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  You ever make dish, completely on the fly, just to use something up (I have a lot of ripe tomatoes) with no real expectation, just because… Then have it be one of the best freaking things that you have ever made? This salad is one of those things.. maybe not the best thing I have ever made, but definitely the best salad I have ever made…. this week.

A salad compiled of all things amazing, taking just a few minutes to make and is the perfect balance of uber fresh with baby spinach, raw kale, and crunchy quick pickled onions. Then adding a touch of warmth with the sweet and juicy seared tomatoes and big chunks of creamy avocado.

I mean, for reals. ……Best Salad Ever !!!! (this week)

Now let’s do this.

 The Stuff. A big bowl of baby spinach and chopped up kale, a few sliced up roma tomatoes, some super thinly sliced red onion, half an avocado, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.  Before you do anything, place the sliced onions into bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and add a few glugs of the red wine vinegar. You want the onions to sit in the vinegar for at least 5 minutes on the counter cause the longer they sit the more crispy pickly they get. (after eating onions like this, you will never want to eat them any other way) Lightly oil a skillet and preheat to a medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and pepper and  place tomatoes right on in, snugly, but not overlapping. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook other side for another few minutes.Once the tomatoes are seared on both sides, remove them gently from skillet and toss them on top of the bowl of greens.

Take the pickled onions and toss those right on top, with any of the residual vinegar, add dice and scoop the half of avocado and toss that on in as well.And now eat the best salad ever (this week).

Make the day good!

-C

Skillet Seared Tomato and Quick Pickled Onion Salad

Serves 2 as a side, 1 for a hungry eater

• 2 large or 3 smaller roma tomatoes
• 1/2 of a red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
• salt pepper
• 1/2 a ripe avocado 
• olive oil (to grease pan)

Thinly slice red onion and place in a bowl.  Add vinegar into a and sprinkle with salt. Let sit on counter for at least 5 minutes, if not longer,

Slice tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds and sprinkle with a pitch or salt and pepper.  Lightly oil a skillet and preheat it on medium heat. Once the skillet is preheated, stick the tomatoes on it (watch out for splattering tomato juice) Cook first side for about 3 minutes or until the bottom has browned, then flip and do the same for other side. 

One tomatoes are seared, place directly onto the greens. Now dump the pickled onions and residual vinegar on top. And  dice up  avocado and add that on top too. 

Now eat your salad, fork or fingers…  

And I know, ba-daaaamn. So good.

 Happy Cinco de Mayo! And what better day to share my version of  my oh so fantastic pico de gallo, or as I call it, super freshy salsa.

I love me some freshy salsa, It makes me oh so happy. 

 I make this stuff all the time, especially during the warmer months and tomato season. I usually make a batch right before a meal, just enough to eat right away, but sometimes I ‘ll make a big batched of it, thinking I’ll save some for the next day.   It never makes it past the second day in the fridge because it’s just one of those things that when you see it, you want to eat it. Weird but true. And it’s totally ok to do so cause it’s basically eating a big bowl of healthy goodness, so eat on!

It takes no time to prepare, tastes super refreshing, goes on everything, and it’s just so freaking tasty. You can eat it with tacos and chips (the mister) or like me, I like to add it to everything; salads, popcorn, or directly in my mouth. 

Make one batch, make 4, it doesn’t matter cause you will eat it all, and need to make more.

The stuff. Chopped Roma tomatoes, chopped red onion, a diced jalapeño, lemon, a bunch of cilantro, and salt.

Stick all the chopped stuff into a jar and add in the juice of the lemon. Roughly chop the cilantro and add that on in with a sprinkle of salt. 

Mix it up….And thats it. Now eat… with something or without.

A spoon out of the jar is one of my favorite ways to go at it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Happy Tuesday!

-C

Pico de Gallo… Freshy Salsa

• 4-5 Roma Tomatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 1-2 jalapeños (Depending on heat preference)
• 1 lemon or lime
• salt
• 1 bunch of cilantro (don’t use it if you don’t like it)

Chop tomatoes and onion and toss into a bowl or jar.  Cut seeds from jalapeño(s) and dice up into little bitty pieces and add that to the tomato and onion. Roughly chop the cilantro and toss that in as well with the juice of the lemon or lime. Sprinkle with salt. Stir, let sit for a minutes, taste and then add more salt if needed. 

Eat right away or make ahead and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Goes great with corn chips, tacos, toss onto salads or eat as is standing in front of the fridge. If someone is judging you, they are stupid.

I was cleaning my spice shelf (I feel like I do this like once a week) and found some poppy seeds hiding behind some jars. Accidental spice findings happened more often the then one might think in my house.. I like to buy tiny baggies of spices with good intentions of using them, but because of their tiny size, I often lose them or forget about them due to that  tininess. But I usually find those tiny little bags, and when I find them, I try to use them right away..(I don’t like having old spices around and no, I will not toss it) And it just so happened that I has a lemon in need of using.. and it was getting close to dinner time. I could wait and make lemon poppy seed cake or muffins, or just start dinner.   Then I was like, ” I’ll  just make lemon poppy seed pasta.” And so I did. And of course it needed to have lots of garlic and some kind of vegetable to round out the dish, (I know tomatoes are fruit but you know what I mean)  

And the mister….He loved it. And I am sure you will too. How can you go wrong with lemon, garlic and poppy seeds all creamy and fragrant? You really can’t,  Pus this recipe is so easily adaptable. It can be vegan and or gluten free..whatever you want it to be. 

So if you are looking for a  fast, delicious, and impressive looking dinner… look no further. You gots one right here!

Start by tuning oven on to 400 degrees. Chopped tomatoes  and sprinkle in oil and salt and stick in the oven. Do this first because the rest of the meal only takes about 10 minutes..So fast!!!

Choose your pasta and get a pot of water boiling and start on the sauce.. which includes, olive oil, lots of garlic, flour, milk(any kind you use), lemon zest a little lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. 

The sauce is pretty much a basic roux…

Crush the garlic and stick into pot with the oil. Let simmer for a few minutes until you can smell the garlic, which smells like heaven. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the milk. Keep on low heat and continuously whisk until sauce has thickened and doesn’t run off a spoon. Add in lemon zest, the poppy seeds, and the salt and pepper. Mix it all up and turn off heat.

Once your pasta is cooked (cook however it says to on package), reserve about a 1/4 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Add the pasta water and pasta the sauce. (the pasta water helps the sauce and noodles canooddle together)

And its all mixed up just waiting to be served…and the roasted tomatoes!

Scooped into a bowl with a scoop of the roasted tomatoes and some chopped chives,  served with a couple wedges of lemon..just because.

And dinner is done….  and it took all of 15 minutes. 

Thank me later.

-C

Lemon Garlic Poppyseed Pasta with roasted tomatoes

• 3 cups pasta (whatever you want..so it can be gluten free too) 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour (use corn or arrowroot starch for gluten free)
• 2 cups milk (cow, hemp, soy…any kind you use)
• 6 cloves garlic
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 2 roma tomatoes (optional but really good)
• salt and pepper

Start by chopping tomatoes  and placing them in a skillet or baking sheet, sprinkled in salt and a little bit of olive oil, and stick into a 400 degree oven

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add you pasta…cook to the boxes instructions.

While pastas is boiling, crush garlic and add to a pot with the olive oil. Heat on medium low heat until the garlic is fragrant and slightly brown. Now whisk in flour and then whisk in milk. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens to where it doesn’t run of a spoon. Add in the zest of 1 lemon, the poppy seeds and salt and pepper to taste. When pasta is done (should be around the same time the sauce is done) reserve about a 1/4 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta from the rest. Add water and pasta to the sauce and mix together.

Remove roasted tomatoes from the oven. Scoop pasta into bowls and top with a scoop of the tomatoes. (you can mix into pasta, but it will turn the sauce red and the tomatoes will fall apart)

Serve with a wedge of lemon and bring food to face!

