Avocado Pistachio Creme Brulee {VEGAN} - Dessert Wars!

How did this happen?

That's what my roommate, Anu, kept asking me as she paced around our apartment, fervently licking creme brulee out of the little crimped edges of the ramekin that were all too tragically spoon-inaccessible.

You see, just a mere half hour before, she had walked into the kitchen to find me swearing off all things green, with avocado traces conspicuously strewn all over the kitchen counters and in my hair.  Trying to whip vegan milk. 

Have you ever tried to whip vegan milk before? 

Don't.  It's an exercise in futility.



And now here she was with a full-fledged delicious, and dare I say - healthy - version of creme brulee in her hands.  So yes.  Queries as to what had actually transpired in that kitchen were certainly warranted. 

I have no idea.

All of a sudden, after my very tired hand mixer looked at me pathetically thirty-two too many times, I decided to seize the day.  Carpe diem.  And I just mixed the avocado straight into the maybe-now-slightly-thickened-but-certainly-not-whipped pistachio-infused milk mixture.  My plan was to whip this new weird piercingly green avocado-milk mixture since avocados have a lot of fat, which is what you really need for whipping anyway.  But upon further inspection the whole thing seemed quite custardy as is.  So instead I just plopped it into ramekins.  Crossed my fingers.  Clicked my heels a few times.  And hoped for the best.

And somehow, "the best" happened.  Hallelujah. 



So now that we've tackled "how".  You might be wondering "why"?  Well.  The theme for this month's Dessert Wars is green.  And as such we had to include one traditional and one non-traditional green ingredient in our dessert.  Last summer, I went to Bobby Flay's Bar Americain with my parents where I consumed a pistachio creme brulee for dessert.  It rocked my world and made up for the fact that I had not been on a date in five months.  Yeah.  It was good.  So I took that idea and ran with it.  And now here we are.  I have not been on a good date now in at least a year.  And I am strangely okay with that, thanks to this creme brulee, which you can actually feel good about eating and which may actually lower your cholesterol levels.  I bet you never thought you'd see the day...

Avocado Pistachio Creme Brulee
Serves 4-6, an Eats Well With Others original, inspired by this and this

1 cup shelled pistachios, salted
5 tbsp sugar, plus more for sprinkling and blowtorching
1 1/2 cups vegan milk - I used coconut
1 1/2 avocados
4 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp flour

1. Place the pistachios and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not a paste.  Combine with the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir until it becomes hot.  Remove from the heat, cover with the lid, and let steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the contents from the saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Wet a clean thin kitchen towel with cold water and squeeze out as much water as possible.  Put the pistachio solids into the center of the towel, wrap the edges up around the nut meat, and squeeze out any remaining liquid into the bowl.  Discard the pistachios.  Place the bowl of milk into an ice water bath, stirring until it is cool.

3. Pit and peel the avocados, then process in the food processor with the vanilla sugar and lemon juice until smooth. 

4. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp flour to the milk mixture.  Mix with a hand mixer on high for 5 minutes.  This will make it frothy and help to thicken it a bit.

5. Mix the avocado mousse into the milk.  Divide among ramekins, then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.  Just before serving, remove plastic wrap and sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar.  Move blowtorch flame back and forth just above the sugar until it is caramelized and slightly browned.  Let stand 2 minutes before serving.

This is my submission to this month's Dessert Wars, the theme of which is GREEN!

The March prize package includes:

Whisk  and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs

The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer

Beanilla  Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans

Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake

1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes

Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

Organic Valley $50 Gift Certificate

Organic Prairie $50 Gift Certificate

Theme Kitchen $50 Gift Certificate

BEKA Cookware Crepe Pan

Back on Track Wheat Berries and Chickpea Salad...Eat.Live.Be. for a Better 2011!

Everyone always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Not to go against six thousand years of research.  But I'm a rabble-rouser.  This is what I do.

And so I maintain that, yeah, breakfast is important.  But lunch?  Lunch is totally the new breakfast.

You see, for me at least, breakfast is easy.  I eat the same thing every day.  There's no temptation or choice involved.  It is what it is.  Breakfast.  Just eat it and eat it well, and you'll be good to go.



