Cook, Pray, Love

How Not to Train for a Marathon

2012-01-24T07:01:00.000-06:00

I had one of the worst runs of my life on Sunday afternoon, an 11.2 mile death march up and down the hills of Percy Warner Park while my poor mother tried to keep me putting one foot in front of another. Long run Saturday became long run Sunday because I spent Friday afternoon through Saturday here:

The 180th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Tennessee took place up at Sewanee, and even though I’m not canonically resident and therefore had no seat or vote, it was a good experience. The weather and atmosphere was completely different from being up there during the summer. The infamous Sewanee fog was out in full force. We could hardly see our hands in front of our faces and finding the cabin I stayed in was an exercise in driving extremely slowly. Not to get into the nitty gritty of church politics, but convention was amicable and uneventful, apparently different from years past. The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island was the keynote speaker and gave the sermon at Saturday morning’s Eucharist. She was incredible and very much embodied her episcopal role. It was my first Eucharist at All Saints’ Chapel (pictured above), and it lived up to expectations. The music and aesthetics and liturgy were all spot on.

The various parishes, missions, and ministries of the diocese all processed with their banners, which was a touching experience for me. Emily, our Divinity School field ed student and my friend, was our banner bearer. Not at all biased, but our banner was by far the prettiest. Anyway, I spent Friday and Saturday mostly drinking wine and coffee and not getting very much sleep.

So when Sunday rolled around, I executed my duties at church, serving at two services and leading Sunday school for the youth, not stressful but exhausting. Intellectually, I thought, “I should be mindful about hydrating since I’m running this afternoon.” But the other voices said, “Have some more coffee.” I slammed down an English muffin with almond butter and banana with a little water and got ready to meet my mom at Percy Warner Park.

I had been dreading this run for a while. Percy Warner’s hills are long and steep and brutal, and while I’m familiar with the 5.8 mile loop, I had never tackled the 11.2. The first mile is all uphill, and I knew immediately I was in trouble. My heart rate was sky high, and my legs felt like bricks. My hamstrings were still sore from my first Bikram class on Thursday, and I could feel them with every step. I couldn’t catch my breath, and it felt like we were going much faster than we were. Each mile split was morale-depleting.

The elevation graph of doom

“What was I thinking. I’m never going to be able to run a marathon,” the little voices in my head told me. “You feel like death after 5 hilly miles. How do you think you’ll feel after 20?” I struggled to resist lying down on the road and crying. Then I listed all of the reasons I was having a crappy run: legs were tired from both BodyPump and Bikram this week, dehydration, travel and emotional stress, church that morning, unseasonably warm and humid January weather, a hard and hilly course, etc. Every time my eyes started to well up, I tried to think, “There is no crying in running (a la A League of Their Own). Do you think Desi Davila or Meb Keflezighi cries when they have a bad run?” We got to the clubhouse, and I drank some water and took some Gu Chomps.

I started to feel a little stronger but still took quite a few walk breaks just so my heart wouldn’t explode out of my chest. We made it up 9 mile hill, and I felt better just knowing the end was in sight, particularly since the last mile is all downhill. Still, my hamstrings were super tight, and I started to feel a hot spot on the bottom of my big toe. I just couldn’t get comfortable, and everything I had on (heart rate monitor, RoadID, fuel belt) felt like it was strangling me. We hit the stone gates as my Garmin clocked 11.2 miles, and I wanted to cry. I chugged the water I had remaining in my fuel belt and walked around trying to shake out my legs. Then I went home, drank some Gatorade, felt sorry for myself, and put on my compression gear.

It sucked, and I still finished. Lessons learned: no more long runs after church, and drink your freaking water. Still, any pep talks about how I am not a failure and how I will be able to run a marathon are certainly welcome. Week 3 of marathon training complete.

Since You’ve Been Gone

2012-01-22T16:53:00.001-06:00

Joe left for Kenya on Saturday, and after a brief two day stop in London where he tortured me by getting tickets to Wicked, arrived in Kijabe Wednesday morning. I’m loving the pictures he’s able to send me, and he’s also writing a joint blog! The doctor he is with gave them tips about what to do when they run into baboons. You know, like you do. Oh yeah, the Rift Valley, NBD.

Meanwhile, we’re having freakishly warm tornado weather in Tennessee followed by 30-degree temperature drops. I’ve been surprisingly productive though – washed all of our sheets and towels, have made myself meals and cleaned up, and taken care of the cats. I’ve run, done BodyPump, and my very first Bikram class. You know, keeping busy.

Remember when I made the Italian Slow-Cooker Eggplant Casserole and I mentioned that I wanted this cookbook? Well, my very lovely Secret Santa from my women’s running forum got it for me, along with some other treats.

It has already been put to great use. I’ve made Hot and Sour Soup and Tempeh in Peanut Sauce with Veggies.

Sorry that we’ll have to make do with iPhone pictures for the next little while. Joe took the nice camera to Kenya with him. I don’t want to share the recipes here because I really, really think you should buy this cookbook, but trust me when I say that I have been extraordinarily pleased with everything I’ve made so far, even if I was a little unsure at first (Um, seriously? Making peanut sauce in the slow-cooker? How did that even work?). Very few of the recipes use any kind of “weird” ingredients, and you would hardly even know they were vegan.

As always, all opinions are my own. This post was not sponsored in any way, shape, or form. I just want to let you all know about products I think are good.

Long Trip Alone

2012-01-13T12:41:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow morning, I will be dropping Joe off at the airport for his long trip to Kenya. The lucky duck opted to spend two nights in London on his way over there, so that will break up the trip a little bit. He laughed when I suggested he bring me back something Burberry. In addition to clothes and entertainment and other personal effects, Joe and his fellow anesthesia resident are also taking over a LOT of medical equipment and accessories for Kijabe Hospital. This box is just a little bit of the anesthesia masks, stethoscopes, and needles that they’re packing up to take over.

A large part of my anxiety about him leaving is that we haven’t had a lot of time together lately. We both worked intermittently during the holidays, and our last full weekend was constricted by his call schedule, my church commitments, and helping my parents move. It seems as if we’ve been working on completely opposite schedules. I’m on when he’s off, and he’s on when I’m off. Before you call the WAHmbulance, here are a few things I’m looking forward to about being single-in-function for the next month.