ENJOY!

My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.

I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.

Impressed?  

Damn right!

The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.

Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)

I am so awesome!

Hump Day Pow!!!!!

-C

Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount 

• 8-1o rice spring roll papers
• Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• teaspoon  freshly grated ginger
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium beet
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage
• 10 thin fresh asparagus
• 1 small kohlrabi

Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!

Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.

For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel  (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working  one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom  middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with  a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.

For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger,  minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together.  Serve with spring rolls. 

Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.

I usually base my meals on what I know I have for food in the house and what I know needs to be eaten. I was a little surprised when muling around in the freezer to find a block of extra firm tofu. (I don’t remember buying). Maybe a tofu fairy left it in there for me, or maybe it has been in there for years and I just am now stumbling upon it. Either way, I found it and it had to be eaten. So I cooked it up, and I cooked it up nice and good. Tofu is a pretty vertical food, being that its basically a flavorless block of protein. It can go sweet or savory, mashed, chopped or blended. Add fresh garlic, any type of sauce  or even  peanut butter. (the possibilities are quite endless)  I was going for a dinner dish so I decided on a simple cubed tofu with lots of ginger and garlic (so good to ward of those winter sicko bugs out there) and baked it up nice and crispy with fresh bright green broccoli and soba noodle.  Quick, easy, tasty and healthy.. I did it again.  Thanks tofu fairy!

  This noodle dish is super easy to make and take only about a half hour. We start with extra firm tofu, a package of buckwheat soba noodle, a nice big broccoli crown, honey, fresh ginger, garlic and soy sauce. oil for pan and lime for a finish.  Nothing fancy. Dice the tofu into small cubes and place onto a clean dish towel and pat dry…It really helps the tofu suck in more flavor and become nice a and crispy.

 Tofu get moved into a lightly oiled skillet,  ready to go into a hot oven. Why baked instead of sautéed on the stove? I find that the tofu keeps it shape and crisps up better when baked. But do whatever you want….. But just bake it.

While the tofu is baking, make up the sauce. Grate about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger and4 large cloves of garlic into a bowl. Whisk together with 2 tablespoons honey, 1/3 cup  soy ( tamari or brags aminos works too) and 1/3 cup of warm water.  Taste it, and if you think it needs more anything, add it. I actually used 6 cloves of garlic, but I really wanted a garlic packed sauce.    

Oh and start a pot of water to boil noodles in.

 After 15 ish minutes, give tofu a flip, then after about 25 minutes, the tofu should be nearly done. Remove from the oven and toss in the chopped broccoli and 1/3 cup of the sauce. Its a little watery but thats what you want, it will cook down in the oven. Now stick the skillet goes back into the oven and boil the soba noodle.

   Another 10 minutes in the oven and the sauce starts to caramelize and the broccoli is cooked but still nice and crisp.  Remove skillets from oven and toss in the cooked noodles and the rest of the dressing. Toss and toss and place on a plate, or a bowl, or if your into it, just eat out of the pan. (it happens)

I added a small handful of fresh shopped cabbage to add a bit more crunchy bite.  I also added a squeeze of lime juice on top for a nice acidic finish. Lemon works and even a slash of vinegar would be nice, but plain is good too. What ever you do, just EAT! 

A quicky yummy, noodley dinner!  And leave a little extra for left overs because these noodles are fantastic cold… think lunch, or a later that night fridge snack. 

keep it in the reals!

-C

Ginger Soy Tofu and Broccoli Soba Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• 1 package Soba noodle 
• 1 large crown of fresh Broccoli
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar for vegan)
• Lime wedges(Optional)
• Chopped cabbage(optional)
• coconut or oil for skillet

Preheat oven to 425

Remove tofu from package, cut into cubes and lay on a clean dish towel and pat dry. 

Tofu goes into a oiled skillet and placed in oven for 25 minutes. Give tofu a flip after about 15 minutes. While tofu is baking, make the dressing, chop the broccoli and boil water for soba noodles.

For dressing, grate fresh ginger and garlic into a bowl. Whisk together with soy, water and honey (or brown sugar).

When water is at a boil, add soba noodle and cook until done ( about 6-8 minutes..Follow instructions of package)

When tofu has baked for 20 minutes, remove skillet, toss in chopped broccoli and 1/2 cup of soy ginger dressing Return skillet to oven for another 10 minutes or until dressing just starts to caramelize.  Remove for oven and toss in cooked soba noodles and the rest of dressing. If you want a little more veggie bit, add in some fresh chopped cabbage. Plate and serve with a wedge of lime or lemon or even a sprinkle of red wine vinegar.

Now EAT!

This year for Christmas my family decided to do a mid day brunch lunch thing. Everyone has their own little families that they do the morning with and then everyone goes their own ways that nigh(Nick and I do our own Christmas celebrating at night)…That leaves a chunk of mid day to hang, talk, play, exchange stockings and then usually someone gets a little pissed and yup, time to go. Its totally cool, we see each other too much anyway. So food wise, it was pretty basic. Eggs, hash browns, a ham, fruit and bagels… The hash browns were store bought, Me and nick did the eggs frittata style and the ham was just stuck in the oven….Not much to do. But then one of my lovely sisters requested gravy…..and so it was made. And a basic brunch was turned into a gravy laden food feast. And so you know, I am not a huge gravy fan, or I never really have the opportunity to eat gravy, its just not in my food rotation..until now. I was really impressed with myself on this one.

We have white mushrooms, kale, red onion, garlic, soy, nutritional yeast(if you don’t have, no worries, you can get away with not using it), sage and thyme and corn starch…

Dice up onion, mushroom and garlic… Into a pan on medium heat with a bit of olive oil…just to soften up

Toss in the spices, nutritional yeast and the soy sauce and let meld together for a minute or 3

Add 2 1/4  water and whisk in a tablespoon of  corn starch….and let it simmer

 Once the gravy gets to that super nice consistency…add in finely chopped kale and let gravy simmer for another 5 minutes or so

Transfer to a nice bowl or gravy boat, stick a ladle or big spoon and get to graying up all your food!!!!!

Everyone was to busy eating for me to get a good picture of the gravy on food, but trust….it was all over everything!

Mushroom Kale Gravy

Ingredients

• 7-8 white or cremini  mushrooms
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2 kale leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy or tamari
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon nurtitional yeast
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 1/4 cups water
• tablespoon corn starch

Dice onion into small bits, slice mushrooms nice and thin and dice garlic into wee little pieces.. Toss into a skillet with a bit of olive oil on medium heat and let mixture soften and smell nice and fragrant. Toss in the dried herbs, nutritional yeast and soy sauce and let cook for another few minutes until the mixture sucks up all the soy sauce and the veggies start to brown.

Add in the water and whisk in the corn starch. Turn heat to low and let simmer until gravy starts to thicken. Finely chop the kale and toss into gravy when its about done.. Simmer for another 5 or so minutes or until you can’t wait any longer….Serve straight from the pan or transfer to a gravy holding device,. Pour gravy on everything!

YUM YUM YUM ENJOY!!!!

My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.

I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.

Impressed?  

Damn right!

The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.

Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)

I am so awesome!

Hump Day Pow!!!!!

-C

Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount 

• 8-1o rice spring roll papers
• Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• teaspoon  freshly grated ginger
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium beet
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage
• 10 thin fresh asparagus
• 1 small kohlrabi

Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!

Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.

For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel  (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working  one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom  middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with  a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.

For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger,  minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together.  Serve with spring rolls. 

Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.

