yet another amazing mac and cheese

The holidays! I love 'em! While I've spent countless hours in the kitchen over the last month, it's been about three weeks since I actually cooked dinner. Instead, it's toffee this and chocolate-covered caramels that.

We've been busy these last few weeks: we went to New York City to visit friends, vacation, and get engaged. We came back from New York with lots of laundry (mainly socks) to wash, holiday shopping and cooking to do, and a wonderful story to tell.

So yesterday, when a busy work day left me craving my favorite comfort food (cheese! Need I say more!), I took a mental note of what was in the refrigerator. Side note: last week, I came home to find our fridge completely cleaned out. Ryan took the liberty of nixing all questionable items, and tossing any current science projects—except, thankfully, my sourdough starter. He was able to do what I had a hard time doing: paring down the fridge. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Back to my mental ingredient check list: cream cheese, parmesan, a little cheddar, some milk, and butter. I found this recipe, but needed to tweak it to be a) healthy and b) a one-pot meal. Here's what I came up with... and the votes are in: It's well worth adding to the weeknight menu rotation. Here's a tip, too: choosing an oven-safe dish will make this a one-pot meal. We used a 2.5-quart Dutch oven (the newest member of the family) and it did everything from boiling the pasta to making the roux to baking the casserole. This also meant that I was able to keep the kitchen nearly spotless while whipping up this dish.

The cream cheese helps this come together as a super-creamy dish, without adding much extra fat. The Dijon, though, is the real star: Ryan and I agreed that it's our new favorite condiment, beating out buffalo sauce by a slim margin.

Dijon Macaroni and Cheese

• 7 ounces whole wheat macaroni or shells
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (neufchatel)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 heaping teaspoons Dijon mustard (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 cups broccoli florets (can be frozen)

In a medium, oven-safe pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, undercooking slightly so that the pasta is al dente (it will cook a little more in the oven, so you don't want to overcook it in this first step).

Preheat the oven to 400. Once the pasta is done, drain in a colander and set aside. Using the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and mix until a very light roux forms (this will take less than 1 minute; the mixture should be bubbly and smooth). Add the salt, pepper, milk, cream cheese, and mustard, and cook until mixture becomes thick and smooth. Add the cooked pasta, cheddar and parmesan cheeses, and broccoli. Mix until well combined.

Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until broccoli is heated through.

Total time: 40 minutes. Serves 3-4 as a meal, or 4-6 as a side.

* If you're a meat eater, adding cooked ham or chicken to this dish when you add the broccoli will make this an even more complete dinner.

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we're all in this together

I'm a month into this vegetarian conversion, and I've got to say... It's going so very well. Last night we had dinner with a handful of some of my very favorite people, including my dear cousin, and the friends hosting us made us the absolute best pot of chili ever. Ryan preempted my request for the recipe written down, proving that he, too, was won over by the meal.

The chili abounded with beans in every size, shape, and color; tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, corn, and, instead of the beef, seitan. (For those of you not familiar with seitan, it's a wheat-based meat alternative. Wikipedia, you can take it from here.)

Our group of seven gathered around a table, placemats and all, beers tucked comfortably into koozies, devouring this amazing vegetarian chili. And over the meal, I felt so very connected to these friends of mine.

Food isn't just about offering sustenance to a hungry body; food has the unique ability to draw people together, in any culture. I was worried that my shift to vegetarianism would begin to alienate me from close friends who didn't eat the way I now do. I couldn't have been more wrong about that.

After making it through Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, and then having this wonderful dinner last night, where everyone cast aside omnivorism and was momentarily vegetarian, I am understanding that it really doesn't matter what dietary restrictions you put in place: food will always bring you together.

So, thank you for a fantastic evening, Kit, Dylan, Callie, Dave, Brian, and Ryan... It was definitely more than just a pot of chili!

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Thanksgiving wrap-up

Look at that spread! To think, this was only one of three Thanksgivings I was blessed enough to enjoy this year. This one was at my mom's house, and what was so outstanding about hers was the fact that all but ONE vegetable came from her garden.

From the top left, clockwise:

Green bean casserole (fresh green beans)

Gravy, turkey, rolls, and dressing

Pecan pie (you guessed it, homemade with home-grown pecans)

Butternut squash pie (I made this with one of mom's squash)

Pickle platter (okra, cucumbers, and tomatoes from the garden; also the one non-garden veggie--olives)

Roasted butternut squash and shallots with fresh rosemary

Garden pumpkin stuffed with wild rice pilaf

Fresh corn (frozen from the summer harvest) with butter and herbs
This was the best Thanksgiving I can ever remember. We had three separate but equally wonderful occasions; one with Ryan's family, one with my dad's side of the family, and one at mom's. In the middle of it all, we celebrated two birthdays. And, unbelievably, I didn't have one bite of turkey!