But lunch, on the other hand?  Lunch can be a breaking point.  It can make or break your whole day.

It's that critical moment where you've been working for a few hours, or sitting in class, or sitting in your bed watching 5 hours of lecture, or just come home from a 20 mile run.  And you're hungry and tired and it would be so easy to just order something in, or hit up the vending machine, or eat ice cream out of the container.

And, I don't know about you guys, but once I mess up for the day, it's all over for the next 24 hours.  I am terrible at bouncing back and saying, "Okay, well, this meal was a disaster but the next one is going to be a nutritional rock star!"  Oh no.  Usually what happens is that the guilt invades ever fiber of my being and convinces me that I've done such a terrible thing to my body that I should follow it up with more terrible things.  Because...that makes sense.



I know this is a bad way to think. I'm trying to get it in check.  But till I do...it's better to just have a lunch plan.  One that involves lots of fruits and veggies and color and whole grains.  So that I'll feel so good about what I ate for lunch that I'll be motivated to keep at it for the rest of the day.  Like I said.  More hinges on that midday meal than you think.  Be prepared.

I knew this salad was a keeper when I ate it the night before my 20 mile run.  And then rocked it.  My calves were virtually pain free.  And I ran the 20 miles faster than I ran my 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 mile runs.  Which is unheard of.  Sure there were a few mental blocks along the way, but I chose to run a 15K (9.3 mile) race in the middle of it to raise money for colon cancer, which kept me motivated.  There's something about racing that puts me into this zone where pain doesn't exist (well, most of the time.  Unless your two pelvic stress fractures decide that they've had enough and finally decide to give way...yeah.  That wasn't a fun race.), time is inconsequential, and I lose all sense of who I am or what is going on. I just run.  It's kind of like euphoria or what I imagine being on heroin must feel like.  A runner's high. Literally. 

And then I also ate this salad after the 20 mile run. With an avocado mixed in.  Yup.  An avocado.  A whole avocado.  Gotta eat back those calories somehow!  Which is also proof that this salad is totally versatile.  Whatever veggies you have, just throw em in!  And then relish in how many vitamins and minerals you've practically injected into your body.  Yeah, you're virtuous.  And you know it.



What is your favorite way to stay on track during lunch?  Feel free to write about it on your blog and link up here, or leave a message in the comments!






And check out what the other Eat.Live.Be-ers eat for lunch every day!

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Cate from Sweetnicks
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

Back on Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad
Serves 6, adapted from Oh She Glows

1 cup dry wheat berries, cooked and drained
2 cups chickpeas (or any bean of your choice!)
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, diced
4 scallions, diced
Arugula/spinach/spring greens
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp tamari or soy saucce
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, soak the raw wheat berries overnight in cold water.  The next day, drain them and cook them in a medium-sized pot, covered in three inches of salted water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, simmering for 1 hour.  Drain and cool.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the diced veggies (zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, scallions).  Add in beans and stir.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Set aside.

4. When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into salad.  Add the dressing just before serving and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve on a bed of greens of your choice!

I am submitting this to:
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
Souper Sundays hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen
The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Yesterday I learned about every parasitic disease that I never knew I lived in mortal fear of getting.

And really, I didn't want to be one of those parents, but now I am seriously considering wrapping every part of my childrens' bodies in saran wrap (except for their faces) before allowing them to leave the house.  Ever.

(Note that this will also be a very effective mode of contraception for when they get older.  No one wants to sleep with the weird kid wrapped in saran wrap.  No matter how cute she is.)



I'm serious though.  Are you aware of all the terrible things you can get from eating dirt?  All sorts of worms that can wiggle around in your intestines for decades.  Mooching off your food, sucking your blood, making abscesses in your liver.  Ugh.

And then there are even some that just burrow their way into your skin when you're mindlessly meandering around your garden.  Barefoot.

Oh yes.  You hippies out there who think it's safe to walk down 1st Avenue without any shoes on.  I'm talking to you.

I'm concerned.  Very concerned.

