White Beans and Cabbage...Eat.Live.Be.

I think we can all agree that in the realm of bloggerdom, I don't exactly fit into the minimalist niche.

5-ingredient-fix, 5-dollar-dinners.  Not my thing.

I mean really.  If we're putting it bluntly.

I have a well-stocked spice cabinet and I know how to use it.



And then, to throw a wrench in my best-laid spice blends.  Along came Heidi.

Somehow.  Some way. Heidi Swanson manages to combine six of the most basic ingredients known to man. 

Potatoes.  White beans.  Cabbage.  Red onion.  Olive oil.  Parmesan cheese.

All things you probably already have on hand. (Or can buy for about a dollar a pound.)

And turns them into a miraculously delicious comfort food.

So incredibly addictive.  That it might even make you think about paring down your spice cabinet to the "bare essentials".  Going from six shelves to four.  Asking yourself if you really need eight different kinds of curry powder. (The answer is invariably yes. But at least you've done some introspection.  That counts for something,  right?) 

Or, um.  Something like that.



This week at Eat.Live.Be. we're talking about summer!

And personally, I'm excited about it.  I'm excited about the CSA that I'll be getting starting in June.  I'm excited about marathon training and running outside and getting so tan I don't even know what to do with myself.

And I'm excited about more recipes like this.  Recipes that are filled with produce that is so delicious that you don't even need anything to make them taste good.  Unadulterated.  Food at it's finest.

Check out the other Eat.Live.Be-ers to see what excites them about summer!

• 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
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

White Beans and Cabbage
Serves 4, adapted from Super Natural Every Day


2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into tiny cubes
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup dried white beans, soaked and cooked
8 oz finely shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes and a big pinch of salt.  Toss, cover, and cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.  Be sure to scrape the pan and toss the potatoes once or twice so that all sides get browned.

2. Stir in the shallot and the beans.  Let the beans cook in a single layer for a few minutes, until they brown a bit.  Then scrape and toss again.  Cook until the beans are lightly brown and crispy on all sides.

3. Stir in the cabbage and cook for another minute, until the cabbage loses its structure.  Serve dusted with parmesan.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Let's call this exhibit A.

Yes, I do realize that in all likelihood these are too cute to testify in a court of law.

But desperate times call for desperate measures.  And these babies hold the key to many unanswered questions.



For instance.  When the DA asks, "Joanne, what did you do the night before your boards exam?"

Or, "Joanne, why are you stumbling around as if in some sort of hyperglycemic coma?"

Or, "Joanne, against all odds, could you and your brother actually come from the same gene pool?"



I won't even need to speak.  I'll just turn. And point. And turn a lovely shade of fuchsia.

And then, when he's not looking, I'll shove a cupcake in his mouth.

Am I averse to playing dirty?  Cheating the system?  Absolutely not.

Especially if chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed cupcakes are involved.

Amen to that.

(And while we're at it...amen to the fact that San Francisco has such ideal running weather.  7 miles of Berkeley yesterday and these cupcakes are but a haze of a memory on my thighs. Love that.  Especially since they need to make room for Tartine and Bi-Rite and Humphry Slocombe.  Sigh. I think I need to go for another run.  Or twenty.)



So, yes. I finally got my brother to request something other than vanilla-flavored boringness for his birthday.

Whether I had to brainwash him in order to do it...yet to be determined. I plead the fifth.  You heard nothing.  Got it?

And so the night before the boards I did in fact find myself in my kitchen, baking cupcakes. It was actually ideal timing because I needed something to distract me and I felt too nauseous to sneak massive amounts of cake batter samples from the mixing bowl. 

End result?  Amazing.  This is basically every craving you've ever had in one cupcake.  While the cupcake itself is a pretty standard chocolate chip cupcake, the cookie dough batter is spot on.  And the frosting?  Swoon.  The flour added to it gives it the texture of cookie dough and the hint of salt definitely adds a little something something. If you catch my drift.