Cheese and crackers for dinner. Not the healthiest, true, but what it means to me is getting to scrounge and snack for dinner rather than focusing on meal planning and making a big dinner every night. Leftover soup, cereal, mac & cheese out of the box, salads, and protein shakes also fall into this category. Preferably with red wine while watching The Tudors.
The whole bed to myself. I love Joe, but he is a big guy. And when our queen-sized bed is taken up by him, the body pillow, and me, and THEN a cat decides to squeeze in, I don’t always sleep very well. Also, our wake-up times rarely coincide. Either he gets up WAY before I do, or he sleeps in, and I end up getting dressed for my morning run in the dark.
Girlfriend time. Since our schedules are so crazy, most of our free time gets spent with each other, often to the neglect of our other friendships. Girlfriend time is usually relegated to Joe’s on-call nights or other times of the day. I’m looking forward to Skype dates with Abby, movies and wine with CPE friends, and just feeling free to do things with girlfriends without it cutting into my quality time with Joe.
Making the stuff that I want to eat. Most of the time, I do a pretty good job balancing things that I like and what is appealing to Joe, but he has put it in no uncertain terms that the following are not appreciated: tempeh, soba noodles, eggplant, cauliflower, olives, tuna, mushrooms (in most cases), or canned salmon. So I’m already making lists of Kira-friendly foods that I can make explicitly not for sharing, like this Detox Salad.

Of course, at the end of the day, I’m really going to miss that goofy guy, and I’m sad and disappointed that I can’t join him this time. Bon voyage and safe travels, Joe!

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

2012-01-05T07:20:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone’s new year is off to a terrific start. After working both big holidays and ringing in the new year asleep in my bed, I’m in a bit of a funk. A large part is due to something that I haven’t even mentioned on the blog yet.

This guy, otherwise known as Joe, is leaving next Saturday to go to Kenya for a month because he’s doing an anesthesia rotation there. I’ll miss celebrating his 30th birthday. I’ll miss just hanging out, doing the things we like to do. Plus I’ll be running our household all by my lonesome. No avoiding cleaning up the cat barf now. Or having him clean up the mess I made cooking dinner. I know he’s going to have a great experience, but right now, I’m just majorly bummed out.

Also, Nashville Originals Restaurant Week is January 16-22nd, and I’m taking requests for dates (the non-romantic kind of course).

I really will miss his help in the kitchen. Shortly before Christmas, I whipped up chili and beer bread for us to eat and then remembered that I needed to make something savory and breakfast-like to take to my CPE group the next day. There were quite a few dishes involved that night, and he helped me with all of them, even though he never got to eat this spinach-cheddar casserole.

I found it by browsing the Epicurious app on my iPhone. Fortunately for me, it had decent ratings, and I only needed to pick up a few things at the store to make it. 1/3 of our group forgot to bring something, so it was a boon to have something hearty to eat. The original recipe recommends this as a side dish, and I guess you could go that way as well, but I served it more like a crustless quiche. Brunch, breakfast, lunch, or dinner – this would be good for any meal.

(iPhone picture of leftovers)

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole
source: Bon Appetit March 1995

Ingredients

4 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 16-ounce container cottage cheese

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I used low-fat)

1 cup packed grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dillweed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Beat eggs, salt and pepper to blend in large bowl. Mix in spinach. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake casserole until center is firm and top is golden, about 45 minutes.

2012 Goals

2011-12-31T14:03:00.000-06:00

I used to be anti-New Year’s Resolutions because I thought it was silly that one day was better than any other for setting goals, especially when most of us have spent the last 5-6 weeks overindulging in sweets, heavy food, and alcohol. But then I got really into goal-setting, and I realized that it wasn’t that people set their goals in the heat of the moment but that they weren’t setting goals in a way that was conducive to their achievement. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. It’s the difference between saying that you’re going to lose ten pounds before the summer and just saying that you’re going to lose weight. With that in mind, here are a few of my goals for 2012.

1. Train for and run a marathon.

I’m registered for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati on May 6th. My real goal is to achieve the above without getting injured, dying, or hating running. If I can do that, I might decide to do another one in the fall.

2. Do more leisure reading.

I’m finished with graduate school when I really only had time for leisure reading on breaks or during the summer, and my to-read list is getting ridiculous. I used to consistently read before going to bed, and I would like to get back into doing that. Joe gave me Tina Fey’s Bossypants for Christmas, and I recently purchased The Paris Wife. I’m not going to be shooting for a number of books to read in the next year, but you can follow me on Goodreads!

3. Work on the house

We’ve lived here for 2.5 years now, and there are quite a few things we’ve been neglecting – closets that have never been organized and rooms that don’t feel quite “finished”. We’re at the point that we’ve graduated from some of our starter electronics and furniture but haven’t gotten rid of the old stuff yet. Extra IKEA bookcases anyone? So this year I would like to de-clutter and re-organize, namely the bedrooms, bathrooms, and their closets. In an ideal world, it would also be the year that we replace the kitchen floor and countertops, but that’s a stretch goal.

4. Make meal plans and stick to them.

Now that I work a normal person schedule (plus some), I don’t go grocery shopping on Thursday mornings anymore. It’s also been all too tempting to pick up take-out after a long tough day or when I hit the gym after work. If I don’t have food in the house, and I’m feeling lazy, guess what happens. I would like to work towards eating out no more than 3 times a week. We like eating out, but we’ve spent way too much money on mediocre food lately. Hopefully this will also lead to more blogging than I did in 2011!

5. Get down to my happy weight and stay there.

I was within five pounds in early December. It doesn’t seem like much, but on my 5’2” frame, every little bit helps. It would seem like training for a marathon would take care of this, but I get ravenously hungry when I’m training. Now I know that smaller, more frequent meals on long run days are better for me than just eating everything in sight, I will try to curb the run-ger. Eating at home and cutting out extraneous alcoholic beverages throughout the week will also help.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2012!

2011: A Summary

2011-12-30T07:38:00.000-06:00

It was a year, a very busy year, though not so much on the food front.

Travel:

Our travel this year was almost entirely contained to the Southeastern United States. In March, we went to Fort Lauderdale (thank you, free Southwest flight) where we had a great time. In November, we visited some of Joe’s family in St. Augustine and took a side trip to Universal Studios in Orlando. We’ve grown to really enjoy Florida since it’s so easy to get to and affordable for a quick vacation.

We also took a few weekend trips to explore Chattanooga and Atlanta and a short trip to the Knoxville area, including Smoky Mountain National Park, for a friend’s wedding.