I mean, in addition to getting Strongyloides, which is going to zip in and out of your intestine making day trips to every other one of your organs, taking your gut flora with it and so kindly depositing E. coli in your lungs, you're also at risk for getting hepatitis cause who knows what IV drug user's needles are lazing about on the streets of New York City.

And the liver transplant list. Is full.  Very full.  This is not what you want for your future.



And so in addition to never leaving our backyard or perhaps, given that there is little to no chance I will ever have a backyard, a small patch of Central Park that I shall wall off and sterilize thoroughly.  I am just going to have to cook everything we eat from scratch.  (Except for sushi.  We will not be giving up sushi.  There are some sacrifices I am not willing to make, even for my future children's health.)

This includes bread.  And let me tell you.  With a batch of this pumpkin yeast bread baking away in your apartment, filling the entire place with the smell of pumpkin pie...you're not going to want to leave.  All you're going to want to do is sit next to the oven, basking in that glorious scent.  And then, when it comes out, pace around your kitchen, waiting for it to cool in the most impatient way possible.  Finally, you'll cut off a piece, slather it with peanut butter.  And moan with happiness.

See. Being an overprotective psychotic freak.  Not so bad after all.



Pumpkin Yeast Bread
Makes 2 loaves, adapted from Annie's Eats

1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
2/3 cup warm almond milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
6 1/2 cups bread flour (give or take)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the yeast into the warm water.  Add a pinch of sugar.  Wait to proceed until your yeast become foamy.  If it doesn't within about 5 minutes then you need new yeast.

2. Add in the milk, eggs, pumpkin, oil, brown sugar, salt, and spices.  Mix briefly to combine.

3. Add 4 cups bread flour to the mix and stir until a sticky dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the remaining flour until you have a dough that is smooth and elastic but not sticky.  Usually I wait until it doesn't stick to the sides any more after 2 minutes of continuous mixing.

4. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, turning once to coat it.  Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface.  Divide in half and place each half into a well-oiled 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Press down gently so that the dough touches all four sides of the pan.  Cover with a damp towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.  Alternatively, you can freeze one loaf's worth of dough before this second doubling and then just let it thaw and start at the beginning of step 5 once you want to use it.  To freeze, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then put into a ziplock bag.

6. Preheat the oven to 375.  Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the loaf reads 190.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before cutting.

This has been yeastspotted!  This has been linked to Marla's Happy Post at Family Fresh Cooking!

Homemade Ginger Pasta with Sweet Potato-Wasabi Sauce

I don't wear matching socks.

You are going to discover that in about three photos.  And I just didn't want to not mention it and then have it be the brontosaurus in the room.  It's too early in the morning to have to deal with brontosauruses in a two-by-nothing apartment.  There's no space or time or energy for it.

Usually I at least get the color right so that when a little bit of sock peeks up over my sneaker, I don't scare the masses away or become the talk of the town.  But it was a Sunday on the day I took these pictures and I was supposed to be in my room, writing an ethics paper, banned from all human contact except for that of my roommates who are used to my deviant sock mismatching ways.

So it goes. I don't wear matching socks.  Now you know.



Were you guys aware that wasabi is not actually a neon green substance that comes out of a tube?  That actually it's that crazy funky looking thing up there that would give kohlrabi a serious run for its money in an alien life form beauty pageant?

Truer words were never spoken.



So how did I get my grubby little hands on such an ugly/delicious piece of produce, might you ask?  Well, for the final round of the MarxFoods Ridiculously Delicious competition, we were over-nighted a top secret (perishable!) mystery ingredient that we would then have to turn into a culinary masterpiece.  There was a lot of speculation about what this top secret (perishable!) mystery ingredient would be.  Brian, Azmina, Shannon and I spent all of last week littering the Twitter airwaves with our guesses.

And then.  It arrived.

"It" being this pretty/ugly little rhizome that I had no idea what to do with.

(And oh look!  There are the mismatching socks.  Joy.)



I thought long and hard about going the sweet route with it but I was pretty sure that nothing could rival those wasabi crystallized ginger dark chocolate brownies.  Nothing.