I had a couple of minor vegetarian slip-ups (the amazing rice pilaf was made with chicken stock, as was the dressing, but that hardly stopped me), but overall didn't miss the turkey this Thanksgiving.

But it's easy not to miss something as trivial as turkey when you're surrounded by people you love. What a wonderful holiday. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite.

Coming up on my blog: getting deeper into the vegetarian conversion, and, should everything go smoothly tonight, a new recipe for spinach and mushroom enchiladas (with a creamy avocado sauce).

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veggie chili

As the holidays near, time is a precious commodity. I use most of mine cooking and preparing, gluing silver findings on to glass pendants, rounding corners on cardstock, and deciding exactly which recipe to use. This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving three times, and I couldn't be happier about that. I wish I'd had the time and the wherewithall to take pictures of my cooking extravaganza yesterday (homemade stuffing, two sourdough loaves, spinach and artichoke dip, birthday cupcakes with frosting, and more!) but alas—I've found that it's hard enough just to keep up with the to-do list!

In the spirit of not having much time, here's a very quick one-pot meal. This recipe was born out of necessity; I wanted something hot and spicy that wasn't soup, and needed to use up some jalapenos and cilantro in the fridge. Since I keep the pantry stocked with canned beans (let's face it, as much as I try to cook dried beans instead, it just doesn't happen as often as I'd like) and tomatoes, chili was a natural choice. I added a carrot because I like a little extra veggie kick, and it needed to be used up too. If I'd had broccoli and corn, by golly, I'd have thrown that in as well! Chili is like soup, I think: anything goes.

Ryan was skeptical at first, but changed his mind after taking a bite. So if you're short on time, here's a delicious weeknight recipe that will hit the spot for vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Quick Veggie Chili

1 15-oz can organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 28-oz can organic whole peeled tomatoes (or diced tomatoes)

1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Garnish: additional cilantro, chopped avocado, and sour cream

Prep the veggies. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno, and carrots, and saute until the onions become translucent. (If your pan gets too hot and the garlic begins to burn, just add a little of the tomato juice.)

After 3-5 minutes, add the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin, and stir. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the flavors come together. Serve with chopped avocado, extra cilantro, and a nice dollop of sour cream.

Makes about 6 servings; freezes well.

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Part 2: The Reaction

Years ago—and I'm sure that my Dad won't remember saying this, and that's ok—I asked my Dad what he'd think if I became a vegetarian.

"I'd disown you, honey." He said it with love, of course, but I detected absolutely no sarcasm in his voice.

I laughed it off, as the possibility of me becoming vegetarian was so out there that it didn't matter anyway.

But imagine my trepidation when I did in fact decide that I'd be embarking on this journey? All of a sudden, I felt like I was going to have to have The Talk with my father. That I'd have to come out to him as One Who Will Henceforward Revoke Meat.

It went over pretty smoothly, though (she said, disappointment looming in her voice). Ryan and I went to my dad's house to watch the football game, and around halftime, when everyone was getting hungry, the topic of lunch came up.

"Well, I guess we can't do Louie Mueller, since you're a vegetarian now."

WHAT!? How did he know? Who told him? I needed to have the discussion with him face-to-face and here, he already knew?

"Well, um, who, um--how, um... Huh?"

"Margaret is on your facebook and she said you mentioned something about going vegetarian. I guess you can just eat the beans, though, right?"

Well, now that was easy. Granted, I was stricken with the idea of not touching any jalapeno links from my favorite BBQ joint. Le sigh.

Other family members have made jokes that me and the other cousins who set dietary restrictions should sign "Dietary Treaties," and friends have asked if I'm going to have to take a lot of supplements to make up for not eating meat.

Some people have acknowledged the decision as a tough one and wish me luck; others flat out say I'm crazy, and don't I like bacon?

The last time I had meat was exactly two weeks ago; as a start to the meal, I had a sweet potato bisque with a maple reduction and topped with Nueske bacon. The piece of meat for saying goodbye was a perfect 8-ounce filet mignon from a very happily raised Wisconsin cow. It was one helluva way to say au revoir, that's for sure.

