Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad and More!

Why Go Out When You Could Stay In?

Here's a quick break down of my life since the new year began. 

• I fill my free time on weekdays with blogging, workout classes, dates with girlfriends and volunteering (OK OK.. and maybe a little too much TV). My theory is that if I'm busy enough, I might not notice that part of me is 388 miles away. Mostly though, my weekday activities just succeed in making me incredibly tired. I'm still well aware that beloved hubby is. not. here. STUPID PITTSBURGH.
• Moving on... 3 out of the past 7 weekends we've been out of town visiting friends and family
• 2 out of the remaining 4 weekends we've hosted out of town friends and family

That left us with only 2 "normal" weekends to negotiate. And those were completely crammed with plans because we'd been ignoring our local friends for 2 months!

So, you can image how excited we were when we discovered that we'd somehow forgotten to make plans for an ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Let me repeat that.

AN ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Muahahahahahahahahahahaha.

We took walks, watched movies, SLEPT, and most importantly... we ate a TON of amazing homemade food. 

Throughout the weekend I made:

• Spinach and Mushroom Korma This was OK..a little bland to be honest, but had potential if you boosted up the spice content a bit.

• Mushroom & Barley Soup This was FANTASTIC, but only if you LOVE mushrooms. I recommend doubling the barley. (Vegan)

• Beer, Cheddar & Mustard  Pull Apart Bread For the dough: I cut out a tablespoon of butter and used 2 cups of white flour, and 1/2 & 1/3 cups whole wheat flour in place of the extra white & rye. For the filling: I cut 1.5 tablespoons of butter and I used low fat cheddar. This bread was DELICIOUS, but not decadent. If you're going for decadent, use the original recipe.

•  Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad  DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to change this recipe. It is perfect just the way it is. (vegan)

• I also made some chocolate chip cookie dough, whiiiiiich... never turned into cookies. Whoops!

In the last 2 months we've dined out in highly regarded establishments in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Los Angeles, Boston and New York. But really, there's no place like home.

Urban Teenagers are... Special

Once a week I cook dinner by myself, or with a generous friend, for ten lovely gentlemen who just so happen to be homeless. They are all clean and kind, and hard working. You would never know they are homeless if you bumped into them on the street. The shelter is volunteer run, and is part of the synagogue to which I belong.

Public school kids in NYC have to do a certain number of volunteer hours each year, so I often have teenage su chefs.  Last night, I had the assistance of a 16 year old boy. Most of the kids I’ve met are pretty aloof, but certainly helpful enough.

This boy, however, was a disaster.

I asked him to use a 4 step brownie mix to make dessert... not something he'd ever done before. He read the instructions (4 step brownie mix) for a solid 10 minutes. When he finally finished,  he began to get all of the ingredients out of the cupboards. Good start.

Just as he was ABOUT to crack an egg, I asked, "do you have a bowl??"

No, he did not have a bowl.

He took a cereal bowl off the shelf.

Next, he set about measuring the water. The sink is on the opposite end of the kitchen from where he was working (it's a BIG kitchen) and he was using drying measuring cups to measure the water. He walked each cup from sink to bowl, spilling most of it along the way.

Then it came time to crack the eggs.  This didn't go well. I asked if he got any shell in the batter. He said, "just a little", and continued to measure the oil into the bowl.  I said "Did you take the shell OUT?" He stared at me blankly."You have to take the shell out, no one likes to eat the shell".

Finally, he poured in the mix and asked, "Now what?"... so I told him to stir it.  After stirring, he decided to read the box for a few more minutes before he said, in a puzzled tone of voice, "I've done everything it says to except stick a tooth pick in it, and I just don't really get that".

I said, "Well... you have to bake it first."

After I provided a pan of appropriate size, he proceeded to pour in the batter... in 3 different kitchen locations.

 

I am NOT exaggerating when I tell you that he got batter on his shirt, his face, 2 different counters, the microwave, the paper towel dispenser and the stove top. HE WASN’T EVEN NEAR THE STOVE TOP.