So then I totally switched gears. All of a sudden, thoughts of wasabi lasagna, wasabi pizza, and all sorts of wasabi fusion dishes were coursing through my veins and into my thoughts.  But then, as it so often does.  It all came down to sushi.

Now.  If you know me, you know that when I go out for sushi, I always order a sweet potato tempura roll.  Always.  Without fail.  It's essentially the only deep fried thing that I eat and I refuse to feel even a speckle of guilt about it.  So this pasta dish is a play on that.  The pasta is homemade and is infused with some fresh and dried ginger that give it a nice hint of spice.  An ode to pickled ginger, if you will.  A condiment that I adore so much that I'd pretty much be happy to just sit around eating a jar of the stuff.  Then, the sweet potato sauce which is Thai in essence.  A little bit sweet until you get hit with the spice and wasabi flavor that really isn't a kick in the face but is an undertone that makes you moan after you take a bite.

You'll be in so much heaven, you won't even care that your socks don't match.  Yes, even the guy in the back who is anal retentive enough to iron his underwear.  I promise.



Homemade Ginger-Infused Pasta
Makes about 1 pound

3 cups AP flour or half AP/half semolina
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water, plus more as needed

1. Combine the flours and salt in a bowl or work surface, creating a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well.  Using a mixer or by hand, slowly mix, incorporating the egg into the flour mixture a little at a time.  Once you have a dry shaggy dough, mix in the gingers, olive oil and water.  Knead until dough is fairly smooth and homogeneous.

2. Divide the dough into four portions and cover with a damp towel.  Allow to rest for 20 minutes.  Using a pasta maker (or rolling by hand!) thin and cut the pasta as desired.

3. To cook, boil in salted water until al dente.  Drain well and serve.

Homemade Ginger Pasta with Sweet Potato-Wasabi Sauce
Serves 4, an Eats Well With Others Original

2 large sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb total
14 oz light coconut milk
1 tsp red curry paste
2 tbsp fresh grated Daruma wasabi (or spice it up with sriracha if you don't have wasabi!)
3 1/2 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 lime
1 16 oz package frozen peas
home ginger pasta or linguine of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook sweet potatoes in it until fork-tender.

2. Mash sweet potatoes.  Place in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in the coconut milk, red curry paste, wasabi, coconut sugar, and juice from half a lime.  Turn heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes so flavors can meld.  Add in the peas and cook until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toss with pasta and serve.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, which is hosted this week by Claire of Chez Cayenne!

Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki)...Eat.Live.Be. for a Better 2011!

You guys are in store for a wild and wacky ride this morning.

I hope you're ready. 

I hope you've eaten breakfast. 

I hope you don't get motion sick.

You see.  Today at Eat.Live.Be. we are talking about "A Day In Our Lives" or, basically, how we've changed our day-to-day habits in order to achieve our goals.

So whether you like it or not, you're going to get an inside look at the Eats Well With Others household.  Brace yourself.



I wake up every morning at 6AM.  Unless it's Saturday or Sunday in which case, I wake up at 7AM.  Not by choice.  Then from 6AM until about 7:40, which is when I start to get ready for my 8AM class, I blog and eat breakfast.  This time is sacred.  It's one of my favorite parts of my day.  I speak to no one. I look at no one.  No one else in our apartment exists.  (Actually, they're all still asleep.  So it is almost like they don't exist.)  And if someone does try to interrupt me, I look at them with the most unfriendly look that I can muster.  The one that I usually reserve for strange guys at bars.  Eventually, they take the hint and leave.  No hard feelings.

Then, from 8AM to approximately 1PM every day, I have class.  That I may or may not go to.  If it's mandatory, I go.  If not, I go home where, depending on the rest of my day and what I have to do in the afternoon, I'll either (a) watch lectures that I've missed, (b) go grocery shopping, (c) go to the gym, or (d) watch Grey's Anatomy.  (Side note - My mother thinks it's hysterical that I don't go to class.  Every time I tell her, which is every time I speak to her because she constantly seems to forget, she laughs uncontrollably for at least five minutes.  Is this some kind of weird reverse psychology mothering trick that she's trying to pull on me?  Hmm.  If it is, it's not working.) 

