Fall

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Spicy Tempeh with Wilted Chard & Yogurt

Can I tell you something? It may be obvious that I have not been posting with the usual frequency I used to, but I promise, this is still a favorite place for me to come and share recipes, stories and thoughts. But life has been busy. Like, busy busy. And when I do find a moment where I’m not focused on finishing up a wholesale order or designing someone’s logo, I kind of want to just be outside with my husband, curl up and read a book (finally got around to finishing this one), a magazine, or plant something in my garden. And you know what, I’ve become ok with that.

There was a time when I thought you dear readers would stop being interested and move on if I wasn’t posting at least once a week, never mind those who carve out 2, 3, or more posts in one week! Whew, that would exhaust me this moment in time, but I do admire those who do it. I want to thank you for continuing to read, make my recipes, to ask me questions and give such positive feedback. You are becoming my main reason for showing up and I’m enjoying the conversations we have.

Our business has been slowly growing (5 years this May!) and I’m constantly blindsided how running a business can be such a deeper insight into my own personal strengths. How I can choose what it is I do everyday, but have the little voice in the back of my head tell me that “the choice may be mine, but not to give it too much slack”. December and January came and went so fast and for a person who loves to cook and eat good food, dinner did not make it to the table many of those nights. If it did, it most likely wasn’t even thought about until 8:30pm rolled around and it became such a rushed event of tossing whatever was in the fridge into a bowl and calling it a meal. Oh, they were quite the creative months ; )

I’ve been realizing that through those months I was barely ever picking up a cookbook. I was literally fueling and sustaining my hunger first, rather than inviting new and fun ways to prepare and enjoy a meal. It definitely gave me new ideas when cooking in this way, but when I received a copy of Martha Stewart Living’s new cookbook, Meatless, I was wishing it had been there on those nights when I didn’t want to create something fancy. I would have loved someone/something to just tell me what to make and lets be done with it, knowing the outcome would be different than the last repeated nights dinners and still taste good. Maybe some of you have those kind of weeknights as well. It’s a beautiful, full–color book, with over 200 recipes and if you are trying to limit your meat intake or just looking for more healthy weeknight dinner ideas, I’d suggest you start with this book. It has some very basic recipes, but there are also many creative salads, soups, pizzas and one pot dinner ideas that I can’t wait to try.

I started with this spiced tempeh, wilted chard and yogurt dish. It’s relatively quick once you’ve gotten everything chopped up and ready to throw into the pan. I replaced the tofu with the tempeh, for the simple reason that I had it on hand and I kind of prefer it to tofu. However if it’s new to you, it is a weird one, that’s for sure! Basically it’s soy beans that have been soaked, de-hulled and left to soak and ferment, forming a little cake. Sometimes it can get this bloom of black on it’s edges, but it’s totally safe to eat. The taste is quite different from tofu, but it’s much firmer in texture, easier to digest and has a higher protein, fiber, and vitamin content then tofu. It’s probably an acquired taste, but for what it’s worth, my husband who doesn’t like it as much as I do, said he really enjoyed it served in this dish.

Spiced Tempeh with Wilted Chard & Yogurt / serves 4
Adapted from Meatless

I made several substitutions to the recipe, replacing the tofu, spinach, and low-fat yogurt for tempeh, rainbow chard and whole milk yogurt.

2 tablespoons sunflower
2 8oz. packages tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes
coarse salt
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 bunches rainbow chard, stemmed and chopped
2/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 cups cooked brown rice

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add tempeh (or tofu) and cook, turning, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and season with salt.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and spices and cook, stirring, until spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Season with salt and stir in golden tempeh. Serve with rice on the side.

Fall, Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables, Winter

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing

It was June when I started the brussels sprout seeds inside. I carefully filled little pots with seedling mix and made sure to keep them moist. Soon enough there was a push up from the soil and a little green leaf waving it’s head at me. I coddled these things, taking them outside to get a feeling of the breeze and bright sky they were soon going to be under, then bringing them back in before evening. Soon they were stalky little guys starting to outgrow their pots, but I didn’t have a single place to put them because by that time it was July and the whole garden was filled with plants already given there allotted space. I remember during that week I was either giving lettuces away or eating salad almost 3 times a day just so nothing was wasted and the brussels sprouts would soon have a place to occupy.

Once they were in their new home, I could tell they were happy. Large, dark leaves formed and they seemed to grow taller overnight. I was getting worried that I timed everything all wrong that on top of all the tomatoes, green beans, kale, lettuce, carrots, and parsnips, I was going to have a ton of brussels sprouts to eat too. Not that big of a problem I guess, but I really wanted these to make it at least to October. It wasn’t until September though that I started noticing the little sprouts begin to form right up on top of each leaf. As the days got shorter and colder everything began to grow at a much slower pace, and here I am now, with 8 stalks of big green brussles sprout plants. Granted, the aphid infestation I tried so hard to fend off still took over a few of the sprouts, with a good and thorough cleaning, they were perfectly edible.