Big Events:

In May, I graduated with my Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University.

It was a culmination of three long-but-short years of 84 credit hours, interminable paper-writing, and learning how to speed-read incredibly dense texts. It wasn’t always enjoyable, but I’m a better person for receiving that degree.

Then, about a month later, I was ordained as a transitional deacon in the Episcopal Church.

Now I’m doing a chaplaincy residency program (CPE) and serving as a youth minister at a great parish. After 5+ years in the discernment process and in seminary, it feels so surreal to actually be ministering as my full-time job. I’m crazy busy but so grateful and blessed to get to do what I love.

Running:

2011 was a great year of running for me. It was also my first full calendar year of consistent running. I ran 3 half marathons, 3 10Ks, and a handful of 5Ks. I PR’d at every distance I raced and ran over 1000 miles this year, a goal I had set last year to keep me consistent and motivated. I was an official blogger for Women’s Half Marathon, and only suffered a few minor aches and pains.

Next year, I hope to complete my first marathon and continue to improve and get stronger. Another goal is to keep off the 10 lbs I lost this fall and lose another 5 to be at my happy weight.

Food:

I ate it. Occasionally, I made it. Some of my favorites that I’ve blogged from the past year:
Baked Eggs in Mushrooms with Squash Ragout
The Perfect Veggie Burger
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash
Perfect Party Cake

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012 that’s just as delicious and joy-filled as this year!

Christmas Joy

2011-12-28T07:15:00.000-06:00

I survived and even enjoyed my first Christmas Eve and Day as clergy! The weather was perfect, and there weren’t even any disasters for my first year. Joe insisted on taking my picture before I headed off to my first service because he thought I looked pretty. Note the coffee mug in hand.

The church looked gorgeous. The music was perfect. And I received wine, chocolate, and sticky buns from several parishioners. I was completely unprepared for how generous everyone would be. It was much appreciated. My normal role is to read the gospel lesson, which on Christmas is, of course, the nativity story. It was a very special moment for me to read the nativity story for the congregation.

The hardest transition was waking up the next morning to go into the hospital to do two services. They weren’t as well-attended as I would’ve hoped, but there was a higher percentage of staff than usually attend and my homily was well-received. One of the nice things about doing those services is having some freedom and getting to do what I want, like read Luke’s nativity story from the King James version. Saying the shepherds were “sore afraid” rather than “terrified” just feels right. After four services in 20 hours, I was ready to get home, hang out with Joe, and open some presents.

I got a lot of GU Chomps. Training for the Flying Pig Marathon starts just after the first of the year. That many Chomps will probably last me for five marathon training cycles. I will never go hungry on a run again.

By far, this was the best present given or received this Christmas. Joe and I had been pondering upgrading the cat condo but never pulled the trigger. While we were at Costco for some last minute shopping, we saw some that were a really great deal. The only problem was fitting a 6’ tall cat condo into my Ford Focus. Not happening. My introvert of a husband announced that he was going to wander the parking lot and ask people with trucks or SUVs if they wouldn’t mind hauling it a couple of miles home for us. Sure enough, the first couple that he asked was more than happy to help us out and wouldn’t even let us give them a little cash for their trouble. I couldn’t believe it! The cats were thrilled with their Christmas present and have been playing King of the Mountain with the top compartment ever since.

Joe took care of the turkey that Vanderbilt gave us by injecting it with a Cajun marinade and doing a BBQ dry rub on the outside. I made blue cheese mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, and my mom/grandma’s cranberry salad. I did not photograph a darn thing. Not even the leftovers. A fellow working-on-Christmas chaplain came over for dinner, and we were having too much darn fun drinking wine and chatting. So it was and continues to be a good Christmas.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:46:00.001-06:00

And happy holidays from Cook, Pray, Love – brought to you by Instagram.

Christmas tree at Children’s Hospital.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angel gave the sign. (Christina Rosetti)

Our moderately pathetic Christmas tree

He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy. (Cecil F. Alexander)

Christmas card display

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth (Joseph Mohr)

Lentil Tacos

2011-12-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

When I read other food blogs around this time of year, I’m impressed and over-awed at the cookies and marshmallows and feasts that people crank out. I haven’t done much of anything for the holidays yet. We did get the (cheap, horrible-looking) fake tree put up and decorated, and a few of the nativity scenes arranged around the house, at least until the cats start playing with poor Joseph. Joseph always gets the short end of the stick.

Truth be told, I’m having a little trouble adjusting from my previous mindset of holiday = vacation to my current life of holiday = holy day = work. I’m on-call at the hospital Christmas and New Year’s weekends, and I’m serving at two Christmas Eve services Saturday night only to wake up the next morning and do Christmas morning services at the hospitals.

At first I was bummed. No sleeping in and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning before opening presents. But I’m starting to come around. I get to celebrate Christmas with staff and families and perhaps some patients who would rather be somewhere else. I get to bring Christmas and some sense of normalcy to them. I get to be at a pediatrics hospital on Christmas morning with all of the festivity and donated presents that entails. So my Christmas won’t look like my previous Christmases, and my Christmas probably won’t look like your Christmas, but I think I’ll still get all of the joy and wonder. I’ll just have to relax on another day.

So this is not a Christmas meal. This is an anytime meal. Joe particularly liked this, I would guess due to the meaty texture of the lentils. The flavors are spot on, and the raisins add a hint of sweetness. If you don’t have any raisins, a tablespoon or so of brown sugar might also do the trick.

Lentil Tacos
serves 4
source: Runner’s World

Ingredients

1 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown lentils, dry
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or vegetable broth (I had to add more liquid.)
3 tablespoons dried black currants or raisins, minced
1 cup salsa, plus additional for topping
8 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation

In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute onions, celery, and garlic in the olive oil for five minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for one minute. Add the broth and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (add more water or broth as needed). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (until lentils are thick), stirring often. Fold in the salsa. Wrap the tortillas in a damp white cotton towel and microwave on high for one minute. Spoon the lentil mixture among the tortillas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

2011-12-06T07:32:00.000-06:00

I’d never actually made bread pudding before this savory version, even though a sweet, boozy bread pudding studded with raisins is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It’s rare that I have leftover bread of any kind, so it felt strange to buy a baguette with the explicit purpose of letting it get stale. Definitely worth it though.

