a change of mind

“Croutons are boring.”

I’ve thought this thought more times than I can count.  They’re fillers.  Stuffed into a gorgeous salad, just to take up room.  Kind of like iceburg lettuce. 

In fact, I can honestly say that croutons are the one item in a restaurant salad that I will push off to the side.  Feta cheese, yum!  Cranberries, yum!  Roasted beets, double yum!

Croutons? Stale.  Hard.  Tasteless.  Cardboard.

So today I set out to prove myself wrong. 

I’ve been told that croutons should start with either a bread that you hate (thereby turning your bread into something you love) or they should start with a bread that you love (thereby turning your croutons into something extraordinary.)

I chose the latter.

A nice, crusty loaf of pumpernickle, complete with a doughy-soft center.  A gentle but complex flavor.  Perfect.

I resisted the urge to eat a hunk of bread just as it was, and diced it up into little bite-sized cubes.

The next step was heating the pan. 

My goal was to have a crunchy crouton that still held on to its soft, fluffy center (no stale croutons, please!)  With that in mind, I threw the heat to high.

Once the pan was nice and hot, the bread was tossed in, along with about a tsp of olive oil.  The garlic powder was added later on, once the croutons were almost at their ready point.  Nobody likes burnt garlic!

The real test came when I plummeted a hot crouton into my mouth, instantly tasting the garlic-infused pumpernickle flavors.  It was crunchy.  Then it was soft.  It was exactly what a crouton should taste like.

Instead of shrugging the croutons off to the side like I might normally do, I gobbled them all up first.  And found myself wondering why everything else on my salad had to be so boring.

It’s amazing what a homemade crouton can do.

Homemade Croutons–serves 1

Try these crunchy-soft croutons on top of your favorite salad, a homemade soup, or even as is with a smidgen of cheese to garnish.  Try different spices, oils, bread for a change of flavor.  Any way you eat them, these croutons are deliciously addicting!

Oh, and try to withhold your desire to eat a hot crouton directly from the pan.  Let it cool for at least a minute or two.  Otherwise you will burn your tastebuds, and all hopes of enjoying a delicious meal will be lost.

• 1 large slice of bread, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tsp olive oil
• garlic powder

1. Heat pan to medium-high. 
2. While pan is heating, toss together the bread and olive oil.  Add to hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  Cook until browned and hard on the outside (about 5-6 minutes.)  Sprinkle garlic powder and cook for another minute or so.
3. ENJOY!

Question: What is your favorite part of a salad?

that’s a wrap

Yesterday, I admitted to being a food hoarder.

Today, I made one big (small?) dent in my ever growing food supply. 

For whatever reason, I have the habit of trying a new food and saving just enough for one more serving.  This is especially true when it comes to cereals and grains.  I probably have at least 6 different types of grains sitting in little glass containers, way back in the pantry.  Way, way back.

But today, I decided that my food supply (and my over-abundant pantry) needed to be brought back down to normal, more realistic levels.  

Any recipe that involves wrapping, dipping, and the resulting sticky fingers is one that I must, must make.  I don’t care if you serve me the same sandwich that I’ve had for 7 days straight.  If it’s reconstructed and served in a wrap, it may as well be a brand new recipe.  I’ll love it.  All the more when there’s a sauce for dunking.

And so, with that in mind, I set out to make a wrap for dinner.  Or a roll-up.  Or whatever seemed to hold my millet concoction the best.

Unfortunately, there were no rice wrappers or flour tortillas to be found anywhere in the house.  Fortunately, there was one big head of cabbage.  Perfect.

Cabbage makes a fine wrap substitute when the need arises.

Simply peel the top layer off, one by one, and place in a pan with a bit of water and steam on medium-low.  Stop the cooking once they’ve reached the tender but crispy stage, and pat dry with a paper towel.  You now have yourself a wrapper, ready to be filled with whatever your heart so desires.

As simple as the cabbage wrappers were, I wanted my filling to be simple as well.  Millet.  Roasted Veggies.  Kidney Beans (also roasted.)  Canned, diced tomatoes.  See?  Easy.

The fun part was the rolling…

…and the dunking…

…and the eating.

Roll-ups.  Wraps.  Spring rolls.  Whichever suits your fancy, there’s something about wrapping, dunking and the resulting sticky fingers that makes any meal complete.

