Pasta with Lentils and Zucchini

Have you heard the hype that bananas are soon-to-be no longer vegan?  There are reports of a new spray-on chemical derived from shrimp and crab shells to extend the life of the fruit.  It's pretty scary to me that companies are allowed to spray our food with whatever they choose and not label it - especially when you consider the millions of people with shellfish allergies.

The funny thing though is that bananas have been non-vegan in our household for quite some time. Remember my cat that likes to lick plastic bags?  Well I used to buy bananas from Costco (which come in plastic bags), and my cat, being the creep that he is, enjoyed licking the bags so much that after I removed the bananas from the bag, he became obsessed with licking bananas.  Now whenever bananas enter our house - bag or no bag - he has to lick them.  And since that kitty tongue has seen quite a bit of seafood is its time, if you have a seafood allergy, I wouldn't recommend eating bananas at my house either.

What does all this have to do with pasta, lentils, and zucchini?  Nothing.  Just be thankful none of these items were sprayed with chemicals or licked by a cat.

This has become my favorite go-to weeknight meal.  It's perfect for when you aren't feeling creative and just want something quick, but it's delicious and pretty enough to fool any dinner guest.  My favorite pasta of choice is always brown rice pasta, but whole wheat, quinoa, or corn pasta all work great.

Pasta with Lentils and Zucchini
Serves 4 - 6

1 cup french lentils
2 cups water
4 medium zucchini, diced
1 small yellow onion (or half a medium onion), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or another oil for high-heat)
1 pound pasta (whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, etc)
Juice from 1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  

Add lentils and water to a medium pot.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and let cook until lentils are tender and liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, toss zucchini with onions, garlic, and oil and lay flat in a single layer on sheet pan.  Roast for 15 minutes, turning at least once, until zucchini is tender and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

While lentils and zucchini is cooking, boil water for pasta and cook according to directions. Toss lentils, zucchini, and pasta together with lemon juice.  Drizzle with olive oil and top with black pepper and salt to taste.  Serve warm.

Lessons in life... from the kitchen

I've mentioned here before that I am in the process of starting my own business.  I will definitely have more to share with you all very soon, but in the meantime I am weeding my way through IRS tax tutorials and a plethora of website headaches.  I thought it might be fun to take a break from my usual recipe posts to share with you a few lessons I am learning (and re-learning) in life right now.

• We all have to start somewhere.  No one was born knowing everything. 
• Be kind to yourself because you are your toughest critic.
• Know when to outsource.  Sometimes takeout can be your friend.
• The best culinary inspiration doesn't always happen in the kitchen.  It's important to step away and take breaks because breaks are what give us perspective.
• Be kind to others.
• Overeating does not relieve stress.  It only results in bloating and a stomach ache.

• Laughter, good food and sun might just be the best medicine.
• Have compassion with yourself.  We all make mistakes and mistakes are how we learn, grow, and do better next time.
• There are times when it's important to keep going.  But there are also plenty of times when it's better to compost it and start over.
• The best things in life are free.  But plenty of good things in life are worth paying for.

What life lessons are you learning right now?

A little bit of life...

I thought it might be fun to take a break from the kitchen and show you a little bit of life right now.  It's busy.  It's thriving.  It's awesome. 

Before I was a blogger or ever felt compelled to take a photograph of my dinner, I used to create art.  I used to paint, make jewlery, scrapbook, and decorate my house.  Over time I lost touch with these things. Writing and photography has been such an amazing creative outlet for me that other creative projects have fallen by the wayside these past couple of years. 

I think that my brain is so immersed in food and writing projects at the moment that it can't handle much more.  So it's time my hands stepped up.  Over the past month I have become obsessed with making jewelry again.  I used to do a lot of intricate bead work and would make large, flashy, colorful pieces of jewelry.  This is not my style anymore so now everything is simple and delicate. 

A blog friend at Hobby and More recently asked me about donating an item for a fundraiser she is doing for the Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals in India.  I was really impressed with this organization and the work they are doing.  It also seemed like the perfect excuse to hit the bead store and spend some time crafting something new.  If you are interested in participating, you can donate items until April 21st (my item is pictured above). The fundraiser will go live on April 22nd and then you will be able to purchase raffle tickets for $10 for items that you are interested in.  For more details, visit her fundraising page.