And sure, maybe someday they'll be used against you in a court of law.  But let's be honest.  They're not really going to last that long.



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Makes 24, adapted from Annie's Eats

For the Cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 2/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the Filling
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp AP flour
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the Frosting
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp almond milk
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides after each addition.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir together to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mix on low speed, alternating with the milk, so that you start and end with the dry goods.  Mix only until just incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  All to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

4. To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture has firmed up, about an hour.  Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight (what I did).

5. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped hole in the center of each of them.  Eat Taste test those cone-shaped centers.  Fill each hole with a chunk of the cookie dough mixture.

6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until creamy.  Mix in the confectioner's sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well-blended.

7. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!

Coconut Macadamia Nut-Crusted Mahimahi with Tropical Salsa

Ever wanted to eat a pina colada for dinner?  Here's your chance!  Check out my post on Marcus Samuelsson's site to see how!

Muhammara-Style Shakshouka

Before I left for San Francisco, I felt compelled to purge all of the non-perishables from my refrigerator.

Pomegranate molasses for some reason had to go.

And eggs.  I had to do something with eggs.  Sure, they'd probably still be just dandy next week when I got back.

In fact, I'm sure I've kept a carton of eggs unused in my fridge for far longer.

But no.  Not this time.



The radishes, on the other hand?

They're still in my crisper drawer.  And I'm 3,000 miles away.

Obviously.

And truly, while we're being honest, I don't even really like radishes.  But you shouldn't let me loose in a farmer's market when I have index cards spewing forth from my pockets.  I end up doing impulsive non-sensical things.  And become enraptured with inanimate objects.  Radishes being a key example.



Those eggs weren't just any eggs, though, which is maybe why I was so disinclined to leave them to die in my fridge with those evil radishes. 

They were special.

I got them for free from Eggland's Best, along with a directive to "create an original recipe". 

While you're studying for the boards, you probably shouldn't really be doing things like creating original recipes for special eggs, especially when eggs are the hardest things to think of original things to do with.  But think I did.

It consumed me for weeks.  (Seriously, though.  Who cares about mycobacterium avium intracellulare when you have special eggs in your fridge?  Most certainly not I.)

Until I developed the compulsion to really examine the contents of my fridge.



It was my own little "rapture" if you will.  But instead of being swept up into heaven, God threw eggs and pomegranate molasses at me and told me to go forth and make a shakshouka muhammara mix. 

A shaked up shakshouka. 

Sounds like a new Ricky Martin hit. So let's all shake our bon bons, live la vida loca, and get cooking, shall we?



I loved the combination of the sweet-tart pomegranate molasses with the acidic tomatoes and the tangy feta, especially once it is all pulled together with some runny yolk.  A match made in brunch or breakfast heaven.

Muhammara-Style Shakshouka
Serves 3, an Eats Well With Others Original


3 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned, and seeded
2 oz walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
pinch red pepper flakes
6 eggs
1/4 cup parsley
3 oz feta
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Combine the roasted red peppers, walnuts, onion, and garlic in a food processor and process until the combined.

2. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, combine the red pepper blend, molasses, tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes so that flavors can meld.  Add salt to taste. 

3. Crack the eggs into the pan and into the sauce, gently, so that the yolks don't break.  Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until set.  Sprinkle with feta and parsley and serve.

**I received these Eggland's Best Eggs for free as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.  However, my thoughts and opinions on them are my own and I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.

Savory Rhubarb and Chipotle Goat Cheese Pizza...Eat.Live.Be.!

I'm fairly certain I hyperventilated at least once every hour this weekend, as if that would stop time or insert pharmacologic mechanisms of action or adverse drug reactions into my brain.

It was fruitless.  Time passes whether you want it to or not.  Exams come and go.  You go through your index cards however many times you go through them.

And then, when it all comes down to it.  You hope for the best.



If you are reading this between the hours of 8AM and 4PM on Monday then my palms are sweaty.

