My Chic Brown Bag

   I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something radical- I love procrastination. Love, love, love it. People complain about it as though it's a terrible, shameful personality flaw. But really, what's not to love about the act of putting off an obligation in favor of a more pleasurable activity? Come on. Nothing, that's what.

   Of course, we all know the old adage 'too much of a good thing is a bad thing,' and that applies to procrastination. It's one thing to put off that presentation for work just long enough to enjoy your tea break and quite another to pretend you had no idea the presentation got moved up a week and you haven't even thought of a topic yet. That's just not cool.

 

   I do believe our old friend procrastination has a big hand in why many people find it difficult to prepare lunches to bring to work. After all, just the act of putting that sucker together is admitting that another work day looms ever near. It can seem like just another chore on a never ending to do list, or simply not possible if you've put it off until just before rushing out the door.

   Once I was out of college and lost the convenience of returning to my dorm room or apartment for lunch, I quickly learned the highest quality choices and foods couldn't be found in the cafeteria or local eatery. Even though I've now been brown bagging it since medical school, I'm certainly not perfect at it. There are occasional meals here or there that find me in the salad line behind every other resident and patient in the hospital. On these days I'm inevitably left with a belly ache and funky taste in my mouth (just what's in those industrial salad dressings anyway??).

   The habit is actually very easy to get into because the rewards are so great. There is no denying that the food you make in your own kitchen is better for both your body and your taste buds. With a little practice and maybe some error, finding a group of old reliable recipes designed to make leftovers is not such a hard thing. I have found that I look forward to our weekly Sunday night 'lunch prep' dinner with great anticipation. I do believe it strokes our deep animal instinct to stock up food- a proverbial acorn in our squrriley cheeks.

  One of the fun parts of our Sunday dinners is not only that we don't have to worry about lunches for a while, but we also get to dress that first meal up a bit. Since I generally have more time on the weekend for cooking projects, this can be anywhere from a fancy dessert, or, more likely, a fancy bread. Steve and I don't have much in the way of a sweet tooth and between the two of us we probably only eat one or two desserts a month. But bread? Bring it on!

 

   For this Sunday night dinner, I have vegan chili for you. It is rich, flavorful and very easy to put together. Beware, you will need a big pot to cook it in.

    To accessorize our chili, I've been working on a vegan cornbread recipe for quite some time. It took me a while to get it just right (the lack of eggs was a hurdle) but this is golden, corny perfection if I do say so myself. The trick is adding some form of acid- in this case vinegar. Altering the pH of your batter will allow it to rise and have a light crumb, which is why we add eggs to our baked goods. Not only does the vinegar give the final product a delicious cultured buttermilk flavor, but by changing the acid base balance just a touch, eggs become unnecessary.

   The other day I discovered some forgotten buttermilk in the fridge and offered to make the old fashioned cornbread; Steve requested 'that vegan one' instead! A true endorsement and I was more than happy to oblige. Hope you enjoy.


More Veggies Chili
Adapted from Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Kitchen

This is an incredibly versatile recipe- we've made it several times now and every pot is slightly different. Try green cabbage instead of red, if you don't have kale around try collard greens, swiss chard or spinach, switch out one of the beans for a different variety- you get the drift!

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (if you prefer a milder chili, remove and discard the seeds before dicing)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 large portobello mushrooms, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced (don't peel it- the skin is very flavorful)
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed  
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups chopped kale, packed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

   Toast the cumin seeds in a large dry pot or dutch oven over medium heat until very fragrant- about 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil, onion and jalapeno pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened. Add the chili powder, mushrooms, zucchini, potato and cabbage. Saute 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
   Add crushed tomatoes, broth, water, beans, maple syrup and salt. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes. 
   Stir in kale and simmer until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in cilantro. Taste, season with additional salt if you wish.
   Serves 8 generously.    

Vegan Cornbread

Be sure to use white balsamic vinegar- the red stuff would just be weird. Apple cider vinegar probably would work well too if you prefer it.

