Thai Kale Salad and a 2016 life update

My in-laws (yes, in-laws! Officially!) are in town this week, and though we've been busy running around town with them, I finally have some down time this morning. With the new year here I thought it would be a good time to make a blog update, and to share a recipe that's healthy and yummy enough to be worthy of my first blog post of 2016.

As you may have noticed (in-laws, people!), I am now married! We had a ceremony in Maine in early October, and our little hometown couldn't have been a better location. The leaves were changing, the air was crisp, and our friends and families really made the experience a dream for us.

Jeweled Millet with Mixed Herb Salad and Citrus-Basil Viniagrette

I've been on a blogging hiatus since November. I was working two jobs (and still am, but with reduced hours), trying to craft as many Christmas presents as humanly possible while working 60+ hours a week, and honestly my cooking was reduced to whatever was fast and cheap. There was much pasta and red sauce, and veggie delight subs from Subway, to be had. It was not a blog-worthy or particularly fun time!

But happily I can say, after a rejuvenating vacation in New England, I'm back and so thrilled to be in the kitchen again. And honestly, to be in California! Divine, locally grown produce year round ... ample sunshine ... no salty slush to ruin your shoes every time you leave the house ... Of course I do always miss the snow and autumn and the beauty of New England, but I'm learning to appreciate Southern California as well!

Overnight Oats and Vegan Corn Chowder

Some people eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Nate has cereal for breakfast almost every single morning, the exception being on weekends when he'll occasionally cook up something he refers to as "egg blasters" (never eat the egg blasters. Trust me on this one). I go through phases with breakfast. I'll find something (like avocado toast) that I eat for a week, then Iget bored and usually end up having dinner leftovers for the next few days.

Recently, I was craving something a little more traditional in the mornings, and I think it's going to become my newest breakfast fad.

Simple Avocado Toast and Fun Food Links

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best, as is the case with this avocado toast, which I've been having for breakfast in various forms for the past few days.

Vegan Lentil and Black Rice Chopped Salad

Yum. I think a lot of vegans get asked if all we eat is salads. Well...um...it's not ALL I eat!! 

The fact is that when you want a healthy vegan lunch, sometimes the simplest thing to do is chop up whatever's in the fridge, toss it with a quick homemade dressing, and have at it. But this is no ordinary garden salad!

Spaghetti Squash Sesame Noodles

I am seriously obsessed with the flavor of sesame. I ADORE the Pioneer Woman's sesame noodles, but they call for a completely whackadoodle amount of oil. Like, 7 TABLESPOONS. So, I searched for a lightened up version, and found this recipe from Shrinking Kitchen. But I was pretty sure I could go one step further to make this delightful side dish even healthier, as I had a bright yellow spaghetti squash sitting on the counter, a ripe red pepper in the fridge, and some crispy sugar snap peas just waiting to be tossed into something.

Tapas Sunday: Eggplant Caponata

Robust and rich, this flavorful eggplant dish makes a wonderful appetizer with flatbread or toasted baguette. Eggplant is cooked with onions, tomato, garlic, olive oil, capers, olives, and fresh herbs until soft, then sprinkled with toasted nuts and served hot, room temperature, or cold. It seems like every cook has their own version of caponata. I looked at several caponata recipes for reference, but in the end I relied mostly on  my personal taste. The resulting eggplant dish was savory and oh-so-satisfying. I can't wait to try the leftovers with pasta!

Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad (Shirazi)

This salad couldn't be simpler or more refreshing. It's quite tangy from the lemon, and the cucumber and tomato are cool and crisp — the perfect antidote to a hot summer's day.

Asparagus and Red Corn Salad

My friend Dave came over for dinner on Saturday. I didn't want to use the oven at all, so I decided to make a couple of cold sides to accompany a main dish that could be cooked on the stove top.

Tapas Sunday: Heirloom Tomatoes

As the summer progresses, something miraculous happens at the market... HEIRLOOM TOMATOES appear at nearly every stall. Brown, yellow, red, magenta, orange...bulbous, round, oblong...these tomatoes are incredible to look at and, best of all, incredible to eat!

Nate and I were feeling tired after a late night with friends, so when we got home from the farmer's market, I wanted to whip up something easy and delicious. These tomatoes did just the trick...

