Vegetarian Dishes

Back Pocket Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup

February 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

I think I just finally have to say it out loud; we are in the thick of winter (and wool sweaters/socks/snuggies).

January and February feel like the longest months. I’m THAT person. The person who complains and whines about winter all winter long. Because spring feels like it’s taking its sweet time. The limited amount of sunshine, dressing in infinite layers, and the struggle to be productive are all too real and too much for me. I don’t want to adult, I don’t want to leave the warmth of my bed in the mornings. I also don’t look forward to spending my days tearing my house apart, looking for lost gloves, hats, and scarves. I should’ve been smart and started buying said items in bulk because I currently have no less than 10 very sad and lonely gloves, waiting for the other half to be found. Don’t you just hate that?

I DO want one bowl wonders. Like soup. And warm, comforty things.

Bonus points for Instant Pot usage. Yessssss! Because we’re still pretending that snow days mean that we get time off from meal prep too but not really, so we’ll take all the help we can get.

As much of a winter hater as I am, I DO love fresh snow falls. As soon as I hear the weather peeps predict snow, out come all the ingredients for the best, comfort, cozy tomato soup. Because tomato soup+grilled cheese during the cold, winter months is seriously my jam.

I have so many memories tied to tomato soup. When I was little, tomato soup, the one from a can- the one I was so jealous of all other kids who got it on the regular- was the thing to look forward to when any of us were sick. I loved watching my mom pour equal parts water (or milk) and canned tomato soup into a pot and heat it up. And if I was especially lucky that day, I’d get a grilled cheese sandwich. That was me living my best, eating soup from a can, life. I didn’t even mind the metallic taste because I thought it was part of the charm.

Fast-forward to my life now, where my kids wouldn’t even believe me if I told them they can buy soup in a can. Because, at some point, I decided that soup shouldn’t taste watery, metallic, and generic. After having tasted legit tomato bisque, I wanted to recreate it in a clean, fuss-free, dinner is half an hour and I have zero idea what I’m gonna feed myself sorta way. Also-the kids-I can’t forget to feed the kids. So much work!

Enter this ultra-creamy tomato soup. But go ahead and hold the cream for something else, because you don’t need it. In fact this soup is:

√ deliciously creamy, without using any cream (or guilt) so wining healthy eats

√ totally dairy-free and vegan, rejoice all you alternative milk lovers

√ whole30 and paleo friendly, because of course!

√ kid approved, no joke, my kids down this soup like they’ve been starving for weeks

√ 110% pairable with a oeey- goey grilled cheese sandwich, if that’s your jam

Remember how I’m into basic and flavorful these days? Because a good, basic tomato soup should be in everyone’s back pocket, to customize as they please. There are times when I don’t have fire roasted tomatoes (which you should definitely add if you have on hand), so I substitute with regular, canned whole or diced tomatoes. There are also times when you don’t want to dig into your life savings to buy those two stems of basil in the middle of winter and that’s totally okay. Use dried basil, I promise the world will keep moving. You may decide that after having argued with one of your kids about everything under the planet from the time you wake up on a Saturday morning to dinner time, that mommy needs that dose of cream. Go right ahead my friend, I’ll be right here helping you pour, in a non-creepy, guiding you through your iPhone screen sort of way.

And what if you don’t have an Instant Pot? My friend, the stove is still there. We can work through it together, just keep scrolling to the recipe. And once you’ve made your soup, hit instagram and make make my day, by tagging me and showing me that you’ve made this beautiful soup. I love nothing more than seeing you guys making and loving my recipes.

As for me, I’ll be working on bringing you more recipes and sending warm fuzzies your way!

P.S. I won’t tell the kids this soup is packed with veggies, if you won’t!

Basic Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 5 1x

Scale

Ingredients

4–5 large carrots peeled and chopped (about 2–3 cups)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic (I use 3–4 cloves)
2 14.5 oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes with liquid (Or whole or plain tomatoes, whatever you have on hand)
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed and roughly chopped (1 tbsp dried basil)
2–3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

On the high saute function of the Instant Pot, heat olive oil. Add in carrots, onion, celery, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Add thyme, basil, pepper, and tomato paste and stir to coat veggies.
Add in tomatoes and broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to entire nothing is sticking to the liner.
Set the Instant Pot to high manual pressure for 15 minutes, cover with vent on “sealing” and allow to come to pressure. Once done, quick release the pressure.
Puree the soup, using either an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
Serve hot and with crusty bread/grilled cheese sandwiches/crackers if desired.
STOVETOP DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large pot, on medium heat. Add in carrots, onion, celery, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Add thyme, basil, pepper, and tomato paste and stir to coat veggies.
Add in tomatoes and broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to entire nothing is sticking to the pot.
Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until veggies are completely cooked and soft. Add more broth if the liquid has reduced or if you like a thinner consistency.
Puree the soup, using either an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
Serve hot and with crusty bread/grilled cheese sandwiches/crackers if desired.

5 Minute Mint Chimichurri Sauce

February 7, 2017 Leave a Comment

I’m ready for summer. I want unrestricted access to sunlight, not these meager rations we’ve been getting in my part of the world. I want to go outside without adding a 10 minute buffer for the layers of warm clothes that have to go on before I can leave the house. A simple, breezy dress and a pair of sandals will do just fine right now, thank you very much.

Sadly, it seems like my hands and feet are destined to be ice cold for the foreseeable future so I guess I’ll have to settle for bringing some green, summer flavors into my life via food stuffs.

mint
cilantro
parsley
lemon (+zest)
fresh jalapeno peppers

Otherwise called chimichurri sauce. Also known as my snack by the spoonfuls. Move over, Nutella- mama’s got a new fave!

This chimichurri sauce, my friends, is the sauce to end all sauces. Traditionally, it’s a sauce that’s served over steak but I’m living on the edge and breaking that rule. It’s the wonder sauce that becomes a sauce, marinade, erm *snack*, dip, glaze, and so much more. I dipped tomatoes into it today as a snack. Then I used it to make chimichurri shrimp with cauliflower fried rice. Yep- that happened and will happen on this blog soon! Be still my beating heart. Can I also add that the cauli-rice was tossed in chimichurri, for an extra ooomph?