Image: Flickr member uberculture, licensed under Creative Commons.

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Part 1: The Conversion

Before I begin, I want you to know a few things.

Most importantly, I grew up on a farm. I don't just mean there was a farm behind our house; I mean, my grandparents ran a working farm as their means of living. We had cattle, sheep, and crops. In the fall, we loved going to the barn because of the trailer full of soft cottonseed. We loved giving the cows salt licks, and I had the distinction of being the oldest so I got to go up to the hay loft, cut open bails with wire cutters, and pitch down hay into the trough.

I have known my whole life where beef comes from, and even though my siblings and I would name the cows every year, I understood that the little white parcels with red stamps reading, "Bone-in ribeye" or "Chuck roast" were the cow's (many of them were named after Disney characters) way of saying, "Thanks for giving me such a beautiful life on the farm."

In fact, I don't have a problem with meat that is raised in the same way I was so familiar with growing up: a family of farmers pitches hay from the loft to the trough, never takes a vacation from tending the animals, and is sure to round up the chickens every night before the sun sets.

It wasn't until I learned of the atrocities of factory farming that I began to think that meat-eating wasn't such a great idea. Industrial agriculture, from the prominence of high fructose corn syrup in processed foods to the way commercial animal farming operations (better known as CAFOs or factory farms) are run, makes me squeamish and conjures up images of animal suffering, biohazards being dumped into processed foods, and swampish pools of byproducts and waste. Gross.

On a micro level, foods grown (the word grown is too organic; let's used processed) that way make us unhealthy. One look at obesity rates and Type II diabetes statistics, and that's clear: our food is making us sick. And food-borne illnesses are on the rise, too; the E. coli outbreaks in meat as well as vegetables (between spinach and tomatoes), and other things like salmonella account for 76 million illnesses in the U.S. each year.

On the macro level, though, these gigantic industrial food plants are directly causing huge amounts of pollution and making entire communities sick (studies show that children who live near factory farms have higher instances of asthma).

It's not just because I'm 200 pages in to Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals that I bring this up; over the last few months, I've been making gradual changes in my diet. After reading Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan) and seeing Food, Inc. especially, we started cutting out things like fast food and sodas. We became Readers of Ingredients Lists. We began shopping regularly at the farmers market and bringing home vegetables from my mom's garden.

This weekend, I did the unthinkable. I turned down BBQ from the one place I never thought I'd forsake: Louie Mueller BBQ, where I grew up eating award-winning brisket and jalapeno sausage. Excuse me for a moment while I drool all over my keyboard.

I watched as my family enjoyed hot links, ribs, and moist brisket, not tasting a bite—all in the name of my newest personal endeavor.

I'm going vegetarian and I'm determined to be successful.

Coming up: Part 2, The Reaction....

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spiced sweet potato pecan muffins

These are an improvement on the current theme... Moist, sweet, spicy, and packed full of nutrients. These are delicious, but I think they can be improved upon still. That said, they're still well worth baking this fall. One bite in and you'll be swept into the season. If you're not, well, you should get that checked out.

Spiced Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

1 cup sweet potato puree*

2 eggs

1/2 cup organic milk

1/2 cup low-fat organic yogurt (plain or vanilla is fine!)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

3/4 cup organic 5-grain cereal or oatmeal (the old-fashioned kind, not quick-cooking)

1/3 cup Grape Nuts

1 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the puree, eggs, milk, yogurt, molasses, and brown sugar. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining (dry) ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well. Ready your muffin tin, and fill the cups to the brim.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm, with cream cheese icing if you so desire!

*To make sweet potato puree, you can bake whole sweet potatoes. Pierce them so they release steam, then bake in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle goes in with little resistance. Cut the baked potato in half and scoop out the good stuff with a spoon (leaving the skin intact). Puree in a food processor, adding a little water or milk to thin as needed. You can make this up to two days in advance. I baked these sweet potatoes while using the oven for dinner (multitasking!) the night before making these muffins.

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sunny muffins!

I’m trying, really I am, to create a superb product here. You see, I love baked goods. That bit about "daily bread?" I take it verrrrry seriously.

And what I want is a supremely healthy, whole-grain, moist, sweet, slightly spiced and truly inspired muffin to warm up these beautiful fall mornings. (Ok, I live in Texas. They’re not that cold, but still. I want to FEEL like I need to be warmed up. Do me a favor and try to understand, alright? Thanks.)