I'm shaking, slightly.  (Resting tremor?  Essential tremor? Intention tremor? The classic triad of too much caffeine, too little sleep, and being forced to sit through the USMLE Step One exam?

Or syphilis (because to have a differential diagnosis without syphilis is to go against everything Dr. House has taught you in the past 24 years of your life)?  Well.  At least we can definitely cross off syphilis.)

My epinephrine is possibly higher than it is two hours into a marathon.  Minus the runner's high.

And for better or for worse, in a few hours, I can move on with my life.  What a relief.



I've been pretty discombobulated lately.

Stumbling around with index cards falling out of every pocket.

Taking pictures of strawberries sitting next to rhubarb and posting them even though strawberries do not appear even for a second in this recipe.  (My mind does weird things under duress.) 

Stress eating every single one of the oddly placed strawberries as I was waiting for this pizza to cook.  (That's a pound of strawberries in ten minutes.  If they hadn't been there, it probably would have been a pound of cheese. So I think this worked out better for everyone.)

And using an entire bundle of rhubarb in savory rather than sweet recipes.

So. Weird.

Yet, this pizza is the most addictive thing I've made all week.

A pizza topped with a compote of rhubarb, balsamic vinegar, and cranberry juice.  Capped off with a smoky chipotle-infused goat cheese.  Unlikely pairings, all of them.  But somehow. It works.

I implore you to try it.  Beg of you.  It'll make your week better (and don't we all need to start off our Mondays with a little more optimism?).  Just...don't blame me if you end up eating half of it for dinner.  Even though it says it serves 4.

Self control under stress is not in my skill set.  (See strawberry binge above).



This week at Eat.Live.Be. we are talking about how we've changed things up in the past 5 months.  Kept things interesting.  Well, I'll be honest. I feel like for the first 3 months, I vacillated between really being committed to this and giving into temptation.  It was all extremes, all the time.  I was either knee-deep in salad or brownie batter.  No middle ground.

And it's only now, in the past two months, that I've really committed to looking and feeling better.  To caring about myself.  In a well-balanced way.

I may have a brownie for dessert one night.  And then I may not the next.  No biggie.  One brownie in a sea of good healthy food doesn't make or break you.  That's what I'm trying to learn.

I run in moderation (well, as moderate as possible now that marathon training is starting up again).  But I also take strength training classes...two to three a week, which is new for me.

I used to be super skinny with the bare minimum of muscles and, sure, I could run pretty damn fast.  But it ended up in a pelvic stress fracture (or two) that is only now, over a year later, beginning to feel really truly healed.  This time around, I want to be toned and strong. I want to be able to run for the rest of my life, not just for today, even if that means slowing down, seeing the scenery, and letting go a little.

So I guess I'm mixing things up by keeping things balanced.  Which, for me. Is new and uncharted territory.  We'll see how it goes.

How do you keep things interesting and change things up in order to help you stay on track with your healthy living goals?  Write a post about it or leave a message in the comments!

And feel free to check out these other Eat.Live.Be-ers posts!

• 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
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

Savory Rhubarb and Chipotle Goat Cheese Pizza
Serves 4, an Eats Well With Others Original

Pizza Dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast with 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar.  This should start to foam within about five minutes. If it doesn't, then your yeast has probably gone bad.  Not good.  Try again with some new yeast.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, sea salt, olive oil, and remaining water.  Add the yeast mixture.  Stir on speed 2 with a bread hook until combined.  Then stir for 2 minutes on speed 2 to knead.  Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for two hours.

3. After two hours, cover it in flour and form it into a ball.  Allow to rest for 20 minutes.  Roll out onto a pizza peel if using a baking stone or a pizza pan if not.


For the Pizza:
1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cornstarch
4 oz chipotle goat cheese (essentially 1 4 oz log goat cheese rolled in chipotle chile powder. Yes, I paid money for this. Yes, I realize now how silly that was.  Roll your own goat cheese in chile powder. Save a dollar or two.)
Basil

1. Preheat oven to 500 (or as hot as it will go!)  In a medium skillet, combine the rhubarb, cranberry juice, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and ginger and bring to a boil.  Boil until it starts to thicken, adding 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water if necessary.  Simmer until it has the consistency of a loose cranberry sauce.