Eventually, I get hungry and eat lunch.  Mostly leftovers.  Unless it's Saturday or Sunday, which is when I do my cooking for the week.  If I don't have leftovers or some kind of plan as to what I'm going to cook, I end up making bad food choices and meandering around my kitchen eating crap while trying to decide what to eat.  Which then puts me in a terrible mood for the rest of the day.  Yeah.  I'd rather have a plan.  Even if it means I'm psychotic and controlling and anal retentive.

Then, excitingly enough, my afternoon is - MORE OF THE SAME!  Except that some days, I have physical therapy.  Yes, that is probably one of the most exciting hours of my week.  Not only do I get to be relieved from excruciating calf pain but I get to talk to someone who is not in medical school for a whole 60 minutes.  Sigh.  It's lovely.

I typically go to the gym between 5:30 and 6PM.  I've really been trying to mix up my gym routine lately and so I take various classes throughout the week - Zumba on Wednesdays, Core Conditioning on Thursdays and Total Body Conditioning on Sundays.  Saturday mornings are when all of my long runs occur.  (Which means that I'm basically useless for the rest of the day and typically walk around my apartment complaining that my knees are creaking and my bones are 80+ years old.  All with a smile on my face because my serotonin and dopamine are still floating along on that runner's high.)  Mondays and Tuesdays are just regular old gym days - biking and/or ellipticaling - and Friday is my day of rest.

For dinner, more leftovers.  And then after dinner - more studying, photo editing for the blog, and more Grey's Anatomy.

And there you have it.  A day in the life.




Now that you have fallen asleep in the middle of a sentence and are thoroughly bored.  You might be asking yourself, "Ok.  But how has this changed since starting Eat.Live.Be.?"  In a few ways.  First of all, the gym classes. I used to do the same two things at the gym every time I went.  But taking classes keeps me motivated, gets me working out different muscles, and helps me incorporate strength training into my life (which I hate but which I need if I'm going to stay stress fracture free.)  Second of all, the planning.  If I have my fridge stocked with good healthy lunch, dinner, and snack options, then I am less likely to reach for something unhealthy and more likely to reach for an apple.  It's all about availability.  You can't eat what you don't have sitting on your counter.

Want to see how the other Eat.Live.Be-ers live?  Check out their posts today!

• Sarah Caron - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate O’Malley - www.sweetnicks.com
• Maris Callahan - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris Arpante - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com - e-mail
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com.
• Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
• Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
• Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com
• Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com
• Gwen of Simply Healthy Family
  

And if you care to write a post of your own or let us know in the comments how you've changed your day-to-day to stay healthy, link up or leave a message in the comments!





Speaking of things that I cooked over the weekend.  I made, surprisingly enough, MORE BEANS!  I've really been on a vegetarian kick lately and it has left me more energized than I could have ever imagined.  Not that I'm saying I'll never eat meat again. Or anything like that.  But I really have been loving these veg dishes. 

Greek baked beans.  These are not-yo-momma's blackstrap molasses and sugar-laden baked beans. No, no, no.  These are cooked in a dill and parsley-infused tomato sauce that has a nice kick of spice to it.  It is rustic.  Moreish, even.  And utterly addictive.  If you're into the whole dilly tomato sauce thing.  Which, I didn't think I was, but that Michael Symon taught me this summer that I absolutely am.  And now I can't get enough.  Sprinkle with some feta cheese and eat with polenta, rice, barley, or even just some crusty bread.  It'll make you happy. I swear it.



Gigantes Plaki or Greek Baked Beans
Serves 4, adapted from Closet Cooking

1 lb dried gigantes (I used Christmas Lima beans from Marxfoods!)
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes, to taste
28 oz canned diced tomatoes (I used San Marzano!)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup dill, chopped
Feta cheese, for sprinkling on top (optional)

1. Soak the dried gigantes in water with the bay leaves overnight.  The next day, bring to a boil and then simmer until beans are tender, about 40-50 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350.  While beans are cooking, heat the oil in a pan.  Saute the onion and carrot and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the garlic and chili pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add in the tomatoes, paprika, and oregano and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

3. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix in the parsley and the dill, along with the beans, and 1/2 cup of the liquid that the beans were cooking in.  Pour into a large Dutch oven or casserole dish.

