Lentils & Wilted Greens over Rice

Before getting to the good stuff, I just want to thank you for still coming 'round here , even when my posts are much more sporadic than I like... sometimes other parts of life take over and don't allow for enough of this. But I am so happy and appreciative that many of you still take the time to take a peek at LTGI!And - time away on my part does not mean that I'm not cooking, baking, researching and so on - it really just means that I have a huge back-log of posts and recipes that I'll get up here eventually :)So, back to business something quick, belly-warming, healthy and delicious to pick things back up at LTGI.Work has been very, very busy lately, and when free time/ cooking time is reduced, I'm even more about low-fuss-yet-high-quality meals than usual. This dish - lentils and wilted greens over rice - requires very minimal prep work, and leftovers keep really well for a few days in the fridge. So if you know you're going to have a busy week, like in our house right now, it's great to make and have on hand to cover you for a few meals.I heard of this original recipe on Epicurious from my cousins, who made it when Peter and I visited them recently and it hit the spot for both dinner and breakfast*. It's one of those super simple yet incredibly satisfying meals that is warming, and you just know you're doing something good for your body while eating it - it's so healthy! Protein, healthy carbs/fiber, lots of vitamins and minerals = perfection.Here's my adapted version, which is completely plant-based - a little chipotle chili powder gives a delicate smokiness that is a perfect replacement for the flavor something like pancetta or bacon (found in the original and other similar recipes) might add.Recipe: Lentils & Wilted Greens Over RiceWhat You Need:

  • 3 cups of lentils (I used green) and about 5 cups of water

  • 1 medium sweet onion, cut in half

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

  • 3 large garlic cloves, gently smashed (lay a chopping knife flat-side down against the top of the clove of garlic, and give it a light whack with your palm)

  • 1-2 glugs olive oil (approx 1/2-1 tbsp)

  • 4-5 dried cloves

  • a pinch or two of fresh thyme

  • a few shakes of chipotle chili pepper powder (start with a pinch, taste later and add more if you want)

  • a few shakes of cayenne pepper

  • salt & pepper to taste

  • 5 oz bag of organic greens , steamed (I can't get enough of Trader Joes' "Power to the Greens" mix of baby kale/spinach/chard - heat about 2 tbsp water over medium heat in a large pan or pot, add the greens and cook for a few minutes - stirring - until just wilted, and grind in some pepper to taste)

  • Brown or wild rice, cooked

What You DoWait for it... are you ready? This is about to get super complicated.I kid!Toss all the ingredients listed above (through salt & pepper) in a crock pot, put the lid on, turn it on High for the longer cooking time - and let 'er go. It should cook for at least 6 hours, and can certainly go longer if you need (if 10 hours, try it on a Low setting - but I haven't done that yet myself, so I can't speak specifically to how it would turn out). Once it's done, pull out the cloves. The carrots will be really soft and the onion and garlic will have also softened and fallen apart, so I like to leave those in - but you can remove them before eating if you prefer.Take note that I made this quantity of lentils to feed 2 of us for up to 3 meals, but we'll have to make more greens as we go.All components of this dish - the lentils, the greens, the rice - can be made in varying quantities depending on how many servings you want and what ratio you want of each component. Scoop some of each into a bowl, and try adding some Bragg's Liquid Aminos or a drizzle of a good balsamic vinegar (I recently became enamored with Napa Valley Naturals Cherry Wood Aged Balsamic Vinegar - it's addictive!).  *Legumes + Greens + Healthy Grains = BREAKFAST! I do love "traditional" breakfast food - a good pancake or waffle is one of my favorite treats - but 98% of the time, Peter and I make fruit/veggie smoothies for breakfast. Which, particularly as someone who didn't used to be an everyday breakfast eater by nature (terrible), is a habit I love. The key to a proper breakfast is nutrients. And with something like lentils, brown rice, and superfood greens - it's a wonderfully well-rounded, easy to eat (hot or cold) bowl of goodness that can

Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce with Spinach Linguini & Garlicy Spinach

To start, a note on nuts: while nuts aren't low in calories, they have loads of health benefits. Especially cashews (which do happen to be lower in fat than most other nuts) - they are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acids, and essential nutrients like copper, manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and phosphorus. It's a fallacy that foods, like nuts, that are high in fat make you fat. Moderate consumption of nuts is actually great for your body in many ways.

