It is important to surround yourself with people who eat the same way you do, which is one of the reasons I love going to a restaurant with my friend Corry. After opening restaurants for godknowshowlong, Corry has rightly learned that the best way to get to know a menu is to order it all, an approach that I appreciate. Every time I’m at a restaurant that offers multiple vegetarian options, whether it be appetizers, entrees or sides, I want to sample as much as fiscally possible. Restaurants usually rely on decadent meat dishes, but if they can use kale in a new way or make me crave your quinoa, it shows that they think about every detail of what they’re offering. A prime example was our meal at Hundred Acres on Monday. We ordered nearly every veggie-friendly dish they had, and they did it all well. This dish is inspired by my favorite…

Ingredients

– 2 cups Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half (save the leaves that fall off – they get crispy and delicious!)
– 1-2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 3 Tsp Smoked Paprika
– 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
– Salt to taste
– 2-3 Tbsp Frying Oil (I used Canola)

Preheat oven to 350. Toss brussels sprouts in olive oil in a baking pan and season with salt. Roast on the bottom rack of the oven until al dente (about 15-20 mins depending on your oven). Mix together the paprika, garlic powder and some salt. In a pan, heat up frying oil until about 375 degrees (I just tested a couple of leaves once I thought it was hot enough). Add roasted Brussels Sprouts and begin to fry. Once they begin to brown, sprinkle with paprika mix and turn to get all sides. Once nicely browned, remove sprouts from pan and drain on a paper town or brown paper bag. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

– 1 cup Quinoa
– 2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
– 3 cups Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
– 2 cups Dinosaur Kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
– 1 cup Chickpeas (recommend that you use dried and follow cooking directions on the bag)
– 1/8 cup Green Onion, chopped (white/light green only)
– 1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1/3 tsp PaprikaSalt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt and sprinkle with paprika. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, tossing halfway through. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of vegetable stock to a boil. Add quinoa and stir. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid has mostly evaporated. In a saute pan, saute the kale and chickpeas in remaining olive oil. Add quinoa and sweet potato and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with green onion. Serve warm. 

Ingredients

– 1 large Cauliflower head, trimmed
– 1/4 pound Feta Cheese
– 2 ounces Cream Cheese
– 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
– 1 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
– 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Scallions for garnish
– Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Place flat side of cauliflower on cutting board and cut 3/4 inch “steaks” from the middle of the head. In a pan, heat olive oil and sear each side of the cauliflower, flipping to brown each side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and roast on a cookie sheet on the lowest rack of the oven until tender. In a food processor, blend feta, cream cheese, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon whipped feta onto plate with a cauliflower steak. Garnish with scallion. 
 
Last week’s Valentine’s Market was a great time, even with the blizzard. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table and sampled or bought a jar of nutella. Markets of New York did a nice post about our wares. Check it out!

I wasn’t sure what to do with my day until after I stepped outside this morning. Remember yesterday when it was 68 degrees? That was nice. Today it’s a cold and windy trash storm. Laundry and cooking it is.
For Christmas, my mom bought me these strange silicon baking pans from Flexipan. They’re bendy, non-stick and small enough to fit in my sad little convection oven. I decided on Gorgonzola and Fresh Herb muffins for this morning. As you can see from the picture, I wasn’t monitoring them as closely as I should have and the tops browned a little too much (hey! I was getting my laundry.) The original recipe recommends using ramekins, but I wanted something a bit more bitesize. 

Gorgonzola and Fresh Herb Muffins (adapted from Dalmatia Gourmande)1 cup whole milk3.5 oz fresh Gorgonzola cheese2 eggs4 Tbsp. butter1 cup plain flour + extra if needed1 clove garlic, finely grated2 pinches of salt1/2 teaspoon pepper, minced1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, finely minced (I used less)1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If you’re using ramekins, brush with butter (I made smaller muffins.) In a pot, heat milk and butter until butter has melted.  Add finely chopped gorgonzola and heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add grated garlic, oregano, thyme, crushed pepper, salt & pepper.  Remove from heat (let it cool so that you don’t cook the eggs when you add them.) Stir in eggs and flour, mixing well.  If necessary, add more flour until mixture is slightly thick. 

Fill ramekins or muffin tin and bake for 30-40 mins.  Check the middle with a toothpick.