The sun is finally out here in Seattle.  This means it's garden time!  This year I've decided to keep it simple in the garden.  I've already started some greens and herbs from seeds, but I won't be planting a full garden like I did last year.  Our landlord recently trimmed the giant tree in our backyard so now my garden is getting much more light.  It's been exciting to see beets, kale, and carrots that I planted last summer starting to emerge.  

This week I'm getting more organized!  I've been relying on my iPhone and electronic apps for my to-do lists, but with being busier and trying to balance everything in my life right now, I've really missed my old paper system.  The compromise?  I'm keeping my electronic calendar, but am going back to my to-do post its.   

This week I found something peculiar on my Comcast bill. This is the usage history bar graph showing my internet usage for the last three months.  Since April is shaping up to be roughly the same as March you might be wondering, like I was, what the heck happened in January.  Three words: Hulu Lost marathon.  No, really.  Hulu Lost marathon. 

This is my cat, Frodo, in his favorite chair. Sleeping twelve hours every day is a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. 

It's lunch time!  You didn't really think I would be able to get away without talking about food in this post, did you?  My food motto at the moment is keep it simple and eat more raw foods.  Lunch for the past two weeks has been a giant raw salad with some garbanzo or black beans and snacks have consisted of raw veggies.  I was at Costco over the weekend picking up some paper products and decided to load up on some bulk greens.  You can't tell from this picture that there's another bag of kale as well as a 5 pound bag of peas hiding in the mass.  I think the cashier was a little horrified that this is all going to be consumed by one person this week. 

What are the highlights of your week so far? 

Spinach and Kale Salad with Pear Vinaigrette

Here's a little writing tip for you... If you should ever find yourself racking your brain for writing topics and coming up short, write about cats.  Everyone has an opinion on cats.  Hopefully your readers' opinions are favorable, but even if they are not maybe they'll stick around long enough to tell you that your cats look creepy.  It's okay... 'cause mine totally do.

This week we had a new addition to the family, and like any good mother, I have to share photos and brag.  If you've been hanging around this blog for awhile you've probably met Bilbo by now.  Frodo is the new little brother.  10 pounds, 5 ounces, and energetic as heck.  Try and stop that guy from climbing your curtains.  Just try.  

And just to set the record straight: neither of their names were my idea.  But once the vet starts referring to you as the "Lord of The Rings Mom," you just kinda have to go with it.  If Lord of The Rings is not the natural transition to talking about spinach and kale salad with pear vinaigrette then I don't know what is.

This is the perfect salad for fall because it's hearty and goes well with the warm, comforting dishes that we love this time of year.  The pear dressing adds a nice bit of sweetness that livens up the kale and spinach.  You can use red kale like I did for color contrast, but any type of kale will do.  I liked adding pecans, dried cranberries, lemon zest, and white pepper for extra flavor, but you can easily leave these items out or add in your favorites.  

Pear Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 pear, diced

1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add pear, water, and sherry vinegar to food processor.  Add olive oil in a thin stream with the blade running.  Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and re-processing as necessary.

Spinach and Kale Salad

Serves 4

4 large kale leaves, destemmed, and chopped

4 cups spinach leaves, chopped

1/2 pear, sliced

1/3 cup pecans, optional

1/4 cup (fresh or dried) cranberries, optional

zest from 1 lemon, optional

ground white pepper, optional

Add dressing to kale in large bowl.  Massage dressing onto kale with your hands, thoroughly rubbing the leaves.  (This will help to break down the kale and make it less tough.) Toss with the spinach.  Divide the salad among four plates and top with pears, pecans, cranberries, lemon zest, and white pepper if desired. 

Spicy Roasted Golden Beets

Some people's apartments smell like vanilla and cinnamon sugar.  These people make me jealous.  They make me want to go home and light vanilla-scented candles while baking cookies.  But I just end up watching Bridesmaids instead. 

Other people's apartments smell like citrus and orange blossoms.  These usually happen to be the people that have perfectly organized kitchen drawers and labels in their pantry.  As much as I have tried to be like you, it just isn't going to happen.  Not this year at least. 

I've been told that my apartment smells like lavender, but I sometimes worry that it really smells like beets and cats.  I think the neighbors might be in on this little secret too since I've been roasting root veggies every night this week.  Oh well.  Maybe it will just inspire you to come home and make roasted beets.  I promise I won't judge if you end up watching Bridesmaids instead.

Spicy Roasted Golden Beets

Serves 4

2 bunches of medium golden beets, tops trimmed and quartered

2 Tbs coconut oil

Spices:

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon paprika

a pinch of chile powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss beets with oil and lay flat on sheet pan.  Toss with spice mixture.  Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Sprinkle with some additional salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve warm.