I love the addition of mint to chimichurri. Mint has to be my absolute favorite herb. Or maybe it’s cilantro. Actually do I HAVE to pick just one? I mean, pack a food processor with mint, cilantro, parsley, garlic, jalapeno peppers- unseeded if your life goal is to eventually burn off your tastebuds-, garlic, salt and freshly squeezed lemon juice (and zest, if you please); give it a few spins. Taste. Taste. TASTE. Add a pinch, or teaspoon or two of cayenne, if you’re a heat seeker. Store.

Complicated? No.

Delicious? Yes.

I’ve always been a mint-coriander chutney kinda girl. You know the bright green, spicy sauce you eat with samosas? Yup, I’m the hoarder of said sauce in my family. I used to buy a bottle a week, until I realized I could actually make it on my own. Then I met chimichurri. And I had an a-ha moment– the addition of parsley for a little edge to a mint-corriander chutney. Then came the addition of olive oil- for robust, mainstreamable flavor. From that emerged this version of chimichurri that is marinatable, spreadable, dipable. It doesn’t get any better.

I now have a yummy, versatile goodness all-in-one-sauce that I can whip up in less than 5 minutes. No chopping necessary, which works out so well for the lazy me who just wants to snack on some pita chips with chimichurri like yesterday.

Can I confess something?

I eyeball the herbs 95% of the time. Sometimes I go with more mint, sometimes more cilantro, and sometimes more parsley. Sometimes I add two jalapenos, sometimes seeded, sometimes not. And sometimes, when I feel like splurging, I add a handful of pine nuts– this doesn’t come cheap and I may have to sell a kidney to fund this pine nut addiction. You can add all sorts of things as long as you have keep the flavors balanced. You need

salty
tart
spicy
rich—> not a flavor but how else do you describe the addition of olive oil for flavor and richness?

You know what I did with the jar that’s sitting in the fridge right now? I topped a generous dollop of the chimichurri sauce on my make ahead breakfast muffins this morning. I can easily see myself subbing in this chimichurri for the cilantro-mint charmoula with this vegetable tagine. I’m pausing for a minute here to look at those pictures from back then and comparing them to the pictures now. Holy moly does that recipe need a reshoot!

This chimichurri sauce stays good in the fridge for about two weeks, giving you lots of chances to spice up your meals. You can also freeze it. It’s a great way to use up all those herbs you may not use in time- make the chimichurri, pour into an ice cube tray, top with a thin layer of olive oil and freeze. Why the oil? The oil helps the herbs retain their vibrant green color.

Once frozen, pop them out of the ice cube tray and into freezer bags and use within 6 months. Just take as much as many cubes as you need and thaw in the fridge. I add the frozen cubes straight into a hot pan like I did when I made my chimichurri shrimp with cauliflower fried rice–recipe to come later this week!

Chimichurri Sauce

Yield: 1 1/2- 2 cups 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro with stems
1 bunch parsley, with stems
1 cup mint, stems removed
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 jalapeno, split in half and seeded (leave seeds in tact if you want spicier chimichurri)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon, juiced and zested (about 1/4 cup)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Add all ingredients and 1/4 cup olive to a food processor jar. With the food processor on low speed or pulse, add in remaining olive oil. Do not puree completely. You should be able to see tiny pieces of the herbs. Use water to thin out if necessary.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze with a thin layer of olive oil on top and use within six months of freezing.

3-Minute Clean Eating Mayo {Paleo, Whole30 Compliant}

January 9, 2017 2 Comments

Happy New Year!

In true slacker fashion, I’m about a week late in glad tidings of the new year but when you’ve been travelling during the holiday break + have two birthdays to celebrate in one week, things get busy here in at the start of January. Especially if said birthdays are the birthdays of a now 4-year-old Little Man and a freshly minted 6- year-old Little Diva, who are both under the impression that though their birthdays are two days apart, the are the only two creatures on earth to ever have had a birthday. As a result we have to declare national holidays on these blessed days and pulling out all the stops. But, enough about them. Let’s discuss squeaky clean eating and this squeaky cleaning eating mayonnaise.

Yeah, go ahead and take it in. I’ve gone weird(er) on you and now am trying to sell you homemade mayo. I hadn’t ventured into the fancy schmancy mayo making territory until recently. I had only ever gotten that fix by watching Ina Garten make delicious looking, artisanal mayonnaise in her gloriously lit kitchen and thinking that I would never be able to enter that level of cooking. But now, I’m calling you from the other side- homemade mayo is so fast and so easy that I decided I need to dispel this myth of mayonnaise in a store-bought jar being easier.

The first time I made my clean eating mayo with EVOO, I looked into my food processor bowl and squealed with excitement. The Mister was reading at the time and I heard myself say/yell, “3 minutes ago, this was oil, egg, salt, garlic, and lemon juice and now it’s MAY-freakin-O!” In other words, what the heck did I just make? Did I really move to the next level of culinary achievement? It was like finding a rare pokemon.

The Mister was very happy that I was happy but his expression clearly read “Oooookkkkkaaaaay, wierdo!”

To be fair, that’s how 90% of my conversations with most of my friends and fam go.

I’ve made a conscious effort to eat better and eliminate as many processed foods as possible over the last few months. I even did a round of whole30 last fall, right around halloween, so I wouldn’t steal my kids’ candy while they slept, like I do every year #parentconfessions. As a result, we still have a mountain of candy, untouched because I may or may not have forgotten to drop the bag off to the millions of people collecting candy for charity (oooooooppppsss). So now, this has become me: a person who is consciously aware of what sugar does to my moods. As a result, I started paying even closer attention to the ingredients and nutritional breakdown in our so-called packaged but healthy foods and noticed sugar and corn syrup solids were becoming a common theme.

Mayonnaise has an undeservedly bad reputation. It’s supposed to be unhealthy, greasy, high in fat, and something you have to avoid if you’re watching what you eat. My recipe omits the canola/palm oil, sugar, and preservatives so you’re left with heart healthy olive oil, an egg, and seasonings. One batch makes about 1 1/2 cups and stores well for 1-2 weeks in the fridge but I rarely end up having it longer than that anyway because there are always uses for mayo like the dressing in my buffalo chicken cobb salad (also whole30 compliant) or the dressing for these hot oven baked sliders. I’m not telling you to, in one sitting, devour the entire jar of freshly made mayo, use it as an enhancer and it’s not the villain we have made it out to be.

THE OLIVE OIL: Use the mildest olive oil you can find because olive oil tends to carry a robust flavor, which is not something that you ideally want in mayo. I know there are several brands (Bertoli and Pompeii come to mind) that sell an extra milk version of olive oil. The lighter the color of the oil, the milder it is.

