quickie

One lonely can of pumpkin puree has been sitting in the cabinet above my kitchen sink since early December, when I did my holiday baking. This evening I finally found a use for it, replacing the two point five bananas in the recipe mentioned here with 15 ounces of pumpkiny goodness. I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of ginger.

The result was tasty but mooshy, despite the fact that the muffins passed the toothpick test. If I were to make this recipe again, I'd cut the pumpkin down to 3/4 of a can (12 or so ounces), and double the ginger.

duck eggs

There's a little market down the street from my apartment. It's the sort of place that carries fourteen different types of olive tapenade, stocks eight varieties of imported rare mushrooms, and sells only artisinal cheeses. I stop in on my way home from work every now and then when I want something different and a little la-ti-da.

Yesterday evening I brought home duck eggs. Larger than chicken eggs, and with mottled shells, duck eggs have bigger yolks and a slightly higher fat and protein content. There's a hot debate about whether duck eggs are better for baking -- because the whites contain more protein, they create fluffier cakes and cookies. Sounds like a good thing to me, but you can experiment and make the call yourself.

Turns out duck eggs offer health benefits over chicken eggs as well. While chicken eggs are acidic, duck eggs are alkaline. Good news for cancer patients, because cancer cells need an acidic environment to thrive, and duck eggs can help you to alkalize your body.

back in the kitchen!

It's been a loooooong time. Let me explain. Or rather, let me sum up: beginning of last summer, I broke up with the boyfriend, moved out of apartment and into sublet with criminally tiny kitchen. (Seriously, it was smaller than some dining room tables.) Met charming, attractive, available, health-conscious pescatarian. Moved into much nicer apartment (with female roommate, not with Charming Pescatarian) that has a beautiful kitchen, but was so busy enjoying life and running all over New England with C.P. that cooking (and blogging) was moved to the back burner (har har har).

Fast forward several months. C.P. (who is now officially The Boyfriend) is out of town for the evening and my plans with a chick friend fall through. I have three bananas in my kitchen on their last legs. I have flax in my fridge, and a stash of sadly neglected baking supplies. I google "vegan banana flax muffins", and find this recipe. Perfection!

Of course, I can't just bake it as is. I must futz. Here's what I did:

Substitute 1/3 cup organic barley flour for 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, to add a richer flavor
Add 1/4 cup raw cocao powder, because chocolate + banana = bliss
Add an additional 1/2 banana, because I always wish banana bread tasted more like bananas

I left out the walnuts. I don't like nuts in my quick breads.

What I ended up with was a great breakfast muffin. It's decidedly Health Food -- the flax gives it that coarse texture I associate with things that are Good For You -- but it's moist and banana-y and satisfying. I'd make it again.

And I promise to get back in the kitchen more often!

my salad is better than your salad

No really. Go to the store right now and get the following, then come home, put them all together in a bowl, and eat. You can thank me after.

Mixed baby field greens
1 avocado
handful of blueberries
handful of sunflower seeds
1/4 cup or so sprouted green lentils (if you have them on hand)
half a cucumber
2 tablespoons olive oil whisked with 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

when ec doesn't cook

Sometimes life doesn't give you time to spend in the kitchen. Since I don't do fast food, I tend to live off food in bar form when I can't cook. In no particular order, my top five rectangular food choices:

1. Greens+ Chocolate Energy Bar


Ok, so maybe this list is in a particular order -- Greens+ is far and away my favorite of the bar form food group. It's organic, made with gmo-free soy and no sugar, and features a nutrient-rich green superfood blend. Plus, it's coated in chocolate. So really, you can't get better than that.


2. Cliff Nectar Bar


Each Nectar Bar has only five ingredients. Five. That's amazing. Plus they're organic, also made with no sugar, and also taste like chocolate.


3. Lara Bar


Yay raw food! Lara bars are made with 100% raw ingredients, like dates and cherries and almonds. The ingredient lists are even shorter than the Nectar Bars'. Cherry pie is the best, no contest.