I offer you up this gem of a salad days before Thanksgiving, not because I want you to change you traditional Thanksgiving meal, but because I think it offers up a nice balance to the days leading up to and after the big meal. But if you do happen to be looking for that one last salad idea, I think this one would be refreshingly welcome next to your mashed potatoes, green beans, and turkey. Enjoy friends and have a lovely holiday weekend!

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing / serves 4-6

1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed, dried and leaves separated
4-5 kale leaves (I used lacinato kale)
1 celery stalk
seeds from half a pomegranate *how to remove tip below
large handful of hazelnuts (about 1/3 cup), roasted
juice and zest from one small lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons juice
1 avocado
pinch of sea salt

Remove the kale leaves from the center stalk and cut into bite sized pieces. Roughly chop the brussels sprout leaves the same size, place in a large bowl.

Scoop out 1/2 the avocado and place in a small bowl with the lemon juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Mash with the back of a fork then pour dressing over the greens. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the leaves and let everything sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Cube the rest of the avocado, thinly slice the celery and roughly chop the roasted hazelnuts. To serve top the salad with all the last ingredients, plus the pomegranate seeds and give a good toss at the table.

* My favorite way to remove pomegranate seeds without making a mess is to first remove the top where the skin folds up. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully score from one end to the other, making an X through the skin. Just be careful to not go all the way inside where the seeds are. Then grasping each side, give the pomegranate a good twist over a bowl of clean water. The sides should remove without too much trouble, then keeping the pomegranate submerged, use your hands to pull out the seeds and loosen as you go. The white parts will float to the top and the seeds to the bottom, making it easy to separate everything and bonus, nothing gets stained!

Fall, Fruits, Gluten-Free, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Winter

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing

Made this cake for my birthday yesterday. It’s made from roasted and pureed buttercup squash and shredded apples. The crumb is moist, full of spice and topped with toasted walnuts and maple syrup icing. After a very full and extended weekend spent with friends and family, it was a real treat.

I feel so truly thankful for everything in my life right now, there’s not much more I feel I could ask for. But I think this next year may top it, we’ll see.

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing / serves 10-12
I used buttercup squash, but I think any pumpkin or squash puree will work.

2 1/2 cups light spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup muscovado or brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup milk (almond, cow, etc.)
1 1/2 cups buttercup squash puree *see how to prepare below
1 1/2 cups shredded apple, about 1 large apple (I used Gala)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl if needed.

In a small bowl combine the squash puree with the milk.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating between the dry mixture and two additions of the squash mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the shredded apple.

Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be thick, so smooth the top and give a few taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan on wire rack before removing from Bundt pan and letting cool completely before glazing.

maple walnut glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. If mixture is too stiff or dry keep adding the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour about 1/2 the glaze over the cake, top with toasted walnuts, they drizzle on the rest.

* To make your own buttercup squash puree, preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half, scrape out the seeds and lay flesh side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through. Time will vary depending on size of squash. Let cool until you can comfortably hold it and scoop the flesh out. Run in a food processor until really smooth. Store tightly covered in the fridge for several days or place in the freezer to use later.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Vegetables

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top

It’s true. I have a very hungry appetite for all things pumpkin-y and spice scented during the Fall. But my motivation for this recipe comes from my realization that I can count the number of decorations I own for one of my favorite holidays of the year, Halloween, on one hand. Actually, one finger.

It’s a small plastic jack-o-lantern (a name I, and probably many other Jacquelyn’s remember well. Totally not bitter about that one) that’s been spray painted gold. I received it as a prize at a friends Halloween party last year, after entering in the pie contest. Not pie eating, mind you, although I maybe would have entered had there been one : ) My only excuse for the lack of decor is that after moving from one apartment to the next, year after year, for a totally of 8 moves in 8 years, is that you really learn to downsize.

Now I’m in a place where moving is just not as easy an option the way it used to be, but I’m still holding onto the phrase in my head that says “does this object have more than one use, is it small, or do I really love/have to have it?” I’m sure many small space dwellers or non-clutter lovers can agree with me that sometimes decorations for certain holidays fall by the way side when this thought crosses your mind. Real pumpkins, the ones you pick out in a field, where you come home with mud on your shoes, those “decorations” are the ones we had every year, luckily. They’re the ones that will always fit into my requisite rules for what comes into the house.

When I told this to my mom, she insisted I take home a few of her pumpkin, ghost, and witch decorations. Which I did, but things were still feeling pretty sparse, so I baked a treat instead. Filled it with pumpkin, over an oaty cookie-like crust and topped with coconut, almonds, and chocolate. This one didn’t even make it through the weekend before being devoured.

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top / makes 8
It seems like a lot of steps because I’ve broken everything down, but really they’re simple to make and you probably have all the ingredients already.

crust
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1-3 teaspoons cold water

filling
2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 14oz. can
1/2 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup coconut milk

topping
1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line an 8″x8″ baking pan with parchment.