Vida Vegan Con 2011

What do you do after attending Vida Vegan Con? 

1. Celebrate
2. Sleep
3. Blog

So here I am.

Vida Vegan Con 2011 was held in Portland, Oregon this past weekend and is the first-ever conference of its kind to unite vegan bloggers from around the globe.  How cool is that?!  The next conference is said to be in 2013 although no location has been announced yet. 

After three days of engaging with fellow bloggers, soaking up information in workshops & panels, and honing my own skills as a writer and photographer, here is what I've learned...

Photography Workshop

iPhone cameras can take decent photographs.  Don't believe me?  I'm pretty sure Isa can convince you. 

Cupcakes from Sweetpea Baking Company

Vegan cupcakes are the best.  Seriously, awesome.  I pretty much spent all weekend on a mega sugar rush. Especially after...

The extensive sundae bar with Coconut Bliss ice cream.  It pretty much was the death of me.  (But only because it was so amazing...)

And that is exactly how I learned that I cannot go a single day without consuming fresh juice or something really, really green.  Lucky for me, Portland has a juice bar called Prasad that saved my life.

Marketing Panel

I also learned that social media is really just about being social... and authentic.

The PSU dorm rooms don't come with AC, but they sure do come with a gorgeous view at sunrise.

Galarama & Silent Auction for Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

There are hundreds of other people in the world that can't live without taking pictures at every meal and think tempeh is seriously rad.

When given the choice between champagne and sparkling cider I should always choose the cider.

My cat is mega cute... but very mischievous when I am away.

Portland is one of the most beautiful cities and morning runs on the waterfront are mandatory.

Podcasting Workshop

Podcasts are a lot of work and as much as I would like to start one... I think I would rather just listen to 'em.

Most importantly, I learned about what matters in my life.  And that is you, my friend.  Cooking and food blogging is something that I couldn't do without each and every one of my readers.  You are the ones that make it fun and rewarding to slave behind a stove and photograph every recipe so that someone besides myself can drool over it for awhile.  I appreciate your every comment, email, and visit to this blog.  Thank you for supporting me in what I love to do and sharing in my passion for food!

Salud!

This weekend...

This weekend began with a trip to the U-District farmer's market.  I loaded up on plenty of donut peaches, lapin cherries, zucchini, yellow wax beans, golden beets, corn, and these gorgeous little tomatoes. There's nothing like fresh, ripe tomatoes in the middle of summer and I just can't get enough this month.

For lunch I attempted to make pizza from scratch.  It was a big fail.  Major.

This was my first try at making pizza dough and I think I might have added too much flour and/or kneaded it a bit too much. Regardless, it was such a big fail that we ended up getting take out instead.

This afternoon I decided that if my cat could speak, he would sound like Alan Rickman (aka Professor Snape). That's kinda freaky, huh?

We spent the majority of today painting our apartment and adding in this merlot accent wall.  My partner and I live in an apartment in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and we're working on some big updates over the next couple of weeks. Our landlord is replacing the old carpet with hardwood floors in the living room, the walls are getting a paint makeover, and we're hoping to replace some of our mismatched old furniture for more modern pieces.

Our apartment is 460 square-feet which sometimes feels like a challenge for 2 people + a cat.  Hopefully these changes will give us a much-needed update (especially the carpet!) and make the small space more tolerable.  

Our evening ended by watching Die Hard With a Vengeance (the third movie in the Die Hard series).  We watched the first one a few weeks ago and now are addicted to the 90s action and hilarious stunts.  If you haven't seen Bruce Willis with hair, then you need to get on this.

And, most importantly, this weekend means that it's less than ONE WEEK 'til the Vida Vegan Con in Portland.  Are you excited?  I am super pumped!  I can't wait for all the workshops, the galarama, and the opportunity to meet so many other cool bloggers!  If you are not attending, then make sure to check back here next weekend so I can keep you updated on what's what in the blogging world.  If you are going, then I can't wait to see you there!

How is your weekend so far?

Chickpea Nibbles

Let me be honest with you for a minute.  Sometimes it's not easy to find the time to blog.  I mean, come on?  There's a bathroom that wants to be cleaned, a movie that's not going to watch itself, and some nails that are badly in need of a little TLC.  There's also a sleepy, cuddly monster guarding my computer.  I wouldn't wanna mess with that guy.

