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Body Nourishing Wraps

I was little when I heard my first poem, but it wasn’t until the third grade that I really remember learning about poetry. I was in a third/forth split class and our teacher made us memorize and present a poem to the class each week. Sometimes we could choose partners, which made memorizing and standing in front of a classroom a little easier. I would take my time going through my Shel Silverstein books to find the perfect one and practice during recess. I took note on how the words played together and seemed to dance on the page. The white space all around was inviting, nothing like the rectangular black and white columns I was use to in other books.

Fast forward to last Thursday when I went to an all poetry show and my mind was exploding! In a matter of several hours my heart was filled with laughter, sadness, and a profound outlook; sometimes all at once. The headliner was Anis Mojgani, who has won multiple National/International Poetry Slam Championships, been an HBO Def poet, and a TEDx speaker. Alongside him was Mike McGee, Jeremy Radin and Karen Finneyfrock. The night was amazing, to say the least. If you have never heard of these people, look them up now! No seriously, their work is online and you can view videos of them performing. I was filled with emotion and energy. The way they can shape their thoughts into words and speak them back to you is incredible and something I really just had to share.

If you think you’re not into poetry or spoken word, I challenge you to reconsider your outlook. The words they speak have so much truth, meaning and creativity; it’s the kind of thing I hope will someday sell out large arena’s vs. the mainstream pop music, who’s lyrics lack any sort of substance these days. Besides it’s National Poetry Month, so get into it. I’d also love to know if you have any favorite poets?

That night was quite nourishing for my mind, but these wraps were nourishing for my body. I made them for a friend who just had a baby and needed a dose of veggies and protein for the sleepless nights ahead, but ended up doubling the recipe for myself as well. They’re are adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. I really can’t say enough about my love for the recipes in this book. I’ve made a few changes, including the name of the recipe here, but they really do feel like a whole body nourishing meal that suits the spring time transition nicely.

Body Nourishing Wraps / makes 4 wraps
Adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook
The collards were from my garden, so they were on the smallish side, but I’d suggest using the biggest ones you can find. And make a double batch of the carrot spread for sure, it’s delicious.

miso-carrot spread
1 cup roughly chopped carrots
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon white miso
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

8 large collard green leaves
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon tahini
fresh squeezed lemon juice as needed
about 1/3 of a cucumber, peeled and julienned
about 1 cup daikon radish, peeled and julienned
1 avocado

Place the carrots, ginger, garlic clove, miso, honey, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until fairly smooth, 1-2 minutes. With the motor running, drizzle in the sesame oil and salt and process until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Cut the stalk from the end of the collards and use a knife to shave down the rest of the stalk, making it level with the rest of the leaf. Bring a pot of water to a gently boil, turn off, and dip each leaf in the water for just a few seconds to lightly cook them and make them more pliable to roll, they’ll turn a darker, more vibrant shade of green.

In a bowl combine the quinoa and tahini, adding a bit of lemon juice to taste and stir to combine.

Set out a work space with all your wrap ingredients and arrange two of the collard leaves so they overlap each other with the tops facing opposite each other. Spread a generous amount of the miso-carrot spread down the middle, then layer a quarter each of the quinoa, cucumber, daikon radish, and avocado onto the leaves. Fold over each end, tuck one side under, and roll like a burrito. Serve or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for several days.

Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Sides, Spring, Vegan, Vegetables

Smoky Beans with Rice & Collards

There are many things that get me fired up and my husband often jokes about how passionate I can sometimes be. My voice becomes two (or three) octaves higher, hands flailing about and sometimes it may look like I’m arguing, but really I just get a little carried away.

When it comes to issues on food, there are so many that I can sit here a tell you I disagree with, but the number one on that list is the fact that there are children who go hungry on a daily basis. This is absolutely not acceptable.

Today, along with many other bloggers, I’m donating this post to raise awareness about a documentary film called A Place at the Table. The film follows three families struggling with food insecurities, and sheds light on the very real problem of hunger in America. But I’m also asking you to send letters to Congress to protect SNAP funding and make anti-hunger legislation a priority.

Basic needs start with food and creates a trickle-down effect in the development of a child. Statistics show how much better a child does in school when he or she has a meal and when a child does better in school it provides them with an education, self confidence and reassurance because they have one less thing on their mind. And this is a cycle. Something only maybe a handful of those children will grow up and not have to deal with, but the reality is they will most likely find themselves in the same situation with their own families. And to think, a meal they didn’t have was a big contributing factor; nope, this is totally not right.