THE EGGS: Room temperature eggs and lemon juice is ideal. The oil and egg coagulate better when all the ingredients are at room temperature but don’t give up if you forgot to take the egg out of the fridge. Simply cover the egg in warm water and let sit for 3-5 minutes, while the egg warms up. Same goes for the lemon, though I generally keep my lemons counter top so they’re always ready to juice. Fresh eggs are also best, for food safety. I’m not telling you to drive 3 hours to the nearest farm and hand pick the eggs, but use eggs that are purchased recently.

THE FOOD PROCESSOR: When you run the food processor, fitted with the regular chopper blade, slowly stream in a cup of the olive oil. Don’t dump it, you’re going to end up with a soupy mess. Just a slow, steady stream while the food processor emulsifies the mixture. By streaming, I mean a very thin and steady trickle through the spout of the food processor.

So when your mayo turns out, and I’m sure it will, do your happy dance and shout from the rooftops: “I MADE MAY-faraheekeeen-O!” and repeat often!

Clean Eating Mayo {Paleo/Whole30 Compliant}

Prep Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 3 mins
Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 large egg at room temperature*
1 1/4 cup very mild olive oil/avocado oil**
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1 peeled garlic clove
1–2 tbsp lemon juice/juice of half a lemon (at room temperature)

Instructions

With the blade fitted into the bowl of the food processor, add the cracked egg, along with 1/4 cup oil, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic clove, and lemon juice. Fit securely with lid and and run the food processor on high.
Slowly drizzle in remaining cup of olive oil, in a steady steam through the food processor spout as the processor runs. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Store in an airtight container/glass mason jar with a lid, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Notes

*if you don’t have room temperature eggs, cover a whole egg with warm water for a few minutes to let it warm up.
**the milder the flavor of the oil, the less the taste of the oil will come through in the mayo. There are brands that sell very mild versions of olive oil. The lighter the oil, the milder the flavor.

Bomb Tikka Masala Sauce

October 10, 2016 2 Comments

Friends, I’ve been holding out on you. I’m guilty of recipe hoarding with this fab, anything but ordinary, bomb tikka masala sauce. I’ve have this in my draft box for weeks, while life just got the best of my time. But I will hoard no more, even if it means breaking out of my whole30 challenge bubble and posting a recipe other that was not originally a whole30 one (note: can be made whole30 compliant). This sauce, oh this sauce, is something I can’t wait to eat again- and I certainly couldn’t wait to share with you. Especially when the masala sauce goes double duty in chicken tikka masala enchiladas. WHAAAAAAAAAAA???? I can’t even. Just you wait, my friends. JUST. YOU. WAIT.

I never knew what tikka masala anything was until I was an adult. I know. ME. An wholly raised Indian, raised in the most traditional of ways never met tikka masala until later in life. To my credit, tikka masala isn’t actually ‘authentically’ indian. Such deception, in the creamiest of ways. It lures you in with promise of rich comfort and keeps you interested with its complex, tomatoey and nutty flavors. And you’re like , HELLO, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE? Just like that, you’ve been spoiled for the rest of your life thinking you’re having something authentically indian. Then your world shatters when you find out that it’s deceit. But I’m here to tell you, it’ll be okay. Tikka masala is so good, it doesn’t matter that it’s actually a British creation. It’s tikka masala sauce; all can be forgiven.

My most critical critic comes in the form of a 5 -year-old. The Little Diva would thrive reviewing food for a living. She has never been one to shy away from giving a 100% unbiased review of my cooking, followed by a very encouraging “don’t worry- you’ll get the recipe right eventually. EVENTUALLY!” as she happily skips off to play. When I watched her eyes grow wider and then a huge grin appeared on her face, I knew the tikka masala sauce simmering away on the stove had been conquered. The secret is in the paste, with freshly ground spices and a nutty base. Tikka masala paste, you’ve been put on notice. You are delicious.

Does it take a little bit of time to make? Yes. Will you love it and love me for it later? Absolutely. Make the paste once and have it ready in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for six months. The payoff and the wow factor make this masala sauce worth breaking that sweat. So go on, flex those culinary muscles, whip up a batch and invite your family and friends over for a friday night dinner. With the tikka masala paste in hand, you’ll be cooking like a boss.

Tikka masala paste is very versatile. You can go full cream and make a very rich and decadent sauce. I find that when I substitute milk for a part of the cream, it makes for a lighter, but still just as flavorful sauce. Want to make it vegan//paleo//whole30 compliant? Easy peasy. add canned coconut milk in place of the milk and cream. Full fat coconut milk will make this sauce creamy and rich while a reduced-fat version will give you a lighter sauce. For a vegetarian version, add lightly fried pieces of paneer; for a vegan version, pan-fried tofu cubes. And for the omnivores, boneless marinated pieces of chicken (in the paste) make this the ultimate chicken tikka masala. The possibilities are really endless here. I’m thinkin’ leftover thanksgiving turkey tikka masala. Or the chicken tikka enchiladas I’ll be posting. #drool.

You know how I’m always pushing to toast your spices? TOAST those spices because toasted spices —> winning sauce. Toasting spices draws out oils in nuts and concentrates flavor. In spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, it heavily perfumes the mixture and less becomes more. So the takeaway from this toasting conversation: toasting= winning at flavor ✨. If you can’t find the spices required to make garam masala, usually stocked at south asian grocery stores, pre-ground garam masala is readily available at most stores this days. Go ahead, use it- judgement free zone here.

You’ll end up with an orangish thick paste, with flecks of green and red. Love that green. That green, my friends, is the fresh and bold mint and cilantro that perks up your taste buds and creates the mmmmmmmm! lip smackability factor. I get it, you’re tired, you’re hungry– you want deliciousness for dinner. A quick deliciousness that wipes away the work week and transports you into an indian restaurant (or your mom’s kitchen) and as you use your warm, chewy naan to sop up this bomb sauce, you know you’ve hit the culinary jackpot. Go ahead, do the macarena and celebrate like the 90s are back.