Somehow I braved the scary monster and found my way to this blog because I have to tell you about these chickpea nibbles.  Do crunchy chickpeas intrigue you?  Because they intrigue me.  

I'll admit that at first they sounded a little weird.  A roasted bean?  It sounds overcooked, not delicious.  But I promise they will get you too.

For some reason these remind me a little of the corn nuts I used to eat during the summer as a kid, but these are definitely better.  The chickpeas should have a definite crunch and bite to them with a lot of flavor.   If you find that yours taste dry or starchy then they need a few more minutes in the oven.   A few of mine didn't get roasted enough in the full batch so I threw them in for an extra ten minutes and they were fabulous.  Serve these as a snack at your next dinner party or picnic and they're definitely a must for an extra protein boost on your next hike.

Chickpea Nibbles
Adapted from Power Foods
Makes 1 cup

2 cups chickpeas, cooked
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Pat chickpeas dry, then toss in a bowl with oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and sea salt.  Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until crunchy, stirring occasionally, 40 to 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with extra paprika and salt if necessary.  Let cool before serving.  Chickpeas may be kept in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.

Kimchee Fried Rice

I am definitely an animal lover.  I am the kind of person that will help a lost dog find its owner, cry over roadkill, and talk about cats for hours on end.  I am also vegan and although initially this decision was not based on my love for animals, I now think it's an important factor.

It took me many years to decide that I was ready for a cat because I wanted to be responsible and take that animal's life very seriously.  I did everything right... I rescued it from a shelter.  I play with it every day.  I feed it only the best cat food recommended by the vet.  Heck, that cat eats more organic and healthier food than I do most days.

I love my cat... even though he is extremely needy.  So needy that he cries. Constantly.  He cries when he's alone, he cries when I'm home, and he cries all through the night.  I have not had a full night's sleep since bringing him home.  But I still love him. Clearly, too much.

The funny thing is that when I first got him, I was so excited.  I was so happy to have a pet to call my own and I thought that spending quality time with him would make me feel more content and present in my life.

Well, let me tell you, there is nothing that will make you feel more present than walking in the door after an extremely long day at work only to discover that  your little pet has vomited on every single surface in your apartment.  That is a zen moment right there.

But, being the amazing animal lover that you are you immediately check the cat and call the vet after, of course, accidentally stepping in vomit.  Your vet then informs you that this is only the latest incident in your cat's needy behavior because being away from you causes stress, which causes excessive grooming, which causes hairballs, which (yes, you guessed it) causes vomiting.

So, you suck it up.  You clean up the vomit.  You wash your hands.  You play with your cat.  And then you go out to your garden.

Ah, the garden.  It's such a happy place.  A place to get away from it all, to relax, to feel connected to the earth, and to take in a deep breath of... um, what is that smell? 

You have got to be kidding me.

Ah, the garden.  It's such a happy place for the neighbor's cats.  A place for them to get away from it all, to relax, and to feel connected to the earth by digging up your seedlings and taking a giant... ahem. I'll leave that to the imagination.

So, that was my day.  How was yours?

I'm sure after that lovely story all you want to think about right now is food.  And especially, food from my garden.  But, let's continue.  Maybe I can take both of our minds off of it by talking about kimchee. 

Kimchee is a traditional Korean dish made by fermenting vegetables and adding gochu garu (spicy red pepper flakes).  One of these days I will get around to posting a tutorial on how to make your own kimchee.  Until then, if you're buying it from the store just double check that it doesn't contain any fish sauce (assuming that you are desiring an entirely vegan/vegetarian dish).  If you haven't tried kimchee before, expect some spice, a little tang, and lots of deliciousness.

Kimchee fried rice is so flavorful, yet, quick and easy to make that you will wonder why you haven't been making this all week.  Plus, the only labor involved after dicing is standing over the stove and stirring.  Super easy.  You can substitute any vegetables you desire so feel free to be creative.  This is great for any weeknight dinner and you can make it a complete meal by serving it with tempeh, tofu, or beans.  It's the perfect meal to ease your hunger pains and take your mind off of your crazy day.

Kimchee Fried Rice
Serves 2
Inspired by Orangette

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium carrot, diced
3 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup broccoli florets, diced
1/2 cup sugar peas, diced
1 1/2 cups rice, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup kimchee
1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add the olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the carrot and saute in the oil for about 3 minutes.  Next, add the onions, garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute.  Then add the bell pepper, broccoli, and sugar peas and saute for about 2 - 3 minutes.  Add the rice, kimchee, and soy sauce and saute for 3 - 5 minutes.  Add any freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve hot.

