Au Naturel

Breakfast

2011-10-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

Savory Oats with Leafy Greens and Crunchy Pecans

2011-05-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite nutrient packed meals is a savory, creamy oatmeal dish with leafy greens topped with nuts. It’s easy enough to make in the morning for breakfast and quick enough to throw together after a long work day. Want to make the most out of this meal on a tight schedule? Try making a double portion for breakfast or dinner and packing half for your work lunch. Oats are rich in fiber, protein, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, serving as a satiating meal without causing spikes in blood sugar. The leafy greens pack on more important vitamins and minerals, while the nuts add just the right amount of crunch and healthy fats to this dish.

Savory Oatmeal with Leafy Greens
Serves 1

1/3 c oats (whole oats, not quick-cooking oats)
2/3-1 c water for cooking
1-2 c spinach leaves
¼ c pecan nuts
1 tsp ground flax seeds (optional)
Coarsely ground sea salt to taste

Place water and oats in a pot, cover and heat over medium heat until water comes to a boil. In the meantime, wash, and chop spinach. Once the oats and water come to a boil, lower the heat, stir in the spinach, cover and simmer until the oats have a fluffy, creamy texture (usually about 7-10 minutes depending on how much water you use).

Plate and top with pecans, flax seeds and sea salt.

For variations try Swiss chard and/or kale in place of the spinach and walnuts, almonds or hazel nuts instead of pecans. Also try boiling the oats with a teaspoon of herbs de province or rosemary for some added flavor.

2011-05-13T22:01:00.002-04:00

New Photography Blog for My Website

2011-05-08T16:38:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!

I have moved my photography blog to accompany my website. I'd like to keep Au Natural still exclusive to just food photography and my recipes, especially for those followers who were following for the recipes. I would appreciate if you would still follow my photography at my new photo blog.

2011-03-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

Facebook | Flickr | Website

2011-03-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

My website is done!

Featured on Apartment Therapy!

2011-03-03T20:11:00.003-05:00

My bathroom renovation was featured on Apartment Therapy as one of the "Best of 2010 Bathroom Renovations". To see all of the featured bathroom renovations, click here. Then scroll down and click on "Sharon's Bathroom". To go directly to my bathroom, click here.

Golden Raspberries

2010-06-28T08:01:00.002-04:00

a bowl of brightness!

Breakfast

2010-06-26T08:46:00.000-04:00

Southern Grits and a Wedding

2010-03-27T12:17:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I went to the South for the first time. What a wonderful place! The sun was out, the people were welcoming, the grits were amazing, and I got to see my good friend get married :)

In other news, I made a lovely spring soup for which I hope to post the recipe (that's if I don't eat it all before I get to photograph it!).

Art or Chocolate?

2010-03-18T08:10:00.004-04:00

Chocolate or art? Is art chocolate? Or is chocolate art?

My aunt surprised me by sending me these chocolates for Valentine's Day (and I'm just getting to post this picture!). Not only were they the most beautifully crafted chocolates I've ever seen, they were the only chocolates that I've tasted that literally melted in your mouth...

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2010-03-14T21:24:00.002-04:00

Sunday Breakfast

2010-03-07T10:50:00.004-05:00

Gluten Free/Yeast Free bread with almond butter, blood orange and my favorite coffee. What a perfect way to start this spring-like Sunday!

Roasted Peppers and Baby Bellas

2010-02-02T00:35:00.003-05:00

Simple, slow-cooked preparations can often do wonders for the taste buds. The thought of colorful vegetables slowly roasting beneath a cozy blanket of olive oil is enough to make me crave their rustic taste on a daily basis. I thus find myself eating a lot of roasted vegetables as of late; while I find the easy preparation quite attractive, I also find that the ability to roast vegetables in mass quantities is quite favorable for someone working over 50 hours per week.

This week I roasted green bell peppers with baby bellas. Last week I roasted a sweet mélange of carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips. The week before was broccoli, acorn squash and beets. The possibilities are endless as long as you have an oven and some good olive oil. Play around with different combinations of vegetables and notice how their tastes change depending on their different arrangements.

Roasted Peppers and Baby Bellas
Serves about 3 as a side dish

2 green bell peppers
1 container of baby bella mushrooms
Generous amount of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and cut the peppers into slices. Dust the mushrooms with a paper towel to remove the dirt. Toss the pepper slices and mushrooms together and spread, in one layer, over a baking sheet. Coat with a generous amount of olive oil and gently stir the vegetables, with a wooden spoon, to ensure that they are evenly coated. Bake for one hour or until the peppers and mushrooms are tender and a tinted a golden brown. Remove, add a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and serve immediately or pack away a container in the fridge for lunch the following day.