Anything But Ordinary Tikka Masala Sauce

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 2 cups masala 1x

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE TIKKA MASALA PASTE:
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 tbsp garam masaala (recipe follows)
3” knob ginger, peeled and sliced
2 onions, peeled and quartered (I used one red and one white)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup, roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon and zest
1/2 cup unsalted almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp turmeric
3 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
FOR THE MASALA SAUCE:
2/3 to 1 cup tikka masala paste (less paste to keep it more mild)
3 cups milk
1/2 cup cream (to make vegan/whole30/paleo compliant, use coconut milk and water to equal 3/12 cups of liquid)
8 oz tomato sauce
2 tbsp cooking fat such as coconut oil/ghee/vegetable oil
FOR GARAM MASALA:
2 tbsp coriander
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp allspice berries
2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp green cardamom pods
2–3 black cardamom pods

Instructions

MAKE THE GARAM MASALA. In a dry pan, over high heat, toast all the spices for the garam masala until fragrant, 2-3 minutes tossing occasionally to prevent burning. Please in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 year.
TOAST THE ALMONDS AND COCONUT. In the same dry pan, toast the almonds and coconut until the coconut becomes golden brown and releases a nutty fragrance. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
PUREE ALL TIKKA MASALA INGREDIENTS. Place the toasted almonds, coconut, and all remaining ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a mostly smooth paste. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three weeks and in the freezer for up to six months.
MAKE THE MASALA SAUCE: Heat cooking fat in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once fat is heated, add 2/3 to a full cup of the tikka masala paste, depending on your spice preference. Saute until the paste is fully cooked and begins to separate from the fat, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and cream, or coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add grilled chicken/tofu/paneer if desired*.
Serve with white rice and/or naan.

Notes

*if adding chicken, marinate cubed chicken in 1/3 cup tikka masala paste for at least 1/2 hour and grill or cook stovetop until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Autumn Harvest Bowl

October 7, 2016 6 Comments

I have three words for you. autumn. harvest. bowl.

Talk about clean eating. Yes, clean eating is delicious. This salad is cleaning eating; it’s seasonal eating. This salad is autumn in a bowl. It’s leaves changing colors, beginnings of crisp, cool mornings, and pulling out those gorgeous boots you got on clearance last spring and have been dying to rock all summer. It is teeming with creamy, slightly sweet butternut squash; caramelized red onions; tender yet crispy cauliflower; slightly tart dried cranberries; roasted pumpkin seeds; and firm, tangy seasonal apples. There is just so much happening here. The textures, the flavors, the yumminess. It’s almost too much to handle. ALMOST. And Homer J. Simpson, you DO make friends with salad. If it’s this autumn harvest salad.

Speaking of autumn, have you been apple picking yet? This year, like clockwork, we went apple picking. Apple picking is one of my favorite activities in the fall, next to pumpkin picking and I look forward to it all year. In fact, it’s become something of a tradition at our house to go as soon as humanly possible after Labor Day weekend. We come home with a giant loot that we munch on for days/weeks. And then it hits me- we have a whole bushel of apples and munching on them isn’t quite making a dent so then I start incorporating them into recipes. Sure, apple pie sounds great but seriously, with my sugar dragon roaring, I can’t risk eating an entire apple pie by myself because #sugarmakesmyworldgoround. ESPECIALLY with halloween and thanksgiving around the corner (seriously?! It’s OCTOBER already!)

My sugar dragon has been majorly out of control and ever since I got back from summer to fall life, I’ve been feelin’ it. And not in a good way. I’ve been looking for a way to detox and go back to CLEAN eating. Like real, actual clean eating I can be proud of. When I tell people I’m a food blogger, they expect gourmet, fab food but my reality has been either very semi-homemade or shortcut-based cereal eating for dinner. Total slacking happening here which is why you don’t see me post evidence of my slackmanship. So I’ve been experimenting these last few weeks with different ways of eating. I picked up a book at the library a couple of weeks ago, just as I was walking past the bestsellers and happened to pick it up. I’d heard of The Whole30 in passing before and have thought about doing some recipes. As I was reading, I realized that this might be my way out of my sugar addiction. Enter the whole30. It’s like bootcamp for taming my sugar dragon. Also, please note, I wish I was cool enough to have thought of the phrase sugar dragon but I lifted it from the pages of whole30.

The general premise? You eat whole, unprocessed foods for 30 days. Unprocessed meats (with nitrites), veggies, fruit, seafood, seeds and most nuts are supposed to be the foods that provide fuel for your body. What did I cut out of my diet? Grains of all kinds, soy, dairy, processed meats, legumes, gluten, and ALL refined sugar (natural and artificial). Yes, ALL S-U-G-A-R, including maple syrup and honey. Why would someone subject themselves to this horrible torture? Because you’re trying to break the cycle of sugar addiction, which by the way is in everything as I learned. Even sriracha! I now read the labels on every food item before buying it. It’s amazing how much sugar we are unknowingly consuming! It seems so, so, so difficult but it’s all tough love- and tough love is something I desperately need to get back to my real lyfe of self-care. And there are so many possibilities of so many things you CAN have. I haven’t repeated a single dinner, yet. All you have to do is spend some time prepping and then it’s smooth sailing.

I’ve been modifying my recipes to fit into whole30. Like this blast-from-the past italian chicken sausage. I subbed in nutritional yeast and arrowroot flour for the parmesan and breadcrumbs, and all of a sudden it’s whole30 compliant! I’m two weeks into it and I feel great (now). The first couple of days, I felt like I’d been hit by a garbage truck, filled with sugar, on its way out of my driveway, after having collected my lifetime supply of all things sugar. That first night, I was like a crazy person, talking to myself and trying to will myself to not crave sugar or carbs. I’ve noticed a definite change in my skin, as I’m no longer breaking out. Yes, starch and sugar have THAT much of an effect. I’m not exhausted by 5 which means I’m not secretly celebrating when it’s time for the kids to go to bed. Seriously, WHO IS THIS PERSON in my body?! I might even start believing that I’ve got IT together!

Chia seed pudding, minus the honey, has been a lifesaver when I just need a quick meal. The key is in the dates. But wonderful things like autumn harvest salad have made an appearance in my life and I’m not in a hurry to say goodbye. One of the best things about this bowl is that is so versatile to change and adaptable to different ingredients. It doesn’t have to be an exclusive whole30 kinda thang. But don’t skip the cauliflower, roasted squash and apples. Add but don’t take away. If you don’t have butternut squash, feel free to sub in sugar pumpkin, kuri or acorn squash, or even delecta. This is a fall friendly bowl so give it some autumn produce love. The creaminess from the squash is a great stand-in for creamy cheeses like goat or feta. The key to drawing out the natural sugars and perfect caramelization? High heat roasting.