Being a mostly meatless type, I offered to bring a vegetarian entrée to Thanksgiving, letting our marvelous hostess off the hook. While it isn’t even close to vegan or low-calorie, I think I would much prefer this to a Tofurkey. Everyone knows that the sides are the best part of Thanksgiving anyway. And the kale and squash at least gives the illusion of getting in some real vegetables.

My one tip would be to use the sharpest, best cheddar cheese you can find/afford. I skimped on that, and it just wasn’t as good as I know that it could’ve been. Another bonus: this can be made in advance and is probably even best made in advance. I spent nearly a week taking the leftovers for lunch, and it only got better as the flavors melded. Perfect for when your Thanksgiving morning is routinely taken up by running a 5K with your family.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding
source: Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 POUNDS PEELED SEEDED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 6 CUPS)
3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED
KOSHER SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
7 LARGE EGGS
2 1/4 CUPS HALF AND HALF
6 TABLESPOONS DRY WHITE WINE (OR HARD CIDER)
2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH THYME (OR 1 TABLESPOON DRIED)
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH SAGE (OR 1/2 TABLESPOON DRIED)
1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD
1 DAY-OLD BAGUETTE (DO NOT REMOVE CRUST), CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 8 CUPS)
1 CUP CHOPPED SHALLOTS (ABOUT 4 LARGE)
2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
1/4 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES (OPTIONAL)
2 BUNCHES TUSCAN KALE (ABOUT 1 POUND), RIBS REMOVED, KALE COARSELY CHOPPED (CAN BE SUBSTITUTED WITH SPINACH)`
8 OUNCES EXTRA-SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, COARSELY GRATED

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Whisk eggs in large bowl. Continue whisking as you add half and half, wine, thyme, sage, mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add baguette cubes to the egg mixture, and gently fold them into the mixture to coat each side. Let the baguette pieces soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté until soft and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (the kale will still be a little crunchy).
Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to the dish, spreading evenly. Spoon half of kale over the bread layer. Spoon half of squash over the kale layer, and sprinkle it with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread pudding.
Cover bread pudding with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set, about 20 minutes longer.
Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Advent, not Christmas (yet)

2011-11-29T07:31:00.000-06:00

This Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, one of my favorite church seasons (though I feel like I say that about all of them). Gone are the perpetually green vestments and the repetitive tediousness of the Sundays after Pentecost. Enter Sarum blue and the twinkling of the candles on the Advent wreath against the darkness of the shortening days. Enter, stage left, John the Baptist and the nativity without the baby Jesus.

American culture doesn’t do Advent. We don’t do waiting, silently preparing in our hearts for Christmas. And I’m not going to pretend that I wait until Christmas eve to put up my tree or listen to Christmas music. I live in two worlds – one where I sit quietly and focus on my Advent devotion and the other where I hustle and bustle with the best of them, going from shopping to holiday parties.

Advent seems particularly relevant for me this year as I’m ministering in a childrens’ hospital. There are so many times when I’m ready to throw up my hands, to admit that darkness has won. How long, Lord, how long must parents bewail a fatal diagnosis or sit anxiously in the surgery waiting room as a brain tumor is removed? How do people not just give up? How do I not give up? Coming back to the hospital, day after day, holding hands, saying prayers, trying to be a small light in the overwhelming darkness.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) Along with the literal darkness of the sun starting its descent before 4 pm, there is so much darkness in the world. I see the individual darkness in people’s lives – cancer, sick and dying children, child abuse. But there’s societal darkness as well – economic injustice, hunger and starvation, unemployment, racism, sexism, etc. It’s so overwhelming that I can see why people give up and resign themselves to cynicism or apathy.

In the darkness, the light shines even brighter. As Sam Portaro said, the lights on the Advent wreath are not talismans against darkness but testaments to the light. The light is here, incarnate among us. The light is the strength within the human soul that fights against giving into the darkness. The light is as simple as getting out of bed to live another day in the face of devastating loss. The light is a group of people’s insistence that their voices matter because they are people, because they are children of God.

The light is incarnate among us if we only look for it around us and let it illuminate our souls.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T07:32:00.001-06:00

Allegedly, this is a food blog, and yet I haven’t said a word about Thanksgiving. Last year, Joe and I opted for vacation in Sonoma and the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had at Madrona Manor. This year, I was hoping for a big family shindig. I joke that when Joe has a bit too much to drink, he gets very hospitable, which is partly how we ended up combining families this year. We discovered a little over a year ago that Joe’s paternal grandmother’s sister and two of his father’s cousins live in Nashville. We’ve become close to one of the cousins, Mary, and Joe proposed that we combine Thanksgivings. My parents are currently trying to sell their house, so they were relieved that Mary offered to host. Mary’s deck offered a great family photo opportunity!

Joe and I provided our “famous” bourbon slush. Every time I make it, I think a double batch looks like far too much, but then it’s obliterated. I also cut the sugar in half. It was still plenty sweet, but we could taste the bourbon better.

We really had a wonderful time. It was everything that Thanksgiving should be – lots of family and food and football, for those who wanted it. There were 10 of us in total, and we all got cozy around this beautiful table.

And the food, of course! From 12 o’clock – a little bit of “happy” (free-range, organic) turkey with gravy, stuffing, some really fantastic green beans, the butternut squash, kale, and cheddar bread pudding I made (which will have its own post), sweet potatoes, a deviled egg, and my mom’s cranberry salad in the middle.

There was chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie for dessert, as well as cheesecakes shipped from Junior’s in Brooklyn.

I have so, so, so much to be thankful for this year. I’m thrilled with my life, my jobs, my husband, my family, my health, living in a great city, etc. And I know I don’t deserve any of it. It’s all grace.

Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Italian Slow-Cooker Eggplant Casserole

2011-11-14T06:55:00.000-06:00

Vegan and slow-cooker are not two words that I usually here in the same sentence. Sure, I used to love my slow-cooker for cooking tougher cuts of meat all day long and leaving them fork-tender, but now that I’m not eating (much) meat, the slow-cooker is primarily reserved for soup and stew-making. Not that there’s anything wrong with soups or stews, but there’s only so much of that you can eat before you crave some solid food.

Not only is this meal vegan and made in the slow-cooker, but it also contains eggplant, which is not my most favorite food item in the world. I’ll eat it, but I never get terribly excited about it. But this was good. And easy. And delicious on a giant bed of noodles. The “ricotta” was surprisingly simple to make, and I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand since I had bought cashews the last time I was at Trader Joe’s.