Veggie Roll-Ups–serves 1

If by some chance you happen to have leftovers, throw together the remaining cabbage and millet mix in a large bowl.  Place in a container, and bring for lunch the following day!

• A few large leaves of cabbage
• 1/4 c. millet
• 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, drained of juice
• 1/2 c. kidney beans
• About 1/2 c. of your favorite veggies, roasted (broccoli, mushrooms, onions, turnips, etc.)
• All-Natural Dipping Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium frying pan, pour just enough water to barely cover bottom of pan.  Place the large leaves of cabbage in pan, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low and cook until tender but still firm.
3. Meanwhile, place a cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, into the oven with bite sized pieces of your favorite veggies.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Stir and add kidney beans.  Continue cooking for another 10-15 or until browned.
4. While the veggies are roasting, bring 1 c. of water to a boil.  Add millet, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated and/or the millet tastes tender.  Add diced tomatoes, stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so.
5. After patting cabbage leaves dry, stuff with filling and wrap gently, one at a time.  Serve with favorite dipping sauce.  ENJOY!

Question: Are you a food hoarder, or do you like to use things up before buying something new? 

roasting: making life easy

In case you didn’t know, it is perfectly okay to have breakfast for dinner.

In fact, it is more than okay.  I highly recommend it.  Especially when we’re talking fried eggs.  Whole wheat english muffins.  And loads of roasted broccoli (because this is way more appealing after 5pm than it is before 5am.)

I have been roasting so many veggies around here.  You’d think I was feeding a family of 5.  Which I’m not.  But I am feeding a family of 3 (that eats like a family of 5 when it comes to produce.)  And so, I’ve been mass-roasting broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc., and throwing them into big containers.  They’re quickly used up on everything from salads, to omelets, to an everyday wrapped sandwiches.

Honestly, I sometimes have a hard time convincing myself to take the time to cut up and roast a vegetable, especially during a busy week.  Laziness is what it is.  Sometimes I just have to give myself that push and make it happen.  Because it’s awesome to have a fridge filled to the brim with pre-cooked veggies at my convenience.  Well worth the effort.

Roasted Broccoli

• 1-2 large head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 T. olive oil
• garlic powder
• sea salt
• black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine broccoli, olive oil and garlic powder in a large bowl.  Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Cook in oven for 10 minutes.  Stir and place back in oven for another 10 minutes or until browned.  Serve immediately or place in a bowl to be used for the upcoming, busy week.  ENJOY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Sunday, I went to the American Dietetic Association’s Food Conference in Boston.  It was, in one word, awesome.  And not just because of all the free food that I ended up with…

Yes, I am a food hoarder. 

There were hundreds of food distributors talking about their products, as they handed out sample after sample.  Awesome.

But anyways, I didn’t exactly go there for the food (although this was a definite perk! )  I went there to learn.  To meet practicing RD’s.  To hear some of the most recent research that dietitians are involved with.  I felt slightly overwhelmed with excitement, and found myself wishing that I had gone for the full, 3-day weekend.

I’ll be doing that next year.  In California.  I’m already dancing in excitement.

Question: What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate veggies into your daily diet? 

Breakfast Bonanza, day 6. “it started with rice.”

In the back of the fridge—along with the peanut butter, ketchup, and jug of soy—there is usually a big ol’ batch of brown rice.

I consider rice to be one of my favorite “go-to” foods.  I like mixing it with salsa and beans, and calling it lunch.  I like mixing my rice with peas and serving it alongside baked cod for dinner.

And, apparently, I like rice for breakfast too.

I like to follow the habit of using up most leftovers within 3 days, so I decided that brown rice was a good candidate for this morning’s meal.

Layer 1: About 1 c. of brown rice

Layer 2: An apple, diced

Layer 3: 1/2 of a smashed banana (I needed the other half for lunch’s almond butter sandwich!)

Layer 4: 2 T. soymilk + cinnamon and nutmeg + ground flax

Stir, stir, stir.  And into the fridge the batch of sweet rice went. 

With busy, early mornings, the overnight soaking method almost always sounds like a good one.  Besides, rice is not a naturally sweet tasting grain, and I’ve found that it tastes best when allowed to chill out with some of the other flavors. 