Cauliflower is a very understated vegetable. It is deceptively delicious and a more nutritious sub for potatoes in roasted garlic cauliflower mash or can take on a whole new flavor profile in roasted red pepper and cauliflower spaghetti. In the autumn harvest bowl, cauliflower takes on the rightful role as as the ‘bulk’ food, especially after it hangs out in the oven with red onion and draws out the subtle sweetness.

Growing up, I DESPISED apples. I would eat other fruit but if you gave me an apple, I would cry. But now, apples > candy. When I had (adult) braces, I lamented biting into a whole apple instead of having to pre-plan and cut into slices. The first week I got my braces off, I ate a million apples. I was like a kid in a candy store, filled and abandoned. It was then that I discovered a world beyond red delicious. Tart and crisp galas, soft golden delicious, and ohmygosh honeycrisp, the apple every appleseed dreams of becoming. The apples in this bowl have impressive showmanship. They add a burst of natural flavor, crisp texture, and offset the sweet creaminess of the squash.

Then we build onto the bowl and this is where it gets fun and creative. Toasted pumpkin seeds add additional crunch to cut through the creamy goodness. Friends, you must toast the pumpkin seeds. You must, you must, you must- untoasted pumpkin seeds are criminal. Start telling yourself, it doesn’t take long and the payoff will make you feel like a baws. For whole30 compliant cranberries, make sure you get cranberries sweetened with apple juice, because dried cranberries, in the normal form, are little sugar bombs. I prefer the apple juice sweetened cranberries because they’re not so sugary sweet and have an unapologetic tang. Some juicy, plump golden raisins would be great as an alternative to the cranberries too!

Friends, the dressing is a very basic, four ingredient dressing I’ve been making for years. It’s foolproof but really brings the bowl together. At this point, if you’re looking for even more bulk, diced grilled chicken is a classic addition. I added grilled chicken to mine for leftovers and I didn’t even end up going back to seconds. That’s how filling it was. I think some citrusy shrimp would be great here too. So go ahead, personalize and make this the dish that makes you friends.

Autumn Harvest Bowl

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Yield: 6 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled diced (4–5 cups)
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets (5 cups)
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3–4 medium apples, cored and diced
1/3 dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice)
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp divided
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
A handful of chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss butternut squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread out on baking sheet in a single layer.
Toss onions and cauliflower with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread out on baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast vegetables in oven for 15-20 minutes, until squash becomes soft and cauliflower starts browning. Flip with spatula and roast for 5 more minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, place pumpkin seeds in a dry and toast over high heat, until the seeds become light golden brown. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lemon juice and remaining salt and pepper. Whisk rigorously with a wire whisk and slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine squash, onions, cauliflower, apples, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and parsley. Drizzle in dressing and gently toss with a spoon until well coated.
*Add grilled chicken if desired*

Succulent Corn Curry

August 2, 2016 2 Comments

Ohhithere! Yup, it’s me. The return of the lost blogger. In my defense, my summer has been packed, I mean PACKED with things like travel. So much travel. International. Domestic. You name it, I’ve done it– at least it seems this way. But I’m hopeful you’ll take be back in spite of my prolonged absence because I come bearing corn kadhi (curry). Not just boring ole kadhi, this one is teeming with peak season, sweet, yellow corn. Ya know, the wondrous fruit and vegetables stands that decorate the midwest roadside come prime summer harvest time, bursting with delicious corn? Yes, THAT corn is the star of this show. I hope we can go back to the way we used to be over a bowl of steamy rice, smothered with sweet yet savory peak-season-veggie corn curry. Be still my ❤.

I came back from India (!) to a CSA box overflowing with ears of corn. And lucky me and my wholy midwestern family, we got two shares to make up for our holds from vacation. Now, I have 20+ ears of fresh, organic corn, with endless possibilities. And yes, I did take lots of pictures which I’m working on posting soon.

I missed this. I missed these foodversations with you, my dear readers. And I have this sense of comfort, writing, blogging, photographing while pausing every few minutes with “Sweetie pie, please put your pants back on. And no, that cheeto behind the couch doesn’t belong in your mouth” or “Guys, I just need five minutes. If you’re not bleeding or need emergency medical attention, then you can wait while I finish this paragraph.” This truly my happy place in my world of piles of laundry, sinks full of dishes, and dirt being tracked in through the patio door. so.much.dirt.

Sadly, summer is winding down and we’re in the dog-days of August. Sure, it’s hot but there is an endless bounty of fresh produce, post-play popsicles to be had, and the last couple of weeks before the kids go back to school (yay!). I’m gonna invoke my safe-space, judgement-free zone privilege here, be real here, and say ‘yes, a thousand times yes, I’m so ready for my kids to be back in school so we can all benefit from being apart for a few hours a day.’ But that quiet. Oh those quiet mornings with my boy(s), now that Little Man is starting preschool. Pardon my mid-post dreaming.

Life right now, however, consists of copious amounts of tex mex like chicken tamale pie, unbeatable enchiladas, and indian food, like this corn kadhi. What is this kadhi business, you ask? Kadhi is a yogurt based curry, thickened with gluten-free (yes!) chickpea flour, and simmered to perfection. And then it’s tempered as a final step, with warm, whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, whole dried chilies, and curry leaves. I love the addition of smashed garlic to the tempering mixture for added punch and flavor. Plus I just love garlic. Did I happen to mention that the moment I opened the CSA box and The Mister saw the corn, he cried out “CORN KADHI!” like the midwesterner he is?

I didn’t grow up with indian recipes that made use of corn. I remember roasted corn with lime, salt, and chili powder- that’s the extent of my corn savviness from my childhood so when The Mister asked me about it years ago, I said “challenge accepted” and set out to make a no-frills and comfort based indian dish that starred corn. Enter corn kadhi. And while I’ve tried many variations over the years, this version is the one I love most of all. The simplicity of it alone makes this a great weeknight dinner, clocking at under 30 minutes from start to finish. And you know what I love the absolute most about this dish? No chopping vegetables. Winner winner, kadhi dinner!