2. Roll out your pizza dough.  Top with the rhubarb mixture, leaving about a 1-inch crust around the edges.  Sprinkle goat cheese on top.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the underside of the dough is lightly browned.  Remove from oven and top with basil.  Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Sweet and Salty Brownies

Let's talk about something real today.

Current events? Politics? Religion?

Here's something.  Yesterday I ordered my groceries on-line.  It felt heretical.  It felt momentous.  It felt like something that should be on the evening news.

Yet, for some odd reason, Katie Couric did not appear at my apartment to interview me.  Which is why I'm sharing with you now.  The world needs to know.

It was an action born of necessity.  The necessity to learn how to be a doctor before Monday.  That, apparently, trumps meandering around Whole Foods with a sparkle in my eye and the wind in my hair.  Not my rules, but I still have to live by them.




You want to hear something else?

The world is ending on Saturday.


And, I'll be honest with you.  I'm pretty pissed about it.

I should be in Paris eating croissants. Or Italy, making out with a hot skeevy beautiful Italian man.  Or at Ben and Jerry's headquarters consuming Vermonsters like my life depends on it.

Instead, I'll be surrounding by index cards.  What a way to go.



That's why I need to share this recipe with you today.  Get it off my chest and into your stomach.

Cause you're going to be really sad if the world does in fact end and you haven't ever eaten these.

After I made my crystallized ginger dark chocolate brownies, I was pretty sure that I had reached the pinnacle of brownie baking.  I was wrong.

These sweet and salty brownies from Baked Explorations have (a) more chocolate in them and (b) a middle layer of salty caramel that seeps into the batter so that while you can't necessarily taste it outright, you are most certainly swept away by how amazingly rich and seductive it makes them.  This is the last brownie recipe you'll ever need.

Which, um. Is a good thing.  You know. Given the circumstances of Saturday.

I highly advise that you make them.  Tonight.  Right now.  Time is of the essence.




Sweet and Salty Brownies
Makes 12 large brownies or 24 small brownies, adapted from Baked Explorations

For the Caramel Filling
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp fleur de sel (I used sea salt)
1/4 cup greek yogurt

For the Brownie
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped (I used Callebaut, which is sold at Whole Foods)
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water, stirring them together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan.  Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, or until the mixture is dark amber in color (beware it will go from golden brown to burnt very quickly!), 6-8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and slowly add the cream (be careful, it will bubble up!) and then the fleur de sel.  Whisk in the greek yogurt.  Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9x13 inch pan.  Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

5. Place the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl.  Set over a pan of simmering water (basically, a double boiler) and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined.  Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars.  Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan.  Let sit until it's at room temperature.

6. Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.  Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined.  Add the vanilla and stir until combined.  DO NOT OVERBEAT, as this will make the brownies cakey.

7. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate.  Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is only a trace amount of flour visible.

8. Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel (no more, otherwise it will pour out over the edges and burn.  You will have extra.  Eat it with a spoon. I dare you.) over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern, taking care to make sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan or it will burn (see, told ya so).  Use your offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer.  In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer.  Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.

9. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick in the center of the pan.  The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

10. Remove the brownies from the oven.  Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Indian-Spiced Chickpeas with Rhubarb and Spinach

Think rhubarb is only good in cobblers, pies, and crisps?  Think again!  My new post over at the Marcus Samuelsson blog for Indian-spiced chickpeas with rhubarb and spinach shows you why!

Tofu (or Chicken) in Green Chile, Mint and Cilantro Sauce with Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower

A few weeks ago, my brother came over for dinner.