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (use 1/3 if you prefer a less sweet cornbread)
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (I prefer Silk brand)
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 scallions both green and white parts, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if using frozen)

   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8 X 8 inch baking dish with cooking oil and set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the soy milk and vinegar. Allow to sit and thicken. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt until evenly incorporated. Add the oil and soy milk/vinegar mixture and mix to combine. Add your scallions and corn, mix to combine.
   Spread the batter in your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Serve hot!
   Makes 9 squares.

  

On Balance

   The concept of balance is being tossed around a lot these days. It is a popular topic of discussion among many of the blogs I routinely follow, and considered an important factor for healthy living by the preventative medicine physicians I respect and emulate.

   The message is generally dripping with well intentioned instructions to exercise regularly, avoid television, watch what we eat and sleep eight hours (no more and no less) every single night. Basically, we are told that balance is struck when we are able to overcome our daily obligations in favor of activities that bring us closer to the physical and mental ideal.

   But what does it really mean for most of us? I'm sure I'm not alone in a job that takes up the majority of my day and ties me to a desk most of the time. Or that I have obligations at home such as a needy dog (her eyes practically scream 'I can't walk myself!!' as I walk in the door), laundry and grocery shopping that prevent me from routinely doing holistic, soul enriching activities. As much as I would really love to be that bendy, hip girl with incense on her yoga shrine and home made lavender infused pillows at her bedside, most of the time I'm just not that person. And you know what? I'm perfectly ok with that.

   It just isn't the stereotypical well rounded modern day woman who I really want to be. I like having a small amount of chaos in my house. I like that sometimes I'm too tired to exercise when I get home and I don't beat myself up for snuggling on the couch with my dog instead. I like that when the weekend rolls around I don't feel the least bit badly for sleeping a full twelve, glorious hours or that maybe instead of reading that latest hip biography everyone's talking about, I would rather watch the rain fall on my backyard. And I know I don't need to tell you how how much trashy reality TV can feel like meditation!

   Finally, it feels oh so good when I forget about how much fiber and protein my breakfast contains and reach for something that has, yes, chocolate!

   Maybe the bottom line is my balance includes chaos and occasional idleness. It includes deciding not to exercise and sometimes choosing trashy TV over activities that enhance my self knowledge. It is part healthy and part indulgence.

   Come to think of it, maybe that's just balance, period.

   As for the cookies, they speak for themselves. They are no bake and therefore delightfully quick to put together. They are cute and a little nubbly. They have that slight chew that I love in a peanut butter cookie but also a hint of salt and chocolatey darkness. I love that they are sweet and gooey but also vegan. They are part good for you and part excess- just what the doctor ordered on a morning you may be craving a little chaos and indulgence... we can self reflect later!

Chewy Raw Peanut Butter Cookies
    Credit to Ashlae of  Oh Ladycakes for original recipe

2 cups rolled oats (the old fashioned kind, no quick cooking)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (half this amount if your peanut butter is salted- or if you are using non kosher, regular salt is very harsh)
1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
10 medjool dates, pits discarded
6 tablespoons almond milk (or non dairy milk of your choice)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

   In a food processor fitted with the S blade, process the oats and salt until you achieve a coarse meal. Add the peanut butter and dates and process until they are fully incorporated.  Add the almond milk and chocolate chips. Pulse until the dough starts to come together. Transfer to a bowl and knead the dough with your hands until it forms a ball and the chocolate is evenly distributed. Roll 1 tablespoon sized pieces of dough into balls and place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Use a fork to flatten them into disks, leaving behind a fork impression on top. Cookies will keep in a sealed container for four days at room temperature, or two weeks in the fridge.
Yields about 2 dozen.

Completely, delightfully, chocolate

   In my opinion, chocolate desserts (and by chocolate desserts I mean a dish dedicated completely and lovingly to the flavor and texture of chocolate) can be the most difficult to create and execute well. A truly chocolate dessert typically has a limited number of ingredients and it is frustratingly easy to end up with a cloying, droopy or possibly dry and crumbly, end result.