I can also tell you how wrong it is that we are subsidizing all the wrong products, things like corn and soy, that have absolutely no place in packaged foods you see on the shelves of grocery stores. I’m not usually a pusher of what I believe. I very strongly want my blog and voice to be of one of inspiration to eat whole foods because they’re delicious; to lead by example, but not everyone has this choice. People live in what are now coined “food deserts” where things like chips, soda, and other processed food cost less than fruit and vegetables, even the non-organic ones in some cases. This just blows my mind! How can we become healthier, educated, full potential beings, while feeding everyone crap!?

Can you tell my voice is becoming higher (hands flailing) as you read? Because it is. But really people, I’m sure you know how hard it can be to concentrate on work, while your stomach is growling. Now imagine doing that daily, but knowing that meal may not be there. So today, April 8th, get involved and click here to spend 30 seconds of your time to tell congress that you do care, and support anti-hunger legislation.

If you would like to read up on these issues further you can go to the Share Our Strength website. If you would like to view the film you can click here to find it in a city near you or watch it on demand through iTunes and Amazon.

When I was thinking about a recipe to include in this post, I kept coming back to rice and beans; two staples I’m never without. Both are cheap (especially when you buy dried in bulk), but they’re also nutritious and a little goes a long way when added to any meal. The collard greens and leek came from my garden, but any dark leafy green that’s in season or on sale in your area should work just as well.

Smoky Beans with Rice & Collards / serves 4
Adapted from The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook

2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 large leek, rinsed well and sliced into thin half circles
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or 1 whole chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
3 cups water or half water half stock
1 cup white beans, soaked and drained
1 bunch collard greens,stems removed and cut into thin strips
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Heat a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil or ghee and leek. Stir, let cook for a few minutes and then stir in the garlic and chipotle chili powder or whole chili.

Add the bay leaf, water or stock, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, cooking for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender.

Once the beans have cooked stir in the collards, rice, and salt and continue to cook just until the collards have softened. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf and stir in the lemon juice.

Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Soups + Stews, Vegan, Vegetables

Hazelnut Cakes

Cookies, cakes, and all things sweet were the gateway for my love of being in the kitchen. I’m known in my family as the “Martha-esq” type, whipping up desserts and craft projects for fun. It was always slightly embarrassing though because I was also quite the tom-boy and saw myself keeping up with the boys, just as much as I could be found baking. Funny thing is I’m exactly that same person then as I am now, but my sweet tooth and baking skills have given way to more savory fare. I love the forgiveness cooking can inspire.

On any given night, I love looking in my fridge and finding all the odds-and-ends of this-and-that and coming up with something delicious. Or at the very least belly sustaining if the vision in my head didn’t turn out as well as I’d planned. But lately, because of my ease and almost carelessness while cooking, it’s started to transfer over into my baking. I stopped measuring ingredients and following given instructions (unless I needed to write them down here) because I thought the end result would still turn out not so bad. Luckily there haven’t been any hard bricks or gooey messes of inedible dessert, but still, nothing was that great either. This past weekend a little celebration was in order, so I decided I needed to change that and get out my measuring cups.

I didn’t know what to expect with the hazelnut flour. I’ve used it in tart crusts, but never in a baked good. The little cakes came out with an incredibly delicate crumb texture, which makes them somehow light and quite filling at the same time. They make a super breakfast or brunch treat, but they work just as well for a casual dessert, especially if you wanted to add in some chocolate to the batter and sever with a touch of whipped cream.

Hazelnut Cakes / makes 12-14 small cakes
At the last minute I added in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to half the batter if you decide you want all chocolate cakes, use the full 1/4 cup and mix it in with the dry ingredients first. Also, because I know someone may ask, the 2 tablespoons of baking powder is not a typo; hazelnut flour is heavy and needs some lift!

2 cups hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats, ground into oat flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 banana
1/2 cup sunflower oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking cups or tins with muffin liners.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and grind until they form a nice crumbly flour meal, don’t go for to long though or you’ll end up with hazelnut butter. Combine the ground hazelnuts, wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Use a mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the banana, oil and honey until thoroughly combined. Add in the vanilla and almond milk and whisk well.