It’s also comfort on a plate. Ladled over a plate of fragrant, white basmati rice, the gravy is filled with subtle tartness, laced with the aroma of curry leaves and fried garlic. Go ahead, close your eyes and take a whiff. I’ll wait for you. I feel like I’m transported into my mom’s kitchen, as she prepares dinner and I’m ten and insisting on helping her. Watching her work is art in motion. Her expert hands adding a handful of this and a spoonful of that; grabbing fitstfuls of vibrant cilantro, expertly smashing garlic cloves, and tossing it all into the pot. And as she leaned in to smell the kadhi, I would get up on my tiptoes and quietly inhale the warmth of the gravy myself. Then she would add the chickpea fritters. H-E-A-V-E-N. Mom, sorry but you may have a lot of internet strangers (my friends) at your door in like five secs.

And while my mom adds chickpea fritters to her traditional kadhi, I’m a little bit less traditional with mine with the addition of corn. The thing about this corn curry is that while it’s ah-mazing with fresh corn on the cob, it works just as well with frozen corn on the cob because um, corn. So go ahead, don’t be afraid to celebrate corn on the cob in the fall or wintertime. In fact, I make corn kadhi in the fall at last once a month from the corn I’ve frozen from my CSA box. Thank goodness for CSA boxes that help me venture outside of my comfort zone and become a culinary adventurer.

Succulent Corn Curry

Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Yield: 8 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
3 ears corn, husked and cut into fourths (12 pieces)
5–6 cups water
2 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder or to taste
2 tsp cumin seeds
5–6 curry leaves
5–6 whole dried chilies
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed lightly
1/4 cup cilantro chopped plus more for garnish
sliced jalapenos for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic and ginger and let cook until it turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpea flour and stir with wire whisk until it becomes fragrant. Slowly whisk in yogurt to form a paste. Continue whisking to prevent lumps. Add in turmeric, chili powder, and salt.
Slowly whisk in water, one cup at a time, until no lumps remain. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add corn cobs and reduce to simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes of cooking the curry, Heat remaining oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic cloves and stir until fragrant and the garlic starts to change color. Add curry leaves coat with oil. Cook for 30 seconds, until the leaves start becoming crisp. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried chilis. Stir to coat with oil. Be careful of splatter!
Remove saucepan from heat. Add mixture from saucepan to the curry and immediately close the lid. Remove from heat and add in cilantro.
Serve hot with white basmati rice or roti.
Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro.

Herb, Farro & Citrus Salad

May 9, 2016 Leave a Comment

Seriously guys, I kinda *need* spring. Like shed those layers and layers of clothing, reach into the back of your closet to bring out those light, breezy, bright colors type of weather. Something about the first real warm weather of the year (that actually sticks), after the long, dreary days of winter give way to rebirth, green, freshness, and everything wonderful that is glorious spring. But here, we’ve had a very touch and go sorta spring with glorious sunshine and warmth one day only to have to pull out the winter coats and boots the next.

I tell people my favorite season is fall but truth be told, it’s actually spring. But when you live in crazy Chicago weather, where we go from blizzard conditions one day to record setting, turn-into-olaf-like-puddle days, you have to learn to channel the weather through wishful thinking (and food). Because spring is, after all, the start of bbq season, thriving herb and veggie gardens, and freshness. Lots of freshness. Like an abundance of basil, mint, and all things herbalicious.

A vibrant, herby, tangy, slightly sweet salad, filled with farro and crisp (and roasted) veggies is exactly what I need in my life right about now. Because I’m into this whole taking-care-of-me thing when I realized that I’ll be thirty-three this year. No joke. 3-3. And given that I’m really digging this renewal of self-care, I’m eating things like wholesome chia seed pudding and this herb, farro & citrus salad.

Don’t stare at me in disbelief; I still crave doughnuts, mac & cheese, and triple chocolate mocha trifle. But in slightly warm weather, where you just want to be outside and soak up the sun, I want roasted pepper and chickpea salad, veggie tagine, and garlic cauliflower mash. I want to utilize the fresh produce my community sustained agriculture (csa) will bring me come June and the herbs that my garden will soon grow.

This salad is filled with a ton of veggies and herbs. I’m talkin’ charry, roasted red and yellow peppers; crisp, clean cucumber; bright, punchy red onion; and earthy, flavorful herbs like mint, parsley, and basil. The roasted peppers are easy to do with a gas stove. I just turned the burner on full blast. Then, using a pair of tongs, very, very carefully, I placed one pepper at a time directly over the flame, rotating every minute or two, until all the sides were uniformly charred or blackened. As soon as the peppers were finished roasting, I threw them into a bowl, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and let them cool, and the steam continues to help loosen the skin. When they peppers were cool enough to handle, I scrapped off the skin, removed the seeds, and chopped the peppers. OR jarred, pre-roasted peppers work just fine too. I had yellow and red on hand but you can use all red, all yellow, or even orange.

The thing about this salad that really takes it from a salad to a SALAD (!) is the farro. Farro is one of those grains you always see at the store, think about trying it, but back out at the last second. It just seems very fancy, schmancy; like it can only be served at a restaurant that charges $100 for foam on a plate. But, you would be wrong my friends, because farro is simple and earthy. It is chewy, similar to the texture of al dente pasta and has a talent for absorbing whatever flavors you let it sit in. The bulk of the salad comes from the addition of farro. The farro is what enables this salad to pose as THE meal instead of an accompaniment to the meal.

Still with me and sitting in a puddle of drool? Good, then throw in some sweet, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. Tossed in a slightly sweet dressing, laced with citrus undertones. Guys, this dressing…this dressing is out of this world. So much so that I made extra, marinated chicken breast in it, and grilled the breast to serve alongside the salad. The chicken is purely optional. The dressing is not. This dressing begs to be made. Using fresh oranges and lemons makes a huge difference and really lightens the flavor of the entire dish. And because it would be a shame to waste that incredible, natural citrus oil in the peels of the fruit, zest those babies right into the dressing!

I ate this salad for three days in a row. Thats right, three days. I’m not a fan of leftover salad, once tossed in dressing, because it falls apart the next day- the crispiness becomes a thought of the past. But this salad stayed nice and crisp. And CLEAN. You can add lettuce if you’re looking for even more bulk. But don’t add the lettuce in until right before serving because lettuce tends to fall apart with the addition of citrus and won’t keep in the fridge for three days in a row.

Now that spring is here, what type of light, herby, yummy dishes are you making? If you make this salad, or any other manna & spice dish, make sure to share on instagram and tag @mannaandspice so we can all see your lovely creations!