They are best prepared as simply as possible. Slice, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The yellow tomato was bright and tangy, while the brownish-greenish-reddish one tasted...like tomato heaven. Seriously, it was probably my favorite tomato I have ever tasted, even though it was pretty ugly on the outside. 

I served them alongside some wedges of warmed fresh pita bread and a garlicky, basil-infused dip I got at a Mediterranean food stall at the market.

With a glass of freshly brewed iced tea to wash it all down, this was an incredibly refreshing, satisfying meal. 

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

I love chickpeas, and I'm always looking for new ways to cook them. Nate's not a big fan of the texture of beans, so I thought it would be fun to turn some into a crunchy, spicy snack. This recipe is really easy and makes for a great treat or part snack.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

1 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350­°. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Set them on a double layer of paper towel. Cover with another paper towel, and gently roll the chickpeas to dry them. Remove the top layer of paper towel and remove any loose skins from the beans. 

Put chickpeas on a large cookie sheet. Put pan in oven and bake for 30 minutes, shaking about every 10 minutes. 

Remove pan from oven. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper, then return to oven for another 20-30 minutes or until crunchy, shaking the pan often. 

Oatmeal with Blueberries and Agave

I've been having oatmeal for breakfast most mornings. It's very filling and packs a ton of soluble fiber. This morning I had it with fresh blueberries and 1 tsp of agave. The blueberries were so pretty I just had to snap a  picture.

A side of mango completed a delicious meal!

Healthy Cherry Lemon Coffee Cake

I bought a pound of cherries at the farmer's market last weekend, and they sat in my refrigerator getting softer by the day until I just HAD to do something with them, before it was too late!

I had originally wanted to make hand pies, but the thought of making and rolling out a crust for all of those little pies was just....thoroughly unappealing.

Cherries are deliciously tart and sweet on their own, but so many of the recipes I came across required cooking them down in cups of sugar.

Then I found a recipe for Healthy Cherry Coffee Cake. No crust, no need to cook the cherries!

I made some tweaks — subbing olive oil for the butter and a combination of whole wheat and unbleached flour for the white, for example — and the result was a light yet hearty tasting Cherry Lemon Coffee cake. The lemon flavor really comes through, and the cake has a nice dimension of nuttiness thanks to the whole wheat flour and oats.

Healthy Cherry Lemon Coffee Cake

First, you need cherries!

I used twice as many as the recipe called for, because they were about to go bad. This made the cake a little soggy (because of the extra cherry juice!) so stick to one cup. You'll need to pit the cherries.

Just use a paring knife to cut the cherries in half, then remove the pit from whichever side it remains lodged in. 

It's time consuming, and lots of juice will get on your hands...

but aren't they just GORGEOUS?

Set the cherries aside, and combine the wet ingredients, along with the sugar and lemon zest, in a large bowl.

Fat free sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemons zest, egg, sugar, honey, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Then add the dry ingredients to the wet. The batter will be very thick. I chose to spread half of it in the pan, then layer with cherries...

...then cover with remaining batter.

The batter is very thick, so it might be easier to just add it to the pan all at once, and layer the cherries on top, gently pressing them into the batter.

Combine 1/4 C oats, 2 T brown sugar, and 1 T olive oil until crumbly; sprinkle over top of the cake.

Place in a 350° oven, and bake about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yum! 

So, was it as good as coffee cake made with butter, white flour, full fat sour cream, and all white sugar instead of honey?

Well... no. BUT!!! It is a perfectly tasty, healthy substitute for when you just can't pass up the chance to bake a yummy treat!

Full Recipe

Healthy Cherry Lemon Coffee Cake

Topping:

2T light brown sugar

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1T olive oil

Cake:

1/4 c Honey

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 T olive oil

1 cup of fat free sour cream

1 large egg

1 Tbsp vanilla

2t lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

3/4 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c unbleached flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

dash cinnamon

1 cup of pitted cherries

Preheat oven to 350

Add honey, sugar, olive oil, sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest to large bowl. Whisk until combined. 

In a separate bowl, mix together flours, bakin powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until blended. 

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated. The batter is VERY thick - almost like the batter for drop biscuits.

You can either: spread half the batter on the bottom of an 8" round or square pan (sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper), layer the cherries, and cover with remaining batter OR spread all of the batter in pan and top with cherries.

Mix together oats, sugar, and olive oil until crumbly; sprinkle over top of batter.

Place in oven and back for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.