Pour half the dry mix into the wet, stir gently a few times, then add the remaining dry mixture. Gently fold everything in, the batter should be light and almost bubbly.

Fill each baking cup about 2/3 full and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.

Bread, Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Grains

Coconut Sweet Rice with Honey Brülée

My memories of rice pudding are not fond, barely existent even. I didn’t have a grandma or aunt who had a secret rice pudding recipe that was made for special occasions. The first time I remember even being presented with it, I was probably around 13 or 14 and at a friends house, I think her mom had made it. I remember looking at the white, clumpy mass, studded with raisins and flecked with a dusting of cinnamon; I was hesitant, I just didn’t get it. Where’s the cookies and ice cream?

We reheated a little bowl and it smelled pretty good, but I took a small bite and blehh! Chunky, starchy rice, and the raisins! What was I thinking, I didn’t even like raisins (remember this is my younger “more dramatic” teenage self when food aversions were still high). So frankly I never really understood what all the hype was about. And to this day I have not eaten nor made rice pudding.

Fast forward to several weeks ago. I had this small inkling to make rice pudding. It hit me all of a sudden out of nowhere. It wasn’t like I had seen it somewhere or heard someone talking about it, I just had this urge to make it. Thinking this was a trick my mind was playing on me, I made chocolate pudding instead. And that settled that… so I thought.

I was flipping through the pages of Pure Green Magazine and I came across a recipe called Coconut Sweet Rice with Honey Brulée. Reading through the ingredients I thought, “Hmm, I like coconut milk and rice. I like spices and honey and vanilla. This sounds amazing, I must make it!” The recipe sat for about a week, while I hemmed and hawed and made chocolate chip cookies instead. When I finally got to it I decided to only make half a batch. You probably see where this is going, but people! I so get it now! It was creamy and sweet and it made my kitchen smell like a bakery. Not to mention easy. You just throw everything into a dutch oven, bake for a bit over an hour, then blast it for five minutes under the broiler. I did most of it the day before serving. And I wished I had made the full batch. It may not look like much, but I’m already scheming a day when I can make it again.

It was the perfect little dessert to finish reading all the amazing travel stories in Pure Green Magazine. This is another good one! Focused on green design and lifestyle. The most recent issue titled ‘Wanderlust’ has eco travel stories about traveling across Europe in a camper van (really wanting to do this now), a travel experience like no other to Antarctica, a beautiful story about hiking in Colorado by Kelsey of Happyolks, and so much more. And what goes better with traveling than experiencing new food! There are still a few recipes in there I’d like to try!

I should also let you know I’ve started a new monthly column on the Pure Green Blog called The Kitchen Gardener. It’s going to highlight all the produce coming out of my garden this next year. It started last month with lemony kale, so good. It’s going to be interesting these next few months as there’s not too much growing! As a new contributer, Celine, the Editor is giving all of you 10% off your subscription!! Just enter LOVEPGM when you check out.

Coconut Sweet Rice with Honey Brülée / serves 8
Adapted (barely) from Jonathan Mackay in Pure Green Magazine
The original recipe uses cinnamon sticks and whole cardamon. I had neither, so I used my best judgments for the ground measurements. Don’t skip the zest! I thought I wouldn’t taste it much, but I was surprised every time I tasted a little note of it.

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup honey, warmed so it’s runny
2 13.5 oz. cans coconut cream (I used full fat coconut milk)
6 oz. almond milk or coconut milk
1/2 cup arborio or jasmine rice (I used jasmine brown rice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Demerara cane sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Preheat oven to 375F. Reserving the nutmeg and honey, pour the remaining ingredients into an ovenproof dish or dutch oven. Stir together, cover with lid or foil, and place in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour, then uncover and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from oven and allow to cool down before refrigerating.

Once cooled, the pudding will thicken and set. It can be eaten now, or you can chill it for at least 30 minutes (or until cold), then spoon into small (4 oz.) ovenproof ramekins and smooth the surface. Cover the pudding with a thin layer of runny honey, sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, and place on a baking sheet.

Preheat broiler to 500F. Place baking sheet of ramekins in the broiler on the top shelf, and broil until the honey bubbles and caramelizes (for about 5 minutes). Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Desserts + Sweets, Gluten-Free, Grains

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

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