I however am of the "keep the nuts out of my baked goods" camp. I enjoy eating a small handful of nuts once in a while, and I love nut butters. But aside from a making cashew-based vegan strawberry rhubarb cheesecake and homemade nut butters, I haven't cooked extensively with nuts in non-traditional ways. Until last week, I hadn't made any attempts at transforming them into a palatable replacement for heavy cream and other similar dairy ingredients in recipes. I think that's probably because even when I ate loads of dairy, I never really craved heavy foods laden with it - like rich, creamy sauces - so it would be relatively unusual that the mood would strike now.

vegan tomato basil cream sauce

vegan tomato basil cream sauce

But, I was blown away by how easily and deliciously cashews could be made into a vegan cheesecake and have tasted other wonderful things of that nature in restaurants and bakeries - so that combined with a blame on Pinterest (really... I could waste so much time looking at food photos on there, among other things!), I decided I wanted to try and make a savory tomato cream sauce from cashews.I basically followed Oh She Glows' recipe for this vegan tomato basil cream sauce (and her's was adapted from Vegan Yum Yum), except I added a bit more of each ingredient, as well as a few shakes of red pepper flakes for some heat. I also used a combination of tomatoes on the vine and sugar plum grape tomatoes (ripe, flavorful tomatoes are really key). The sauce made enough to generously cover a pound of pasta.Let me tell you - this is GOOD.For the pasta, I cooked organic spinach linguini to al dente doneness - though any pasta (wheat or gluten-free) would work great with this sauce. And, to get some more veggies in the mix, I sauteed a bag of baby spinach (must buy organic when it comes to spinach) in about 2 tsp of olive oil, two cloves of chopped garlic and lots of black pepper, and served the pasta over that.It's an easy dish that comes together quite quickly, and I was surprised at how good it is. If you don't have a nut allergy and want the sweet-savoriness of a tomato cream sauce without the dairy, this is a fabulous way to go!

Chocolate Mousse Tiramisu

Chocolate Mousse Tiramisu.(I'm hoping the name alone is enticing you to read on!)Delicately spongy vanilla cake imbued with espresso and amaretto, layered with a deeply dark chocolate mousse, fluffy whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.Digression/admission: I did not know until making this that Disaronno is amaretto. Blame it on the fact that my prior exposure to Disaronno was limited to the brand's commercials that used to be on TV all the time, and to which I apparently paid little attention. The more you know!So. This is an incredibly decadent, lick-the-bowl-clean delicious dessert that is easy to make for the impressive results it yields. A little advance planning is needed - a day if possible, but 12 hours is sufficient - in order to make each component and have them ready to assemble and meld together a bit before digging in.Speaking of assembly - mine would have looked a bit nicer if I had a proper trifle dish, but I don't so I made due with what we do have. It happens. And luckily does not impact taste!vegan tiramisu - vegan chocolate mousse tiramisuOh and by the way... this is 100% vegan. Vegan tiramisu - vegan chocolate mousse tiramisu - it is real and it is GOOD. And a perfect example of a dessert that is traditionally full of dairy and eggs - but is not lacking anything without it. Make and serve this to any non-vegans, but don't tell them it's vegan until after the fact - I guarantee they will be shocked!You could even make it gluten-free by making the cake with gluten-free, and I bet it would be just as delicious.For any tiramisu traditionalists: I am fully aware that this is a non-traditional tiramisu, mainly with the addition of the chocolate mousse and the omission of marscapone or a more similar replacement. But I don't think the differences in this version detract at all - and neither did my taste-testers, so take their word for it if not mine!With what it comes down to: making layers of cake, whipped "cream", chocolate mousse, espresso, amaretto and dark chocolate - you can wing this with whatever recipes you prefer for each component, and likely have great success.vegan tiramisu - vegan chocolate mousse tiramisuMy particular recipe is going to be published elsewhere, but in the meantime if you have any questions about it, shoot me an note or leave a question or comment below! 