 

   May I present the ultimate, the one and only solution to your chocolate craving: Vegan Chocolate Cake.

   It is the first vegan baked dessert I've ever made. Which is saying a lot. I bake a lot and I eat a lot of desserts. The whole vegan thing has always reminded me painfully of that period of time in our lives when my mother was convinced carob chips were the healthy solution (sorry, mom).

   This cake is simple, it has few ingredients, you don't need to break the bank buying chocolate freshly imported from Europe and the result is effortlessly, completely, densely yet lightly.... chocolate.

   Even though I bake a lot and taste many desserts, I often have a slice or a piece, perhaps a pinch, a taste from Steve's plate, and promptly forget about it. Not this cake. I've gone back. Many times. A sliver here, a taste there... it sings my name and demands attention. I even exercised today for this cake. Clearly, it's serious.

   Don't hesitate. Release yourself from the preconception that eggs and butter are necessary for a moist and delicious cake. Embrace this cake and it will embrace you back. Trust me. You need vegan chocolate cake in your life.

   Also, I added rum because I could and because, well, rum is delicious. Just say yes.

Vegan Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, plus additional for dusting the pan
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4  cup hot coffee
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

   Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with vegetable shortening or baking spray and dust with cocoa powder.  Set aside.
   In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, rum, oil, and vanilla.
   Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
   Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  The batter will be relatively thick.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it.
   Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cake platter to cool.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.
   Cake will last, covered, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. 

A Simple Lunch

   I have a theory about the relativity of time. I think as we get older time goes by faster and faster because the days, weeks, months and years seem smaller and smaller compared to all the days, weeks, months and years we've been on this earth. When I was a child, for instance, a month was a virtual eternity. I distinctly remember entire nights before Christmas that seemed to have their very own spring, summer, fall and winter. Now, years later, a night seems so fleeting. A week is here and gone before I can catch my breath.

   All this to say, I've been quiet on this space for quite some time, but in my defense, it is a very small amount of time compared to how long I've been on this earth. No excuse, but still.

   So much has happened! Steve and I adopted this lovely little girl:

   Her name is Audrey and I love her so much that I don't care she's ripped holes in the bottoms of all my PJ pants as she follows me around the kitchen. Steve loves her so much he doesn't care that she's festooned his favorite pair of leisure shoes with millions of puppy teeth puncture wounds.

   Most exciting of all however is my food news! Steve and I are slowly but surely removing meat from our daily lives. Me! Daughter of a beef farmer, lover of all things meat pie and meat sauced, sidling away from meat. It has been several weeks since this change and I have to say, I feel great.

   This came about after a number of events. For one, we watched an eye opening documentary called Forks Over Knives (I highly recommend a viewing!), for another, our grocery bill is drastically smaller when we avoid the meat and dairy sections. Finally, as a lover of nutrition and food, the earth and preventative medicine, I simply cannot deny the harm our American style meat consumption causes.

   We do still eat meat occasionally (turkey was a must for Christmas dinner), and I don't consider myself a vegetarian or vegan. Steve calls it 'plant based eating' which I think is lovely and fitting. I'm proud to say that in the last several weeks we have eaten meat for only one to two meals per week.

   As a result, expect lots of delicious bean, grain and veggie recipes! I'm excited about this endeavor, I hope you are too, and I hope you squeeze in at least a couple days a week of meat free eating, if not for your heart, then just for fun.

   One of the biggest lessons I'm getting out of this mini revolution is how different my approach to creating a meal has to be. Traditionally, a meal is constructed around some center piece of fish or meat. With the fish and meat removed from the equation I find one can quickly spiral into aimlessness. I've decided to apply the same principle of planning a meat based meal to a plant based one- I simply decide what it is Steve and I are craving, figure out how to highlight that ingredient, and plan the rest of the food around that. What we crave can be anything- a bean, a grain, a noodle, a vegetable, or even spice- it really doesn't matter. So far this approach has worked famously.