The following morning, I pulled out the rice concoction, added some extra soymilk to loosen it all up, and gave it a few minutes in the microwave.  As a side note, this would probably make a great chilled breakfast for the summer too.  But that was not  meant for this morning.  No.  This morning, I kind of liked the thought of enjoying a warm, melty breakfast bowl.  You know, that point where the apples begin to soak up the cinnamon, forming a melty layer of ooey gooey sweetness.

 

And then I topped it all off with walnuts and coconut.  Delicious.

Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl

Usually I’m a stickler when it comes to cooking brown rice.  Nothing ruins rice like cooking it too slow or too quickly (starchy, starchy, starchy!)  But in this case, the starchier rice actually tastes better!  Think of it as being a little like a risotto.  For breakfast.  And not too fancy, making it perfectly suitable for any old morning.

Tart apples and sweet bananas bring balance to the entire dish.  But have fun and create some of your own new tasty combos! 

• 1 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
• 1 T. crushed flax
• 4 T. soymilk, separated
• toppings: walnuts and coconut

1. Mix rice, apple, banana, spices, flax and 2 T. soymilk together.  Place in fridge overnight.
2. Next morning: Add 2-3 T. soymilk  and stir together.  Heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot.
3. Top with walnuts and coconut.  ENJOY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

My food service rotation for my dietetic internship has been going really well. 

Today, my preceptor (aka, the school’s food service manager) was holding a beverage sampling for the kids to try. 

And she gave me permission to take whatever I wanted from the kitchen and serve it up to the kids for a taste testing.  I was so excited until I realized that I had about an hour or so to come up with a new recipe that would feed at least 600 kids.

After much searching, I found cans of kidney beans.  Cans of garbanzos.  All natural salsas, fresh bell peppers, peaches, shredded carrots, red onions, corn.  Crushed red pepper.

And lots of garlic to liven things up.

Lo and behold, a spicy bean salsa was born.

I felt a little nerveracked to be feeding the kids something that I made up on a whim, based on what the kitchen had on supply for the moment.  But I made it look as pretty as possible with some catering dishes, served some corn chips on the side for dunking, and called it a day.

The verdict?

The kids loved it.  One girl commented that she hated vegetables but she loved the salsa.  A teacher said the flavors were “lovely and beautiful together.”  One boy made a face that he didn’t like “health food” but went back for seconds after trying it.

Suddenly, I realized how good Jamie Oliver must have felt when people enjoyed his food.   It was such a fun experience, and I found myself sighing with relief by the end.

I have tomorrow off!!  Whatever will I do with myself?   Actually, I have a lot of homework to catch up on, as well as putting together a powerpoint presentation for next week.  AND, I need to find a killer cupcake recipe for my sister’s housewarming party.  Any ideas?

Question: Do you enjoy cooking for other people?  Do you find that friends and family have similair tastes to your own?

breakfast and a bowl of soup

So—well—I kind of lied.

Breakfast did start with ‘p.’  And it did end in ‘umpkin.’ 

But there were oats involved too.  I have nothing more to say, other than I simply couldn’t help myself.

Breakfast Bonanza, Day 3: “Pumpkin Pie Smoothie”

Pumpkin is perfect for smoothies.  Where frozen bananas supply the frothy sweetness, canned pumpkin gives you that creamy, indulgent texture.  They’re really a match made in smoothie heaven.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Don’t be afraid to add the oats!  Some people don’t like the texture of raw oats in things, but the blender does a fine job of grinding them up into a texture that’s similar to oat bran.  This whole grain addition gives you fiber, nutrients, and energy for a busy morning. 

(p.s. Have fun with the toppings!)

• 1/2 c. regular rolled oats
• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
• 1 c. milk
• 1 banana, frozen and cut into chunks
• 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
• cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a splash of vanilla
• toppings: sweetened coconut, Trader Joe’s apple cranberry butter, walnuts