Quick One-Pot Chili & Cornbread

This is officially going to be a soup and stew-filled winter. Add to that a sub-category of chili.I hadn't made chili in ages, but the mood struck last week - perhaps inspired by the onset of some chilly weather - so I decided to try out an idea I've been mulling over for a while: a one-pot chili and cornbread dish.Now, I will preface by saying that I fully understand that chili, like stews, is best when it can cook (er, stew?) for a long time. I opted for the quick(er)-fix version last week though in the essence of time. It hit the spot, but I am sure a longer cooking time would allow for a fuller depth of flavor to develop. Just something to keep in mind and/or manage expectations when it comes to a quicker-style chili like this!That being said, it's nice to you know you can throw together a tasty - and SUPER healthy - chili relatively fast in one evening, and if you make it in a pan that is good both on the stove-top and in the oven (e.g., cast iron), it goes from one to the other seamlessly. The cornbread topping is like a savory literal and figurative "icing on the cake"!Consider this recipe more of an approximation. Play around with the spices to your liking, and if you have other vegetables lying around, add them as well/instead - and just adjust the liquid content and seasoning as needed. Here's what I did:Recipe: Quick One-Pot Chili & CornbreadWhat You Need (translation: what I used) for the Chili

  • 1 sweet onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 cup (approx) baby portobello mushrooms
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (preferably unsalted)
  • 1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce (preferably unsalted)
  • water and/or low-sodium vegetable stock, as needed
  • cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper - all to taste
  • 2 cans of beans (I used the Simple Truth organic tri-bean blend sold at Fry's - their organic offerings have been getting much better lately!)

What You Need for the Cornbread

  • 1 c cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking powder (note: if you don't live at a high elevation, you might want to up this to 1.5 tsp)
  • big pinch of salt
  • big pinch or turbinado sugar
  • 3/4 c unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/8 c unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/8 c canola oil

What You Do

  • Finely dice all veggies and very finely chop the garlic.
  • Heat a large oven-proof pan (e.g., cast iron) on the stove over medium heat and add a glug or two of olive oil (told you this recipe includes very precise measurements...)
  • Add all of the vegetables (not the canned tomatoes) to the pan and sautee for at least 15 minutes
  • Once the veggies begin to soften (the potatoes will take the longest), add the cans of tomato and seasoning. Try starting with 2-3 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp chili powder, a big pinch of salt, a lot of pepper, and a shake or two of cayenne depending on how heat-tolerant you are!
  • Stir and add water/stock if you want to thin the consistency at all
  • Bring it to a gentle simmer, and cover - cook for about 20 more minutes (or until potatoes are softening), stirring and tasting periodically and adjusting the seasoning if needed
  • Preheat the oven to 400
  • In a small bowl, whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar together - then stir in the coconut milk, applesauce and oil until all are thoroughly combined
  • Turn the heat off under the chili, and use a spatula to spread/dollop the cornbread mixture relatively evenly over the top of the chili - the chili doesn't need to be entirely covered, but try and keep the thickness of the batter as consistent as possible
  • Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown around the edges and starting to crack; it'll be firm to the touch
  • Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving... then enjoy!