Basically, I want all the flavors of fall to come together in a muffin. And then I want that muffin to give me enough heart-healthy sustenance to last until lunch. And I want all those whole grains and fiber and Omega-3s (found in the flaxseed, of course) to fuel my brain for an action-packed morning at the office, or my next 10K road race, or just an enjoyable morning at the dog park. And of course I want it to be slightly sweet, and very moist, and I even want to disguise squash, or sweet potatoes, or carrots, or maybe just bananas in—for good measure. Come to think of it, I should add some pecans and raisins too.

I want this muffin to be the end-all, be-all of healthy AND flavorful muffins. And I want to be able to make it every week and never tire of baking it or eating it. And when I have children someday, I want them to enjoy it, so much so that they pass it on to their children, and their children’s children, so that my recipe for this amazing muffin lives on in perpetuity.

Ahem. *Stepping down from my desk, tucking my arms politely back by my sides, recomposing myself...*

Is this too much to ask?

I tried again last night. You see, I love muffins, I really do. I can be easily swayed by them at coffeeshops, and I love putting cream cheese on top of them to make all my worries vanish into thin air. I do! It’s true!

That said, I bring to you, my dear readers, yet another chapter in my muffin saga. But this recipe isn’t sweet enough, and I would rather replace the eggs and oil with applesauce and yogurt, and it needs a little more spice and a little more, well, pinache... so I’m working on that. That said, it's not half bad.

And if you can improve upon this, PLEASE please let me know—I will be so happy to hear your suggestions!

Spiced 5-Grain Banana Muffins
1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic 5-grain cereal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons corn oil or applesauce
1 cup milk
2 very ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper or foil liners (which should also be greased...). In a large mixing bowl (preferably one with a spout for easy muffin pouring), combine the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses, oil/applesauce, and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Mash the bananas and add to the muffin batter, mixing well.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool completely and store on the counter overnight, or in the fridge for 2-3 days.

* Please note. If you don't spray your muffin cups... This happens. It still tastes good, but you have to get creative with your teeth to enjoy every... last... crumb.

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Butternut Squash Pie With Pecan Shortbread Crust

The finished product, complete with pecan shortbread crust.

Last weekend, I brought home another 10 pounds or so of butternut squash--quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It's packed full of nutrients and is extremely versatile in the kitchen, like many squash are.

My mom mentioned that I could make pie with it, which of course got me wild about the idea. After scouring recipes and reading all manner of ways to prepare squash for pies, make nut crusts, and find just the right combination of it all to turn it into something spectacular.... It happened.

Though my recipe is based on a combination of several recipes, I took plenty of twists and turns to make this my very own. Some folks were skeptical of another squash pie, but in fact, the flavor is somewhat similar to pumpkin pie, but the texture is a little bit different. Making the puree from fresh squash adds to the delight of both baking and eating this pie.

I made this pie for my cousin's graduation party (yes, I take experimental desserts to parties and then ask everyone to try them.) One woman who tasted the pie knew right away that I'd baked the squash as opposed to steaming it, which was amazing to me because I hemmed and hawed about which to do. And this woman could tell! She said she preferred the texture of baked squash in pie. So, I'd recommend you do the same if you make this. And I highly recommend that you do make this, perhaps as a refreshing new take on Thanksgiving dessert...

The crust taking shape.

Spiced Butternut Squash Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

For the crust:

1 cup AP flour

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbls butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients until pecans are thoroughly chopped, about 15 seconds. Add butter and vanilla, and process until butter is incorporated. Pour the mixture into a 9" springform pan and press until the entire base of the pan is covered, making sure to go about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Chill the crust in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15. Remove from fridge or freezer and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove the crust and let cool for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling...

For the pie filling:

2 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

3 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400. Rinse the squash and halve them lengthwise. Clean out the seeds with a spoon (you can reserve these to eat later, like pumpkin seeds). Place skin side down on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until squash is very tender. Remove from the oven, and carefully remove the squash from the skin using a spoon. You want about 2 cups of cooked squash.

Lower heat to 350.

Let squash cool, then puree squash in a food processor until very smooth, adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed. Add the eggs one at a time, processing for one or two seconds each. Then add in the half and half and spices, and process for another 10 seconds or so.

Carefully pour filling into the prebaked crust. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until pie is set.

Serve alone, or better yet... topped with fresh whipped cream.

** If you do not have a food processor, you can accomplish great things with a stand or hand-held mixer. For the crust, just chop the pecans very finely and incorporate the butter with a mixer. For the filling, you can manually press the baked squash through a ricer and then whisk in the other ingredients. Now you have no excuses not to make this pie!