Before we left for the weekend, I was was trying my hardest to empty the fridge out of all food with the intention of leaning it empty so I could leave it open to defrost while were were gone. Unfortunately I was not able to make it happen. What I did make happen was emptying it almost completely so that when we got home, we had pretty much no food in the house, except for a few things that probably should be eaten.  Plus one of the last things that I want to do after sitting in a car for 6 hours is go to the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter, so I was determined to make with what wet had in the fridge:

• Carrots
• half of a gigantic kohlrabi
• soy milk
• iced tea
• bananas that needed to be frozen
• strawberries

Perfect!  A few carrots and half of a gigantic kohlrabi.. plus at the hotel we were staying at, there were fruit bowls in he lobby full apples. Every time I went past the apples (which was a lot) I grab one or two, so I have a few apples (I actually have a lot of apples now). All the things I need for a super awesome salad slaw. Apples with their  nice sweet crispiness and kohlrabi with its cabbagey, crunchy earthiness, tossed together with some vinegar, some toasted walnuts and some carrots, I mean, so freaking good. And to make it a bit more of a meal, I made some lentils to go with it. But the best part was there was no need to leave the house!!

     The stuff… A huge hunk of a bigger then my head kohlrabi (or 2 normal bulbs). A carrot, an apple, toasted walnuts, red wine vinegar, and some salt.

Pretty simple stuff going on here. Just peel and julienne the kohlrabi, carrot and apple. (no need to peel the carrot or apple unless you want too) and stick it all into a bowl.  I used my mandolin, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools ever, but if you don’t have one, a box grater works too.Sprinkle with salt and a good glug glug of red wine vinegar. Chop up the walnuts (some big chunks and some very small pieces makes for good eating), toss it all together and, well that’s it. But wait…. let it sit for a few minutes before serving to really let the flavors draw out.And there we have it. Super fast, full of flavors and crunchy texture. A salad slaw after my own heart.

Serve it as it or add to a bed of greens, rice, or lentils… and make sure to save at least as little… cause its an awesome little pre-bed snack.

Happy Week!!

-C

Kohlrabi Apple Walnut Slaw

• 2 medium sized Kohlrabis 
• 1 medium apple   
• 1 small carrot
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• red wine vinegar
• salt

In a large bowl, julienne kohlrabi (after peeled) apple and carrot. Sprinkle with salt, add in vinegar. Rough chop walnuts and toss the whole bit together. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, if not longer before serving. (A great salad to make ahead of time)

Eat as is, or toss onto a bed of greens, plate of rice or a bowl of lentils.

Any left overs only end up tasting better the next day.

     Spicy, crispy cauliflower… um yes please.  I really like cauliflower. The mister loves it, or at least likes it better than any other vegetable. So when he asked for spicy cauliflower, well yea I am going to make it because I am so nice and really, could I say no to a veggie request? (I might have said no if it involved deep frying) Also, I found fresh cauliflower on sale! ($2.25) I don’t usually cook fresh cauliflower, but  I figured at that price, it wouldn’t be bad to cook a head. (If I am cooking cauliflower, which I do a lot, I just use frozen….casue it be waaaay cheaper) 

Fresh, cheap and requested veggies….those are must makes. And the mister was happy with I handed him the plate of oh so lovely looking crispy crunchy loveliness. (I kind of like to make him happy…sometimes)

The stuff. Cauliflower, chopped and broken into pieces. Corn meal mixed with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and because I made this for the mister, parmesan cheese. And in the green bowl, srirsachi and a little oil. The cauliflower gets a coat of the hot sauce and then tossed around in the corn meal mixture. Handling as little as possible, place coated pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick those suckers in the oven for about a half hour, taking them out and flipping half way.And take them out of the oven when pieces tuned golden brown, stik them on a plate, and serve immediately.

A bit of spice, a bit of crispy , a lot a yum.  Serve with some crunchy veggies, maybe a squeeze of lemon and definitely some type of avocado situation.

A beer would be lovely too!

Have a fantastic weekend! 

-C

Spicy Crispy baked Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped or broken into florets
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 3-4 tablespoon sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• Any seasonings you might like (garlic or onion powder, parmesan cheese, national yeast…. whatever floats your boat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

In a bowl, mix together sriracha and oil. In a separate  bowl, mix salt, pepper, any seasonings you might like, and corn meal.  Take cauliflower and toss in sauce to coat. Remove from sauce and toss around in cornmeal mixture till fully coated, but try not to hand too much so the coating doesn’t come off. Place pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove and flip pieces. Back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes (depending on you crispy preference) Remove when golden brown (or darker if you like) and serve immediately.

Cucumber, celery, and carrots are great accompaniments.. also a little mashed avocado or guacamole is much appreciated.

When something goes on sale at the grocery store, I tend to buy it. Being that it is Valentines Day this week, all the stores are having specials on all sorts of sexy things… and strawberries are one of them.  Now I am not a huge fan of buying produce that is terribly out of season, but I can’t help myself…a good deal is a good deal and the strawberries were a super good deal. I was just going to make some sweet ass strawberry jam or maybe a lovely strawberry cake with them (and I probably still will), but these strawberries are actually super juicy and full of flavor, and it’s always nice to eat some full flavor freshy strawberries… especially soaked in balsamic vinegar.  And yeah,  I think that this salad is pretty sexy, so it makes for a perfect Valentines day dish.

A handful of ingredients and 5 minutes will get you to a fantastic salad experience.

A bowl of  baby spinach, a few chopped up strawberries*,  half a sliced avocado and a small handful of toasted almonds.. Oh, and don’t forget the balsamic vinegar…. 

*Note.. Strawberries are kind of heart shaped already so if you want, reserve a few slices to fancy up you salad presentation, but chop up the rest into smaller pieces.

Pour the vinegar on the strawberries and let sit for at least 5 minutes. (the longer the strawberries can sit with the vinegar, the better)

 Pile it on..  thinly slice avocado.. rough chopped toasted almonds… It’s pretty much as easy as it can get.And last but not least, toss on the balsamic soaked strawberries and drizzle the remaining vinegar. (if you made hearts, place on top to make pretty) Sprinkle with a pitch of salt and pepper and pow! Fancy, sexy, delicious salad.

Not to shabby for  5 minutes and a handful of ingredients.  Anyone (don’t feed to a person with nut allergies) would be so syked to be fed a salad like this… You yourself should be pretty excited to eat a salad like this. Heck, I am excited to eat a salad like this!

A love salad for everyone and everyday!

YAY for Thursday and Happy meal planning!!!! 

-C

♥ Balsamic Strawberries on Spinach Almond Avocado Salad ♥

Ingredients for 1 large or 2 small salads

• 3-4 ripe strawberries
• handful of roasted almonds (slivers or whole)
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar 
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Pinch of salt and pepper 

Dice strawberries into small pieces (reserve a few whole slices for heart shapes if you want) and toss in a small bowl  with the balsamic vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Rinse and dry spinach. Place in a bowl(s) and top with thinly sliced avocado, chopped almonds and balsamic soaked strawberries. Drizzle the residual vinegar on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Eat with a fork

Last night had we had a couple littles (and my little sister who is not so little anymore) over for a cookout and watercolor evening.

It was fantastic. We set them up outside with paint, paper, and brushes and let them have at it. And while they were painting the mr took charge of the grill: cooking up potatoes, corn, and the tofu dogs. 

 I was cutting up fruit and making a special snack treat of popcorn (who doesn’t love popcorn?) consisting of almond butter, coconut, and chocolate….Almond Joy popcorn.

Addictive like crack.  But still safe for children

The littles were more or less indifferent to it ( they are not big coconut fans..I know, but i am making it a mission to make them like it), but the sister and the mr… Lets just say I had to pull out my outdoor voice on them a few times (STOP EATING IT ALL!!!!!)

I think we have a winner here!

The stuff. A large quantity of air popped popcorn, almond butter, chocolate chip, coconut flakes and coconut oil. We also have some extra chocolate chips and a big handful of roasted almonds.

Licking your lips yet?