A Gluten Free, Yeast Free Sunday Love Affair

2010-01-31T12:39:00.004-05:00

I usually don’t like eggs for breakfast. Upon brewing my fresh morning coffee, my palate enjoys something sweet to accompany its creamy and rich flavors. My during-the-week-breakfast staple is usually oatmeal, cooked with almond milk, with raisins and a dollop of almond butter: the perfect companion to my Mind, Body and Soul coffee.

Sundays are different. The aroma of fried eggs and butter flood the stairwells of my apartment building and sneakily seep through the cracks of my door. On Sundays, I can’t help but have a luscious affair with a warm velvety yolk and a piece of golden toast that is cooked and buttered to perfection.

Forgive me oatmeal and allow me this Sunday pleasure. To boot, my Sunday lover is also gluten free.

Gluten Free, Yeast Free Sunday Breakfast

1 slice of Food for Life Yeast Free Gluten Free bread
1 egg
Butter or ghee
Salt and pepper

Gently heat a frying pan, over medium heat, and lightly coat with a layer of butter or ghee. Cook the slice of bread (thawed, not frozen) for about 3 minutes on each side or until perfectly golden brown. Once both sides of the bread are cooked, remove it and set aside. Crack an egg into the frying pan and let cook about 5-6 minutes or until the whites are cooked but the yolk is still soft and liquid like. Carefully place the egg on top of the toast and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. It is important to not overcook the yolk; this way when you cut it, it will ooze out all over the toast.

Let Your Heart Guide You

2010-01-30T11:35:00.002-05:00

...to wherever that may be...

little words of wisdom from my Yogi Tea bag

My Lovely Diana...

2010-01-24T10:47:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to the Lomography sample sale in hopes of bringing home one of these lovely ladies for a significantly discounted price. When I was among the crowd searching for her, I could only find her with a flash and for only %15 off (I know she's a classy lady but I still did not want to pay almost $100 dollars for her!). Did the Daily Candy e-mail lie? The woman next to me was eagerly searching for a discounted Diana as well and was sharing my frustration. Suddenly, I spotted two lone Dianas hidden under the table marked at the discounted price. I dove under the table, grabbed the two boxes and gave one to my fellow discount Diana searcher and made way happily to the check-out line. It was love at first sight!

2010-01-17T12:06:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Francis Cabrel:

"Mon enfant, nue sur les galets,
Le vent dans tes cheveux défaits,
Comme un printemps sur mon trajet,
Un diamant tombé d'un coffret.

Seule la lumière pourrait
Défaire nos repères secrets
Où mes doigts pris sur tes poignets,
Je t'aimais, je t'aime et je t'aimerai...

Quoi que tu fasses, l'amour est partout ou tu regardes
Dans les moindres recoins de l'espace,
Dans le moindre rêve ou tu t'attardes
L'amour, comme s'il en pleuvait,
Nu sur les galets...

Le ciel prétend qu'il te connait
Il est si beau c'est sûrement vrai.
Lui qui s'approche jamais
Je l'ai vu pris dans tes filets.

Le monde a tellement de regrets
Tellement de choses qu'on promet.
Une seule pour laquelle je suis fait
Je t'aimais, je t'aime et je t'aimerai...

Quoi que tu fasses, l'amour est partout ou tu regardes,
Dans les moindres recoins de l'espace,
Dans le moindre rêve ou tu t'attardes.
L'amour, comme s'il en pleuvait,
Nu sur les galets...

On s'envolera du même quai
Les yeux dans les mêmes reflets,
Pour cette vie et celle d'après
Tu seras mon unique projet.

Je m'en irai poser tes portraits
A tous les plafonds de tous les palais,
Sur tous les murs que je trouverai
Et juste en-dessous j'écrirai

Que seule la lumière pourrait...

Et mes doigts pris sur tes poignets,
Je t'aimais, je t'aime et je t'aimerai"

2010-01-17T12:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T15:54:00.001-05:00

Snow!

2009-12-19T15:04:00.003-05:00

Flickr

Winter

2009-12-15T08:13:00.005-05:00

Flickr

Jewelry

2009-12-13T09:53:00.004-05:00

Beautiful Stormy Sea Necklace by Anthropologie.

See more photos here.

It's Winter

2009-12-12T10:42:00.004-05:00

It's 25 degrees (-4C) and I could barely make it down to the market right outside of my apartment. It was so cold that I was dropping money, bags, keys and vegetables because my fingers were numb. However, after I came home and drank some honey water, I was warm enough to appreciate these winter beauties.

Listen to Pascal Parisot.

Egg White, Sprout and Collard Green Omelet

2009-12-09T08:09:00.003-05:00

I've been eating a lot of egg white omelets lately. Make them with sprouts, slices of purple potatoes, collard greens or all of the above :) Saute the filling in some olive oil in a pan before adding the egg whites; that way the eggs won't stick to the pan and it will be easier to form the omelet.