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comfort food

Just a simple recipe today.

Comfort Soup

3 tablespoons butter

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1 large potato, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 handful cilantro

2 large handfuls (about 3 cups) swiss chard, cut into inch-long strips

1/3 cup chopped chives

6 cups stock

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare vegetables. In large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until aromas are released. Then add the rest of the chopped vegetables and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Cook vegetables for a few minutes, releasing aromas and developing a little brown on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and bring to a low simmer. Cook until potatoes and squash are fork-tender; add the cilantro, green onion, and swiss chard and give it a few stirs until the greens wilt.

Serve piping hot with biscuits.

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bad food

No, I'm not referring to something I've cooked recently (thought last night's quiche experiment came out of the oven a little too soon).

I'm referring to Cargill, mainly, after reading this piece in the NYT about a woman younger than me who was left paralyzed after eating a hamburger made from any number of indeterminable animals that came from Cargill. (Cargill's not the only company to blame; but it's an easy way to refer to the industrialization of our food industry on a global scale.)

This is precisely why the return to local ingredients is so very important. In an effort to eat more fruit, I began buying organic apples at the grocery store. Two purchases in, I finally looked at the food label: the crisp, sweet, juicy apples I enjoyed so much hailed from New Zealand.

I live in Texas.

There's no reason to ship that apple all the way across the world so that I can enjoy a healthy snack--especially when right now's the time for Texas pears.

And with all the E. coli scares, can't we learn that mass-processed meats (and leafy greens aren't far behind) have a negative effect on us as a society--besides the obesity part?

I never want to eat a "burger of unknown origins" (a BUO, if you will, or CUO--chicken--or any other MUO for that matter) again, and wish that more people would adopt that ideal, as far-fetched as it may seem. I'd say that I could make it 100% as a vegetarian, but have I mentioned before that there's this little place called Louie Mueller BBQ in my hometown that I just don't think I could live without?

It's not just because Food, Inc. started raising eyebrows, or because I, along with so many others, have read so much Michael Pollan literature, or because now it's "cool" to be a locavore (or elitist, nobody can seem to decide); it's because the facts are there. Infected foods from unsafe sources are making people seriously sick.

What more reason do you need to think twice about stopping at the drive through, or purchasing an inexpensive tube of meat at the grocery store?

Even in these tough economic times, when we're all feeling the pinch, cheap meat is not the answer. We should, as a society, invest not in Wall Street but in the sustaining of our life. Spend a few extra dollars on healthier foods, or shop at the farmers' markets--do anything that means you're relying less on industrialized, processed food and more on whole foods that come straight from the earth. Preferable from the farmer down the road.

See also: Restoration Harvest by Timothy Egan

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the weeknight stir fry

Saturday can't come soon enough. That's harvest day; my sister and I are heading to mom's house to pick leafy greens galore from my mom's garden; until the weekend comes, though (and for the last couple of weeks), it's nothing but grocery store organics to get us by.

If there's one thing I have learned in the last couple of weeks, it's that brown rice is truly indispensable as a kitchen commodity. After a long day at work, followed by a solid workout, Ryan and I both look for something healthy and filling that can be prepared in little to no time.

Enter the weeknight stir fry. I'm quickly becoming a pro, I think.

A few handfuls of vegetables, one cup of rice, and a little wok action yields a healthy and delicious meal. Discovering the versatility of lightly steamed and sauteed vegetables has been a boon for our tastebuds and our health alike; these one-dish meals are full of vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy whole grains.

To make sure this can happen any night of the week, especially during deadline, I am learning to keep our refrigerator stocked with a variety of vegetables. Stir fry is my new go-to for using up remnants, too; anything and everything can make an appearance. A few extra peppers, some sliced mushrooms, broccoli stalks? Everyone's welcome! (Last week, I used broccoli stalks for the first time, cutting the thick rounds into thin discs that popped with flavor and crunch when tossed with the other veggies. I highly recommend it.)

Some of my favorite vegetables to use in stir fry are broccoli, carrot, scallion, onion, red pepper, carrot, mushroom, garlic, and green onions. In all, I probably chop up a pound and a half of veggies to stir fry.

A little oil (two tablespoons) goes in a hot wok, followed by minced garlic and chopped onions. About twenty seconds later, I throw in the veggies and add about 1/4 cup water to the mix, along with ground ginger.