BTDubs, if anyone wanted to get me just one cookbook for Christmas, the book this recipe originally came from, The Vegan Slow-Cooker, would be a great present.

Italian Slow-Cooker Eggplant Casserole
originally from The Vegan Slow-Cooker
as seen on Cara’s Cravings
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Cashew-Tofu Ricotta:
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 cloves of garlic
1 15oz package of firm tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4lb), thinly sliced (
1 jar (25oz, or 700gm) marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
Cooked pasta, for serving

Preparation

The Night Before:
Make the ricotta by blending all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

In the Morning:
Oil the crock of your slow cooker. Pour in 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Top with half of the eggplant slices, half of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat the layers once more, then top with the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with pasta.
If your slow cooker does not run hot and the dish seems water, remove the lid and turn the slow cooker to high. The liquid should evaporate in 30-60 minutes.

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

2011-11-07T07:05:00.000-06:00

I’m a really big fan of breakfast, but I’ve gotten into a rut. And now that the mornings have turned colder, smoothies and overnight oats just don’t have the same appeal. But something like a baked oatmeal casserole that I can bake on the weekends and heat up throughout the week sounded like a great idea. Until I got horribly, horribly sick.

It wasn’t the baked oatmeal’s fault, but after running a 102-degree fever for three days a few weeks ago (um, I’m a little behind on blogging), I developed some strange food aversions. It took me several weeks to be able to drink coffee again. Something about the bitterness just turned my stomach. And cooked bananas were high on the list of things I couldn’t handle. Plain carbs were about all I really had a craving for. Not a pleasant scenario.

Fortunately, Kelsey pointed out that you could do any number of substitutes with this to make it seasonal, and a layer of pumpkin puree on the bottom might inspire me to try again. This time we’ll hope I can finish it off instead of leaving it to languish in lieu of Gatorade and Diet Sprite.

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
as seen on An Apple a Day

Ingredients

1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 c. milk, almond milk, or coconut milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2-in. thick
1 c. assorted fruit (fresh or frozen), divided

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray a 2-qt. baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.
4. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.

Baked Goat Cheese & Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine

2011-10-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

Last week was a complete roller coaster of emotions. Tuesday was my 27th birthday. Wednesday, I had a really tough hospital situation (boo), a haircut (yay!), a flu shot (boo), and a random woman come up to me and tell me that I was very pretty (yay!).

With all of those emotions, my goal this year is to try not to mindlessly eat when I’m sad, tired, or stressed. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to be intentional about it. Like on Wednesday night, I went to the Thai place next door to my hair salon, bought a big plate of vegetable pad Thai, and ate the whole thing. Healthy? Not exactly. Comforting? Oh yes.

Carbs are my comfort food. Throw in some roasted vegetables and baked goat cheese in a recipe from Cooking Light, and I might not even feel bad about it. Erin and her husband came over the night I was preparing this to pick up her share of our CSA and said, “I hope that makes it on the blog because it smells delicious!” It tasted pretty good too.

The pasta doesn’t have much of a traditional sauce, but the melty goat cheese can be broken up to kind of coat the noodles a bit more. I particularly liked the caramelized bits of squash.

Baked Goat Cheese & Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine
source: Cooking Light as seen on Prevention, RD
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 cups kabocha or butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 lb uncooked fettuccine
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place squash and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss well. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, rosemary and black pepper. Bake at 425 F for 40 mins, stirring once.

Place goat cheese in freezer for 10 minutes. Cut cheese crosswise into 16 equal rounds. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge each round in breadcrumbs; place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for 6 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pan; add reserved pasta cooking water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and garlic, tossing to coat. Place 1 cup pasta in each of 4-6 shallow bowls; top each serving with about 1/2 cup squash mixture and 2 goat cheese rounds. Garnish with rosemary or thyme sprigs, if desired.

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash

2011-10-05T07:32:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, I hit the jackpot by making something that I’m willing to eat on a regular basis (reasonably healthy and easy to make on a weeknight) and something that is equally appealing to Joe. Without getting too much into gender essentialism as it relates to food, Joe does tend to prefer heartier meals. Arguably, this is about as meat-and-potatoes as you can get with vegetarian food.

Soy chorizo is perhaps not the most “natural” food that I eat, but it is so gosh-darn tasty that I try not to give that too much mind. I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, but the mix of sweet and regular moderates the flavor. And while there isn’t a lot of green in this meal, I could see serving it with a side or bed of kale chips. Lord knows I’ll be making this one again and again so I’ll have plenty of opportunity to experiment.

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash
source: Cate’s World Kitchen
2 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled
1 medium potato, peeled
1 red onion, chopped
4 ounces soy chorizo
2 eggs
queso fresco and fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Cut the sweet potatoes and potato into small cubes (you should have about 3 cups).

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add the potato and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. If anything begins to brown excessively, turn down the heat. Add more oil if things are sticking.

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Crack 2 eggs over the hash, then put the pan in the oven. Cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until the whites are set.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco.

Italian-Style Meatless Meatloaf Muffins

2011-10-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

(I ran another half marathon recently. Check out my race re-cap over at Run, Rev, Run.)

I haven’t been a very good food blogger. Oh, I’ve been cooking now and again, even trying new recipes, but I haven’t been sharing them. And I’m not going to the Food Blog Forum here in Nashville this coming weekend, even though some of my favorite people & bloggers are running the show.

I’m cheating on blogging with my job. I love, love, love my job. I’ve never been so exhausted and so happy to be doing something. But a few things have had to give, namely being connected to my various online communities. Even Joe noted, “You’re working as much as I do.” Um, yeah.

As I began to adjust to my new schedule, posting might be light for a little while. I’m still here though!

It’s evident I haven’t been as experimental in the kitchen as I used to be. Joe has re-developed his wariness at new things like these meatloaf muffins. I also didn’t go to great lengths to point out that they’re vegan, but he gobbled them up even after I named “nutritional yeast” as one of the ingredients. He preferred the mashed pinto beans to the tempeh in this recipe. They didn’t hold together quite as much as I would’ve liked, but they did make for pretty decent leftovers.