4. Organic Food Bar - Vegan


It's exactly that -- an organic vegan food bar. Not as tasty at some of the others, but it's made with quinoa sprouts and flax seed, so it's ridiculously good for you. The vegan bar is also gluten, soy, and peanut free, so it'll work for people with food allergies.


5. thinkOrganic


This bar wins on graphic design alone. Unlike a lot of the other raw organic food bars, the think line of bars has slick packaging that will totally match your Lulu gear. They're also dairy, soy, sugar, and gluten-free.

summer smoothie

It's just barely spring here in Boston, but the peaches in this smoothie remind me of summer.

In a blender, combine:

3/4 cup frozen peaches
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup rice milk
1 tbsp wheat grass powder
juice of one lemon
squeeze of agave
sprig of fresh mint (if you have it on hand)

Sit on the front porch in your short-shorts and enjoy.

it's alive!

According to Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen, sprouting beans or grain "greatly increases the nutritional value of these foods and makes them far more digestible because their protein is broken down into amino acids, their starches are changed into simple sugars, and their fats are converted into soluble fatty acids." Sprouting also activates dormant enzymes in the food, which helps your body to digest them.

You can buy bean sprouts at any grocery store. But it's possible to sprout all kinds of things at home -- larger beans, chickpeas, quinoa, millet, lentils, seeds, almonds... basically, if you could plant it in the ground and expect it to grow, you can sprout it and eat it.

For my first attempt, I sprouted some green lentils. The process is simple: Soak the lentils (or seeds, or beans) in a bowl with water overnight. Then drain the water and spread your things-to-be-sprouted on a plate or cookie sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Rise and drain 2-3 times a day until you see green shoots. My lentils took 2 days to sprout; some things take longer, some are faster.

The sprouts were great on their own, and they added a yummy crunch to the recipe below, which I've named "Cali-oa" (pronounced Cali-wah).

1/2 cup sprouted green lentils
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked
1 avocado
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together and serve as a dip with flax seed crackers, or on it's own as a salad.

looks awful, tastes awesome

This smoothie is amazingly good, but green hemp powder + yellow mango = unappetizing, sludgy color. So serve this one in an opaque glass.

In a blender, combine:

3 tablespoons organic hemp protein powder
1 tablespoon wheat grass powder
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup rice milk (add more for a thinner smoothie, less for a thicker one)
squeeze of agave or honey

Hemp contains complete protein (all eight amino acids are present and accounted for), plus zinc, magnesium, fiber, and lots of other nutrients. It's also an environmentally friendly choice, since hemp is easily grown without pesticides. I made this smoothie for breakfast earlier in the week, and it powered me through a very long day. Good stuff.

not your grandmother's tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur*. Other ingredients typically include onion, tomato, and mint, but this recipe, from Epicurious.com, uses beets, apples, and basil. You'll need:

1 cup bulgur
1 1/3 cups boiling-hot water
2 small red beets
1 Granny Smith apple
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

The original instructions are here. I didn't peel the apple or beets and my tabbouleh came out just fine. It's tangy and sweet and would be great at a BBQ.


*For the unfamiliar (like me, prior to today), bulgur is wheat that has been parboiled and has had the bran removed. So it's not a whole food, but it still has a lot of protein and fiber (6 grams and 8 grams per cooked cup, respectively). Bulgur cooks quickly -- just add 1 1/3 cups of very hot water for every cup of bulgur, stir, cover, and let sit for 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed.

pink tahini stew

This recipe is inspired by the vegan stew at the Otherside Cafe in Boston. The pink color comes from the beets, and the tahini adds a unique, comfort-food flavor. I rarely advocate cooking the crap out of vegetables, but in this case you're going for a soft, almost mooshy texture, so plan on a longer simmer time.

