, my mom and I were chatting about recipes, which isn’t particularly out of the ordinary.  She showed me one she had recently clipped from a magazine at her hair salon – dedicated chefs will find inspiration in the most unlikely places.

I was immediately struck with the need to make it as soon as I read the title, and my mom dropped me at the train station with half her bag of dried figs(a key ingredient) that very day.  I was faced, however, with two problems: the dish required a slow cooker, which I have yet to acquire (and have no room to store), and it starred chicken, which I will only eat organic and didn’t want to spend the money on.

But those were easy problems for a failing recipe-follower to solve.  I veganized the recipe and simmered it on the stove, and it turned out so wonderfully that I went back for seconds in lieu of dessert.  A rare occurrence.

chickpea-fig tagine (adapted from Relish magazine)

• 2 c cooked chickpeas
• 1.5 T evoo
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 t coriander
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 8 dried figs, stems removed and cut into quarters*
• 3 c low sodium vegetable broth
• zest and juice of one orange
• 1 T agave
• 8 oz kale, coarsely chopped

*I used Turkish smyrna figs, which are a larger variety.  If using smaller figs, use about 12 and chop in half.

1) Heat oil over medium heat in large pot.  Add onion, sauté until soft and browned.  Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds; add spices, sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add chickpeas, toss to coat.  Add vegetable broth, figs, sweet potato, orange zest and juice, and agave.  Scrape bottom of pot to remove browned bits.  

2) Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer covered, one hour.

3) Add kale; cover pot and simmer 10 more minutes, until kale has turned bright green and wilted.  Stir in kale.  Serve warm.

This was so delicious.  Time consuming?  Yes.  Worth it?  Oh my god.  There is so much flavor in this dish; it is one of those where you just have to savor each bite, because every spoonful has so much complexity in taste.

I cannot wait to eat the leftovers.  Good eye, Mom.

Does a family member pass recipe inspiration on to you?

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Resulting in quite possibly [...]]]> Recently, I have been honored to be tagged for a few “blogging awards” by some other bloggers I greatly respect.  I don’t normally indulge this amount of “me-talk,” mostly out of fear of boring my dear readers.  But, this time I decided, why not?  If you feel inspired to procrastinate, read on.

Resulting in quite possibly the longest post ever, I’ve included some recent meals amongst the awards, in order to keep things a bit more visually pleasing.  Ready?  

First up, the lovely Ellie, who also happened to be my lunching partner yesterday, wrote some incredibly kind words about me in order to Spread the Love:

I’d like to pass this on to:

Mia, of runs and rests.  Mia recently lost her father and has shown incredible strength and grace throughout a time none of us should have to go through.  I have always been in awe of her balance, bread baking ability, and capacity to find beauty around her.  How’s that for too much alliteration?

Danielle, of Around the World in 340 Days, whose positivity never fails to make me smile.  Her worldly outlook and clean eats very closely mirror my own, and I always love reading her introspective posts. 

——

Monday evening’s dinner:

Heather’s lemon-miso salad - I’d probably cut down on the lemon if I made this again, but it was still very enjoyable alongside a warm baked sweet p.

——

Award number two, from the eloquent and wise Gena, whose raw root vegetable salad is marinating for my lunch.  

This asks me to provide one word answers to the following questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your hair? Curly
3. Your mother? Compassionate
4. Your father?  Wise
5. Your favorite food? Impossible!
6. Your dream last night? Confusing
7. Your favorite drink? Wine
8. Your dream/goal? Contentment
9. What room are you in? Kitchen
10. Your hobby? Arts
11. Your fear? Loneliness 
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Satisfied
13. Where were you last night? Phone
14. Something you aren’t? Extroverted
15. Muffins? Hmm.
16. Wish list item? SLR Camera
17. Where did you grow up? Connecticut
18. Last thing you did? Breakfast
19. What are you wearing? Dress
20. Your TV? Sister’s
21. Your pets? None
22. Your friends? Wonderful
23. Your life? Work-in-progress
24. Your mood? Reflective
25. Missing someone? Friend 
26. Vehicle? Feet
27. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
28. Your favorite store? Anthropologie
29. Your favorite color? Gold
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Weekend
32. Your best friend? Beautiful
33. One place that I go over and over? Home
34. One person who emails me regularly? WordPress ;)
35. Favorite place to eat? Ogunquit

——

Breakfast this morning:

Pumpkin pear oats, made with vanilla soy milk, a Bartlett pear, pumpkin puree, dates, cinnamon, flax, almonds, and walnut butter.

——

And lastly, again from Gena:

This asks me to list seven random facts about myself:

1) I had eye surgery for a lazy eye in kindergarten.  Without contacts, I can’t make out the “E” on the eye chart with my right eye.

2) I have a degree in “Individualized Study,” which can be made to sound impressive (“designed my own curriculum”) or absurd (“couldn’t make up my mind”).

3) I never drank a drop of alcohol all throughout high school. That changed on like, the second day of college.

4) From the ages of 13-17, I ate a bowl of chocolate ice cream nearly every single night for dessert.  Took advantage of that teenage metabolism.

5) I’m still figuring out what I want to do in my career, and I may be starting an internship soon to go back to square one.  It’s ok though; I’m young, and I think indecision is more common than not.