Warm French Lentil and Brussels Sprout Salad

No I did not spend all weekend watching Twilight.  Why would you ask?  What an odd question.  You must be a weirdo.

Definitely weirder than me who, um, just might have spent all weekend watching Twilight.  I also might have had to join a local movie store because Netflix didn't ship the third movie in time.  Hey, I said might.  It doesn't mean it happened. 

Still think I'm weird?  Don't worry, I was just kidding a minute ago. I didn't spend all weekend watching Twilight.  Really!

It was my cat.  He's kinda creepy like that.  See?  Creepy cat.

I know what you must be thinking.  I mean, watching Twilight all weekend?  Eating Brussels sprouts in May?  I may not be able to defend my recent movie selections, but it sure doesn't feel like May in Seattle right now and Brussels sprouts are hitting the spot.

This salad was inspired by Joy The Baker.  It is simple, earthy, and delicious, without a lot of fuss.  It's perfect for after you come home from the Farmer's Market drenched from an unexpected downpour.  Or after you've spent all morning weeding in a cold, gloomy garden.  Or, you know, after you spend all day catching up on your favorite romantic vampire flicks.  If you're into that.

Warm French Lentil and Brussels Sprout Salad
Serves 2 as an entree or 4 as a side

1 cup french lentils
3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, cut into ribbons (lay sprouts on their sides and slice thin, creating green ribbons)
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 scallions, chopped
1 avocado, pit removed and chopped
freshly grated pepper and sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Add your lentils and vegetable broth (or water) to a pot and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes, then bring down to a simmer.  Simmer until lentils are cooked and tender (about 30 - 45 minutes).  Drain any extra liquid from the pot. 

Using your hands, mix the Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Use your fingers to get the oil worked into the Brussels sprouts well.  Lay flat on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 8 minutes, turning them after 4 minutes.  When cooked, the Brussels sprouts should be tender (but not mushy) and the garlic and ginger will be fragrant. 

Divide the Brussels sprouts evenly amongst your plates.  Top with the lentils.  Add the chopped scallions, avocado, salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with a little olive oil over the top.  Serve warm. 

Braised Leeks

All I can think about right now is spring.  And sunny weather.  It seems to have (finally!) hit Seattle and it is amazing. Earlier this week I got outside for my first bike ride of the year.  It was exactly what I needed.

Of course, that beautiful bike ride was followed by some crushing news.  I came home to find my cat sitting on my parsley.  The parsley I so carefully grew from seeds.  The parsley I've been tending to every day for the past month and a half.  The parsley that was only one day away from being transplanted into the garden.  The parsley that I had so many culinary plans for.  Yep, that parsley.

Okay, I'll admit.  I cried a little.

This is my cuddly little monster, Bilbo.  Don't be fooled by his cuteness.  He has a plan for world domination and your herbs are next.

There's something about spring that just makes me want to eat green things.  There's been a lot of asparagus, broccoli, and greens around here lately.  Lots of big salads.  And lots of leeks.  I usually saute my leeks in a little oil and add them to other vegetable dishes with some salt and pepper, but when I stumbled upon this recipe in Vegetarian Times I knew I had to have it right away.  And it was worth it.

The key to cooking this is to cook the leeks long enough so that they are tender, but not so long that they are mushy. If you're worried about fat or calories, you could leave out the second tablespoon of olive oil to drizzle over the top, but I would encourage you to splurge.  That extra bit of oil adds a great flavor to the finished dish.  Ah, spring. 

Braised Leeks
From Vegetarian Times, April/May 2011
Serves 4

4 medium leeks
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons agave or brown rice syrup
1 cup water 
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Salt and pepper

Cut green tops from leeks and trim ends without removing bottoms (to hold it together).  Halve each leek and rinse each layer thoroughly to remove any dirt.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leeks cut-side down and cook 3 minutes, or until browned.  Turn leeks and brown 3 minutes more.

Add broth, agave or brown rice syrup, and water. Add salt and pepper if desired.  Partially cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 - 25 minutes, or until leeks are tender.

Whisk together vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in bowl.  Transfer leeks and cooking liquid to casserole disk.  Drizzle with vinegar mixture.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: There will be broth left over after cooking.  Plan ahead and save it for another recipe!