You'll need:

1 15oz can of chickpeas
1 large red beet (or 2 smaller)
2 medium carrots
1 bunch kale
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon unfiltered extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
sea salt to taste

Cube carrots and beets and put in a large pot with enough water to just cover the pieces. Simmer, covered, over medium heat while you prepare the other ingredients. De-vein kale and chop or tear into bite-sized pieces, adding kale to the pot as you go. Drain the chickpeas and add those to the pot.

Finely chop the onion, then saute with the olive oil in a small pan for 5 minutes. Stir the onion into the large pot, then add tahini and mix thoroughly. Cook, covered, until the cubed vegetables are soft and the kale is completely wilted, adding a little water as needed. Salt to taste.

Serves 3-4.

steel cut oats

Like I've said, I'm a big fan of oats for breakfast. You get all the benefits advertised in Cheerios commercials (lots of fiber, lower cholesterol) without any of the sugar or preservatives.

For those seeking something other than typical rolled oats, there's the heartier steel cut variety. Essentially the same as rolled oats, steel cut oats are made by chopping up whole oat groats, rather than rolling them flat. Steel cut oats cook quickly on the stove top in a 2:1 ratio of water to oats, and reheat in the microwave just as well as rolled oats. I like to cook mine with one teaspoon of vanilla extract for every cup of oats to bring out the grain's natural sweetness.

figs stuffed with honey and...

If I could claim to have a signature dish, it would be figs stuffed with goat cheese and honey. I make these whenever I host any sort of event and they always go over well.

When I cut dairy out of my diet, I assumed that was the end of stuffed figs. But then my friend Michelle blogged about nutritional yeast the other day, mentioning that it tastes a little like cheese. Which got me thinking...

Figs stuffed with honey and nutritional yeast? Sounded weird, but worth a shot.

I found nutritional yeast in the wonder that is the bulk aisle at Whole Foods. I couldn't find my usual calimyrna figs, so I got black mission figs instead. You could use either. The recipe is simple:

Mix honey and nutritional yeast to form a paste. Cut stems off dried figs, then make a small vertical cut where the stem was. Spoon honey and yeast mixture into fig, and serve.


Ok, this version is not as good as the original -- you really can't beat the creamy texture of goat cheese. But these weren't bad, either. The yeast added a sharp cheesy flavor, and the honey kept it from tasting too funky. I might try feeding these to friends at my next party to see what they think.

In the mean time, nutritional yeast is wonderful on pasta or steamed veggies.

muffins for everyone

My mom came to visit this weekend, and brought with her the easiest pumpkin muffin recipe you ever did see. I love it, because it can be made to accommodate different food sensitivities and tastes with minimal effort. And bonus for those on a diet - there's little to no fat.

You need:

1 box cake mix (any kind)
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup water


We used gluten-free spiced cake mix, because it was the only spice cake mix available and we were in the mood for spice, but literally any mix will work. Instead of a plain muffin tin, we used a mini bundt cake mold. Whatever you bake in, the instructions are the same:

Mix ingredients until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn out of tin and cool.


So next time you have a mixed veggie/omnivore/gluten-sensitive/lactose intolerant/whathaveyou crowd coming over, try these. You can make a few batches with different mixes and everyone will be happy.

smoothies

My boyfriend and I received as a gift one of those Magic Bullet blenders that you see advertised during late-night infomercials. I was excited to make salsa and pudding and do all those other nifty tricks with it, but it turns out that (surprise!) the thing doesn't work very well. Except when it comes to smoothies.

So, I now have a dedicated smoothie machine, which has led me to create a few smoothie recipes. This one is my Super Ridiculous Healthy Smoothie That Actually Tastes Good:

1 package Sambazon acai puree (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon wheat grass powder
1/3 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup rice milk (soy would be fine too)
1 squeeze agave nectar (honey would also work)

Blend and drink! Serves one.


Acai (ah-sigh-ee) puree is a new thing for me. Made from the berries of the acai palm, it's a great source of fiber and omega 6 fatty acids. A bunch of other nutritional benefits have been attributed to acai berries, including antioxidant properties and phytonutrient content. Basically, it's good for you. I found the Sambazon brand in the freezer section at Whole Foods.