(Don't you just love stories about my brother?  Today is his birthday.  And his graduation.  And he's taking his third actuarial exam so that he can be let into the world to do things like run statistics for Deloitte and travel all over the globe while leaving his poor sister alone and lonely in New York.  And instead of holding his hand as he walks down the aisle, I'll be in my apartment learning about the musculoskeletal system and convincing myself that I have every autoimmune disease under the sun.  I wish I could be there instead of here, diagnosing myself with lupus for the 62nd time this year.  Sigh.  Good luck Daniel!)

By which I mean, he bought food on the way over from a doctor's appointment and ate it at my kitchen table.

My.Kitchen.Table. Which hasn't seen any take-out other than sushi in the two years since I've lived here.

It almost buckled under the weight of his chicken parm sandwich from the sheer shock of it all.  So did I.



It was almost as if his sister isn't a food blogger and thus doesn't have mounds of food on hand at every second of every day to stuff down his throat!  What kind of weirdo crazy bizarro world does he live in!?!?

Unclear.

He may be able to crunch numbers faster than I can eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (okay...probably not), but he has a lot to learn about life.

At least he requested something other than a vanilla cupcake for his birthday this year.  But only after I twisted his arm a few times and threatened to hit him with the pounds upon pounds of blocks of chocolate I always seem to have in my apartment.  Progress.  Baby steps. 



Anyway, he ate his greasy calorie-clogging sandwich and I ate my curry.  We talked, we laughed, we studied.  (Yes.  We studied.  Him: previously mentioned actuarial exam.  Me: the-test-that-shall-not-be-named-that-I-shall-take-in-five-days. Yikes.)

And then he went home and told my mother that I had had mush for dinner.

MUSH!

I only know this because she called me in a state of panic about the situation.  She was almost in tears at the thought of her daughter eating mush and even though she was trying to be so cool, calm, and collected about it, I could hear the gasps for air and smothered sobs that infiltrated every word as she asked me what I had had for dinner that night.  She can be so melodramatic.

It was awkward.

I can't imagine where she gets it from.



I don't think they understand that I was probably born into the wrong continent.  In all likelihood, I was supposed to grow up on curry and eat naan for breakfast every day.

Nirvana.

Well, there's only one way to make up for lost time.  And that's to finally cook from the six thousand cookbooks I own with the word "curry" in the title.  That I've been too intimidated to tackle for the past few years that I've owned them.

Up till now they've sat, collecting dust, on my shelf.  Because, you know, it's hard to just delve into food that isn't ingrained in your bone structure.  I mean, I'm pretty sure every one of my meta-tarsals can make tomato sauce on a whim. But curry powder?  Garam masala?  Cardamom pods? 

A xenophobe's worst nightmare.

However, the only way to tackle a phobia is by sensitizing yourself to it.  Dive in bellybutton first.  Let's go.



This dish takes a spicy Indian version of chimichurri and pairs it with a warming cinnamon/cardamom-infused yogurt sauce so that it creates a beautiful medley of flavor in every bite.  Perfect to top some sauteed tofu (or paneer or chicken), sweet potatoes, and cauliflower, the latter two of which I just happened to have on hand and which also just happened to work perfectly here.  Definitely not your average bowl of mush.  Not by a long shot.

Tofu in Green Chile, Mint and Cilantro Sauce
Serves 4, adapted from Curry Bible

1 lb sweet potato, sliced into coins
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stalks
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 tsp dried ginger
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 fresh green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 package tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed (feel free to use chicken or paneer!)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Put your sweet potato coins in a lined and greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and roast until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes.  When done, remove from oven and set aside.

2. Place the cilantro, spinach, ginger, garlic, chiles, mint, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor or blender and process to a smooth paste.  Add a little water, if necessary, to facilitate blade movement in blender.  (I added about 2 tbsp).  Remove and set aside.

3. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and set aside.  Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

4. Add the tofu and stir fry over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges start to brown.  add the turmeric, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to taste and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the cauliflower florets.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, covered, so they steam.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the yogurt.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add the sweet potatoes and cook until heated through.

5. Add the herb and spice mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.  Remove from the heat.  Serve over rice, with naan, or on a tortilla if you have no regard for cultural norms (ahem).