6) Until I was 21, I despised running.  I used to walk two thirds of the mile run in high school.

7) Though I’ve been all over Europe, I’ve never been farther west than Pennsylvania.

I am copping out of choosing who to pass this to, but feel free to wax on about yourself if you have a blog of your own.  I’d love to learn about you!

——

Weird, random dinner:

Oat bran cooked in vegetable broth, alongside sautéed mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, and kale.  Topped by a fried egg, avocado, and tahini.  I opened my fridge without a concept of what I wanted, and this was the result.  It was odd.  But good.

——

Still with me?  Regardless, I’ll be back this evening with a simple meal.  Enjoy your Wednesday!

Now that you know all about me and my meals, I’d love to know a random fact about you, and a meal you had this week!

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I’ve never actually bought a beet before.  Mostly out of fear of permanently rosy fingertips, or apprehension due to stories of splattered beet juice, stained counters, and pink streaks across foreheads.  

I don’t know why I was so afraid of this little [...]]]> I apologize for the title of this post.  I just had to do it.

I’ve never actually bought a beet before.  Mostly out of fear of permanently rosy fingertips, or apprehension due to stories of splattered beet juice, stained counters, and pink streaks across foreheads.  

I don’t know why I was so afraid of this little guy.  No discoloration was caused in the making of this dinner.

warm summer squash and beet salad

• 1 red beet, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 yellow squash, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1/2 c fennel greens
• 3 c steamed kale
• 1 oz goat cheese
• 1/2 c chickpeas
• chopped Brazil nuts for garnish

Preheat oven to 400.  Roast beets for 20 minutes.  Add squash; roast 20 more minutes.  Toss with fennel greens, goat cheese, and chickpeas.  Layer on top of kale; garnish with Brazil nuts.

Here’s a fact:  I never peel my vegetables.  Sometimes the skin is the best part.  This may have been my first at-home beet experience, but my peeler went nowhere near the skin.

I’ve been hard at work on several projects tonight, and this plate was a delightful interlude.

Have you ever cooked a food that intimidated you? 

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My response?  ”Oh, I can’t.  I’ll buy them on Monday.”  Most [...]]]> Last week, I was chatting on the phone with a friend while she was baking blueberry muffins.  I mentioned that she had me craving blueberries, but none were in my refrigerator.  And she responded, “So, why don’t you go to the store and buy some?”

My response?  ”Oh, I can’t.  I’ll buy them on Monday.”  Most of the time, I abide by a strict rule:  replenish produce and grocery items once a week.  This practice saves both time and money, as long as a bit of planning is involved.  Too obsessive?  Maybe – but it’s been working for me.

Today I did one of those things you should never do if you’re trying to stick to a budget – I went to the grocery store without a list.

I just couldn’t decide what I felt like cooking this week, so I let the produce aisles be my muse.  Ironically, I ended up spending less than normal, but the challenge will be using only what I’ve bought and not returning to the store all week.

So this evening I wasn’t sure what I would dream up.  I knew I had bought two pounds of kale, so I figured that would be a good place to start.

I kept it simple, steaming the kale, a sweet potato, and a fennel bulb, then tossing all of them with olive oil and tofu leftover from summer roll night.  I finished with several sprigs of fresh thyme.

I love using olive oil with kale; the flavors meld so perfectly.  This would be one for one for the random grocery trip.  I’ll see how the rest of the week goes.

Do you stick to a budget for your groceries?

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So, then there was dinner.

No, not a banana – that would be waiting for my oats [...]]]> Thank you to everyone for such amazingly kind words on my post earlier.  I am thrilled to have a place to share these thoughts, and I can’t express how much I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read.

So, then there was dinner.

No, not a banana – that would be waiting for my oats tomorrow morning.  This was a very ripe plantain – an ingredient I adore but had never previously bought myself.

Awhile back, Kashi launched a new frozen meal entitled “Mayan Harvest Bake,” which immediately caught my eye.  It’s an extremely rare occasion when I pay the slightest attention to a frozen meal (though if you were going to have one, I think Kashi would probably be the way to go).

My version, for 2, contained:

• 1 c cooked red beans
• 3ish c steamed kale
• 1 ripe plantain, thinly sliced and roasted
• chili powder, coriander, allspice to taste
• 2 servings polenta (recipe below)
• agave drizzle on top

easy polenta (serves 1)

• 1/4 c corn meal
• 1 c unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1 t earth balance (or butter of your choice)
• 1 T nutritional yeast, or 2 T fresh grated parmesan

Mix corn meal and almond milk in saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium; whisk constantly for 10-15 minutes.  The consistency should be thick, with no lumps.  Remove from heat; stir in earth balance and nutritional yeast.  Serve immediately.

This meal became a little bit interesting after I turned our (gas) stove on to heat the polenta mix and ignored it while destemming the kale.  5 minutes later I started to smell gas – the flame had never caught!  I promptly turned it off, opened our balcony door, and turned on a fan, but there was no way I was going to attempt lighting a flame.

Therefore, this entire meal was cooked in the microwave.  If only I had known I could do this back in college – maybe there would’ve been less easy mac consumption (I am still scarred from that).

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