4. Bake until the top is browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 50-60 minutes.  Garnish with feta cheese if desired.

I am submitting this to Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory, Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac, and The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Meyer Lemon Curd

Because I decided this week that I was going to stop baking for a little while in order to try to get my sugar addiction in check.

I decided to make pancakes instead.

Obviously.

Duh.



The real problem was that the week after Shannon mailed me some Meyer lemons (because she is SO sweet and also because she was tired of reading my comments that absolutely littered the internet, saying that I felt deprived for not being able to find them anywhere.  Man I am way too whiny.  Next time, someone should tell me to shut up.  That's what friends are for.) I found them at Trader Joe's.

So then I impulse bought a bag.  It was the right thing to do.  You know, after all the whining and moaning that I had done.



So then I had this bag sitting on my counter and if you know me, you know how much I hate not having a plan for food. And here I was.  With a bag of Meyer lemons.  And no plan.

I was a mental disaster.

While I was supposed to be in bed, under five layers of blankets, watching lectures.  I was really pondering the state of my Meyer lemons.

Savory?  Sweet?  Breakfast?  Lunch?  Dinner?  Mid-day snack?  Second mid-day snack?

The possibilities were endless.  Not good for the indecisive among us. Not. Good.



And then to complicate matters even more.  I put the kibosh on baking.

Which actually sounds like it should make things easier since it would rid me of over half of the Meyer lemon possibilities out there.

True.  Until you realize that maybe what I was really craving was a Meyer lemon poppy seed pound cake.



Maybe.

But then I made Meyer lemon curd instead.  Meyer lemon curd, mind you, that has only 2 tbsp of butter in it.

Seriously?  Seriously.

And I pinky swear promise that it tastes just as good as, if not better than it's stick-of-butter-full counterpart.  Especially when you dunk Meyer lemon ricotta pancakes in it.  

Trust me.  I know these things.



**If you can't find Meyer lemons, feel free to substitute in regular lemons!

Meyer Lemon Curd
Makes about 2 cups, adapted from Desserts For Breakfast

1 cup sugar
4 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed meyer lemon juice
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/3 cups boiling water

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually blend in the cold water and lemon juice.

2. Add the egg yolks and butter, blending until smooth.

3. Gradually add in the boiling water, stirring constantly.

4. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a full boil, stirring gently with a spatula and scraping the bottom (to prevent burning). Once the mixture begins to thicken, reduce the heat and simmer for one minute.

5. Remove the curd from heat. Cool completely.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Makes 15-18 silver dollars, adapted from Desserts For Breakfast 

4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
12 oz ricotta 
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
6 oz AP flour

1. In a mixer, on medium high speed, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

2. Whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, and lemon zest in a separate bowl.  Mix in the flour and stir to combine.

3. Once egg whites reach stiff peaks, whisk about a fourth of the egg whites into the yolk/ricotta mixture.  Fold in the remaining egg whites.

4. Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray, and cook pancakes.  Serve topped with lemon curd and blueberries.

I am submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Chris of Mele Cotte.

Cannellini al Gratin

I want to be able to rock leopard-print leggings when I'm in my 60s.

There.  I said it. 

You now know my deep dark secrets.



You see, on Monday, I mysteriously absented myself from class in order to go on a field trip to Whole Foods.  I had absolutely nothing to eat in my apartment and it was imperative that I go.  Right then.  That second. 

Plus, all of our lectures are taped and put online so that I can watch them. In bed.  While snuggled up under five layers of blankets. 

I learn better that way,



There are some crazy characters out during midday on 2nd Avenue.  Let me tell you.

One of whom was yours truly.  Who spotted a 60-ish year old woman walking down the street.  Wearing leopard-print leggings.  Without a care in the world. 

And I thought.  That woman is a rock star.  I want to be her.  Not now. But in 36 years.