Start by dumpling your popcorn into the larges baking sheet to pan that you have.. the more surface area the better. Now heat up the almond butter. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave. The trick here is to heat it slowly so you don’t burn it. If doing on the stove, put in a sauce pot and with a fork, constantly stir until a drizzable consistency. If in microwave, stick it in there for 10 second intervals. 

Note. I know from experience that there are many different types and consistency of almond butters out there.  If your butter seems really stiff and thick, add  a teaspoon of coconut oil. 

As soon as your almond butter is melted, drizzle all over the popcorn.

With the same pot (no need to clean) place teaspoon of coconut oil in it. Heat oil until hot. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Kepp string until the chips are melted.

And drizzle that all over

Then toss on the coconut chips, chopped almond bits, and the chocolate chip.

With your (clean) hands, give the popcorn a good toss, mixing everything all around.

And now place either in a big bowl or individual cups (great for littles) I happened to have some pink(beet juice stained) shredded coconut on hand, which made for a nice touch of pretty (totally not necessary,but it kinda was).  Next time maybe some sprinkles would look nice……

Anyway, be ready to lick you fingers!

And I am giving you ample amount of time to get the ingredients needed for this. Makes the perfect snack for a cookout, a party, or movie night(or Netflix binge)

Happy Day!!!

-C

• 6-7 cups air poppped popcorn
• 1/3 cup smooth almond butter 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2  cup chocolate chips plus a handful (use vegan chocolate chip if needed)
• 1 -2 teaspoon coconut oil
• handful of toasted almonds, chopped into pieces

 Feel free to play with proportion. You can adjust the amount and ratios of all the ingredients to your taste preference. 

Take  popcorn and dump on the biggest baking sheet or pan that you have and level it out. Either on the stove or in the microwave, heat almond butter until a melty a runny consistency. If doing so on the stove, make sure to consantly stir while heating* If in microwave, check ever 10 seconds. (burnt almond butter tastes like crap )

*Note. I find that all almond butters are not the same. IF you feel that yours is not melty and drizzable enough, add in a teaspoon of coconut oil.With a spoon or spatula, drizzle all over popcorn. .

Now take the coconut oil and melt  on stove or in microwave until hot.  Remove from heat, add in chocolate chips and mix around until fully melted. Drizzle all over popcorn .

And last but not least, take the coconut flakes, almond pieces, and the extra handful of chocolate chips  and toss those in too. With clean hands, give everything a good mix Dump into a big bowl or individual container. 

Eat with hands..lick your fingers clean..

Word of caution…Once you start, you will not be able to stop eating this.

The bounty of spring is upon us. Asparagus is everywhere and I have been embracing it.. smelly pee and all.  And along with all my spring veggies and smells,  I have grabbing for more springy spices. I go through seasonal spice kicks, like cinnamon and ginger in the fall, curries and chills in the winter. And for spring, I am big on sumac. If you haven’t heard of it or tasted it, it kind of taste like a tangy salty lemon..without actually having any salt. And its a really pretty, a bright red, almost purple color. I use it on a lot of things, especially veggies and bean dishes, sometimes as a lemon replacer, but mostly to add another level of tangy flavor. It’s fantastic, really great for all those springy time dishes. Nice and bright!

 This dish is perfect made and eaten right away, but it’s one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Also it’s good and safe to serve room temperature. (think lunch box or a picnic!) And did I mention healthy? Protein packed quinoa and the lean green asparagus, I mean come on. You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for eating a hugmongo bowl of this stuff because you should, so it’s totally ok.

Eat away! 

The stuff of the stuff. Quinoa and asparagus for the base. Sumac, lemon, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and a little splash of oil for the dressing. 

Note. Sumac is not always the easiest spice to find. I know that its available online (what isn’t) and that some health food store or herbal apothecaries carry it, but i have ye tot see it at a conventional supermarket. And once you find it, buy a good amount cause you will also fall in love with it and use it on everything. 

     Start by making the dressing. You want to have it sit for at least 10 minutes. It will be perfect by the time the quinoa is done. Mince the garlic, dice the onion and juice the lemon. Stick it all into a jar with the sumac, a pinch of salt and pepper and about a teaspoons worth of olive oil. Stick a lid on the jar and shake shake shake. and let it sit.

Now you should make the quinoa.. Water and quinoa go into pot, high heat until boiling,  topped with a lid and set to simmer for about 15 minutes. 

When the quinoa is simmering, cook up the asparagus. Add a drizzle of oil, to a pan and a few splashes of water. Place trimmed and chopped asparagus to pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until cooked but still has a nice crunch to it. Take off heat and add the dressing to pan.  Let it sit and marinate for a few minutes.When the quinoa is tender, fluff with a fork and add to the skillet with the asparagus and dressing. Toss around to make sure all the quinoa gets dressed. Take a taste.. does it need a little salt and pepper? Add a pinch if it does.Pile into a bowl, add a bit of cracked pepper.. and eat.

Or… Idea! Make this dish and pack it into a jar. Maybe grab a baguette and some hummus os some other  tasty foods and take yourself and a friend out for a picnic. 

So much good .

Keep it real yo

-C

Quinoa and Asparagus with Sumac Dressing

serves 3-4  as a side dish or 2 as a main meal. 

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 8-10 asparagus 
• olive oil

For the Dressing

• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 jumbo lemon or 2 small lemons
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Start but making the dressing. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Place in a  jar with the sumac, the juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little splash of oil. Top the jar and shake the crap out of it for a minute. Let sit and meld. (This dressing can be made ahead of time and is fantastic on all sorts of everything)

In a large pot, add water, quinoa and a spindle of salt. Bring to a boil, cover , and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until water has completely absorbed.  When the quinoa gets going, trim the woody parts of the asparagus and chop the remain asparagus into inch long pieces. Toss into a lightly oiled skillet with a few splashes of water, sprinkle with salt and put on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked, but still crispy. Take off heat and add the sumac dressing. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and toss it with the sumac dressed asparagus. Scoop into a bowl, add some cracked pepper. Bring food to face and eat. 

Any leftover? This dish is fantastic serves cold or at room temperature.

There is corn everywhere!!

This past weekend, the mr and I were out and about in the sticks of Vermont and got an eyeful of this very familiar sight of corn fields forever. It’s just part of the landscape.. Blue sky, big lush mountains, little rives and big fields of corn. It is ever so lovely… and so telling. Tall high corn fields just means  two things. 1.We will be eating lots of corn, and, 2. the summer is winding down. So soon we will be talking apples and root veggies, but until then, we will just eat the corn and revel in what I consider one of the best and most beautiful times of the year here in Vermont.

And after seeing all the corn (and we have been getting a bunch in the farmshare) I realized that I need to step up my corn game.

What better why to fancy up some corn then to fancy up the stuff people like to smother on it…. butter. 

Whenever I think about butter, I think about my sister, the one that, as a little kid, used  sneak to the kitchen and eat whole sticks of butter. This (to me) just seemed like a pretty gross option for a snack, but you know, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Bur after making making this coconut butter, I can see the draw, for I would sure love to eat the entire contents of a jar of this butter. (I have been eating a spoonful here and there)

Lime cilantro coconut butter.. Its my new thing…corn or not.

The stuff. We have some lovely, super fresh from the farm, corn on the cob. Then for the coconut butter we have , unsweetended coconut flakes, a lime, som ecilantro and salt.

Dump coconut flakes into a food processor. Turn to on and let it go.

After about 7 minutes… you coconut will start to clump together and look like this. And maybe you are like, “this shit isn’t going to happen”.. well be patent. Scrap the coconut off the sides and keep the processor going.. scraping down the sides whenever you need to. 

And eventually, after another 8-10 minutes,  it will turn into this.. a nice creamy buttery butter. 

Now add in the zest of the lime, the lime juice, a pinch of salt,  and cilantro into the butter. Turn processor back on until combined.