The silicone pan popped them out super easy. Even with the too-toasted tops, these were delicious and perfect for a lazy weekend brunch.I’m already preparing meal #2 today… sweet potato gnocchi with melted onion & parmasean broth and crispy sage. I’ve never made gnocchi before, so this could be a disaster. In the meantime, here’s some pictures from the last few weeks. 

I realize that the week after Thanksgiving the last thing people want to think about is cooking, but as it is the holiday season and everyone and their mother is having a dinner party, it’s always good to have a few recipe ideas on hand. These Brussels sprouts were a major hit at the Thanksgiving dinner I attended. If you pay any attention to this blog, or perhaps my life generally, you probably know I’ve been nuts for B. Sprouts for the past two years. There was a few times last year that I had to stop myself from eating them every day. I digress, let’s get to the recipe.


Sweet Lemon + Thyme Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts, trimmed an cut in half1/2 cup pecans, roughly choppedzest of one lemon, plus juice2-3 tbls brown sugar1-2 tbls fresh thymeOlive oilsalt + pepper to tasteToast pecans in a 350 degree oven until brown. In a large pan, saute Brussels sprouts in a olive oil with salt until they start to brown. Turn frequently. Lower the heat a bit and add pecans. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Toss the sprout/pecans until evenly coated. Toss in lemon zest and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
In addition to the Brussels, I whipped up some cheesy mashed red potatoes. Mashed potatoes have saved me at many a family meal. To give you an idea, my Aunt Linda and Uncle Gary just sent out the invite to Christmas Eve. On the menu: prime rib and turkey. I am forever grateful that my family loves to over-prepare with 8 million sides and appetizers (and bottles of wine!) I’ve always been a well fed vegetarian, even in a world of salmon, bacon and prime rib. 
Cheesy Roasted Garlic and Chive Mashed Red Potatoes (these are really unhealthy. Sorry! Also, this makes enough for 10 people…)1 bag of red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped1 wedge Fontina cheese, grated3/4 container of light sour cream1 head of garlic1/2 chives, choppedButtersalt & pepper to taste
In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and throw in a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are very tender. Chop the tops off of the head of garlic and remove any excess skin. Douse in a good amount of olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast at 350 until the cloves are very soft. Remove potatoes from heat and drain water. Add in garlic, butter and sour cream. Begin mashing, adding in more butter and/or sour cream as needed. Mix in Fontina cheese. Once mixture is a smooth consistency, add in chives and salt and pepper to taste.
(On a side note: I wish I had used milk as well. You probably should.)
I spent Thanksgiving in Greenpoint at the lovely apartment of Brooke and Ryan. We ate, we drank, we danced. I was so full by the end of dinner that I couldn’t touch the spread of pies that people had brought. Once things were winding down, I headed to The Drink, the bar that a few friends are opening very soon. I hadn’t been there in a couple of months, and it’s looking amazing. I’m hoping I’ll get to visit again before I head home next week.
Speaking of home – I’m referring to Washington State, where I was born and bred. I’ll be there for a long stretch – 2 1/2 weeks. Plenty of time to see my niece, catch up with old friends, hug my family and breathe some fresh air.
Finally, I still have a few to edit/upload, but here’s another batch of photos from Louisiana. Bourbon Street 
Swing dancers on Royal Amazing duo on Royal View of the French Quarter


Gator faces 

Forgive me while I work a bit backwards. I plan on sharing what I made for Thanksgiving, but right now my mind is on the Ginger Carrot soup I just finished eating. There’s something about chilly, windy days that give me the urge to hide away in my apartment for a few hours, turn on some music (thank you, David Vandervelde and Laura Veirs for providing the soundtrack) and spend some time creating something tasty.

Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup

Ingredients

– 5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
– 1 large yellow onion, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
– 3-4 tbls of fresh ginger (grated with a microplane)
– 1 can lite coconut milk1 tbls coriander
– 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it really spicy)
– olive oil
– salt & pepper
– water (or vegetable stock if you prefer)

Directions

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic with olive oil and salt until it starts to brown. Add in carrots and cover with water. Bring to a boil until carrots are tender. Using a handblender, blend ingredients until smooth. Add grated ginger, coriander and cayenne pepper. Blend and season with salt and pepper. Continue to heat until soup is at the consistency you prefer. Serve hot!