   To kick things off, and in honor of the New Year, I would like to share with you a simple and very satisfying dish that I created around my craving for butternut squash. I added lightly caramelized onions for flavor, collard greens for color, and quinoa for protein. Presto! A complete dish. Plus, collards traditionally bring good health and luck when eaten on the New Year. Enjoy and happy New Year!

Butternut Squash Quinoa with Collards

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large well washed collard green leaves, cut into 1 inch ribbons
3 cups butternut squash, cut to large dice
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
Salt, to taste

   In a medium sized heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and starting to lightly brown. Add the collards, cover again and cook until wilted. If the onions and collards seems dry or stick to the bottom of the pan, add a small amount of water. Once the collards have wilted, add the butternut squash and more water if needed, plus another sprinkle of salt. Cover and cook over medium low heat for ten minutes.
   Add the quinoa and water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa has absorbed most of the water, 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, taste some quinoa and, if tender, remove the lid and cook off and remaining liquid until the desired texture is achieved. If still crunchy, keep cooking with cover on until it is tender. Season to taste with salt.
   Serves 2.


  

A Not So Genetic Inheritance

   Our parents impart a number of gifts, and sometimes curses, upon us. My parents certainly gave me their thirst for knowledge, an eternal self driven work ethic and the never ending suspicion that I can do better.

   They also encouraged my cooking, my drawing and my desire to read books cover to cover in a single day. They looked on in amusement when I doubted myself and always ignored my tendency to back out of major decisions at the last second (college, medical school, piano recitals... I infallibly ended up cowering in a corner just before the big moment, asking to be let off the hook, and inevitably grateful that I wasn't).

   My mother instilled perhaps the best gift of all. She insisted I put only the highest quality and tastiest of foods in my mouth.

   When the five of us were little (the whole brood only eight years apart in total) it would have been an incredible weight lifted from her shoulders to reheat microwave dinners or serve fast food picked up on my dad's way home from work. But she never did. My mom always served meals she concocted from scratch- brown rice, whole wheat bread. I remember her insisting whole grain spaghetti was going to be the next big thing a good number of years before celebrities and famous fitness gurus were waxing poetic about its benefits. She made cabbage soups, vegetable purees and stocked the bottom drawer of our fridge (our snack drawer) with fresh fruits and vegetables. One of my favorite pictures is of myself and my two older siblings, all within three years of each other and the oldest barely over the age of seven, enjoying giant, orange carrots from my grandmother's garden.

   My parents gifted myself and my siblings a childhood free of processed foods, high fructose corn syrup and harmful shortcuts to serving a meal. It was a joint effort on their part, but as a grown woman putting meals on a table daily, I now understand the immense effort my mother tirelessly put in. I couldn't be more grateful.

   True to form, she emailed me the following recipe not so long ago. Leafy greens, tasty fish redolent with omega-3's, a simple yet elegant composition- it is flavorful, healthy and indulgent all at the same time. This dish has my mother written all over it.

   Bon appetit.

Stuffed Salmon Fillets 

• Two 6 ounce salmon fillets
• 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 sundried tomato in olive oil
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   Place the spinach in a bowl and microwave until slightly wilted (around 30 seconds). On a cutting bored slice the basil thinly, then roughly chop the spinach. Mince the sundried tomato. Toss all of these together until incorporated.
   Along the thick side of the fillet, make a deep incision with a sharp knife, making it as wide as you can without cutting through the other side. Stuff each with the filling, dividing it evenly between the fillets. Sprinkle each fillet with olive oil, salt and pepper.
   Bake in a tin foil lined baking pan for 20 minutes or until it has attained your desired crispiness.
   Note: my mother recommends 1 tablespoon chopped pine nuts in the stuffing, but I didn't have any on hand so it was omitted. Still delicious.
   Serves 2.
  

 

Dress Me in Brownie Batter

   Halloween is upon us!

   I love this holiday. I think the sentiment of saying goodbye to summer with a raucous, dressed up bash is wonderfully romantic and fitting. Although summer remains closest to my heart of any time of year, Halloween marks the start of the holiday season, an annual wonder that I adore to no end.