I am submitting this to to Hearth and Soul Blog Hop!

Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Feta...Eat.Live.Be!

I've felt these past two weeks as if I were starting life over again. 

One of my friends noticed the difference the other day when he saw me in our lobby.  "You look...happy?", were his words. 

I had no real answer other than that I happened to wake up on the right side of the bed that morning, but that really if he had seen me the day before I probably would have been a full force kind of disaster.  Category 5 hurricane-esque.  Good days, bad days.  We all have 'em.  So who knows.

But then I thought about it.  And you know?  I have been happier lately.  (Aside from Saturday, of course, when I saw the cutest little two year old at Starbucks and almost started to cry after my ovaries exploded in my peritoneal cavity.  That was fun.) 



Maybe it's the fact that I can feel myself starting to be able to run again. Not perfectly or entirely pain-free or quickly.  But I don't feel like I'm lopsided anymore.  I ran a 10K on Saturday (even though my physical therapist threatened me with his eyes when I told him I was going to do it.  Psshhhhh.  They don't scare me. I can take them.).  Really ran it.  And it felt like I was being reborn.  And the more I can run, the more I want to do good things for myself and my body.  Eat better.  Be kinder.  Not look at myself with denigrating eyes (the kind of eyes that will take this outside and then kick you when you're down.  Now those...those scare me).

Maybe it's the fact that in a week I will be headed to San Francisco to see my best friend.  She is going to make me feel whole again.  Completely.  Entirely.  We are going to laugh so hard that our stomach's hurt and I am going to cook her deliciously healthy food (what, did you people think I was going to go on vacation and not cook!  What kind of a vacation would that be?) and walk everywhere and visit the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market every day and spend so much money there that I can't afford to come home and thus will have to stay forever.  Oh and we are going to eat mass amounts of Bi-Rite ice cream. 

And I want to see you.  Yes.  YOU.  If you live in and around SF please please please email me and we can make a date!  I haven't been on dates in a long time.  So I should warn you, I'm a little out of practice.  But you'll think it's cute and charming and endearing, right?  I hope so.



Really, though. I think this newfound happiness of mine likely has something to do with the fact that I discovered good feta cheese.  Real feta cheese.  The Whole Foods container even goes so far as to call it "authentic Greek feta cheese". 

Okay so maybe it's not the most real authentic serious feta cheese in the world.  But compared to the pre-crumbled stuff that I used to buy...I promise there's no comparison.  That cheap-o stuff was dry.  And so tangy and powdery that it hurt to eat it.  (Though that never really stopped me.)

But this feta cheese?  It's creamy.  Addictive.  It melts in your mouth.  It's everything you never knew that feta cheese could be.  You'll somehow find yourself in your kitchen mindlessly cutting slices off the block of it while you wait for your cauliflower to cook.  Oh and yes, you'll be making this recipe while you're doing it (duh).  Because though the components of this sound very plain Jane boring.  Their whole is so much greater than the sum of their parts.  The tangy acidic white wine vinegar combo is cut beautifully by the fatty walnuts and feta cheese.  And the cauliflower and pasta just soak it all in.  Bask in it.  Really, it's glorious. 



Today at Eat.Live.Be. we are looking back at that habit we were going to try to break two weeks ago.  Remember that?  You thought I wasn't going to hold you accountable for that, didn't you?  Well, I am like an elephant. I never forget (unless we're talking about embryology, autonomic drugs, or how to tell the difference between nephrotic and nephritic syndrome...then I forget within hours. Apparently.) 

So first I'll tell you how I did.  My goal was to try to stop seeing food in such binary terms.  Good v. bad.  Black and white.  Not even a speckle of gray.  In the hopes that this would cut down on the guilt and berating and subsequent binges as soon as I "messed up".  While I did have some slip-ups along the way, I would say that on the whole I've done pretty well.  Sure, I taste tested a few cheesecake bars and a brownie or two but I didn't let it ruin the rest of my day.  There were a few hours of self-denigration, to be sure.  But then I did something completely novel. I moved on. Without trying to nibble on everything else in my kitchen.  It was weird.  And awesome.  And has certainly contributed to my current state of happiness. 