And you got yourself some freak yeah cilantro lime coconut butter… ready to smother your corn with. 

This amount is good for 6-8 corn cobs… Any extra is excitlent on any veggies, bread, cake, or spoon.

And stick that butter in a jar.

I dare you not to eat a spoonful right now. (I licked the bowl down clean)

 So I hope I am not being presumptuous when I think that you know how to cook corn. Or maybe you have a specific way you like to cook your corn. But just in case,  husk corn and stick either in a pot and boil until cooked,(about 8-10 minutes)  or like me, char on the grill, or under the broiler. 

So cook some corn….And smother it with the butter.

And there you have it, some freak yeah amazing lime cilantro coconut butter smothered on some corn.

So good…..so good.

Have a great day!

-C

• 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a 1/4 cup chopped)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
• freshly cooked corn on the cob 

Note. Any extra butter is good on anything and everyhitng!!!

Place coconut into a food prosser and turn to on. Prosse until coconut start to stick to sides. Stop, scrap down bowl, then conuitne to process. Repet this until the coconut has turned into a creamy buttery goodness.  

Add the juice, the zest, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro to the butter. Pulse until combined. If you want to add in a little coconut oil here to make it a little smoother, go for it. 

Scoop into a jar. When your corn is hot and ready, smother butter all over.

And eat. There swill be stuff stuck in your teeth..Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a snack for later.

Every year, the second weekend in August, the Stem family , siblings,  cousins, even my 94 year old grandmother makes the trip from Easton PA,  come  together at, what we call, “the cabin.” (It’s more a house, but it started out as a cabin) . Its a little crazy, but such a good fun time.

This cabin, oh this place is  magic. The air, the tree’s the streams, the mountains, and of course the people.  It’s all the things that I love about life. Some of my earliest memories are from this place. Hanging out with my siblings, running around the meadow or through the woods. Playing in the swinging holes. My grandfather pulling taffy or making orange juice box houses with my grandmother. The giant rocking chair that my uncle made and all of us kids used to play on.  So many camp fires and s mores. There are just so many memories because it’s been a part of my life, my whole life. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. 

A little background on the place (what I can remember) Sometime in the late 70’s, my uncle and my grandparents bought a big chunk of land on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere Vt.  After doing  some clearing of trees, they went to building a cabin. (my aunt, grandmother, and dad helped a bit too). It was amazing, but quaint. A 2 story situation with a kitchen living area and one door to get in and out. At some point  my grandparent ended up selling their share to my uncle and he took over the entry of the place. Over the years my uncle, (who is a carpenter, furniture designer,design professor,  and all out crazy amazing person), continured to work on the place. He has added on a kitchen, a second floor bathroom, new this, and that, but never has it once felt like a patchworker pieced together place. And now the place is more like a amazing craftsman home, with just the right touches of cabin, but with two running toilets, a beautiful kitchen, electricity and running water ( There is even internet access, which sucks, but still).It is a little gem nestled on a side of a tiny mountain in one the most beautiful places. 

So an awesome cabin in the woods with a bunch of crazy, but awesome people= Stem family reunion. 

Here are some pictures of the shenanigans.. 

     Spicy, crispy cauliflower… um yes please.  I really like cauliflower. The mister loves it, or at least likes it better than any other vegetable. So when he asked for spicy cauliflower, well yea I am going to make it because I am so nice and really, could I say no to a veggie request? (I might have said no if it involved deep frying) Also, I found fresh cauliflower on sale! ($2.25) I don’t usually cook fresh cauliflower, but  I figured at that price, it wouldn’t be bad to cook a head. (If I am cooking cauliflower, which I do a lot, I just use frozen….casue it be waaaay cheaper) 

Fresh, cheap and requested veggies….those are must makes. And the mister was happy with I handed him the plate of oh so lovely looking crispy crunchy loveliness. (I kind of like to make him happy…sometimes)

The stuff. Cauliflower, chopped and broken into pieces. Corn meal mixed with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and because I made this for the mister, parmesan cheese. And in the green bowl, srirsachi and a little oil. The cauliflower gets a coat of the hot sauce and then tossed around in the corn meal mixture. Handling as little as possible, place coated pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick those suckers in the oven for about a half hour, taking them out and flipping half way.And take them out of the oven when pieces tuned golden brown, stik them on a plate, and serve immediately.

A bit of spice, a bit of crispy , a lot a yum.  Serve with some crunchy veggies, maybe a squeeze of lemon and definitely some type of avocado situation.

A beer would be lovely too!

Have a fantastic weekend! 

-C

Spicy Crispy baked Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped or broken into florets
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 3-4 tablespoon sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• Any seasonings you might like (garlic or onion powder, parmesan cheese, national yeast…. whatever floats your boat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

In a bowl, mix together sriracha and oil. In a separate  bowl, mix salt, pepper, any seasonings you might like, and corn meal.  Take cauliflower and toss in sauce to coat. Remove from sauce and toss around in cornmeal mixture till fully coated, but try not to hand too much so the coating doesn’t come off. Place pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove and flip pieces. Back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes (depending on you crispy preference) Remove when golden brown (or darker if you like) and serve immediately.

Cucumber, celery, and carrots are great accompaniments.. also a little mashed avocado or guacamole is much appreciated.

First day of Spring!! Well kind of I guess. I think it actually starts at like 6:20 tonight, when the temperature is going to dip back done to 10.(Spring my ass) I don’t know about you people out there but here in Vermont, we are really hanging on to winter. I have to keep telling myself…” It will be warmer soon and you’ll be looking forward to this weather in a few months.. so stop bitching!”  I give myself good pep talks.

Anyway, last week at the farm share pick up, there was a nice little surprise. We got a few pounds of some sweet locally grown and milled whole wheat flour. There was a little sign with the information about the wheat and where it came from, but in my haste of gathering all of my other veggies, I failed to take notes and forgot the name of the farm that it came from. But I do know that my farm traded some celeriac for the wheat.  I was really excited because I am really into the idea of using locally grown grains and I don’t know, it just made me really happy, especially because it was a trade.  Food framing and local sharing is stuff that makes me happy.

I wanted to make something to kind of showcase the hearty, nutty flavor of the wheat and I also wanted to make something that my mister would eat for breakfast. Well what better way to do that then with muffins! Banana coconut whole wheat (that just happen to be vegan) Hearty, fruity, and smells like the word lovely and the color yellow. A few to eat and a few to share. Hanging at home, running away or  getting ready for a day of spring cleaning….This is a great weekend to make muffins! 

The stuff… Light, nutty local whole wheat flour, ripe oh ripe bananas and coconut flakes are the stars in this muffin… But we need the other stuff too. Brown sugar, vanilla, coconut oil and a chia egg.  Baking powder, baking soda, and last but not least, salt.

 Yup, that sounds about right   The salt, baking soda, and baking powder are whisked together. The banana and all the rest of the stuff are mixed up… Then mix the wet mixture into the dry. Stir until combined and then add in the coconut flakes,Scoop mixture  into 12 lined muffin cups… A scoop like mine works very nicely. Don’t have one, well I recommend you get yourself one. Until then, use a spoon. Something I always do when baking any muffin is sprinkle the tops of each muffin with a bit of  sugar or brown sugar. It melts and caramelizes and adds a sweet little crunch to the tops. 

Now stick the muffins into the oven. Remove from oven when they look like this, nice and golden brown. Also good idea to check with a tester stuck into the middle. When it comes out clean, they are done.12 happy little muffins cooling on a rack, waiting to be eaten with you mouth. 

Doesn’t the sight of pretty food make you happy, like sing a song happy? Muffins, whoa yah!!  Friday yah yah!!  Spring…What, Yah!!  Yah…Yah Yah!!!

Terrible I know, but at least you were spared hearing my actual voice. 