Then, I cook the veg mix until Ryan thinks they're almost done ("The celery's still crunchy!"), at which point I pull all the veggies off the heat and dump 'em into our tomato-shaped Dutch oven. I normally cook the vegetables for about 15 minutes. They usually cook just a little bit more in the covered pot, but sometimes we have slightly undercooked vegetables for dinner. It happens.

Meanwhile, rice is cooking on the back burner. In about 20 minutes' time, a healthy and delicious dinner is on the table.

What I especially love about these stir fry dishes is that they make excellent leftovers. And boy, am I a fan of leftovers. Plus, they can be jazzed up even more by adding an egg (think stir-fried rice).

So stir fry is my new "thing." Hopefully by next week I'll be posting about delicious chard recipes....

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ringing in autumn: butternut squash soup

Folks, there is nothing better than fall.

One morning, you wake up to take the dog outside before the sun comes up, and you notice that the air feels crisp. The day never loses its charm; a cool breeze blows by and it smells unlike anything you've experienced all summer. The fresh produce comes in shades of orange, and green, and red; all of a sudden, soup is on the menu.

That's when you know it's fall. Not when football starts (because heaven knows it's still hot as hell then); not when school is back in session... But when, suddenly, the air changes and it makes you crave warmth, as if you hadn't just had a summer full of it.

So welcome to our Tuesday night. My mother's garden produced armloads of butternut squash this year, all from seed she'd saved from last year's harvest. Meaning this year's crop cost her absolutely no money.

Needless to say, I went home with no fewer than ten of these magical squash; the first batch added beautiful, nutty depth to a delectable dinner of pasta and pecorino. Tuesday night, I chopped up two more for something I'd never tried before, let alone cooked: butternut squash soup.

This soup seems to be all the rage, and I'm surprised I've never tried it before; it can be found at the grocery store in those fancy little cardboard soup boxes, and its color always seems striking. So I did a quick Google for "butternut squash," and found a super-simple recipe. I didn't really riff too much on it, for which I'm glad. This was a perfect taste of autumn. With 4 cups of broth, this may come out too thin for some tastes (the original recipe called for 6 cups!); if you're looking for more of a puree, either add more squash or less stock. We enjoyed the thin soup. I garnished it with a little pecorino, and think chives would've been a nice compliment to the slightly sweet soup.

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

2 tbls butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 c chicken stock

dash nutmeg

dash salt

2 lbs butternut squash (about one large, or two small), peeled and cut into small cubes

Prep your veggies. If you're like me and have trouble with peeling butternut squash, take a look at this how-to over at The Kitchn. The trick is to be patient and, above all, careful.

In a large, heavy soup pot (I always use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven), melt the butter. Toss in the onions and cook them until they're translucent. Add the stock, salt, nutmeg, and squash, and bring to a simmer. Cook until squash are very tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove the squash and puree in a food processor or blender. Once the squash is very finely pureed (it'll look like bright orange baby food), pour back into the soup.

Stir well and bring back to a simmer. Serve with rustic, crunchy bread.

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tri training comes to fruition... a few tips on improving your lifestyle

This past Sunday marked an important moment in my life: I became a triathlete.

What started as a birthday present from Ryan (triathlon training and all the fancy gear) evolved into a health and fitness overhaul this summer. Nothing went untouched: it involved food, exercise, positive thinking, and even health care reform.

Over the course of the summer, Ryan and I have been making better and better decisions. We've eliminated so many negative things from our lifestyle, especially food-wise; we're eating more vegetables, whole grains, and organic goods than ever before, and we're exercising on a regular basis. And guess what?

We're happier and healthier for it. In our five-plus years together, I think this has been the best yet. We're enjoying this new healthy lifestyle and the benefits (more energy, looking better, feeling less stress, getting outside together) outweigh any of the drags (eating less queso, being sweaty more often).

But wait, there's more! I want YOU to feel this way too--and it doesn't mean you have to become a triathlete. You can take simple steps to improve your daily health. It starts with just making smarter choices. Go for an organic apple instead of a Pop Tart. Choose water over soda, or at least try sodas made with cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. Pick one thing to change at a time (we began a year ago with food, and incorporated exercise in the last six months), and eventually you, too, can be considered a food snob and workout fiend. (Um, just kidding; nobody calls us that to our faces.)

It's like we've started our own health care plan, which is of course all the rage these days; I think we as Americans are finally starting to see, however reluctantly, that our sedentary and fast-food-filled lifestyles are detrimental to our overall health as a nation. And I also believe that our country as a whole has to reform their way of life--just like we've done this
summer--in order to live healthier.