When the oven timer went off, he was very proud because he knew he had to use a pot holder.

JUUUUUUST as he was about to grab for pan, I said, "WAIT… may I please see the inside of your potholder?" So he held it up... GIANT HOLE.

If I were one to use hash tags, this one would be #sogladIdidn’tbecomeahighschoolteacher.

Maple Granola with Pecans and Figs

Yes I'm sure I've never had dreadlocks...

I recently spent a weekend with four of my closest childhood friends and their lovely significant others.  As old friends are wont to do, we spent most of our time together reminiscing. In the process, we bored our better halves near to tears.

This did not stop us.

During our bajillionth "Do you remember when...?" conversation, one friend casually asked me,
"You had dreads for awhile, right?"
"No, I never had dreads", I replied.
"Yes, you totally did!!!", another of my friends chimed in.
"No, I'm VERY certain I did not..."

Several childish minutes later of "Yuh Huhs" and "Nuh Uhs", I had not successfully convinced my friends that though my hair has indeed been nearly every color of the rainbow over the years, it has never been in dreadlocks.

But I did go through a bit of a crunchy phase for a few years in high school and early college. Most of my clothes were from a truly terrifying (and equally fabulous) thrift store in Ithaca, New York, I dyed my hair with henna instead of my go-to Manic Panic, I switched to all-natural (barely-functioning) hygiene products, the Indigo Girls played on repeat in my mini-van, and yes, it was during that time that I stopped eating meat.

It's been many years since that particular phase, but a little part of me looks forward to a day when I live in a place where it's socially acceptable for my wardrobe to be 100% linen and well-worn Birkenstocks, my music collection to be composed entirely of acoustic guitar and angsty chick rockers and where it's easier to buy local organic vegetables than imported fake Chanel.

But only part of me.

Maple Granola with Pecans & Figs
(adapted from this recipe in Cooking Light magazine)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups regular oats
• 1/2 cup pecans (broken into small peices)
• 1 rounded teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped dried figs

Preperation:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine water, honey, syrup, sugar, and oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

Pour over oat mixture; toss to coat.

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Spread oat mixture on baking sheet. 

Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until golden, stirring every 10 minutes.

Place in a large bowl; stir in figs.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Serve with plain yogurt or milk & fresh berries, and enjoy a patchouli candle lit breakfast.

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili with Jalapeño Corn Bread Crumbles

Dear New Yorkers, It's Supposed to Be Cold in January.

New York City has had an unusually warm winter. Temperatures have remained consistently in the mid 40s, we've even had a few days in the low 50s. However, during the last couple of weeks we've had a handful of days below freezing and even seen a little snow (also known as... weather typical to the North East region in the month of January).

If you were to overhear a conversation about the recent weather on the subway, or at the water cooler, the gym, the nail salon, or any of the gazillion places in NYC designed for eavesdropping; you would rightfully assume the entire city must have been suddenly and alarmingly transplanted to Antarctica.

This morning I was walking behind a group of teenagers on their way to school. I overheard one of the girls say to her friend, "GURL, it's RIdiculous out here!!!"
Gurl friend responded, "RIGHT?! Even my SCALP is cold".
Needless to say, said teenage girl was sans hat.

I'm sorry to have to be the one to break the news, my darling fellow New Yorkers, but it's likely going to be cold here for many, many... many more weeks. My recommendation? Go put on your incredibly precocious & impractical gorgeous designer coats and assorted winter accessories, and march yourself to the grocery store to stock your shelves with the ingredients for this hearty, healthy chili. Guaranteed to warm your extremities, even after your long 6 minute walk to the subway.

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili with Jalapeno Corn Bread Crumbles
(Adapted from a recipe I cut off a Boca burger box in 2002 & the Canyon Ranch cook book)

Chili
Ingredients:

2 red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1onion, chopped
2 clovesgarlic, minced
2 tsp.olive oil
1 can(15 oz.)black beans, drained
1 can(15 oz.) chili beans (pinto beans) in sauce
1 can(15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can(14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn
1 pkg. (12 oz.) meatless ground crumbles (these are found either in the produce section, or the frozen section of a grocery store)
1/4 cup (or less, but I wouldn't do more) chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 
1 Tbsp.chili powder
1/2 tsp.ground cumin

Preparation:

Heat oil in large saucepan. Stir in peppers, onions and garlic on medium-high heat for 3 min.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 30 min., stirring occasionally.