Blend everything together, except for toppings.  Pour into a large bowl, top with your favorite of things, and enjoy each delicious bite!

~~~**~~~     ~~~**~~~     ~~~**~~~

Today was a very productive day.  I cleaned.  I set up appointments that needed to be set.  I ate.  I completed many homework assignments.

I made a pot of soup.

I know I’ve stated this before (probably more than once,) but it deserves repeating.  If your recipe calls for chicken, beef or vegetable broth and you don’t have your own homemade version on hand, buy this broth base!

The name says it all: “better than bouillon.” 

I’ve never tried their beef base, but I’m a huge fan of the chicken and veggie.  The flavor is as close to homemade as I’ve yet to find.  Way better than bouillon cubes or cans. 

As much as I love whisking things, I also love simmering soups.  Who  needs therapy? 

Once the vegetable soup was simmering long enough to cook the barley, I added in some crushed tomatoes…

…and white beans.

This soup was such a quickie to throw together.   Ready in a matter of minutes (about 30, to be exact…even less if you had a batch of cooked barley or brown rice on hand.) 

The rich tomato flavor was a lovely reminder of being welcomed home with hot tomato soup after playing outside all day long.  It warms you, heart and soul.

Tomato Vegetable Soup (serves 4-6)
Idea taken and tweaked from a Taste of Home cookbook

Veggie soups are one of my favorite autumn eats.  This tomato soup takes on more veggies and protein than your typical tomato soup version might, giving you more nutrition per bite. 

I ate my hot bowl of soup with toasted honey wheat bread.  But I’m thinking that a grilled cheese sandwich would make this meal perfect and complete. 

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 c. vegetable broth (preferrably low sodium)
• 1/4 c. uncooked barley
• 1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cans (15-oz. each) white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28-oz. each) crushed tomatoes

1. In a medium pot, saute onion, carrot and celery in oil until crisp-tender.  Add garlic, saute 1 minute longer. 
2. Add broth, barley, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
3. Add beans and tomatoes, simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
4. ENJOY!

Question: What do you consider to be the perfect autumn meal?

Tomorrow is *Day 4* of the Breakfast Bonanza.  If you haven’t started yet, that’s okay!  You can jump in any time.  Just let me know what breakfast(s!) you want to include on the breakfast post for next week.  Even if you want to throw just *one* breakfast into the mix, go for it.  And, most of all, have fun!

a perfectly rainy, fall day

I love rainy fall days.

I love the intoxicating smells of wet leaves on the grass.

I love running in the rain.  In my shorts.  In 60 degree weather. 

I

I love rainy fall days.

I love feeling water pour through my sneakers.

I do realize, FYI, that this isn’t exactly normal.  But somehow this sensation brings me back to being a little 7 year old, running through puddles and dancing in my bathing suit with my older brother and sister.  I guess that little girl never left me.

But perhaps best of all, I love to come home.  Dry up.  Throw on some comfy clothes.  Blare the country music station. 

Throw on my apron and make dinner happen.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see a recipe once on a food blog, I usually make a mental note of it.

When I spot that same recipe twice, I save it to my favorites. 

 But when I see the recipe three (or four!?!) times, I throw up my hands in surrender and I make it. 

While there seems to be a lot of steps to making Channa Masala, it’s actually quite easy to make.  This dish came together in 30 minutes, start to finish.  The rice–which took 40 minutes–was the most time consuming part of the entire meal. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind while making it…

(1) Despite what people tell you, you can use dry ginger in place of the fresh.

If you have the fresh stuff, use it.  You’ll notice a difference.  But if you’re like me and don’t happen to have any fresh ginger in supply, this will work out just fine.

(2) Always test your jalapeno peppers before using them.

A wise person once told me that not all jalapenos are made equal.  Some will be ‘burn-your-mouth’ hot, and others will be as mild as a sweet bell.  You really have to taste a small peice to see what you’ve got. 

Today, mine was x-tra spicy, so I deseeded and only used half. 

…oh yeah, and always cut the spicy jalapenos small.  Especially if you’re sensitive to heat like me.

(3) Know when to use real butter.

There are times when olive oil makes a wonderful substitute.  Most times, actually.  But then there are times when only real butter will do.  This was one of those times.

(4) Learn patience.

I have a hard time with this one.  I would cook onions in a minute if I could.  But you’ll get the sweetest, most mouth watering onions, when you practice your patience and let them cook.  Slowly.

(5) Measure out your ingredients ahead of time.

This saves you the stress of trying to throw random spices in at a minutes notice. 

(6) Have fun!

I consider this to be the most important step.  Never overlook it.

I served the Masala over brown rice and topped it with the squeeze of a fresh lemon.