I've also done a lot of reading about health care lately, and these two articles are a great starting point for understanding more about the political side of health care reform (Reid) and the food industry side of it (Pollan):
T.R. Reid on the five myths about global healthcare
Michael Pollan on food industry and health care

In any case, I think anyone who cares enough about food to be interested in a sustainable diet (i.e., if you're reading this blog) has it in 'em to make big changes. We may spend a little more on food, buying organics at every turn and shopping at the farmers' market, but it is absolutely a return investment on our health. And the same goes for exercise: it may be hard to start, but once you're in a rhythm it's harder to stop. It, too, is a return on your health.

I strongly believe in a lifestyle that sustains life (isn't that the point?). Since the beginning of this blog, I've seen a transformation in myself and can directly attribute it to eating better and, now, to lots of exercise.

So to live long and prosper, my friends, look no further than a balanced diet and plenty of exercise.

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variety is the spice of life

I’ve missed this blog!! So here’s a really, really long post to show you how MUCH I’ve missed it. Without a picture because, well, I was simply too busy cooking last night to be bothered with the camera. Ah, how I love to write that. Too busy cooking. I'm back in the swing of things.

Recently I’ve been inspired by bento boxes—those perfect, colorful, sometimes comical representations of lunch, perfect for picky eaters. What’s so inspiring? They’re packed full of colorful variety, from veggies to grains to fruits. In essence, they’re the perfect idea of a meal that lives up to my high standards.

I’m also leaning more toward vegetarianism; I did pretty good last week until pepperoni pizza stared me in the face after we ran a 5K in the rain (and since I beat my normal mile time, I'm saying I deserved it). So at the moment, let’s call me a vegetarian with a pepperoni and/or barbecue opt-out clause. Fair?

Did you just ask about steak? A marbled slab of grass-fed beef cooked to medium-rare perfection? And how I might just not ever eat another one? OHMYGOSH. You did say grass-fed, right? Acceptable.

Ahem! Where was I?!

Vegetarian leanings, that’s right. I’ve been packing in the veggies and grains and legumes (recently it’s all organic black beans and garbanzos) and have been feeling exuberantly healthy—not to mention, only days away from my first sprint triathlon (for those of you unfamiliar with tri terminology, that’s “just” a half-mile swim, 18-mile bike ride, and 5K/3.1-mile run, that's all). I’d like to imagine that my training for the sprint is merely the beginning of the new, super-fit Amber. And while I’d love to eat more and more queso and carnitas as my workouts, and biceps, increase, that just doesn’t jive well with other things that are important to me: sustainably-produced foods and a diet that is life-sustaining. (There, aren’t you proud that I’ve stopped short from divulging my health care soap box?? Because I have one. Read this article by Michael Pollan and get back to me.)

In short: Healthy foods for mind, body, spirit, community, and earth. As Pollan himself puts it, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That’s what I’m up to these days, and by golly bento boxes are going to help me accomplish this.

That said, I won’t actually be purchasing a bento box, but in true make-do fashion, I’ll be packing my BPA-free plastic and glassware with the same nod to efficiency and variety.

Admittedly, I’m a pretty picky eater when it comes to lunches; I don’t fare well with homemade salads, for some reason, and I have stopped buying sandwich meat for the most part, and it’s downright difficult to eat leftovers every day, unless said leftovers happen to be smothered in cheese. But I’m a big fan of variety, fresh fruits and veggies, and repurposing a dish. I’m also newly aware of the ease of freezing food you make in your own kitchen. Fancy that!

I bought a box of frozen organic buckwheat and blueberry waffles, befuddling myself. Why did I, a food blogger of all people, purchase a box of frozen waffles?! So once that box was empty, I picked up some organic buckwheat flour and made my own version: buckwheat pancakes with organic (previously frozen) blueberries.

And let me tell you, they taste all the same—if not better—than those store-bought ones. Since organic blueberries can be bought frozen for a fraction of the price of fresh, they do the trick; buckwheat flour from the bulk bins only set me back a dollar or two, and I had plenty for two recipes of pancakes. Plus, one recipe for pancakes yields a much bigger batch than a box of six waffles; I can eat two pancakes a day and still come out ahead money-wise. Not to mention these things are packed full of nutrition and are way low in sugar. Score. Even Ryan enjoyed a couple.