Herb, Farro & Citrus Salad

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 4 1x

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD:
1 red pepper, roasted and diced
1 yellow pepper, roasted and diced
1/2 cup farro, cooked according to package directions
1 large cucumber (2–3 cups), seeded and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
1/2 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp sliced almonds
FOR THE DRESSING:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
juice of 2 lemons (6 tbsp)
juice of two oranges (6 tbsp)
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp honey

Instructions

PREPARE THE DRESSING: In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, orange zest, salt, pepper, and honey. Stir together. Slowly stream in lemon juice and orange juice into the bowl with the remaining ingredients, using a wire whisk to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
MAKE THE SALAD: Add farro to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing, until well coated. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together, stirring well to blend the farro with the vegetables.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wholesome Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

May 2, 2016 Leave a Comment

Friends- today’s post is a little different; it’s not just a recipe today. It’s about life. Because you see, though food is my life- it is my love, my passion- good, delicious food is how I connect with people, how I build relationships, there are other parts of my life I tend to neglect when life gets going even faster than normal. And I suspect a lot more of you do the same thing, even if you don’t realize it. A part of why I blog and write about food so with each post, I give you a little part of my life, but don’t actually paint the full picture.

But today goes beyond the love of food. It’s about self-care. It’s about being kind to myself so that I may be kind to the rest of the world; so that I can continue doing what I do and give it my 100%. Does that sound cliche? Probably. But it’s been a serious game changer- I have to remind myself that I ~~deserve~~ need self-care. And my self-care is making the time- no matter how busy I get, or how many boo b00s there are to be kissed, lunches to pack, or meals to prepare- to exercise/workout/run/walk/sweat. Sometimes it means waking up at 4 AM and sometimes, it means squeezing in a run on the treadmill at the end of the day, after everyone has been tucked into bed (but still whispering so loud I can hear them two doors down). But it means that time is just for me. Because let’s face it: life can be exhausting. Life can be challenging. And life can be brutal if you never pause to give yourself a breather.

My wonderful friends, I see us struggling, constantly juggling so many hats/children/significant others/friends/family/pets/addictions in our lives, and I hear you when you say there aren’t enough hours in the day. We have to make time for ourselves. Working out may not be your self-care and that’s completely okay. Treat yourself to a facial, pedicure, manicure, meditate, write, read, reflect, do a head-stand, create a one-(wo)man play, take up bowhunting or nunchucking. Whatever you choose to do, it’s your self-care so own it. Demand it of yourself and don’t apologize for it. Because, ladies (and the one man who frequents this blog), a lot of us are guilty of putting everything else first, and in the process, forgetting that we need a little TLC too.

Another component of that self-care for me is eating wholesome, REAL food. I need fantastic, delicious, unadulterated food that will suppress the hunger I sometimes feel after an extra long workout session. I need protein. I need fiber. I need deliciousness. I need something already made. Lately, for that, I’ve been eating this fan-tab-u-lous wholesome vanilla chia seed pudding. This pudding is my magical superfood. It has so much texture, so much flavor, so much wow-look-at-me-I-just-ate-like-a-responsible-healthful-grownup-and-it-was-delicious factor but it is a minimal effort sorta thang.

I learned about the awesome powers of chia seeds recently- ya’ know, when it became uber trendy. It’s packed with fiber and protein and oh so versatile. I add it to things like marinara sauce and kababs where the chia seeds not only acts as a nutritional boost, but it also acts as a gluten-free binder. Yes, please! I’m always in awe of these tiny little seeds that seem so insignificant but, the joke’s on me for underestimating them.

Guys, when I say wholesome, I mean capital W-H-O-L-E-S-O-M-E. Chia seeds, (unsweetened) vanilla almond milk, honey, and an abundance of coconut flakes, plump medjool dates (always medjool), sweet, ripe banana slices, and/or any other toppings you can think of. The chia seed pudding itself is the perfect blank canvas for so many different toppings. Oh, someone please, pretty please, try different combinations and tell me about it!

sliced strawberries
blueberries
blackberries
dried cranberries/blueberries
almonds/cashews/pecans/walnuts/any kinda’ chopped nuts
chocolate chips (yes, yes, yes!)
peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter/sunbutter
unsweetened coconut flakes

Chia seed pudding isn’t exclusively a post-workout snack/meal kinda food. It’s the perfect breakfast that won’t betray you mid-morning, urging you to hit the vending machine or reach for those oh-so-tempting muffins in the breakroom. Soak the chia seeds overnight in the milk, prepare your toppings in advance and you have a perfectly portable, to go, breakfast. OR give it to the kids as an afterschool snack and have them pick and choose their toppings. They’ll thank you for letting them “cook” and you can feel good about feeding them a wholesome, nutritious snack.

You’re looking at the screen skeptically because this doesn’t sound like something you crave/deliciousness you normally have when you really want to satisfy hunger. But, this chia seed pudding is truly spectacular. It gets a richness from the sweet, succulent dates, crunch from the coconut flakes, creaminess from the banana. And the pudding itself is silky, slightly sweet with a bit of a bite, similar to tapioca. The seeds plump up when they’re soaked in the milk and absorb the flavors of the milk and honey, take on a texture to hearty jello and natural sweetness. But way better!

Wholesome Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Yield: 3 1x

Scale

Ingredients

3 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk*
2 tbsp plain non-fat greek yogurt**
2 tsp honey (or more if desired)
TOPPINGS:
2 tsp sliced almonds
4 pitted & chopped medjool dates
2 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes
1 sliced banana

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together almondmilk and honey, until honey is fully dissolved. Stir in yogurt until lumps disappear. Stir in chia seeds and set aside for 15 minutes, at room temperature. Stir again after 15 mins to break up any lumps that may have formed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.***
When ready to serve, divide evenly bowls, add equal amounts of toppings per serving and serve immediately.

Notes

*any kind of milk works, but it will change the nutritional values.
**to make dairy-free, omit yogurt and reduce milk to 3/4 cup.
***when stored in an airtight container, vanilla chia seed pudding keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

March 19, 2016 4 Comments

Friends, I need to pause a minute and take this picture in. This is no average dish.

Creamy, luscious, cheesy, melty, ~~mashed potatoes~~ cauliflower mash. caauuull-eeeee-flooowww-eeerrrr mash. This is so totally unreal and so totally my new thing.