Loving Lovin' Spoonfuls Vegan Restaurant in Tucson, AZ

Found more deliciousness in Tucson last weekend at the cozy & casual Lovin' Spoonfuls!This restaurant focuses on making the comfort food you love, except healthier and 100% vegan.When we stumble upon restaurants like this, we tend to over-order - and why not, right? We started out with the "beer battered brat bites" and also had a bottle of the Pircas Negras Malbec (organic Chilean) wine... at $18, it was kind of hard to resist and was a pretty decent bottle at that. The service was great, and another bonus was the small green salad that came with the entrees we ordered - atypical of an order-at-the-counter restaurant. The salad was simple and good, with a very delicious homemade sesame-dijon dressing.We had the "('beef') stroganoff supreme" and the "old country lasagne," both of which were fantastic. I asked about the "ricotta" in the lasagne - turns out it's made in-house with a firm tofu base. Could have fooled me! I need to try and make that myself.Stuffed as we were by meal's end, the dessert options were too enticing to overlook - so... naturally... we got a piece of the chocolate fudge cake and the chocolate chip cake to go which shockingly lasted us 2 days. Both were so good... I am really hoping to get my hands on the recipes!{Mini-Soapbox Moment: Honestly... the more vegan things I try, like cakes for example (using that as an example since vegan baking seems to get a harsher rap than cooking) - be it from a proper bakery/restaurant, my kitchen, or an adept friend - the more I am completely convinced that eggs/dairy milk/butter are so nonessential to making creations that are absolutely incredible (as good as if not better than a non-vegan counterpart) both in the flavor and texture departments. So why not, right?? Even for us predominantly but not quite 100% plant-based eaters, when there are easy ways to replace typically-used animal products - and at no sacrifice to flavor or texture - it feels like a no-brainer to do it!}Even if you're not in the Tucson area, I recommend taking a look through Lovin' Spoonfuls' website - at the menu (perhaps for inspiration in your own kitchen!), at the "My Story" section (owner Peg Raisglid details her interesting journey from chemist to restaurateur, omnivore to vegan), and at the "Veggie Info" section (here you'll find well-researched/sourced information on the nutritional quality of a plant-based diet).

Cafe Desta: Ethiopian Restaurant in Tucson, AZ

We are in Tucson, and it's my first time here (for that matter, it's my first time anywhere south of Phoenix in AZ). I spent some time researching local food before we arrived, and one place I stellar review after stellar review about was Cafe Desta, an Ethiopian restaurant. We went there tonight, and it was phenomenal. SO good that I couldn't wait to write about it (and real-time-ish posts are a rarity around here!).It's a simple but cute little place (check out an interior photo on their website) in what doesn't seem to be a tremendous a neighborhood (though it was dark when we arrived and since I don't know this city, it isn't really fair of me to judge... so take it as an observation with a grain of salt!).That's the plate we shared. There's a menu option to share 5 of the vegan dishes, so we had misr, kik, kosta, azifa and one other that is not currently listed on their online menu - and it also happened to be the most exceptional of the 5, though all were so delicious. An incredible combination of various lentils, peas, spinach, and aromatic herbs and spices on fresh, light and spongy injera to soak up every bit... yum. Apparently there's something in/about that particular dish - the one I can't remember the name for - that has what sounds like an Ethiopian-equivalent of "umami" - some indescribable yet delectable flavor that elevates it to another level and makes you crave it the more you eat it.Even the salad was superb - it had lemon, salt and pepper on it (and maybe a whisper of vinegar or oil?) - and was just so crisp, fresh and refreshing. You know a restaurant is doing something right when chopped lettuce and tomato even has a "wow" factor!I should have taken an "after" photo - there were a few scraps of injera left on the plate and that was it.The food was such a great balance between simple and complex. The ingredients are clearly all very fresh and expertly prepared with care; you can really taste every ingredient - be it lentil, pea, spinach, or a spice; there is a wonderful depth and uniqueness of flavor in each dish; yet, talk about simple ingredients and preparation - beans/veggies and spices (not to diminish from the unique blends used in Ethiopian cooking) is what it comes down to, and so much flavor is coaxed out in each dish.The restaurant also makes, jars and sells "Awaze" - a fermented chili paste blended with an array of spices - that is a base in many of their dishes. We were cautioned against its heat, and told it's especially good with breakfast food, particularly hash browns. At $4.99 for 7 oz, we couldn't resist buying a jar! Can't wait to try cooking with it.Everyone we encountered working there - I think 2 of whom were owners - were lovely and genuine. I can't recommend this place enough for anyone and everyone! We may just have to make a return trip ourselves before leaving town... 