Italian-Style Meatless Meatloaf Muffins
source: Peas and Thank You
4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup marinara sauce, jarred or homemade, divided
1/4 c. flax seed, ground
Two 14 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
3/4 c. oats
1 t. minced garlic
1T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. olive oil
2 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cracked black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. of the marinara sauce and the ground flax. Stir to combine and set aside to thicken.
In a large bowl, mash pinto beans with a fork or potato masher. Do not over mash, we aren’t looking for refried beans, but a nice chunky texture.
Add onion, oats, garlic, Worcestershire, olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add in marinara-flax mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
Scoop bean mixture into a muffin tin that has been lightly greased or sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until edges are starting to brown. Top each muffin with a spoonful of marinara. Return to oven for another 10-12 minutes, until muffins are firm and set.
Allow muffins to cool for several minutes, as they will firm up even more, before serving.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

2011-09-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

This pie wasn’t supposed to happen like this, but between Joe’s and my schedule, we’re learning to roll with it.

We were going to a friends’ house for dinner on Friday, and Joe proposed that we take nice beer and a dessert. Having debriefed in the gym parking lot, we decided to get take-out salads that night and make the dessert. I headed home to pick out a recipe while Joe got his work out on. However, our plans were derailed when Joe called to tell me that he had been called back to the hospital for a surgery. The bright side was that he would likely be off the next day, and he volunteered to make the dessert by himself.

I selected this pie, something we already had all of the ingredients for, and I left out the non-perishable ingredients on the counter. I sent Joe the recipe via e-mail along with some tips, mentioning that he could use a frozen pie crust but would probably need to blind bake it. And, for God’s sake, if he had any questions, to call me or page me.

All throughout my work day, I didn’t hear a peep from Joe. It seems as if he didn’t need my help. When I got home, I peeked in the fridge and saw a beautiful chocolate pudding pie. He had even whipped the cream and stored it in a separate container.

As we prepared to top the pie with the whipped cream, I asked Joe if he had baked the crust. He looked at me blankly.
“Didn’t you see that I had mentioned you might need to blind bake it?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know what that meant.”
I thought we might be able to serve it in a slightly soggy crust, but Joe broke off a piece of the unbaked pie crust and promptly vetoed that plan. Fortunately, he had purchased a pre-made chocolate cookie crumb crust, so even though it wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing, we scooped the chocolate pudding into the crust, topped it with the whipped cream and sprinkles and were on our way.

It went over smashingly. The pudding was light in texture but with an intense chocolate taste. The crust is secondary to the filling in my mind anyway. As always, the homemade whipped cream was vastly better than anything out of a can. Now if only we had gotten the crust right…

Chocolate Pudding Pie
as seen on Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 crust’s worth of your favorite pie crust recipe

Bittersweet chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Prepare pie dough: Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively. Prick bottom and side of shell all over with a fork, then chill shell 30 minutes. While shell chills, preheat oven to 375°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake on baking sheet until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil, then bake shell on baking sheet until pale golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool shell.

Make pudding filling: Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk [tips alert!] in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, two minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.

Pour filling into cooled shell and chill, its surface covered with wax paper (if you want to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least two hours.

Just before serving, beat cream with remaining two tablespoons sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie and garnish with bittersweet chocolate shavings or sprinkles, if you’re feeling fancy.

Perfect Party Cake

2011-09-16T08:01:00.001-05:00

Growing up, I didn’t like that my mom wasn’t like other moms. She didn’t know how to French braid hair. She didn’t chaperone field trips or bake her famous homemade cookies for school bake sales. Instead of the long flowing hair of my female classmates, I had short hair and big goofy plastic glasses.

I didn’t realize it at the time because I was a spoiled little brat, but my mom wasn’t doing those things because she was busy being a bad-ass. She was a crazy fast runner before running became a “thing”. She was a corporate lawyer when there weren’t a lot of women who worked full-time in positions like that. She certainly wasn’t a saint, and we didn’t always have a great relationship. But now that I’m older, I really appreciate what I’ve learned from my mom:

1. My mom never told me I couldn’t do anything.
Whether I wanted to be an opera singer or a priest, she never told me I couldn’t do it. I never heard that I couldn’t do something because I was a girl. In fact, I think at one point she suggested I try to join the wrestling team. She sent me to Michigan when I was 16 and let me fly all around the country for college auditions. When I decided to pursue ordination, she supported me fully in that as well. Whether I wanted to get married or not, have children or not, she has never openly discouraged me with regard to important life choices.

2. You can have a personal style without being prissy.
My mom is and was an athlete, and even though the 1980s may have taken their toll, she is awesome at finding a style that works for her, even if it doesn’t look like everyone else’s. She always looks good and takes care of herself but isn’t self-conscious and weird about it.

3. Physical fitness is important.
I’m so thankful that my parents are healthy and take care of themselves by exercising and eating well. I hope that I’m just as awesome when I’m their age.

4. Food is also important.
I partially credit my mom with my relationship towards food. She was never a person who was able to subsist solely on grilled chicken salads. Pizza, Mexican, doughnuts, etc. were all fine in moderation. While both of us have struggled at times to figure out moderation, she never modeled deprivation for me.

Obviously, the best way to celebrate my mom’s birthday was with wine and cake. We headed to Arrington Vineyards for a Riedel wine tasting and got to keep the glasses!

My mom prefers lighter white cakes to a big heavy chocolate cake, so I immediately decided to make Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake. Layer cakes are definitely not my forte, so I was shocked when this turned out as well as it did. It was so light and tender with just a hint of lemon. Indeed, it was perfect for celebrating my mom’s 59th birthday!

Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake
as seen on Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients
Cake:

2 1/4 CUPS CAKE FLOUR
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 1/4 CUPS WHOLE MILK OR BUTTERMILK
4 LARGE EGG WHITES
1 1/2 CUPS SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS GRATED LEMON ZEST
1 STICK (8 TABLESPOONS) UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/2 TEASPOON PURE LEMON EXTRACT

Buttercream:

1 CUP SUGAR
4 LARGE EGG WHITES
3 STICKS (12 OUNCES) UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/4 CUP FRESH LEMON JUICE (FROM 2 LARGE LEMONS)
1 TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT

Finishing:

2/3 CUP SEEDLESS RASPBERRY PRESERVES, STIRRED VIGOROUSLY OR WARMED GENTLY UNTIL SPREADABLE
ABOUT 1 1/2 CUPS SWEETENED SHREDDED COCONUT

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
For the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one-third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)
For the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.
To Assemble the Cake: Using a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with the third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

STORING: The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to 2 days.