So how have you guys done?  Leave a comment or write a post about it!

And be sure to see how all the other Eat.Live.Be-ers have done!

• 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
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Feta
Serves 3, adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

1 head cauliflower
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2-1 lemon
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 oz GOOD feta cheese (no crumbles!)

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.  Chop the cauliflower into small florets.  Peel the onion and slice it very thin.  Peel and finely chop the garlic.  When water comes to a boil, cook pasta until al dente (or to desired consistency).

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the cauliflower and saute.  When it begins to soften, season with salt and pepper and add onion and red pepper flakes, cooking until the veggies are brown and tender.  Add the garlic and remove from the heat, tossing and stirring so the garlic will cook but not burn.

3.  Add 1/2 lemon's worth of juice to the veggies to start and the white wine vinegar.  Add the walnuts and parsley. Mix and season to taste either more salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon juice.

4. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the cauliflower.  Taste again for vinegar and lemon juice, as well as salt and pepper.  Serve with the cheese crumbled over the top.

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
Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Cassie of The Kitchen Alchemist

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Bad things are brewing in my kitchen.

I have three pounds of Callebaut chocolate sitting (hiding) in my purse.  Three trays of brownies to bake for two bake sales.  (Yes, my brownies are going to be at the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale NYC!  So what time will you be stopping by?)

My hair is in some kind of bun/ponytail that I apparently attempted to master whilst sleeping.  Mastery in REM is not  my forte.  For the record.  No, I’m probably not going to take it out before I leave my apartment.  It has a look to it.  Not the kind of look that will get me married or even a first date.  But a look nonetheless.

And instead of tackling those brownies or making myself look a person who is not on hallucinogenic drugs.  I woke up yesterday and was struck by the notion that blueberries exist in this world.

They do.  They really do.

And not only that, but they desperately need to be baked with!

So I consulted with you people on Twitter.  And you all said cheesecake.  I suggested a myriad of baked blueberry goods.  And all I got in response was “cheesecake CHEESECAKE CHEESECAKE”.  You people have one track minds.

I like it.

And thus, on a wing and a prayer and with a little nudging from cyberspace, these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars were brought into this world at approximately 9AM on Thursday morning.  And it was love at first taste test.  And second taste test.  And third taste test. 

Okay, let’s just not talk about taste tests anymore.  Instead, let’s just suffice it to say that lemon and blueberry were meant to be together, especially when a lemony cream cheese base and a cinnamon graham cracker crust is involved. 

And in case you’re worried about the state of my thighs after making these, have no fear.  I gave the vast majority (post taste testing, of course) to my physical therapist after he complained last week that I baked brownies without bringing him any.  (Apparently if you want baked goods from me, all you have to do is bitch and moan a little. I’m a pushover.)

I even convinced him that they were healthy.  “Look, blueberries!”  I said. 

And when he looked at me dubiously, I put my hands on my hips and said, “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

He knows that’s not true, but sometimes people only hear what they want to hear.  And, well.  That’s really not my fault now is it?

**Before you go, feel free to check out my latest post on Marcus Samuelsson's site!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Makes 1 8x8-inch pan, adapted from Tyler Florence 

2 tbsp sugar
9 cinnamon graham crackers
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
a pinch of salt
16 oz reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
2 lemons, juiced and zested
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries


1. Preheat oven to 325.


2. Grease the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan.  Cover it with parchment paper and then grease that.  In a food processor, process the sugar and graham crackers until they are the texture of bread crumbs.  Add in the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate.  Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden.  Set aside to cool.


3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and sugar, mixing until well-combined and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled graham cracker base.  Sprinkle the blueberries on top.


4. Bake for 35 minutes or until the center only jiggles slightly.  Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for 3 hours.