You couldn’t see it but I fist-pumped the air and declared victory, with a proud grin when the kids and The Mister called it “mashed potatoes”. Mind you, my family is filled with mashed potato purists who take their love of potatoes very seriously. Keeping their commitment to potato purity in mind, I stayed away from the cauliflower-all-the-things trend…until I finally decided to bite the bullet and try it.

ZOMG, what have I been missing?! How does such an ugly vegetable, that resembles a giant, ugly flower turn into the world’s most incredible comfort food so easily? It becomes an alter ego to the average cauliflower we love to ignore and demands your undivided attention; it becomes the star. For a side dish, this guy sure brings its A game.

Am I weirding you out a little by talking about a vegetable with personality disorder? Please don’t leave…

This past week was St. Patrick’s Day so I made corned beef and cabbage. Normally, I do mashed potatoes with gravy but (a) I didn’t want to peel so many potatoes (b) I’ve been more conscious of my carb consumption (c) I had cauliflower in the fridge that needed to be used before it passed its prime so I gave cauliflower mash a go, with overwhelmingly positive results.

I’ve always been one of those people who like real food. I mean stick-to-your-ribs type of food like chili, or chicken tamale pie. I’m not one for pretentious food with copious amount of foam; you get hungry like 20 seconds later. When I have a meal I like to be full for hours so I don’t end up being tempted by potato chips or cookies. YOU try saying no to those. But if I fill up on good, semi-healthy food, I’m less tempted. So given that background, when I say the cauliflower mash is legit, I mean it’s actually very legitimately filling and satisfying.

I’m not saying it’s a 100% copycat substitute for mashed potatoes because cauliflower is not a starchy veggie like potatoes. If you want actual mashed potatoes, you won’t be able to find something that tastes exactly like in a ‘veggie x’ mash. However, cauliflower mash is just as delicious and becomes surprisingly fluffy and rich, without the starch. Cauliflower, when cooked, has a slightly mildly sweet flavor. Adding roasted garlic builds on that sweetness because the sugars in the garlic caramelize as it roasts and transforms into a bulb of concentrated, caramelized flavor. In place of the cream you often find in mashed potatoes, I subbed in 1/3 less fat cream cheese and a couple of pats of butter. I’ve tried it with butter and butter substitute (like Smart Balance), and the difference was not significant enough for me to stick strictly to one over the other.

And when you add some freshly cracked black pepper on top? PERFECTION!

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 5 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 head garlic
2 tbsp 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (4–5 cups)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the top off the entire head off the garlic so that a part of the cloves are exposed. Place exposed clove side down on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to tightly wrap around the garlic head.* Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the garlic becomes soft and is easily able to be squeezed out of the skin. Set aside to cool.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil on high heat. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Add cauliflower florets and bring back to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower stalks are tender.
While the cauliflower is cooking, squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin into a large, deep bowl. Add cream cheese and salt. Strain cauliflower and combine with the cream cheese and salt mixture. Using a hand blender or food processor, puree cauliflower until smooth. Stir in pepper, cheese and butter.
Serve hot with additional pats of butter on top, if desired.

Notes

*You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use.

Quick & Easy Red Enchilada Sauce

March 15, 2016 Leave a Comment

Everyone should have a few enchilada sauce recipes in their repertoire; a green, a white, and a red sauce. Because these flavorful sauces are not just for enchiladas. You can use them for a plethora of dishes like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, chicken tortilla soup, tamale pie, and the list goes on and on. In fact, I made enchilada sauce today just so I had a fantastic sauce for chicken tamale pie, which will be my next post. Let me recollect myself as I start thinking about that tamale pie…

Enchilada sauce is very customizable. It can be mild or extra-spicy; complex in flavor or very basic; gourmet or budget friendly or somewhere in between. My enchilada sauce falls somewhere in between the spicy and complexity range while still being budget friendly. If you don’t have an ingredient or don’t like one of the peppers/heat sources, you can probably omit them and still end up with a pretty fantastic sauce. As long as you keep the base of tomato paste, chicken/vegetable bouillon, and cocoa powder. This sauce is also:

easily freezable; make and freeze in 2 cup batches. Defrost when needed and apply liberally. Always apply liberally. Always.
stores well in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
makes a big batch- we’re talking 8-9 cups.
deliciously addictive. You have been warned.

If you know me at all, you know my deep-rooted relationship with heat. But it’s more complicated than a love-hate relationship. I love heat when it’s complex, with deep, rich flavors. If it’s spicy for the sake of being spicy, it loses its general appeal and becomes relevant in very (few) specific instances. And I’ve discovered that (dried) chili peppers + unsweetened cocoa=BFFs. It’s a very surprising combination but the cocoa powder mellows out the heat in the chili peppers while subtly highlighting the rich, deep sweetness that can be found in peppers and pepper (chili) powders. My cocoa infused chili is proof of that. My father-in-law made it for his Superbowl party this year and got rave reviews (total attempt at humble-bragging happening here)!

The other unique thing about this enchilada sauce, other than being super easy and fast, is that it’s made with dried pasilla and guajillo peppers. Pasillas are very mild peppers with sweet undertones while guajillo peppers have a spicier and more bold and punchy finish. The key is to use scissors to split the peppers open, carefully de-seed them, cut them into strips with the scissors, and add them to the sauce. These peppers have become more popular over the years and even some big box stores carry them. They also hold up very well to the acidity of the tomato base, even cutting the tartness and giving the sauce more body.

Once the ingredients are in the pan, they cook for 5-10 minutes, until the flavors mingle and have a chance to mellow out and the peppers become soft. Then puree and cool and store until ready to use or freeze for deliciousness later.

And don’t forget to apply liberally!

Quick and Easy Red Enchilada Sauce

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 8-9 cups 1x

Scale

Ingredients

6 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 guajillo peppers, de-seeded and cut into strips
3 pasilla peppers, de-seeded and cut into strips
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes*
6 cups water

Instructions

In a medium saucepan whisk in water to tomato paste and bring to a boil on medium heat. Add remaining spices (except flour) and continue boiling, stirring to prevent the sauce from boiling over, until peppers are soft, about 5-8 minutes.
Whisk in flour until fully dissolved. Some lumps may remain. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until sauce thickens, coating the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.
Pour into the cup of a blender and puree until sauce is completely smooth.
Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

*use vegetable bouillon if you want to make this a fully vegetarian sauce.