Shrimp, Black Bean, and Pineapple Foil Packets

2011-09-12T07:26:00.000-05:00

I didn’t make this dinner. Joe actually made it on a rainy Tuesday while I was sitting in traffic trying to get home from the hospital. I had asked him to prep a couple of the things. Mostly, I was hoping that he would peel the shrimp because I despise peeling shrimp. Not only did he prep a few ingredients, but when I walked in the door, the foil packets were on the grill.

Granted, we had a short window for dinner due to our new membership in our condominium bridge game on Tuesday nights. We’re the youngest people by about 30 years, but if two 96 year-old women are playing, there must be something about it keeping the mind sharp. Neither Joe nor I had played in 8-10 years, but they were patient with us and answered our questions when we couldn’t figure out how to bid. Joe even ended up being the highest scorer of the night and took home the grand prize of $5.

So I can’t tell you much about the preparation of this meal, but I can tell you that the shrimp were really juicy and not at all dry or rubbery like shrimp can be. The foil packet method was especially easy for clean-up, and the citrus flavors of the lime and pineapple gave it a Latin-Caribbean vibe. Hopefully we’ll get to use the grill well into October, but this was a quintessentially summer meal.

Shrimp, Black Bean, and Pineapple Foil Packets
source: Cara’s Cravings
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

8oz raw, medium sized shrimp (peeled, deveined)
1 cup cooked black beans
3/4 cup finely diced pineapple
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 avocado, diced
Lettuce wrap, quinoa, couscous, or whole wheat tortilla for serving

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium.
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the black beans, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, and ginger. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, coriander, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin.
Spray two large pieces of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Spoon half of the black bean mixture into the center of each and top with half of the shrimp. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the shrimp. Bring the edges of the foil together and fold down, sealing well.
Place the foil packets on the grill, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes, until shrimp are opaque.
Carefully open the foil packets and stir the contents. Top with the diced avocado and sprinkle with cilantro.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

2011-08-31T07:15:00.000-05:00

Every other week, I get a box from Delvin Farms that looks like this:

Fortunately, I split it with the lovely Erin and her husband because that is a lot of food, and someone does not always great about eating his veggies. Late summer means peppers galore, but we also received a watermelon, cantaloupe, and butternut squash hiding under all of those peppers. This was our second butternut squash, and because I am incapable of cutting them in half without injuring myself, I got the first one and gave Erin this most recent one.

Without a particular plan for it, I roasted that squash whole, scraped out the insides, and froze the puree for a later date when I would be in a bit of a rush, like, my first day of chaplaincy residency. Switching from grad student schedule (flexible but stressful!) to camp schedule (fun and outdoors!) to free time (boring!) and now to a normal working person schedule is going to take some getting used to. After getting home from the gym after 6:30, having the squash thawed and ready to go was crucial because I was about to chew my arm off. Lesson #1: Don’t skip your snack.

I quickly whipped up the filling. Joe stuffed and rolled the enchiladas. I covered them with sauce, and we threw them in the oven, allowing us enough time to clean up before they were ready to go. We were both surprised how filling they were. Two of these with a quarter of an avocado and we were stuffed, and the cinnamon/nutmeg/cumin combo was a just-right hint of fall. I always thought enchiladas were way too time-intensive for a normal weeknight, but with some of the components pre-made or bought, it was perfect for a relatively quick dinner.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
source: The Daily Garnish
Yields 6-8 enchiladas

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, roasted and mashed
1 medium onion, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
6-8 whole wheat tortillas
1 large can red enchilada sauce (or homemade if you prefer)
1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a medium-sized pan with olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add in rinsed and drained black beans and stir until heated.

Add the black bean mixture to the squash and fold in to combine. Add spices and salt to taste.

Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan to coat. Fill a tortilla with about 1 cup of mixture and loosely roll, placing the rolled tortilla seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Cover the rolled up enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and top with cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Tempeh Tamale Pie

2011-08-26T10:44:00.001-05:00

When I started to reduce my meat consumption, I didn’t immediately go to faux meat equivalents. Sure, I like a veggie hot dog now and again, but faux deli meat kind of frightens me. I also didn’t want to frighten Joe who had been turned off long ago by a girlfriend’s fake chicken riblets. Instead, we ate a lot of beans, and I gradually introduced tofu. We stuck with that plan for a good while. Then I started hearing about other options, namely tempeh and seitan, and I was intrigued so I picked some tempeh up at the store though I didn’t have any plans for it.

(browning the tempeh)

The vacuum sealed package was a little unsettling in its resemblance to the color and texture of our cats’ wet food. When I showed it to Joe, he gave me the I-don’t-like-it-but-I’m-going-to-trust-you face. When in doubt, I go with something ethnic-inspired, so Mama Pea’s tamale pie seemed like the perfect dish. Besides, she just published a book including this recipe, and I had seen it recommended on Twitter.

It was as great as promised. The tempeh and pinto bean filling had a great nutty flavor and texture. I had a bit of trouble spreading the cornbread mixture in my attempt to only use one pan. The original recipe calls for a 2 quart baking dish, but I did the whole thing in my cast iron. You can also easily make this vegan by omitting the cheese or using dairy-free cheese and sour cream. And sorry, Mama Pea, but black olives do not belong on any self-respecting Mexican casserole.

Tamale Pie
source: Peas and Thank You
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 medium onion or 1/2 of a large onion, chopped
One 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. apple cider or red wine vinegar
1 t. maple syrup
One 14 oz. can tomato sauce
One 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

For the crust:

2/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. non-dairy or organic milk
1 T. maple syrup
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. frozen corn, defrosted and drained
1/3 c. non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) or organic cheddar cheese (optional)

For topping:

sliced olives and non-dairy or organic sour cream (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat and spritz with cooking spray or oil. Add onion and sauté until softened and starting to brown, about 4 or 5 minutes.
Crumble tempeh into the pan with the sautéed onion. I like to use a grater so that all the pieces are approximately the same size.
Lightly brown tempeh, cooking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
To the pan, add garlic, chili powder, 1/2 t. salt, vinegar, 1 t. maple syrup, tomato sauce and beans.
Allow bean mixture to simmer for a few minutes to meld flavors.
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
In your liquid measuring cup, combine milk, maple syrup and applesauce.
Add wet ingredients to the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined.
Gently fold in the defrosted corn.
Spread corn mixture carefully and evenly over the top of the casserole dish.
If using, top the casserole with shredded cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese has melted and crust is set and starting to brown.
Serve with desired toppings.