Wheat grass powder is a good source of iron, which is why I eat it. It doesn't taste very good on it's own, but you can't detect it in this smoothie. The powder comes in big containers, or in single serving packets, which are a great way to try it out. You can find it in the supplement aisle at any health food store.

miso marinade

This is another Kripalu-inspired recipe. Miso marinade would work well with all kinds of things -- vegetables, fish, even meat if you eat it. I used carrots and daikon for my first attempt.

The marinade is super simple:

2 tablespoons miso
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger (either powdered or freshly grated)
2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar
1/2 cup water

Put in a bowl with whatever it is you want to marinate, cover, and stick it in the fridge overnight. These veggies were fine cold, but they would also be a tasty addition to soup or salad, as a warm side dish, or added to a pot roast. You just want to be careful not to heat the miso to much (don't boil it!), since high temperatures will kill the miso culture and defeat the digestive benefits.

rice cooker love

I tried making something other than rice in my new rice cooker last night. Turns out it works just as well on quinoa as it does on brown rice.

I was in the mood for something different to go with said quinoa (ie, not broccoli or kale or squash), so I looked for inspiration in the pantry. Here's what I came up with:

2 cups quinoa, rinsed then cooked
1/2 cup raw almond slivers
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
3 gloves of garlic (or more, if you really love garlic)
1 tablespoon unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

Cook the quinoa. If you don't have a rice cooker, use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water on the stove. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 15-20 minutes until water is completely absorbed.

Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic. Heat olive oil over medium-low flame and add garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

As soon as the quinoa is done cooking, stir in the almonds, raisins, garlic, and vinegar. Cover for at least 5 minutes, then serve warm.

evoo

I'll get to a proper recipe update soon, but in the mean time, I thought this was interesting.

Arguments for choosing organic olive oil over conventional (from idealbite.com):

-Pesticides are fat-soluble and thus concentrate in the oil portion of plants (and that includes olives). Choosing organic decreases exposure risks.

-A Greek study found that organic olive groves cause fewer CO2 emissions than conventional ones and that both methods can be economically viable for farmers.


So the next time someone asks you why they should bother with organic when it costs more than conventional, you have two good answers.

where to buy

This is a cooking blog, not a look-at-this-cool-site blog (though those are fun, too). But since we have to get our ingredients from someplace, look at this cool site!

If you live in the U.S., Local Harvest will help you find farmers markets, co-ops, grocery stores, farms, and even restaurants near you that offer local, sustainable, and organic foods. You can also find community supported agriculture programs in your area, which are a great way to support local farms and get super fresh produce for your kitchen.

compromise

I live with my decidedly non-vegan boyfriend. For Valentine's Day this year we skipped the fancy restaurants and made dinner together. Witness, the picture of compromise:

veggie straws

Last weekend I went to Kripalu with three of my yoga teacher training buddies. The food there is amazing -- everyone would eat well if they could eat at Kripalu all the time. Most of the food is vegan, though there are a few chicken or fish options and the occassional dairy product. Since many of the dishes are made with seasonal produce, the root vegetables were in full effect. One of my favorite dishes was a mix of carrots, parsnips, and a few other veggies cut into match sticks and baked. It tasted delicious but also seemed simple enough, so a few nights ago I tried to recreate it. I changed the ingredients a bit (any root vegetable would probably work), but I got the spirit of it:

1 large daikon
3 small or two medium carrots
medium sized celery root
1 large golden beet
2 tablespoons unfiltered extra virgin olive oil
pinch sea salt

Cut all the vegetables into matchstick-sized pieces. Toss the veggies in the olive oil to coat, then sprinkle with sea salt. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree oven for 13 minutes. Flip veggies with a spatula and then bake for another 13 minutes. Some veggies will be a little blackened around the edges but they should be firm, not crunchy.


Lots of chopping, but basically impossible to mess up. I'm eating mine with some brown rice, but you could make these as a side dish for almost any meal, or even put them in a salad.