   This year I feel especially excited for the holidays to begin. I'm not sure if it's because Steve and I have fully settled into our new home town, or because we plan on having festive nightly fires in our little fireplace, or if it's because I'm working at a job I love with people I adore, but this year feels especially glowing with good will and anticipation. On second thought, I do believe it has to do with all of the above.

   One thing I especially love about the holidays (perhaps this is stating the obvious) is all the cooking and baking involved! Each holiday has its own set of flavors, colors and distinctive ingredients; a melange of happiness and comfort around the table or tree.

   Halloween, of course, demands candy and sweetness. I don't often eat candy by itself, in fact, I very, very rarely do. Halloween heralds the occasional exception, because when it comes down to it, I like my treats home made. When I do partake in candy, however, the good old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is a favorite.

   Instead of eating them plain, I wanted to dress them up, make them fitting of this holiday, so famous for its costumes and masks.

   I decided to cloak them in brownie. They're adorable. They're delicious. They taste just like Halloween.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites Recipe

   Adapted from SavorySweetLife.com

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ~40 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped from the brown paper
• Mini cupcake papers

DIRECTIONS

•    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your mini cupcake pans with papers.  In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugars and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually add flour, cocoa, and salt and mix until combined.
•    Fill each cupcake slot slightly more than halfway but not more than 2/3 full.  Place a peanut butter cup in each slot pressing it down until it is almost level with the batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until done. Remove mini cupcakes from holder and cool to room temperature.
• Repeat as necessary to use up the batter.

P.S. This recipe is a fabulous excuse to buy two mini cupcake tins. They're beyond cute. You know you want them.

The Mighty Chickpea

   If someone were to press me to name my favorite legume, I would have a hard time of it. They are all so delicious, how to choose! In fact, I've recently begun making 15 bean soups, mostly because I get so many different kinds of those delightful goodies in each and every bite.
   However, the simple truth is that I have a longstanding loyalty to the humble chickpea.
   Perhaps it's because of the chickpea's versatility, its nutty, earthy flavor, or that it can lend crunch or velvety smoothness depending on how it is cooked. Or, maybe it's just because this is the first legume I ever ate and really enjoyed.
   I sometimes think my mother could only ever reliably get me to eat two things when I was little- butternut squash and chickpeas. Not such terrible addictions to have, but limiting nonetheless. My first memory of chickpeas is my mom letting me mix them into her delicious chicken soup. I insisted we include chickpeas when in her brothy, vegetable laden soup because, obviously, they were chickpeas, they belonged with the chicken soup! It made incredible sense to my four year old mind and my lovely mother tirelessly obliged.
   In most recent years I enjoy my chickpeas in Chana Masala. It has become one of my absolute favorite ol' reliable recipes and Steve and I break it out at least every few weeks. It fills the house with fragrant hints of India and makes for rock star leftovers.
   I made it for the first time early on in our relationship; it's still one of my favorites of our dates. We roasted salty baby potatoes and green beans as sides and enjoyed a crisp bottle of Martin Codax Albarino (if you haven't tried this bottle, I insist you do!). Heaven.

   After moving south I discovered, with much heartbreak, that most grocery stores down here don't sell whole cumin seeds. When I finally found some I was so excited to be able to make my beloved spicy chickpeas I bought three jars! The other key spice is a blend you can find in most well stocked grocery stores called Garam Masala. It has a number of spices mixed in, including, surprisingly, cinnamon. It is an absolute revelation the first time you cook with it.
   I hope you enjoy.

Chana Masala
   Adapted from Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade Life"

•   One medium to large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
• 1/4 cup water
• One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• two 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

   In a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, heat the olive oil and onion over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very browned, even charred in places. You want them quite caramelized. It will take around ten minutes.
   Add all the spices and the garlic, stir until toasty and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water and stir until evaporated. It will bubble and steam vigorously, so avert your face! Add the tomatoes, stir to incorporate, and allow to gently simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Add the chickpeas and gently simmer, still covered, for another ten minutes.
   We like to serve this with a side of whatever vegetable is in season and wild or brown rice.
   Makes 6 servings.