Latest News Roundup

With a lot of interesting food-related news of late, thought I'd share some of the best! Enjoy:

"As Not Seen on TV" - This is a particularly brilliantly written (and scathing) review of Guy Fieri's (whose last name by birth, I recently learned, was Ferry) new restaurant in Times Square... burn, is all I can say!"The Food Movement Takes a Beating" - Mark Bittman's poignant Opinionator article (via NYTimes) on Prop 37 - which would have required food packaging to indicate the inclusion of GMO ingredients - and which did not pass in California during last week's election. As he points out, it was practically a shoo-in initially, until the opposition (e.g., food industry and biotech giants) poured cash into an anti-Prop 37 campaign in the weeks leading up to the election that ultimately succeeded. At the cost of $49 million. In the words of SNL's Seth Myers and Amy Poehler: REALLY??!! That anyone or any corporation could be so against - $49 million against - transparency and supporting someone's right to know exactly what is in their food is shameful, I think. And as if that money couldn't have been better spent elsewhere...Vegan Thanksgiving recipes  - Thanksgiving and meat & dairy are practically synonymous - but whether you're hosting the meal or bringing a dish to someone else's house, finding festive and delicious plant-ingredient-only recipes isn't nearly as daunting as it may seem. VegNews.com has lots to offer through their homepage - and you can also buy VegNews' Holiday eCookbook for only $8."Hostess Brands Closing for Good" - Apparently due to a far-reaching strike, Hostess Brands is shutting down all operations. From a nostalgic perspective, it's a bit of a bummer - and certainly bad news for the many people employed by the company. On a somewhat lighter related note, Eater.com created an entertaining "Twinkie Doomsday Map" to highlight where you can find the deep-fried variety before they're all gone. Although, if the adage that packaged Twinkies won't ever go bad is indeed true, y0u can stock up and keep your stash for years and years without the product rotting. (Which I most definitely do not recommend. For many reasons. I'm shuddering as I write this.)

   

Kitchen Mini-Update

It's incredible the difference a few changes can make!Peter designed and built our home about 6 years ago, and included in it a beautiful, easy-to-work-in kitchen. Which was particularly exciting to me when I moved in, having become accustomed to the tiny kitchens typical of NYC apartments. He designed one end of it as a breakfast nook area where a counter-height pub table could fit against the end of the L of the counter. He, and then we, had been looking on and off for the right piece of furniture, and finally found one we loved at a good price toward the end of the summer - a table that fit the space in terms of size, color and comfort.We luckily have similar taste in furnishings, so when we then decided to swap out the light fixture that had been in place in the breakfast nook area, it actually didn't take long to find something we were both excited about. We both happen to love mason jars, and have seen some really cool DIY light fixtures that use them - but convenience won out this time over DIY, when we came across this light fixture at Lowes that Peter then installed:It's a little rustic and funky, yet modern - and a particularly cool element is that the jars it comes with can be swapped out for actual mason jars. So we're keeping an eye out for jars in the right size and color to perhaps eventually use instead.Finally, the cookbooks. I love (and, to be honest, sort of hoard) cookbooks... I don't think I even realize how large of a collection I'd amassed until it came time to pack them before my move to Arizona. We considered a tall, skinny bookshelf to fit into the wall space we had in mind, but none we saw were quite right, and also might have blocked some of the light from the window to the left of the area. Then, nearing the end of an afternoon trip to IKEA in Phoenix, we came across the DIY shelf products - you buy the brackets and the actual shelves, and then cut the shelves yourself to whatever width you want and fasten everything to the wall (must be noted that in this case "you/yourself" meant Peter's dad, who was nice enough to help us out on this project while we were traveling!).It turned into the perfect home for our cookbooks - it's a simple and clean look that fits nicely into that wall space, and doesn't block light coming in from the window just to the left of the shelves.So - no real renovation or overhaul here - just a few additions and replacements that really changed this part of our kitchen, and as a result, our home. The main floor in the house is a pretty open layout, and this "breakfast nook" is visible from the kitchen, living and dining areas - and the changes very positively impacted the entire space. It's just as easy (if not easier) to keep the status quo in your home, but making periodic changes, small or big - moving one or more pieces of furniture around, changing what's on your wall(s), replacing something old with something new (or new-to-you), painting a wall, etc... simple, seemingly no-brainer changes can make a big difference in the feel of any given room/pace. It can be a quick and effective way of freshening up any space in your home, and is particularly good for an area you spend a good deal of time in.A little bit goes a long way!