*Note: This chili, like most chili recipes, freezes VERY well and I always split it in half. Some for now to enjoy while sitting on the couch, with a big comfy blanket, absorbed in bad TV and watching the snow fall outside. And some the next time I'm feeling really lazy and don't want to cook.

Corn Bread Crumbles
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or corn based margarine, softened
1 large egg
6 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons dry fat free milk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper (remove seeds for less spice)

Preparation:
1.  Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with canola oil. (or two smaller pans, if you wish to freeze a loaf)
2.  In a large bowl combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, butter, egg and water. When mixed, add the dry ingredients, careful not to over mix.
3.  Transfer batter into prepared baking pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle, and the tops of breads are lightly browned.
4.  Remove from oven, cool.
5.  Makes 24 pieces. (This serving size is intended for crumbling, if you wish to eat it as a slice of bread, it makes 12.)

Potato & Tempeh Fajitas

Hold the Jamon Por Favor!

Let me start by saying that our honeymoon ROCKED. It was quintessentially "us" and we had a phenomenal journey through South America. Over the course of 17  days we hiked, cuddled, canoed, and smiled our way through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Give me a million dollar travel budget and I wouldn't change a thing.

During our travels we had three or four truly phenomenal, unique meals. (Yes dear reader, I DID try a bite of my hubby's steak in Buenos Aires, and yes dear reader it was alarmingly good.) However, the other 47 or 48 meals were..um..less than awesome.

Breakfasts consisted of Wonder Bread (sometimes there was a toaster, sometimes there wasn't) with dulce de leche or jam, sickeningly sweet yogurt, Tang (yes. Tang.) slices of processed cheese and ham, and a brown liquid substance they referred to as "coffee".

Lunch, more often than not, was 2 pieces of white bread with ham and cheese. No mustard, no mayo. I spend a significant portion of our trip peeling ham OUT of my sandwiches.

Dinners were a little more varied, but with the exception of the three or four meals I already mentioned, NONE of them included vegetables! You can FORGET about whole grains... I think their cows eat better than they do!

So while our blissful newlywed hearts may have wanted to stay on our trip forever, our digestive systems were QUITE ready to go home.

Potato & Tempeh Fajitas

(From the beautiful Canyon Ranch cook book)

                                        

Ingredients:

• 2 medium russet potatoes sliced thin
• 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, and seeded)
• 8oz tempeh
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• 0% Greek Yogurt (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400F

Mist a baking sheet with oil or non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the potato slices on the baking sheet and spray again.  Combine all of the spices in a bowl, mix well, and sprinkle over the potatoes - reserving a spoonful for the tempeh.

Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned.

Mist a skillet, add the pepper, tempeh and reserved spices - cook until the peppers are tender and the tempeh is hot.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and divide  onto each of the 4 tortillas. Do the same with peppers and tempeh. Top with salsa, guac, & yogurt.

Appreciate every single bite of flavorful whole grainy, vegetarian proteiny goodness.

Apple and Cheese Soup

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

When I was a young teenager, my family took a trip to Africa.  Please do not get the wrong impression of my family. Decently cultured and open minded? Yes. Jet-setters? Far from it. 97% of the vacations we took in my childhood were to Pennsylvania to visit my grandparents.

And yet, off we went to Africa.

Our two weeks in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia prompted my first foray into vegetarianism. I couldn't stand the idea of gazing upon gorgeous gazelles, zebras and giraffes during the day...and feasting on them at night. But not my Dad. He employed the "when in Rome" philosophy, and tried to appreciate everything that was put in front of him including, at one point, a giant worm. (Deep fried, but still!) If I recall correctly he remarked that it, "tasted like chicken".