I’ve been back from Boston for a few days now – I ended up cutting my trip a little short since I was missing my bed and needed to deal with a driver’s license renewal situation. It was great to catch up with some of my friends there… and snuggle with my favorite dog, Roger.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a great time in Louisiana/Mississippi. I’m still uploading/editing pictures from the trip, but here’s some highlights. My hosts, Chris and Sabrina Watson (check out Chris’ label, Park the Van! Home to The Generationals, Dr. Dog and more!) Chris is holding avocado cream pops. They were good.

 
Woodville, MS

Natchez, MS

Lafayette, LA

Natchez-Vidalia Bridge, LA side

Cotton field, somewhere in Louisiana

Louisiana swamp (airboat tour)

I’m really happy that I took the two days to drive up through Mississippi and back down through Louisiana. Not only was it a beautiful drive, but I got to visit a lot of tiny little towns, talk to different people and dig through all sorts of antiques. One store owner talked to me about finding treasures buried in the backyard of his Civil War home, another about his trip to New York as a teenager. I put my foot in the Mississipi River. I got a schooling on Southern prejudice. I perfected my faux-accent. More photos/stories of New Orleans in my next post. I can’t wait to go back.

Oh October, you escaped me so quickly. With so many birthday parties, a trip upstate, many hours wandering New York trying to snap a decent photograph, CMJ and other activities, I’ve barely spent a minute in the kitchen. My fridge is a cold barren wasteland with a single egg, a wilting red pepper and not much else. I will be better! Soon!

Many weeks ago, I did make some cabbage that is great for an easy side, but before I get to that, some proof that I’ve been doing more than… well, than doing nothing.

Enough of non-food pictures! It’s cabbage time.

Boiled Cabbage

Ingredients

– 3/4 head of Green Cabbage, chopped
– 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
– 1/2 white onion, sliced
– 1/2 cup white vinegar
– 1 tbls granulated sugar
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1 tsp oregano (optional)
– water

Directions

In a large pot, add cabbage, onion, carrots and white vinegar. Fill with water until vegetables are covered. Bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper, sugar and oregano. Continue to simmer until cabbage is soft, but not mush. Remove from heat and serve, straining out liquid with a slotted spoon.Many recipes that I saw for cabbage said to use butter, but I see no need. The vinegar does give this a little bite, which I love. This was one of those dishes that I made on the fly that left me impressed with myself. So simple, healthy and delicious.

I intend to get back to cooking very soon – but first I’ll be spending a week in Louisiana and Mississippi starting Tuesday. I plan on driving along the Mississippi River through Woodville and Natchez, spending a night there. Then, hopefully Baton Rouge, and back down to New Orleans, where I’ll be for a few more nights. I haven’t spent much time down South, so I’m very excited to explore. Please give me any recommendations you may have!

After I get back, I drive up to Boston to work for a week, and then it’s Thanksgiving! Whew!

I blinked a few weeks ago and now suddenly it’s October and I’m tracking leaves and mud into my apartment and cursing myself for not thinking to bring a jacket. With this colder weather comes the craving for heartier, warmer meals full of greens and gourds.
Mmm soup. 


Vegetarian MinestroneDoes anyone else get Olive Garden flashbacks from the word “minestrone”?1/2 large yellow onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped1 large tomato, chopped2 carrots, chopped1 red pepper, chopped2 cups kale, chopped2 cups of dry pasta (I used Ditalini)2 tbls dry oregano1 tbls dry basil1 1/2 containers vegetable stocksalt & pepper to taste2 tbls olive oilIn a large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Add tomato, basil and oregano. Add red pepper and carrots. Salt and pepper to taste. Add in dry pasta and continue to simmer until al dente. Finally, stir in kale and remove from heat. Season to taste and serve immediately. A few notes: I mistakenly did not use enough liquid, and once the pasta started absorbing, it quickly started to disappear. Feel free to add a bit of water (and reseason accordingly) prior to adding the pasta.
 