Have a great weekend. Do lots of springy stuff!

-C

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 4 Ripe bananas
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup melted Coconut Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds + 3 Tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Preheat oven to 350

In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons warm water to the chia seeds and let sit for at least 5 minutes (10 is better) In a large bowl, peel and mash the bananas until they turn into a kind of chunky soupy puree.  Add in brown sugar, chia seed mixture, vanilla extract, and the melted coconut oil (make sure it’s melted or it won’t incorporate into the mixture) Mix together. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix the wet mixture with the dry until combined then mix in the coconut flakes. 

Line a 12 cup muffin tin and fill each cup about 3/4 the way up with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with brown sugar and place in oven on center rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops 0f the muffins are golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Remove muffins from tin and let cool.

Serve as is or maybe with a smudge of coconut butter, or anything you want really.

No need for fork, just use you mouth.

I swear I didn’t plan this, but today is officially Pi Day! Pi being the mathematical constant of the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its dimeter (did I say that right?) 3.1415…… And today’s date is 3.14.15.   Whoa…I guess that means that this pie was meant to be. 

But the real reason I made this pie was for a surprise treat for the mister. He left for a couple of days and me being the super assume lady love of his, thought it would be nice for him to come home to his favorite dessert.. plain old rhubarb pie.( I know, I be the best) And it didn’t hurt that when I went to the grocery store, there was a big old pile of fresh, gorgeous rhubarb staring me right in the face, and on sale to boot.

The funniest thing. Me and the mister have been together for a very long time (12+ years….we started dating in high school, so I am not that old!) and I have known that his favorite dessert is plain rhubarb pie for ever. Every time we have one of our food discussions about our favorite foods, (which happens more than it should and usually consists of me running my mouth and him grunting or nodding once in a while) rhubarb pie always comes up. He even talks about the old lady who used to make him rhubarb pie for mowing her lawn. And guess what…  I have never once made him a plain rhubarb pie. Why? Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe I secretly think I was going to screw up his one favorite dessert, or maybe I never quit had enough rhubarb for a pie, or maybe I am really just an awful lady. But for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter anymore because I finally made him a plain rhubarb pie. 

The stuff for the makings of pie… One single pie crust, flour, sugar and rhubarb. I mean, come on, this might be one of the simplest pies ever.  

Note…The first thing the mister said to me when he saw the pie was. “Where is the top crust? My response what “Screw you ass face” but then chuckled. This pie would be great with a top crust, but I was thinking how pretty it would be without it. And honestly, I only made a single crust. What I am saying is.. make a double crust if you want a top.

    The chilled pie crust gets rolled out, placed into a pie plate, trimmed and made all pretty. The bottom is sprinkled with a 1/4 cup of sugar and stuck back into the fridge while the oven preheats  to 350.  Now is a good time to dice the rhubarb into inchish chunks. Once the oven is preheated, remove crust from fridge and add in the diced rhubarb.

   The remaining sugar and flour get mixed together in a bowl  and dump on top of the rhubarb. Give it a tiny toss with you fingers just to get some of the mixture to sink down a little. (Don’t worry, the filling will be perfect when you do it like this) I also cut up the pie crust trimmings and placed on top… not necessary, but looks pretty and is a good use of the scraps.

Now cover the entire pie with tinfoil. Cut and x through the middle and fold foil back to expose the filling but keep the crust covered. (so much easier than trying to squish strips of foil together..you know what I am talking about) 

And then the pie is ready to be baked.

In the oven for 5o minutes with the foil, then 10 or so minutes without to finish.And then you take it from the oven and marvel at the beauty.

I am now truly the best super awesome lady love. I should get a freaking crown but would settle for a stand mixer or blender as a reward instead. 

Important…..Let the pie cool completely (or just about) before cutting.The filling needs a bit of time to set.

Happy Saturday, Happy Weekend, Happy PI Pie Day!!!

-C

Rhubarb Pie

• Single Pie Crust.. Recipe here
• 4-5 large Rhubarb Stocks (4 cups chopped)
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• a hefty 1/3 cup flour

Make you pie crust.. and make sure it’s chilled!

Roll our pie crust and place in pie plate. Trim and make edge all nice and pretty. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the bottom  and stick back in the fridge to relax while you get the other stuff together.

Preheat oven to 350

Wash and dice rhubarb into inchish chunks. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of sugar and the flour. Once the oven is preheated, remove crust from fridge and fill crust with the chopped up rhubarb. Now dump the sugar, flour mixture on top, slightly tossing it around with your fingers. Cover entire pie with tin foil and with a knife, cut an x through the middle of the foil. Fold foil back to expose the center of the pie, but keep the crust covered. Stick into oven. Bake for about an hour, removing the tin foil after about 50 minutes. Pie is done when the crust is golden brown and a fork or knife stuck into the middle of pie comes out with a thick jam like sauciness.

Let pie cool and set for a bit.

Slice. Serve on a plate with an eating utensil and maybe a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  Lick plate clean.

 How awesome will you be when you bring the most freaking amazing tortilla chips to the party this weekend? You will be like..”what, it ain’t no thang.. I am just good like that” Yes, yes you are.

And yes, I am assuming that you will be making these awesome chippers to share at a Super Bowl part this weekend. I say this because even as I sit here writing this (with the TV on) there has been nothing but football talk…deflated balls, hot wings, half time shows and commercials. It’s almost as big as Christmas.  Got to get the decorations, the special game day food and your football jerseys. It’s crazy and all over the place. So that’s why I am assuming you are making these for the game.  But if you not going to be participating in any football parties.. by all means, make these chips for yourself anyways. Celebrate you day! Have a non football watching party. Or just make these whenever.  Jalapeño Lime chips for everyday! 

Note: You can make these chips without the jalaeno and or the lime if you need or want to. You can also stop after the first step and have some dank corn totillas for tacos ands stuff..But definitely make the chips… worth it for sure!

All the stuff.. Masa harina, hot water, salt, a lime and a jalapeño. Zest lime and place half the zest into a glass bowl with oil and either sit on warm oven or microwave for 30 seconds to infuse.  Puree the jalapeño with a cup of hot water and add the puree and half the zest of a lime, plus salt, to the masa harina. Mix it all up with another 1/2 cup of water or enough to make the dough resemble play dough… You can add more water or masa if you dough is to wet or dry. 

Knead dough a few times just to make sure it’s completely uniformed and divide  into 12-14 equal pieces. Place balls on a plate and cover with a wet paper towl to keep from drying out.

 I do not own a tortilla press so I used what I had… wax paper, a wooded cutting board and brunt force. I took each ball and place it between the two pieces of the waxed paper, placed the cutting board on top, and with all my might and body weight, pressed down to smoosh.  It works like a charm.

My cast iron skillet is big enough to cook 2 -3 at a time, but doing one at a time is cool too. Preheat the skillet to medium heat. Cook each tortilla for about 2-3 minutes ( or until starting to brown) on each side. Half way there to chips!!!

With my fingers ( you can using a basting brush for sure), I rubbed a little of the lime oil all over  both sides of each tortilla. Stacked a few high,  then sliced those tortillas into triangle shapes. If you  want to go crazy, you could cut them into strips or even use a cookie cutter and do some fun shapes… but triangle are easy, classic, and practical. A good shape for dipping!

Placed all nice and cozy on a baking sheet. trying not to overlap. Into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes to complete the chip making process.. After about 15 minutes, check for doneness. When nice a crispy, remove from oven, squeeze  lime juice all over and sprinkle with salt. I then stuck them back in the oven for a few more minutes just to dry the lime..

After cooling down, take those chips and stick them in a bowl. 

Eat a few, but wait and save them for the party. Or better yet, make a few batches. Bring a batch, eat a batch. (Its ok, you are allowed)

Eat with some salsa, maybe some of this guacamole, or just as they are…Anyway is the right way as long as you are eating!