Coriander Tofu (or Chicken) Tostadas with Refried Beans and "Grilled" Fennel

They say you learn something new every day.

Well.  That sounds promising for those of us who have to learn all of medicine in two weeks.

Unless.

Instead of learning the many and varied side effects of anti-epileptics ((k) all of the above).  (Yes, sometimes the answer choices go to "k".) 

Instead of figuring out which hole in your skull each and every cranial nerve comes out of (play odds - superior orbital fissure).

Instead of being a productive member of the medical profession in any way shape or form.



You have spent the majority of your week trying to learn how to eat a tostada.

Really.  It's baffling.

Now, I'm not even going to begin to pretend that these are real tostadas.  They have a floppy and not a crispy shell, which is probably a large part of the problem.  (And if you were still buried beneath 100 million thousand of the best tortillas you've ever had then you wouldn't go out and buy tostada shells either.) 

But.

Seriously.

Do you pick it up and eat it like a pizza?  Or cut it with a knife and fork (please say it's not this one because I really hate eating with a knife and fork)?  Or roll it up into a pseudo burrito?



Or do what I did, which was spoon the topping into my mouth as quick as humanly possible and then roll the tortilla up into a cylinder and gobble that down with reckless abandon?

That can't be the right way to do it.  With all the fillings dripping down your cheeks and all.

Can it? 

I need your professional opinions people!



This recipe and I go back.  Way back.  To January of 2011. 

When I opened up my issue of that month's Bon Appetit. Exclaimed, "YUM!" really loudly to anyone who would listen (i.e. my index card collection).  And then promptly forgot all about it. 

(It was quite untactful of me.)

But I guess I didn't really forget because when I was trying to figure out what to do with some of those tortillas that are taking up precious real estate in my fridge, it immediately sprang into my head.  Long term memory at it's finest. 

I take this as a good sign that even though I think I'm forgetting everything I shoved into my brain last week, it must be there.  Somewhere.  Right?

Anyway.  I really loved this combination of flavors and ingredients.  The coriander seeds give the tofu (or chicken, which the original recipe called for) a nice citrusy edge, which goes perfectly with the almost buttery fennel and spicy refried beans.  With some queso on top, of course. Just because that always seems like the right thing to do. 



Coriander Tofu Tostadas with Refried Beans and "Grilled" Fennel
Makes 4, adapted from Bon Appetit January 2011

Beans:
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight or 2 (15 oz) cans
1 chopped white onion
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 chipotle chiles en adobo
1 tsp ground cumin
veggie broth or cooking water from the beans/liquid from the can
coarse kosher salt

Fennel and Tofu (or Chicken):
1 large fresh fennel bulb, trimmed and cut through the core into 1/3 inch thick slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1 block extra-firm tofu, as much liquid squeezed out as possible and cut into strips (or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves)
1/3 cup coriander seeds (about 1 oz), coarsely crushed in a plastic bag
4 tortillas
3 cups thinly sliced lettuce
6 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
4 oz queso fresco
Fresh cilantro

1. If using dried beans, then boil them in salted water until soft, about 45 minutes.  Drain them, reserving some of the liquid (about 1/2 cup).  Don't be like me and forget.

2. Place the beans and the onion, oregano, garlic, chipotles, and cumin in a food processor.  Blend to a chunky puree, adding just enough of the bean water or veggie broth so that it comes together.

3. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray  and add the bean mixture. Stir over medium-low heat, adding more bean liquid/broth if dry, about 5 minutes.  Season with kosher salt and black pepper.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 450.  Spray tofu strips with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and crushed coriander seeds.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

5. In the meanwhile, saute fennel slices in the olive oil until lightly browned and crisp-tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

6. If using uncooked tortillas like I was, then cook your tortillas according to package directions.  Top each tortilla with a layer of the refried beans, lettuce, radishes, fennel, tofu, queso fresco and cilantro.

I am submitting this to My Legume Love Affair, which is being hosted by Smitha of Kannada Cuisine.