A side of kale chips was set out in the middle of the table.  Completely up for grabs by any and all.

Today really was such a perfectly rainy, fall day.

Channa Masala—(serves 4)
as seen on Eat, Live, Run

• 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 inch knob ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 2 tbsp butter

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the butter. Once melted, add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes on medium low heat, or until golden brown.

Once the onions have caramelized, add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and stir well. Cook for about two minutes or until it starts to smell like heaven on earth.

Add the tomato paste and pince, using above photos as an example. This is very important and if you don’t do it right your dish is pretty much doomed. No pressure.

Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and tumeric and stir well. Then add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas and garam masala.

Cook for about five minutes or until the chickpeas have heated through. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and top with plain yogurt and cilantro if desired! 

Question: Rainy fall days—yay or nay?

not without a fight

I kind of just blew my entire budget…

I’ve never been much of an Ocean State Job Lot fan.  In fact, I usually avoid the store like its the plague.  Most of what they sell is stuff you don’t need (or want.)  Hence the reason why I never go there. 

Until today.

Don’t ask me what it was that first drew me in.  Not the aesthetics of the building, thats for sure.  But once inside, there was absolutely no turning back.  An entire isle was dedicated to nut butters.  Jams and jellies that you can only find at Whole Foods.  Flaxseed for half of the normal price.  I was a bit awestruck, really.  

Current Favorite Snack: 1% cottage cheese with Bear Naked Banana Nut Granola and a dollop of Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter.

After recovering from my excitement, I felt like baking. 

It truly is a rare moment to have a bunch of spare bananas lounging around my house.  The occasional soggy apple or pear may find its way into the trash, due to neglect and oversight.  But never—never!—does this happen to a banana.  Green bananas.  Yellow bananas.  Brown bananas.  It really doesn’t matter.  They’re gone in a matter of days, as they find their way into each and every family member’s morning meal.

In order to celebrate the rare and momentous occasion of having ripe bananas at my disposal, I decided to bake a banana bread.
 

Just as a side note, I’ll usually take the time to read through the ingredient list before pouring everything in. 
 

I guess the excitement of banana bread overcame me, because I didn’t even give the list a second look. 

And—apparently—I don’t have cream of tartar sitting in the back (or front, for that matter) of my pantry.

I remember someone once telling me that you can substitute baking powder for a cream of tartar/baking soda combination.  I wasn’t sure if this was actually going to work, but there was no turning back.  My bananas were mashed, and there was no way I was going to give up.  Not, at least, without a pretty darn good fight.

(With the dry and wet ingredients, remember to only stir until *just* moistened.  This is especially important if you’re using whole wheat flour.  Nobody wants a tough, gummy banana bread!  Those lumps are completely okay–and normal.)

Substituting baking powder for the cream of tartar/baking soda seemed to work out alright.  The result was a little more dense than I would have liked, but all in all, at least my banana bread was saved from the doom of a trash can.  

There was nothing fancy about this bread.  No cinnamon.  No nutmeg.  No vanilla.  No walnuts or chocolate chips.  Completely unadorned. 

Because sometimes you want those deep, dark chocolate chips.  Sometimes the crunch of a walnut, surrounded by the flavor of a sweet, sweet banana is nothing short of perfection.

But sometimes you just want the basics.  Bananas.  Bread.  Banana Bread.

Your Basic Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This is a spin off on my whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread.  If chocolate is what you’re after, just add 1/2-3/4 c. of dark chocolate chips after mixing the flour together with the banana mixture.  OR, try melting a bit of chocolate and drizzling it over the banana bread before serving.  Both ways are equally scrumptious.

• 1 c. mashed ripe banana (about 2-1/2 medium)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg white
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk until smooth.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir just until moist (do not overmix).  Spoon batter into an 8×4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, remove from pan.  Cool completely on rack.

Question: Have you ever substituted another ingredient after realizing that you didn’t have the one that was originally called for?  How did this turn out? 

a greedy indulgence

Guess what I was busy peeling and washing, in anticipation for tonight’s dinner?

Beets.  Lots and lots of beets.  Enough to feed a family of five.  Or, in my case, a family of three.  We like our produce.