Have fun making these and have fun getting read for the party this weekend (Super Bowl or not!)

-C

Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips

Makes 12-14 tortillas.. then made into a medium bowl of tortilla chips.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups hot water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1 large or 2 small jalapeños 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt

To start, zest lime and add 1/2 of the zest to bowl with the oil. Place oil on warm spot on stove to let the oil infuse the limeness. 

Take jalapeno and puree with 1 cup of hot water. In a large bowl, add puree  and remaining lime zest to the masa harina and mix, adding an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water until the dough  resembles  play dough, not to soft, but not to dry and completely incorporated

Divide dough into 12-14 balls and place on a plate  under a wet paper towel to keep dough from drying out. 

One at a time, take a dough ball and place between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Place either a plate or cutting board on top and press down as hard as you can (you could even stand on it). Remove flatten tortilla from paper and place in medium hot skillet. Cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes on each side.

When all tortillas have been made, lightly rub lime oil on all over both sides. Stack a few on top of each other and cut into triangles. Place pieces on a baking sheets (I used 2) and bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy. When chips are done, remove from oven, squeeze or sprinkle lime juice on chips and sprinkle with salt. Stick back into oven for another 2 or so minutes to re-crisp from the lime juice. 

Remove and let cool completely, then dump into a bowl

Enjoy!

So the mister wants to know…”Why would anyone ever buy those crappy english muffins from the store when they could be eating these?”

Good question…And we will all answer….”Never again! Because I now make the sickest E.M.s around.!”(E.M.s is the cool short way to say english muffins and now that you are going to make your own….man, your so cool!)

These E.M.s are perfect. Easy to make, not overly fussy, and you end up with a super yummy, extremely versatile, individually portion super sweet little disk of bread. And the best part is..nooks and crannies! I think that is why I decided to make these E.M.s,  so Nick and I can talk the about nooks and crannies…(Sometimes we need light conversation)

We start with flour and salt whisked together in a bowl. The honey, yeast and warm water are getting on proofing in a jar. An egg waiting to be cracked, some milk, and 2 tablespoons of butter. All this good stuff equals…nooks and crannies!

Oh you like my nifty dough whisk….me too, I use it all the time. Maybe I should have a dough whisk give away  ……maybe…..

Everything all mixed together, dumped onto a floured surface and kneaded for 10 minutes by hand…..If you have a stand mixer, you can use it if you want, but you are missing out on the fun of doing it by hand….

When the dough has been sufficiently kneaded, gather dough into a nice ball, coat with a little oil and place back into bowl. Cover with a towel and stick in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

When dough has doubled, punch down and plop out onto floured surface. Dust the bottom of a griddle or in my case, two cast iron pans, with corn meal. Divide dough into 8-10 equal balls and smash into 2 inch thick disks. 

Place on griddle or pans and sprinkle more corn meal on top of each E.M. Cover and let rise for another 15 minute. 

Now the E.M.s  have rested, turn the griddle (or pans) on to low heat. Once your griddle (or pans) gets hot, continue to cook that side for another 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook other side for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Once browned, check for doneness with a thermometer. The inside should reach 200 degrees.( if you don’t have a thermometer, fork split one open and check…. you are going to eat it anyway) If the outside cooked faster then the inside, no worries, just pop them into the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes. I had to pop mine into the oven for to cook completely.

 Remove form griddle, let cool a bit, and ……Fresh, fluffy fat, fantastic….Everything and more that a real english muffin should be. Split open with a fork and……. the nooks and crannies! So spot on.  Serve with anything your heart desires…I served these with whipped honey butter…. and eat the only kind of E.M. you will ever again eat. Grocery store english muffins be damned!

Enjoy and Happy Tuesday!

-C

English Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon butter at room temperature
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• cornmeal for pan

Combine warm water, honey and yeast in a bowl to active..about 5-10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Mix in butter(I use my fingers) When yeast mixture is done proofing, whisk together mixture with the egg and milk. Add wet  to dry and mix until just incorporated  Dump out onto floured surface and knead dough for 8 minutes, adding a bit of flour whenever dough starts to get too sticky.  Roll into a ball, coat with oil and place back into bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for 60 minutes or until sought has doubled in size.

Once the first rise is done, deflate dough and divide into 8 equal pieces(10 for a slightly smaller muffin).  Smoosh each ball into a flat disk, about 2 inches thick) and place on a cold cornmeal dusted cast iron griddle. (I used 2 cast iron pans) Sprinkle tops of muffins with more corn meal and let dough rest for another 15 minted.  Turn burners on low heat. Let griddle get hot and continue to cook the muffins for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook opposite side until gold brown and remove from griddle. To make sure the muffins are cooked completely, stick an instant read thermometer into the center…it should read 200 degrees. (if you don’t have a thermometer, split one open… the tester E.M.)  If the E.M.s are not completely cook, just stick in the oven on 350 for 5-10 minutes or until cooked throughout.

Remove and let cool.  To serve, split open with a fork and give a light toast. Spread with butter, jam, peanuts butter, anything you want…maybe  make E.M pizzas! 

I usually base my meals on what I know I have for food in the house and what I know needs to be eaten. I was a little surprised when muling around in the freezer to find a block of extra firm tofu. (I don’t remember buying). Maybe a tofu fairy left it in there for me, or maybe it has been in there for years and I just am now stumbling upon it. Either way, I found it and it had to be eaten. So I cooked it up, and I cooked it up nice and good. Tofu is a pretty vertical food, being that its basically a flavorless block of protein. It can go sweet or savory, mashed, chopped or blended. Add fresh garlic, any type of sauce  or even  peanut butter. (the possibilities are quite endless)  I was going for a dinner dish so I decided on a simple cubed tofu with lots of ginger and garlic (so good to ward of those winter sicko bugs out there) and baked it up nice and crispy with fresh bright green broccoli and soba noodle.  Quick, easy, tasty and healthy.. I did it again.  Thanks tofu fairy!

  This noodle dish is super easy to make and take only about a half hour. We start with extra firm tofu, a package of buckwheat soba noodle, a nice big broccoli crown, honey, fresh ginger, garlic and soy sauce. oil for pan and lime for a finish.  Nothing fancy. Dice the tofu into small cubes and place onto a clean dish towel and pat dry…It really helps the tofu suck in more flavor and become nice a and crispy.

 Tofu get moved into a lightly oiled skillet,  ready to go into a hot oven. Why baked instead of sautéed on the stove? I find that the tofu keeps it shape and crisps up better when baked. But do whatever you want….. But just bake it.

While the tofu is baking, make up the sauce. Grate about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger and4 large cloves of garlic into a bowl. Whisk together with 2 tablespoons honey, 1/3 cup  soy ( tamari or brags aminos works too) and 1/3 cup of warm water.  Taste it, and if you think it needs more anything, add it. I actually used 6 cloves of garlic, but I really wanted a garlic packed sauce.    

Oh and start a pot of water to boil noodles in.

 After 15 ish minutes, give tofu a flip, then after about 25 minutes, the tofu should be nearly done. Remove from the oven and toss in the chopped broccoli and 1/3 cup of the sauce. Its a little watery but thats what you want, it will cook down in the oven. Now stick the skillet goes back into the oven and boil the soba noodle.

   Another 10 minutes in the oven and the sauce starts to caramelize and the broccoli is cooked but still nice and crisp.  Remove skillets from oven and toss in the cooked noodles and the rest of the dressing. Toss and toss and place on a plate, or a bowl, or if your into it, just eat out of the pan. (it happens)

I added a small handful of fresh shopped cabbage to add a bit more crunchy bite.  I also added a squeeze of lime juice on top for a nice acidic finish. Lemon works and even a slash of vinegar would be nice, but plain is good too. What ever you do, just EAT! 