You should know that I just about live in leggings. But not patterned ones.  I'm not cool enough for patterned ones.  Maybe in 36 years.

Until then, it's solid colors all the way.

I have this hot pink pair that I've told you about before and that my friend Andrew thinks are the most ridiculous things on this earth.  I try to wear them sparingly.  But some days call for hot pink and there's really nothing you can do about it.  And that is that.

If you thought I was going to make some profound tie-in to this cannellini dish then you were wrong.  Oh so very wrong.  Other than that I was going to Whole Foods that day to purchase said cannellini beans (would you believe that not a single store on the Upper East Side had them?  And that I had to meander all the way down to Whole Foods on 14th street?  Sheesh).  And so without them, I would have never realized who I want to be when I grow up.

In other words, this dish was serendipitous.  In so many ways.  And delicious. In so many ways.  Comfort food that sticks to your soul and not to your thighs.  So that you can totally rock those leopard-print leggings.  At just about any age.



(I know some of you must have come here expecting something St. Patrick's Day themed but I am the most disorganized person on this earth these days who barely knows what day of the week it is.  So here are some awesome recipes from last year!  Irish Beef and Guinness Stew, Bailey's Irish Creme and Vanilla Tiramisu, and Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes (chocolate stout cupcakes filled with a whiskey-infused ganache and topped with a Bailey's buttercream frosting...yeah.  Awesome.)  Just, you know. Excuse the bad pictures.

Cannellini al Gratin
Serves 6, adapted from Vegetarian Times January 2011

1 1/2 lb dried cannellini beans
6 sprigs plus 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, divided
3 sprigs plus 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 medium onion, unpeeled, plus 1 large onion, diced
2 bulbs fennel, stalks and fronds removed and reserved, bulbs quartered and diced
12 cloves garlic, 6 halved and 6 minced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups diced carrots
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3/4 cup coarsely grated grana padano or parmesan cheese (I used parm)
1/4-1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1. Soak beans in a large bowl of cold water, overnight.  Drain.

2. Put beans in a 6 qt Dutch oven or pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches.  Tie together the thyme and parsley sprigs and add them to the pot.  Add the 1/2 onion, fennel stalks and fronds, and 6 halved cloves garlic.  Add a tbsp salt.  Partially cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until beans are just tender.  Drain beans, reserving the cooking liquid.  Discard herb bundle, fennel fronds and stalks, onion, and garlic cloves.  If using Dutch oven, clean it and wipe it out.

3. Preheat oven to 400.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add fennel and carrots and season with salt if desired.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add diced onion and cook, covered, for 6-8 minutes or until onion is soft and the bottom of pan is brown, stirring frequently.  Add minced garlic for 1 minute.  Remove pot from heat, stir in vinegar and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom.  Add the beans, chopped thyme, chopped parsley, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and enough bean cooking liquid so that it reaches 1 1/2 inches below the top of the beans (for me this was 3/4 cup although VT recommends 1 1/2-2 cups).  Stir well to combine.

4. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.  Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil into crumbs and combine to moisten breadcrumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of the Dutch oven.  Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until top is browned and juices have bubbled down below surface, leaving brown rim around edge of crust.  Cool at least 20-25 minutes to allow beans to absorb moisture.  Serve warm.

I am submitting this to My Legume Love Affair which is being hosted at Ammalu's Kitchen.

Lentils and Shells with Cilantro-Scented Onions and Swiss Chard...Eat.Live.Be. for a Better 2011!

Let me explain to you how you should not train for a marathon.

You should not decide it's a good idea to spend five hours on your feet the night before an 18 mile run.  No, I'm not quite sure why you volunteered to cook 12 pounds of pulled pork, homemade barbecue sauce and a layer cake for your sister's birthday party the next day.

I also can't quite figure out why the the pork shoulder you ordered from Fresh Direct still had a piece of skin still attached to it.  That has nothing to do with marathon training but it explains why you also had to cook some chickpeas because after having to break out your anatomy skills to get that pork in working order, you just couldn't bring yourself to ingest it.