Squash Soup with Thyme and Honey1/2 large yellow onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped1 squash, rind(?) removed, chopped (I used Spaghetti Squash.. more on that later)1 1/2 tbls honey1 tbls fresh thymeolive oilsalt & pepper to tastewater In a small pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until it starts to brown. Add in chopped squash and cover with water. Season with salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until squash is soft. Add thyme and honey and stir. Continue to simmer. Once everything is incorporated, turn off heat and let cool.Use a hand blender, blend soup until smooth consistency. Return to heat and simmer until soup is at the thickness you prefer. Serve.
Some notes: My mom used to make us “spaghetti” using spaghetti squash as the noodles. I can’t remember the squash being bitter, but this soup had a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Next time I would probably use a different squash – butternut perhaps? I’d love to update you on what I’ve been up to since the last time I did a proper post, but there’s been too much to cover. Instead I’ll just share some of my favorite photos from the last few weeks and let you come to your own conclusions.






The next few weeks are full of birthday celebrations, visitors & house guests, some CMJing and the start of my photo class (ack!) I love fall.

Look at these strawberries I picked up today! 

Since I was up early for a ill-conceived McCarren run this morning, I figured I might as well make breakfast when I got home.  I’ve made stuffed french toast in the past, most recently for last year’s Pre-Easter Brunch Dinner Party (what??) Usually I use cream cheese and jam, but I thought I’d experiment a bit this time.  I had some leftover mint I’ve been needing to use, and with the discovery of some lovely strawberries, I came up with the following.  Slaving over a hot stove in the summer is my specialty. 

Lemon Ricotta Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Mint Sauce
Lemon Ricotta Stuffing1/2 container of skim ricotta (or you can make your own!)1 1/2 lemons (juice and zest!)Mix ricotta, zest and juice of lemon. Strawberry Mint Sauce2 cups of strawberries1/3 cup powdered sugar1/4 mint, choppedChop up strawberries and pulse in food processor or blender.  Add sugar and mint and pulse until smooth.French Toast1 loaf good bread, sliced thick4 eggs1 tbls vanilla1/2 cup milkbutter for panWhisk eggs, vanilla and milk together in a container (make sure it’s big enough to fit the bread!)Take a slice of bread and spread lemon ricotta on one side.  Make a sandwich!  In a pan, melt butter.  Dip stuffed bread in the egg mixture until well coated.  Add to pan and cook until brown.  Flip! Remove from heat and top with several spoonfuls of strawberry mint sauce.
Make sure you’re prepare to be ridiculously full after eating this.  The ricotta is a bit rich, but balances well with the fresh strawberry and mint. 
Today is going to be a busy day.  I’m headed over to Berry Park to watch the World Cup, and then to the park for a picnic prepared by Bergur, who generously offered to make lunch for everyone.  I hear he’s an amazing cook, so I’m looking forward to it.  Then tonight, I’m headed over to check out the Creators Project at Milk Studios.  Whew!

I’m convinced that my friend Melissa spends as much time staring wide-eyed at recipes online as I do. She sends me ideas several times a week – either things she has made, wants to make, or places where she wants to eat. The latest was this Baked Polenta recipe that she found on Epicurious. What’s great about a basic polenta is that you can go as wild as you want with the accompaning ingredients. Melissa and Sean made theirs with sauteed spinach, garlic and chicken sausage on top. I took an even more simplistic approach… a cheesy baked polenta with a fresh heirloom tomato salad on top. This could easily be served hot or cold, and would be a great idea for a weekend brunch.

Baked Polenta 1/2 cup vegetable broth1/2 cup milk1/2 onion, chopped1 clove of garlic, chopped1/2 cup yellow grain polenta1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for toppingsalt & pepper to tastePreheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring milk and vegetable broth to a boil in a sauce pan.  Add in garlic and garlic and stir.  Pour polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Turn heat down on stove. Add salt and pepper and stir until mixture is a incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.Spray a ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Pour polenta evenly into dish and put into oven, cooking until the top is golden brown.Remove from oven, top with remaining cheese, and put back in oven until the cheese melts.
Heirloom Tomato Salad1 cup heirloom tomatoes, choppedchopped cilantrojuice of 1/2 of lemonsalt & pepper to tastedrizzle of white truffle oil (I finally ran out of this! I’ve made too much truffled popcorn over the last couple of weeks. Whoops!)
Toss ingredients together and pile on baked polenta.
You know, one of these days my landlord is going to discover me taking food pics on my dirty stairs leading up to the yard I don’t get to use. I look forward to that day.