A quicky yummy, noodley dinner!  And leave a little extra for left overs because these noodles are fantastic cold… think lunch, or a later that night fridge snack. 

keep it in the reals!

-C

Ginger Soy Tofu and Broccoli Soba Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• 1 package Soba noodle 
• 1 large crown of fresh Broccoli
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar for vegan)
• Lime wedges(Optional)
• Chopped cabbage(optional)
• coconut or oil for skillet

Preheat oven to 425

Remove tofu from package, cut into cubes and lay on a clean dish towel and pat dry. 

Tofu goes into a oiled skillet and placed in oven for 25 minutes. Give tofu a flip after about 15 minutes. While tofu is baking, make the dressing, chop the broccoli and boil water for soba noodles.

For dressing, grate fresh ginger and garlic into a bowl. Whisk together with soy, water and honey (or brown sugar).

When water is at a boil, add soba noodle and cook until done ( about 6-8 minutes..Follow instructions of package)

When tofu has baked for 20 minutes, remove skillet, toss in chopped broccoli and 1/2 cup of soy ginger dressing Return skillet to oven for another 10 minutes or until dressing just starts to caramelize.  Remove for oven and toss in cooked soba noodles and the rest of dressing. If you want a little more veggie bit, add in some fresh chopped cabbage. Plate and serve with a wedge of lime or lemon or even a sprinkle of red wine vinegar.

Now EAT!

Nothing to fancy….. just a little warmth and spice to fancy up a quick snack. Word!

Sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon and stuck in oven at 425 for 5-8 minutes. Easy Peasy. Topped with a squeezey….of lemon. (Yes..I am a dork)

Happy Friday! 

-C

Happy St Patricks Day!!!! As a kid, St Patricks day always meant green milk, green eggs, and those nasty gold foil covered chocolate coins. (you know, from the pot of gold) Not to mention all the leprechaun hunting and  pinching.  In my family, if you were unlucky enough to forget to wear green, you ended up as a walking target. It all started out nice an innocent, a pinch here or there, but by the end of the day, someone would end up pinching a little to hard or maybe just one too many times and the game would go from pinches to punches.   

Ahh, memories. 

Now as an adult (kinda adult) St Patricks is celebrated a little differently. The little ones in the family still get their green milk (which they are told is leprechaun pee) and those nasty gold coins, but I think the pinching has stopped.( a great tradition lost)  I myself don’t have any littles at home so no little leprechaun games or gross dyed food for me.  Nope, in my house we celebrate with a few beers and a more traditional irish dish, Colcannon. Mashed up potatoes with cabbage and kale… I mean, can it get much better? It can when you use red potatoes and red cabbage. Not only is it so tasty tasty, but it is so pretty pretty. No need for green milk or nasty candy. 

But I still make sure to wear green and you might find me doling out a pinch or two. 

  The stuff…. Super pretty red potatoes, red cabbage, shallots, kale, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Note. If you do not have or want to use red potatoes, russet or white will work, it just won’t be as pretty. 

   Dice up the pretty potatoes and stick them into a pot and fill up with water and add in a good tablespoon of salt.  Stick on high heat and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium  and cook those taters until super fork tender. (bring them to the edge of falling apart)

While the potatoes are boiling, chop up the cabbage, shallots, and the kale and stick into a big skillet with a good drizzle of olive oil. Sauté on medium heat until soft and tender.

Once the potatoes are super tender, drain the water and dump them into the pan with the sautéed veggies. With a potato masher or a fork, mash up the potatoes and mix in the veggies, adding a drizzle or more of olive oil as you go. (Start with a drizzle and work your way up until it tastes good to you) Salt and pepper to  taste. 

The most pretty pan of smashed up potatoes that I have ever seen. Eat as a side dish or even a light main dish. Fork is a good utensil to use, but I found that my fingers worked just as well.

Have a great happy day full of green, potatoes, and pinches. Maybe even a leprechaun or two!

-C

Red Potato Colcannon

• 5-10 Red potatoes Red Potatoes depending on the size (about 3 1/2 – 4 chops chopped)
• 1 Cup Chopped Red or Green Cabbage
• 1 Cup Chopped Kale
• 1-2 Shallots
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Rinse and dice potatoes and place into big pot. Cover potatoes with water and add about a tablespoon of salt. Place on high high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and let potatoes cook until super fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, chop up cabbage, shallots and kale and sauté in a large cast iron skillet (or any skillet) with a good drizzle of olive oil.  Once the potatoes are done, drain water and add potatoes to the skillet with the sautéed veggies. With a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes and mix with the veggies, adding a drizzle or two (depending on your taste) of olive oil as you go. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve from skillet or dump into a fancy dish with a big spoon.

Eat as a main dish or as a side….Good hot, warm and cold.

There is corn everywhere!!

This past weekend, the mr and I were out and about in the sticks of Vermont and got an eyeful of this very familiar sight of corn fields forever. It’s just part of the landscape.. Blue sky, big lush mountains, little rives and big fields of corn. It is ever so lovely… and so telling. Tall high corn fields just means  two things. 1.We will be eating lots of corn, and, 2. the summer is winding down. So soon we will be talking apples and root veggies, but until then, we will just eat the corn and revel in what I consider one of the best and most beautiful times of the year here in Vermont.

And after seeing all the corn (and we have been getting a bunch in the farmshare) I realized that I need to step up my corn game.

What better why to fancy up some corn then to fancy up the stuff people like to smother on it…. butter. 

Whenever I think about butter, I think about my sister, the one that, as a little kid, used  sneak to the kitchen and eat whole sticks of butter. This (to me) just seemed like a pretty gross option for a snack, but you know, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Bur after making making this coconut butter, I can see the draw, for I would sure love to eat the entire contents of a jar of this butter. (I have been eating a spoonful here and there)

Lime cilantro coconut butter.. Its my new thing…corn or not.

The stuff. We have some lovely, super fresh from the farm, corn on the cob. Then for the coconut butter we have , unsweetended coconut flakes, a lime, som ecilantro and salt.

Dump coconut flakes into a food processor. Turn to on and let it go.

After about 7 minutes… you coconut will start to clump together and look like this. And maybe you are like, “this shit isn’t going to happen”.. well be patent. Scrap the coconut off the sides and keep the processor going.. scraping down the sides whenever you need to. 

And eventually, after another 8-10 minutes,  it will turn into this.. a nice creamy buttery butter. 

Now add in the zest of the lime, the lime juice, a pinch of salt,  and cilantro into the butter. Turn processor back on until combined.

And you got yourself some freak yeah cilantro lime coconut butter… ready to smother your corn with. 

This amount is good for 6-8 corn cobs… Any extra is excitlent on any veggies, bread, cake, or spoon.

And stick that butter in a jar.

I dare you not to eat a spoonful right now. (I licked the bowl down clean)

 So I hope I am not being presumptuous when I think that you know how to cook corn. Or maybe you have a specific way you like to cook your corn. But just in case,  husk corn and stick either in a pot and boil until cooked,(about 8-10 minutes)  or like me, char on the grill, or under the broiler. 

So cook some corn….And smother it with the butter.

And there you have it, some freak yeah amazing lime cilantro coconut butter smothered on some corn.

So good…..so good.

Have a great day!

-C

• 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a 1/4 cup chopped)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
• freshly cooked corn on the cob 

Note. Any extra butter is good on anything and everyhitng!!!

Place coconut into a food prosser and turn to on. Prosse until coconut start to stick to sides. Stop, scrap down bowl, then conuitne to process. Repet this until the coconut has turned into a creamy buttery goodness.  

Add the juice, the zest, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro to the butter. Pulse until combined. If you want to add in a little coconut oil here to make it a little smoother, go for it. 

Scoop into a jar. When your corn is hot and ready, smother butter all over.

And eat. There swill be stuff stuck in your teeth..Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a snack for later.