Honey Cinnamon Apple Butter

Apple butter. Autumn-in-a-jar, honeyed-cinnamon apple butter.

jar of apple butter

jar of apple butter

apple butter recipe steps

apple butter recipe steps

white honey & cinnamon

white honey & cinnamon

Let the Edible DIYs continue with a way to put fall's bounty of apples to great use (though this isn't such a bad idea either). To make apple butter, the only necessary ingredient is apples. A lot of them (preferably). Anything else is superfluous - in a good or bad way, depending on what it is. Good = cinnamon, vanilla, honey or other natural flavorings. Bad = cups and cups of added sugar. So unnecessary.And it's a very low-effort recipe that produces wonderful results. In the simplest of terms:Apples cook down in a slow cooker/ crock pot for a few hours, get pureed in a blender and then cook down some more, transforming from applesauce (which is pretty tasty itself - who needs Motts?!) into a thick, smooth, lightly sweet-yet-tart deliciousness that is, in a word, lovely.As I said, this can just be made with apples and apples alone - whatever kind(s) you like - but I decided to add in a little cinnamon and some white honey.Any honey will do, but this Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey is some special stuff. The best way I can describe it is if velvet were to be a taste and texture, it would be this honey. Ridiculous. Especially eaten off of a spoon. But, I digress...Read on and get the recipe (which is easily vegan - though to make it TRULY vegan, you'll want to omit the honey or replace it with perhaps agave) for Honey Cinnamon Apple Butter.Recipe: Honey Cinnamon Apple ButterWhat You Need

  • About 5 lbs of apples (I used a combination of granny smith and pink lady this time to get some tartness and sweetness)

  • 1/8-1/4 c honey

  • 1/4-1/2 tbsp cinnamon

  • a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice

What You Do

  • Core and slice apples into large chunks, and put into slow cooker/ crock pot; add a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice

  • Cook apples in slow cooker/ crock covered on high for about 3 hours, stirring every 15-30 min or so (it'll help prevent the apples from sticking at the bottom, and keep the heat distributing evenly; note that cooking time will vary depending on how hot your cooker is)

  • Once the apples are very soft and mash apart easily, transfer the mash into a high-speed blender or a food processor (depending on the size of your appliance, you may need to do this in several batches)

  • Puree the apples until smooth

  • Pour the pureed apple back into the slow cooker/ crock and stir in cinnamon and honey, to taste

  • Cook on medium, covered, for 3-5 hours or until it has reduced to a much thicker consistency; it'll be darker in color as well

  • Cool and save in jars or other air-tight containers in the fridge for a few weeks, or can to preserve even longer!