I don't remember my reaction to these dinners particularly well, but I'd have to guess that I was incredibly polite, delicate and unopinionated.

Oh. No. That can't be right. More likely I made super classy gagging noises and mimed barfing.

This was not the first time I'd been like, WAY grossed-out by something my Dad willingly ingested. He has a favorite lunch (a concoction he's enjoyed since his own childhood) that to this day I simply can't stomach. Want to guess?

Nope, not ramen. Nor is it EZ-Mac. Hungry-man dinner? Sorry, wrong again! 

Ready? He fills a big cereal bowl with Cheez-its, and then mixes in a hearty serving of apple sauce and proceeds to eat the whole thing with a spoon. Sometimes there's peanut-butter involved.

He argues that I've never actually TRIED his infamous concoction, and that it may well be that my taste buds are simply not as sophisticated as his refined senses.

Perhaps, but my opinion remains unchanged.

Gag. Barf.

Apple & Cheese Soup
(Adapted from this recipe in Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, Diced

2 medium apples, peeled cored & diced

1 large white potato, pealed & diced

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup apple cider

3 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth (if the soup is too thick for your tastes, add more)

1/2 cup 1% milk

3/4 cup grated extra-sharp reduced fat cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated smoked or aged Gouda

Directions

• Spread squash & potatoes on a cookie sheet, spray with olive oil & sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast at 400F for 30 minutes
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat
• Add the onion, apples, potato and squash
• Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in the sage and flour.
• Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened.
• Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato & squash are completely soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted.
• Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper
• Cozy up with your bowl of soup and feel justified in being JUST as sophisticated as the Doc.
• Now help me brainstorm ways to apologize for this blog...

Apple & Cheese Soup

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

When I was a young teenager, my family took a trip to Africa.  Please do not get the wrong impression of my family. Decently cultured and open minded? Yes. Jet-setters? Far from it. 97% of the vacations we took in my childhood were to Pennsylvania to visit my grandparents.

And yet, off we went to Africa.

Our two weeks in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia prompted my first foray into vegetarianism. I couldn't stand the idea of gazing upon gorgeous gazelles, zebras and giraffes during the day...and feasting on them at night. But not my Dad. He employed the "when in Rome" philosophy, and tried to appreciate everything that was put in front of him including, at one point, a giant worm. (Deep fried, but still!) If I recall correctly he remarked that it, "tasted like chicken".

I don't remember my reaction to these dinners particularly well, but I'd have to guess that I was incredibly polite, delicate and unopinionated.

Oh. No. That can't be right. More likely I made super classy gagging noises and mimed barfing.

This was not the first time I'd been like, WAY grossed-out by something my Dad willingly ingested. He has a favorite lunch (a concoction he's enjoyed since his own childhood) that to this day I simply can't stomach. Want to guess?

Nope, not ramen. Nor is it EZ-Mac. Hungry-man dinner? Sorry, wrong again! 

Ready? He fills a big cereal bowl with Cheez-its, and then mixes in a hearty serving of apple sauce and proceeds to eat the whole thing with a spoon. Sometimes there's peanut-butter involved.

He argues that I've never actually TRIED his infamous concoction, and that it may well be that my taste buds are simply not as sophisticated as his refined senses.

Perhaps, but my opinion remains unchanged.

Gag. Barf.

Apple & Cheese Soup
(Adapted from this recipe in Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, Diced

2 medium apples, peeled cored & diced

1 large white potato, pealed & diced

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup apple cider

3 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth (if the soup is too thick for your tastes, add more)

1/2 cup 1% milk

3/4 cup grated extra-sharp reduced fat cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated smoked or aged Gouda

Directions

• Spread squash & potatoes on a cookie sheet, spray with olive oil & sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast at 400F for 30 minutes
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat
• Add the onion, apples, potato and squash
• Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in the sage and flour.
• Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened.
• Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato & squash are completely soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted.
• Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper
• Cozy up with your bowl of soup and feel justified in being JUST as sophisticated as the Doc.
• Now help me brainstorm ways to apologize for this blog...