I could have canned them.  Really…I should have canned them.  When will I learn to preserve summer’s crops? 

I have received so many useful tips on preserving the produce.  “Freeze your pesto!”  “Bottle your beets!”  Friends have shared with me, all of the genius ways in which they ensure they’ll be eating from-the-garden tomatoes, all year round (salsas, sauces, and soups, oh my!) 

Unfortunetly, I’ve never listened.  Instead, I greedily eat summer’s produce, all at once.  Aside from a handful or two of frozen basil leaves, there’s not an inkling or trace of what once was.  Summer becomes a thing of the past, as I move forward into the months of autumn.  Arms (and mouth) open wide, ready for squash and cabbage and things like kale.

When I see a bunch of basil, I see a toasted, basil hummus sandwich for lunch.   And when I see beets, I see a salad piled high with those beautiful red, roasted roots.  I can’t resist.  I do realize that this is a shame.  A fault, even.  I would love to have produce all winter long.  I would!  I would love to pull out a bottle of zingy tomato salsa, smack dab in the middle of January.  I would love to pull out a batch of pesto in the dead of winter, just as a reminder of what summer tastes like. 

 But tonight, that didn’t really matter.  I savored each bite of the earthy, sweet beets, towering high on a bed of greens.  Dressed in nothing but olive oil.  I know this is a greedy indulgence.  But I just couldn’t help myself. 

As a side note, I am completely addicted to the peanut hummus.  Age really does do wonders for this tangy spread!

As a note to self: “Next summer? Grow a bigger garden.”

Roasted Beets

• 1 large bunch of fresh beets, trimmed and peeled of any lingering roots or tough exterior

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Chop beets into bite sized peices, and place in single layer on a well sprayed cookie sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, flip once, and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
3. ENJOY!

Question: Do you preserve summer’s produce, or do you eat it right away?  What is your favorite way of preserving the produce?  One of these years, I would like to plant enough tomatoes to make a fresh tomato salsa.  And then open and eat it on the coldest day of the year.

a bowl of super soup

Tis the season for colds and things.

Bring.  On.  The.  Soup!

I’m proud of the fact that—for the most part—my immune system keeps me far, far away from the little things that tend to plague people.  A head cold here.  A flu there.  They never seem to bother me.  That being said, when I do get sick, I get *sick.*  There’s absolutely no fooling around.  I’ve learned to simply wave my white flag and surrender. 

In other words, I spent most of the day in my pj’s.  Resting.  Relaxing. 

Making a big batch of veggie soup.

 Usually when I make a soup that calls for use of the blender, there is intensive time involved.  Not always.  But usually.  Between the simmering and cooling times, the soup making process is a long one.

Not so with this recipe.  The blending came pre-cooking.  Just a can of diced tomatoes and three cans of white beans.  The consistency—which reminded me of refried beans!!!—made for an awesome thickener.  I need to remember this for future soups!

The rest of the soup recipe was just as easy.  Just as simple.  And it involved many…

…many…

…many, many, many…

…many, many, many vegetables. 

I can practically hear my immune system thanking me.

While the soup was simmering, dad picked up some crusty, artisan sourdough bread to accompany dinner.

The bread was absolutely perfect.  Crusty on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside. 
 

Cold season may be in full swing around here.  But it’s nothing that a little veggie soup can’t handle.

Loaded-with-Veggies Soup Recipe—courtesy of Woman’s Day Magazine

• 3 cans (15.5 oz each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 bulb fennel, chopped, or 4 cups chopped celery
• 1⁄2 small butternut squash peeled and cut into 1⁄2-in. pieces, or 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini (8 oz), halved lengthwise and sliced
• 8 oz broccoli rabe (thick stems removed), cut crosswise into 1-in. strips, or 8 oz broccoli florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Olive oil

1. Purée beans and diced tomatoes with their juice in food processor, in batches, if necessary. Pour into a 6-qt pot. Stir in water, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

2. Add remaining vegetables except peas. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

3. Drizzle olive oil over each bowl of soup; serve with crusty bread, if desired

Question: What is your favorite kind of soup?  I love a soup that’s jam packed with veggies.  Chicken stew is definitely on my list of favorites too.

stuffed to the gills.

Sometimes—when I’m feeling slightly overwhelmed, tired, or downright cranky—it feels good to chop an onion.

A lot has been happening these past few weeks.  Nothing really, really bad.  And nothing too crazy either.  Just—a lot.  I’m realizing that the weekends aren’t enough to bring me back to normal, and so I’ve been relying on my sharpest kitchen knives and a few good recipes, as my greatest form of stress management.

Tonight I felt like making stuffed vegetarian peppers.