You should not spend the first six miles of your 18 mile run with burning pains shooting up and down your lower calves.  You should have, instead, insisted that your physical therapist see you that Friday.  Even though he thinks you need space.  You don't need space.  You need a calf massage.  Plain and simple.

You should not give up after those first six miles of pain.  Because, lo and behold, after a good long stretch, your calves may suddenly decide to be totally functional!  And then may just carry you through the next 12 miles, mostly pain free!  (Yes. I 'm shocked as well.  They are so fickle that if they didn't have two X chromosomes, I'd swear they were a man.)



I'm going to slightly switch gears now, but motivation is a funny thing.  So many things in life that we think are physical, are actually really totally mental.  Running a marathon.  Losing weight.  Gaining weight. 

I told myself that I was going to run 18 miles this weekend.  So I ran it.  Most of the time I was doing it, it sucked.  But I didn't want to let myself down.

Four years ago, I told myself I was going to recover from an eating disorder.  So I did it. I ate my way back to a healthy weight and then I blogged myself back to a healthy relationship with food.

And then I overdid it and started to rely on food for emotional support.  But food isn't going to make me happy.  And that's something I need to tell myself every day.  I've gone through spurts of being motivated this month, and also spurts of being unmotivated.  Usually I'll go strong for a few days, then splurge a little and have this total mental breakdown where I feel like I should just eat everything because I've already screwed everything up.  Interestingly enough, these mental breakdowns are strongly linked to the days before we have an exam.  So there's a bit of test anxiety thrown in there as well.  Great.  Just what I need. 

Our topic for this week's Eat.Live.Be. is motivation and how you can get it.  I don't know if I really have an answer to that.  I try new strategies every week. This week, I plan on telling myself that if I can run 18 miles at a stretch, I can do anything.  And also that if I want to be able to run an even stronger 19 miles next week, I need to treat my body well.  It doesn't like running on high doses of sugar and saturated fat.  And honestly, neither do I.

So if you guys have any strategies for staying motivated on this living healthy journey, then please write a post about it and link here or leave a message in the comments!  Thanks for listening and for always being so supportive.  I appreciate it.




And check out how the other Eat.Live.Be. bloggers stay motivated!

• Sarah Caron - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate O’Malley - www.sweetnicks.com
• Maris Callahan - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris Arpante - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com - e-mail
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com.
• Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
• Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
• Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com
• Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com
• Gwen of Simply Healthy Family
  

For me, at least, a huge part of staying motivated lies in putting food that I can feel good about into my body.  But I'm a food blogger.  So it can't taste like cardboard, either.  This pasta is perfect for this. It's loaded with good-for-you things, like whole wheat noodles, lentils and swiss chard.  And it's flavor is absolutely addictive.  The smoky cumin pairs perfectly with the fresh-flavored cilantro (or parsley for those of you who think cilantro smells like soap!) and the sweet caramelized onions so that each bite is absolutely mesmerizing.  And it even tastes better the next day.  The gift that keeps on giving. In more ways than one.


Lentils and Shells with Cilantro-Scented Onions and Swiss Chard
Serves 4, adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers


1 cup green (Le Puy) or black (Beluga) lentils
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch swiss chard, the leaves torn off the stems into strips
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chopped mint
1 large lime
1/2 lb small pasta shells (I used conchiglie)

1. Simmer the lentils in 6 cups water with the bay leaf and thyme and 1/2 tsp salt until very soft but not mushy, about 35 minutes or so.  If there is still water left in the pot, pour out most of it, leaving just enough that the lentils stay moist.  Cover and let stand when finished. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

2. While the lentils are cooking, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro, cumin and mint.  Turn off the heat and squeeze the limes over the onions.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. When the pasta water boils, add salt and the pasta and cook until al dente.  Scoop it out with a slotted spoon and add it to the lentils.  Add the chard to the pot and cook until just wilted, 2-3 minutes.  Add the chard to the lentils and pasta. 

4. In a large bowl, toss the lentils, pasta and spinach with the onions.  Taste for salt and season with pepper. 

I am submitting this to:
Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Debbi of Debbi Does Dinner Healthy and Low Calorie
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
The Hearth and Soul Bloghop