Place the rolled oats in a food processor and whirl until the oats become oat flour. Add in the salt and sugar, give another pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until fully combined, mixture will be crumbly. Add the water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes together.

Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and cornstarch, stir well to combine. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well to incorporate. In a small bowl mix together the almonds, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.

Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oat crust, smooth out to evenly cover. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely then chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before cutting into.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Gluten-Free

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas

This weekend was ordinary and I say that with an excited smile in my voice, because running a graphic design and handmade business with your husband is not exactly high up on the ordinary list. Between packing up your car so full with product you can’t see out the back window, then driving hundreds of miles for craft shows several times a year; to meeting with clients on skype to discuss color and font choices for their logo, I never thought this would be a way of life for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I just mean, I don’t really think many in my generation grew up saying they wanted to be a business owner or freelancer and blogger wasn’t even a term thought of yet.

We were in LA on a very hot July weekend this year and during one of the shows (maybe I was wary from the heat) I had this moment in my mind that drifted to looking at the two of us sitting there from another prospective. I turned to Scott and said “We live such a weird life. It’s kinda like we’re modern day gypsies that have iphone’s, mac computers, and tweet. I wonder what everyone here thinks when they see this (amazing) group of people all spread out selling their products?” It’s not that I really care what other’s think, but I think there are a few who don’t realize this is how we make a living, it’s not just a hobby for us. And it’s really true, we’ve made friends with artists from OR, to CA, to TX and NY doing the same thing. We all travel to these shows and each time we get the same questions, “You actually made this?” Our response, “Yes, we did.” Some people really get it and it’s such an amazing experience to see somthing you’ve made go from your hands into another’s. And then there’s those that don’t. We take it with a grain of salt.

We’re trying to get into the habit of no work on the weekends, unless we have major deadlines. So, when I woke up on Saturday, to the sound of rain on the roof, I took it in. The house was cold and made me linger under the covers just a little longer. We haven’t needed to turn on our heat yet, we’re trying to see if we can make it to November and I keep counting the days off in my head. Luckily, the temperature hasn’t dropped down below 60 degrees, but still, I’m dressed in layers and keep my hands wrapped around endless mugs of tea.

We spent the day doing odd chores around the house. I pulled up the last of the tomato plants and admired the progress of the brussels sprouts. I made applesauce from a large box my mom dropped off for us the week before. Scott discovered a new treasure buried in our yard. It was an old Ford model T wheel with wooden spokes. I think we may give it to my dad. Sunday, Scott left around 6am to go fly fishing with a friend. I was out of bed not to long after and enjoyed the morning and afternoon reading, sewing, making enchiladas, and filling the silence with a little of this, this, and this.

A couple weeks ago I made Sarah’s (from My New Roots) Tandoori Cauliflower. It was a pretty fantastic way to serve cauliflower and it left me with a little jar of the tandoori spice mix leftover. Considering I really like my winter squash cooked with lots of spice, rather then the sweet side, I thought it’d make a good fit. Keeping with the warm comfort food theme, I decided to roast some acorn squash, mix it with black beans and the tandoori, wrap it all up in corn tortillas, smother it with fresh tomato (last ones from the garden) enchilada sauce, and top it all off with cheese. It was the perfect ordinary weekend if you ask me.

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas / serves 6
I think any Winter squash would work great in the recipe, besides spaghetti squash. And to make this quicker feel free to use your favorite enchilada sauce from a can, I just couldn’t bare to let my last tomatoes go to waste.

1 acorn squash, sliced in half, seeds removed then sliced into 6 wedges
olive oil for brushing
2 cups (or one 14oz. can drained) black beans
2 heaping teaspoons Sarah’s Tandoori spice mix
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided (more or less depending on preference)
about 2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe below) or from your favorite enchilada sauce
10-12 5-inch corn tortillas
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
avocado, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the squash on a baking sheet and brush generously with olive oil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn the oven down to 350F.

While the squash is roasting I like to lightly char my tortillas by heating a cast iron pan over high heat and letting them get all toasty and browned/gently blackened on each side. This is totally optional, but an easy step if you want to add some visual appeal and a little smoky flavor.

Cool the squash enough to handle, then either peel the skin and chop into pieces or scoop it out and combine with the black beans, tandoori, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Fill the bottom of a baking dish with enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Grab a tortilla and fill it with about 1/3 cup of the black bean mixture, carefully roll in the sides and lay it seem side down in the sauce. Repeat until you’ve used up all the filling. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and the filling is warmed through. Cool slightly and serve with cilantro and avocado.

fresh tomato enchilada sauce
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Roast the tomatoes at 425F for about 20-25 minutes or until the skins begin to split open.

Meanwhile, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens and starts to turn golden. Stir in the chile powder and cumin and cook another minute.

Toss in the roasted tomatoes and gently smash with the back of a wooden spoon. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in salt to taste. Gently simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Use immediately or let cool and store covered in the fridge for several days.

Fall, Gluten-Free, Proteins, Vegetables, Winter

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