I’ve been wanting to make stuffed peppers for some time now.  Hesitation is what has held me back for so long.  Thoughts of my mom’s famous hamburg stuffed peppers, lingering in the back of my mind.  Memories of a recipe that was handed down from my mom’s mom’s mom, to my mom’s mom, and then to my mom (and eventually to me.)  That’s kind of a lot of pressure to put on a girl.

But I decided, after all, that I still wanted a vegetarian stuffed pepper to call my own.  And if I found a recipe that was unique enough, it could become a new recipe to add to my collection.  Not a replacement.  Never a replacement.  I’m sure the long line of French Canadian women wouldn’t mind hearing that I experimented in the kitchen (although there may be a few eyebrows raised at the idea of having a meatless meal!) 

To find a well deserving recipe, I pulled out my stack of magazines.  That’s when I stumbled across a Vegetarian Times Magazine, which proudly boasted pictures of stuffed peppers, smothered in a rich cheddar cheese.  I had all the ingredients on hand to make such a pepper.  It was obviously meant to be.

Recipe? Found.  Cooking utensils? Ready.  Apron? On.  Stress Management Class may now commence.

By this point in the recipe, you’ll have an onion and two stalks of celery simmering in a bit of olive oil on the stove.  For about 5 minutes or so.  The cumin and garlic are then added for a minute more of cooking (thanks to an informative reader for letting me know that this short duration of heat upon spice really does intensify the flavors…)

Moving on.  Drain the juice from 2 cans of diced tomatoes, but save it for later.  You’ll see why, later on in the recipe.

Add the diced tomatoes and 10-oz. of dethawed & drained frozen spinach to your onion mixture.

(I probably failed to mention this earlier, but you’ll also want to have a pot of brown rice going at this time, unless you’re taking the quinoa route (see recipe below for the details!) 

Meanwhile, grate 3 large carrots.  If you’re like me, you’ll want to peel an extra one for munching.

Mix all ingredients together.

(All Ingredients = Cooked brown rice.  Spinach.  Tomatoes.  Black beans.  Carrots.  Cheese.)

Stir, Stir, Stir.

I’m pretty sure that any leftover filling (because this recipe does make extra filling) will find its way into a tortilla wrap or atop a salad.  The flavor is superb.

But a wrap or a salad was not meant for tonight.  Tonight, I forged ahead and decided to stick completely to the written recipe, halving and coring the freshest bell peppers that I could find, and stuffing them to the gills. 

After the procedure of stuffing the peppers was finished, I covered them with a tight seal of foil, popped them in a 350 degree oven, turned the timer to an hour and then I did something that I never do.

I left my mess behind.

Washing dishes is a little like brushing my teeth.  I can’t not do it immediately after a meal. 

But I came to the conclusion that the dishes could wait.  The sunshine could not.  So with an hours worth of time, I went for a walk.  And I’d recommend you do the same if you have a spare 30 minutes or so before your next meal.  It felt absolutely luxurious.

When I strolled back in, there was a good 15 minutes left on the timer. 

Just enough time to melt a bit of cheddar cheese on top of the peppers.  Just enough time to braise some brussels sprouts.  Just enough time to get those dishes done and out of the way.

The meal was fabulous and earned tablewide compliments.  The flavors were very complex and came together beautifully.  Next time I may try adding some salsa to the mix, or a jalapeno for some x-tra spice. 

Needless to say, I’ll be making these again. 

(Especially since they pack up nicely for next-day-lunches!)

Stuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Times, February 2009—plus some minor tweaking

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, finely choped
• 1 T. cround cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1, 10-oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2-15 oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 c. quinoa (OR, cook 1 c. dry rice as directed on package)
• 3 large carrots, grated
• 1-1/2 c. grated, reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 large red, green or yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and celery, cook 5 minutes or until soft.  Add cumin and garlic, saute 1 minute.  Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. If using quinoa: Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 c. water.  Cover, bring to a boil for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Stir in 1 c. cheese.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
If using rice: Stir in black beans, cooked rice, and carrots.  Stir, reduce heat to low and stir in cheese.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa or rice mixture, and place in baking dish.  Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour.  Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 T. remaining cheese.  Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Today’s Challenge: Do something that you really love and enjoy, as a form of “stress management.”  Go for a walk.  Brush your cat.  Paint your nails.  Bake some muffins.  Look through old pictures.  Make a cup of tea and do absolutely nothing for 15 minutes…(what is your favorite stress buster?)