A Pre-Birthday Reflection

Things are about to get personal around here for a moment. Consider yourself warned.Each year around birthday time, I find myself doing a bit of that stereotypical yet inevitable "look back and forward" thing that is often reserved for birthday and new years times - thinking about the past year and reflecting on what has stuck with me, what has changed, what I am grateful for, and peering forward to the year ahead.I like getting older (and yes I've been told many times that this sentiment will wane as the years go on, but the jury is still out on that for me). Getting older means growing, which is a good thing. I like the experiences and learning and changes that come with time moving forward.For me, 27 was a particularly big year. And probably because of its bigness and quantity of change and abundance of experiences, I am more reflective than usual. As I write this, I realize this post could go on a looong time. And include a bagillion photos... and you know it's been a good year when there are too many good ones to choose from. But then, "too many good" photos is an oxymoron, isn't it?So anyway. 27.I made my greatest career shift so far when I finally realized my goal of working for myself, as a writer, a marketing and PR freelancer and a nutrition and healthy eating consultant.It was a year of remarkably good food. But record of that is what the rest of this blog is for :)I made the greatest literal move of my life, leaving the northeast for the first time and moving to Arizona.I traveled more and farther in the last year than I have in any other single year in my life, which has been a gift on so many levels.I am perhaps more grateful than ever for my friendships - old ones, life-long ones, new ones, and all of those that do and will clearly continue to sustain geographical distance. It was year full of love for many. Weddings, babies, engagements, new wonderful relationships formed and solidified, career shifts and successes ... It is never anything less than completely heart-warming to see your dearest friends happy in life and love.My Nana turned 99. Yes, 99! She is the most amazing woman, and one of the smartest, sharpest, most interesting I know. That I still have 3 of my grandparents as I turn 28 is something I am thankful for every day. I love my family.

I leave what can't help but be the piece closest to my heart to round out looking back on 27. I became engaged to the love of my life - my best friend, my partner, my favorite person in the world. My life and my heart are full and complete because of him.

28 is going to be another big one. There are some exciting new career expansions on the horizon, more celebrations with great friends to look forward to, more travel around the country and world. And -- I will be married to the best, most wonderful man in the world who I love more than I will ever be able to say with words.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I look forward to the year ahead and all there will be to celebrate, and ready to take on new challenges. I look forward to starting out my next year feeling as happy, fortunate, and as much myself as I ever have. 28, here I come!!!

DIY Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

And now for DIY recipe numero uno.I lurve mustard. All kinds, and the spicier the better. The kind of spice/heat from mustard seeds is one of my favorites - similar to wasabi - I love that sinus-clearing, head rush of heat versus a mouth-scalding burn (which I used to not be able to tolerate at all, but have actually come to love flavorful hot peppers that do that too!). Grocery store chains and local markets usually have a great variety of mustards to buy, but when browsing the spice aisle of the new-ish Natural Grocers store here in Prescott, spotting yellow and brown mustard seeds at a crazy low price made a lightbulb go off over my head... make mustard from scratch!So simple, so worth it. This is a super basic recipe. So much so that I am not sure if this even meets true "recipe" qualifications - it's that minimalistic. I played around with ingredient ratios, and this seemed to balance out the best. The mustard is spiciest right after the preparation process is complete, and I know the spice factor can mellow out over time... but just wait and see if you can make the mustard last long enough to get to that point (we haven't). A good, grainy dijon mustard is such a great, multi-purpose kitchen staple - mix it into vinaigrettes, use it as a marinade, spread it on sandwiches, dip veggies and pretzels into it (highly recommend Trader Joe's pumpernickle variety) - you'll use it up in no time. Make some and keep it for yourself, and make extra to give as a gift for a mustard-loving pal.Homemade pretty much always wins, and certainly when it comes to a whole grain dijon mustard, homemade / DIY takes the cake!Recipe: DIY Whole Grain Dijon MustardWhat You Need:

  • 1/2 c dry white wine
  • 1/2 c good white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 c brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 c yellow mustard seeds
  • a few grinds of black pepper
  • 1/2-1 tsp salt

What You Do:

  • Mix all ingredients in a small jar or bowl
  • Cover container with plastic wrap to seal
  • Let covered container sit on your counter (not in direct sunlight) for 2 days - you'll notice that the seeds will absorb the liquid
  • Pour mixture into a small food processor, and grind/blend to desired texture - leaving some grainy-ness is best!
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (I think it should keep for at least a few weeks)

  

Edible D.I.Y.-ing

I think that "do-it-yourself" (DIY) when it comes to food can technically apply to anything you make from scratch (e.g., if you bake a cake from scratch rather than buying it ready-made, you are DIY-ing!)... but for some reason, I more strongly associate "DIY" and "food" with certain items we tend to buy with barely a second thought, like condiments. And yet, as is the case with just about anything we eat, making it yourself is so much better in so many ways, such as: you have control of what ingredients go in and it likely won't be nearly if at all "processed, so it's inherently better for you than many store-bought alternatives; it often ends up being cheaper; and almost without fail, it tastes better!

Recent edible DIY projects have included the simple yet wonderfully pleasing:

Whole grain dijon mustard

Cinnamon apple butter

Vanilla bean toasted coconut butter

Balsamic dijon vinaigrette(an even more simplified & basic version of this one)

Stay tuned for these recipes (among others of course) and related info coming your way soon!In the meantime - what are your favorite DIYs in the kitchen??

Let Your Fruit Flag* Fly!

Speaking of World Vegetarian Day / Vegetarian Awareness Month - our afternoon yesterday was veggie-filled. We were fortunate enough to get an up close and personal tour of a local friend and Thai-restaurant-owner's home garden, which was pretty spectacular and gave us major plant envy. He was even so incredibly kind as to send us away with a very generous sample of some of his 14+ tomato varieties (many heirloom), as well as several Thai and other hot peppers, some Italian plums, concord grapes, an heirloom spinach, and more:

(*hence the title of this post... the way all of the produce looks in this photo from how we laid it out made me think of a flag!)

The yellow tomatoes in the center of the photo are particularly interesting - their skin is soft and a little fuzzy, like a peach - we'd never seen that before. The spinach was also really unique - we took a bite and could only describe it as "super spinach" - it's a thicker, denser spinach than the typical variety, with more flavor and substance. It was also my first time tasting a fresh concord grape... OH my. Absolutely and immediately one of my favorite fruits. Now, to try and grow some ourselves...And what's in this photo just touches on what his garden grows - there's also chard, apricots, blackberries, tons of herbs (Thai basil!), and lots more. It was very inspiring! We are in the process of planning how to improve and expand what we're growing at home.So naturally we had to put some of these amazing veggies to use for dinner last night. I threw together a variation on this Simple Summer Heirloom Tomato Fusilli.I used a few different tomatoes from the above photo, as well as some yellow grape tomatoes we already had. Heated a little olive oil and some leftover dry white wine (Berger - one of our favorite Gruners) in a pan, and tossed in a few tablespoons of chopped shallot and garlic. Oh but not just any garlic - elephant garlic!:Look at the size of it! I photographed it in my hand for a point of reference. I've never cooked with it before...  needless to say 3/4 of a clove goes a long way (and this is coming from a garlic lover). I haven't yet researched how it differs from regular garlic other than in size, but if I had to guess I'd say it might be a little milder.Once the garlic and shallots softened and became nice and aromatic, and the alcohol from the wine burned off, I added some lemon zest, lemon juice, a full bag of baby spinach, and the tomatoes. I also added some chopped jalapeno (from our garden) and some thinly sliced Thai chili pepper for a kick of heat, as well as a sprinkling of sea salt and a bunch of ground pepper. And a few handfuls of basil from our garden.For pasta, I used remnants from two boxes: a bit of our favorite long fusilli and and also a little gemelli. I tossed the pasta with the "sauce" once it was al dente, and then I added some fresh arugula to the bowls we ate out of for some crunch and additional veggie bulk. I love recipes like this, because it's barely a recipe at all - you just use what ingredients you have and go off of your own taste preferences, and throw something together. It was a great light dinner.