Last night, I turned my kitchen into a downright decathlon with boo-coos of cooking events on the dockett. My goal was simple and complex at the same time: prep a variety of super-healthy foods that I 1) would be able to enjoy all week and 2) could be done on the cheap. I spent a total of $35 at Wheatsville on organic fruits, veggies, and stuff from the bulk bins, and went home to get to work, using up a few pantry staples in the process.

First up, I made roasted red pepper hummus in the food processor. To compliment that (and also to make some black bean wraps with), I whipped up a batch of whole-wheat tortillas on the cast iron grill pan. Meanwhile, on the next burner, I started a pot of brown rice (I’ve got stir fry in mind). On yet another free burner, I steamed some edamame and once that was done, put a few eggs in there to boil. (I made one mistake—I got two timers mixed up and wound up with soft-boiled eggs rather than hard-boiled ones....)

Somehow I had already cleaned the standing mixer as well as the food processor and decided to whip up an easy batch of veggie patties to pan-fry. Did I mention Ryan and I decided we needed cookies? Thankfully, we had refrigerated (organic) chocolate chip cookie dough ready to go. I popped a few dollops into the toaster oven and 13 minutes later we were satisfying our sweet tooth(s). Sweet teeth?

Anyway, I digress. Today’s all-organic lunch included:
2 vegetable patties (recipe below)
1 cup edamame
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

Tomorrow, my lunch will be:
1 black bean wrap, with avocado, cheese, and homemade salsa
1/4 cup hummus dip
1 cup fresh carrots
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

By Wednesday, I hope to shake things up with a broccoli-based stir-fry. Thursday I’ll enjoy black bean wraps once again, and Friday I’ll take along more veggie patties (which I’m dutifully reserving in the freezer).

Pan-Fried Veggie Patties

2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
3 small or 2 medium diced onions
2 scallions sliced very thin
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil for pan frying

Shred and chop the vegetables. Toss together in a large mixing bowl with the egg, flour, and seasonings. Mix well. Heat oil in large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form patties about 1/4” thick (form thick patty with hands, then flatten in the pan with a spatula) and cook a few minutes on one side, until browned and crisp. Flip and cook a few more minutes, until patty has cooked through.

~*~
It occurred to me while cooking that these are a lot like the potato pancakes my mom always used to make for us. But with way more vegetables. And guess what? They taste great. I’m thinking of trying a version of this with breadcrumbs and black beans, and maybe even corn which will wind up a more substantial patty, similar to a veggie burger. That’s the plan, anyway.

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beginning to feel like autumn...

So the last month of my life was a little busier than I'd anticipated. But things are calming down, and in the meantime I've experimented with buckwheat flour (post to come soon), made puffy dog treats (more on that later), and have compiled a list of recipes three feet long that I've been waiting to get to! What I'm trying to say is... I'm still here, it's just been a wild end to the summer.

And did I mention my first triathlon is in nine days? Yeah, that too.

After last night's swim workout (big thanks to my sister Aubrey for motivating me), I tried inviting my brother and sister over for dinner last night.

"What are you making?" Britton asked.

"Well," doing my best to make the dish sound exciting and delicious, "I'm making roasted butternut squash with garlic and green onions on whole-wheat pasta."

Without missing a beat, Britton called out to our sister Aubrey: "We're making spaghetti tonight, right? I already set the sauce out."

So maybe this dish didn't win over my siblings--and I'm not exactly sure it won over Ryan--but I thought that it packed a flavorful punch and was as healthy as they come. Not to mention, it used up one of the lovely butternut squashes from my mother's prolific garden.

I jotted down a loose version of this recipe from a magazine in the waiting room while getting my car's oil changed. The original recipe included much more butter, and bacon... and toasted walnuts... But I wanted a vegetarian version, first of all, and I also wanted to use up things we had in our kitchen. If you want to add more herbs to this, try sage; the flavor would work really well with the sweetness and nuttiness of this dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Whole-Wheat Pasta

1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

8 oz whole-wheat cappellini

3 tbsp butter (optional)

3 tbsp chopped pecans

1/3 cup shredded pecorino or parmesan

chopped green onion

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the cubed squash, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until squash is tender and begins to caramelize.

Cook and drain the capellini. (Optional step: In a small saucepan, slightly brown the butter and pour it over the cooked capellini. Or, use a tablespoon or two of olive oil.)

Toss roasted squash and garlic with the pasta; add pecans, cheese, and green onion and toss everything together. Serve with extra pecorino and green onion for garnish.

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