Thin-Crust Pizza

2011-08-24T07:43:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been around for a while might remember the first time I tried to make pizza dough. It was an utter disaster. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth and sticky dough everywhere. I’ve always envied those people who do homemade pizza every Friday night with their own dough as if it is the easiest thing in the world. For me, pizza dough was almost always a production that involved a fair amount of angst and raised voices. If pizza was on the menu, Joe knew to steer clear of the kitchen lest my wrath towards the pizza dough be misdirected towards him. Until now.

This was the pizza night that almost didn’t happen. I made the dough 24 hours ahead of time (easily! in the food processor!), on Thursday afternoon, to give it plenty of time to rise, but when I was at the grocery store on Friday to pick up a few extras, Joe called me to tell me that he was very sick, was coming home to collapse, and probably wouldn’t be feeling up to dinner. So I had a glass of wine and wandered around the house, until at 8:30 pm, Joe announced that I could begin making the pizza. Well, the dough needed an hour to come to room temperature, and I wasn’t about to wait until 9:30 to eat. Then we had relatives in town for the rest of the weekend, so pizza wasn’t going to happen the next night. After a huge brunch, we needed something for dinner on Sunday but could actually wait for the dough to stand while we finished watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The dough! The dough rolled out perfectly without all the stickiness that I usually experience even after throwing flour at it. And look at those crust bubbles in the picture above. I have NEVER gotten crust bubbles, just like at a real pizza place. And it wasn’t soggy. I could hold a piece and not have it wilt and cause all the toppings to slide off. Even Joe remarked that our pizza night was uncharacteristically successful. He got to top his with pesto, fresh mozzarella, and Boar’s Head pepperoni, like so:

And I stuck with traditional tomato sauce, an Italian blend of cheeses, and mushrooms. We each only ate half a pizza, so there were leftovers the next day as well.

Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
source: Cook’s Illustrated as seen on Oishii Food

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. olive oil, plus extra
1 1/3 cups ice water
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 cups bread flour, plus extra
Cornmeal (optional)

Preparation

At least 24 Hours before prepare the dough. In a food processor, process the flour, sugar, and yeast until combined. With the machine running, slowly add ice water through the feed tube and process until a dough forms and no dry flour remains. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
Add oil and salt and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball – about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl, knead briefly on lightly oiled work area until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
One hour before baking the pizza, adjust the oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500˚ degrees.
Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Form each half into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, with at least 3 to 5 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour, and place on a well-floured counter top. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk. Leave 1 inch of the outer edge a little thicker, while gently stretching the middle until you have a 12-inch round. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and spread a handful of cornmeal on the paper (if using). Place the dough on the paper.
Spread sauce (tomato or pesto) over pizza, add a couple handfuls of cheese and your choice of toppings. Carefully lift the parchment paper with pizza on-top and place onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 10-12 minutes. Remove pizza and place on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Repeat steps above to make and bake second pizza. Enjoy with your favorite bottle of red wine.

The Perfect Veggie Burger

2011-08-15T07:44:00.000-05:00

Angela at Oh She Glows is my top blogger-crush. She’s gorgeous, writes beautifully, and makes creative, drool-worthy vegan food. She is also honest about her own issues with food and eating disorders, and out of all of the so-called “healthy living bloggers,” she is one who really seems to have done some very challenging personal and spiritual work around how she treats her body and isn’t afraid to talk about it. Recently, she was on a quest for the perfect veggie burger, in her own words, she wanted a burger that:

Can’t be mushy in the middle
Crispy outer shell
Lots of flavour from fresh herbs & spices
No tofu (not a fan)
Crunchy, chewy texture is a must
No cracking or falling apart
Must cook well 3 ways: frying pan, oven, and BBQ
Could make a grown man shed a tear of joy (ok, that was my requirement, heh)

Well, except that Joe wasn’t shedding any tears (though he did remark, unprovoked, that they were the best veggie burgers we’d ever had), these burgers fulfill every criterion. Note that there was no “comes together quickly” criterion. These require a bit of prep work (and kitchen mess), but the batch made 8 patties, so I ended up freezing the rest for later. My mini food processor really got a workout! The nuts add so much texture and crunch, and they held up beautifully on the grill.

It was very nearly a perfect summer meal, with grilled corn and okra on the side, and it was all vegan until Joe topped his burger with some non-vegan pesto and I sprinkled my corn with some spicy Parmesan seasoning. I will definitely be keeping a batch of these in the freezer to throw on top of a salad or for a quick dinner.

The Perfect Veggie Burger
source: Oh She Glows
Yields 8 medium-size patties

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl (I used a chia egg with the same amount of chia seeds.)
1 cup oats, processed into flour
1.5 cups bread crumbs
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)
1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax or chia egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.

3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together.

4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 30-36 mins (15-18 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the grill, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side.

Easy Weeknight Thai Curry

2011-08-11T07:15:00.000-05:00

I’ve been a little quiet about what I’m going to be up to post-graduation, post-ordination, and post-camp. In large part, that’s because I DIDN’T KNOW. Without going into the nitty-gritty details, the usual plan of action would’ve been to return to Texas but because somebody has a job as a hotshot doctor and I prefer to live in the same state as my husband at this point in our marriage, I am staying in Nashville with the permission of the bishops. Besides, Joe probably would not have let me take these guys with me.

So I ended up scrambling around and waiting for God to lead me to that perfect fit where my gifts and talents will be appreciated and used and where I can grow into the minister that God has called me to be. Through a little bit of a fluke and with the encouragement of some dear friends, I interviewed for a year-long chaplaincy residency and got it. I’m going to be a chaplain at the same top-ranked academic hospital where Joe works.

But I also needed to be serving in a parish, not only because I want to and very much feel called to liturgical ministry, but also because my ordination to the priesthood is contingent upon it. After waiting, lots of meetings over coffee, and the connections made through other clergy, it finally happened. Within a few days, everything was squared away for me to serve at an absolutely fabulous parish just a few miles from my house.

However, this also means that I’ll be working six days a week. Not to mention trying to squeeze in making dinner and exercising. So now seems like a prudent time to expand my repertoire of meals that come together in less than 20 minutes. Adding tofu, tempeh, shrimp, or chicken to this might take slightly longer, and I was surprisingly satisfied without a protein, particularly with the brown rice noodles. We spiced it up by adding a bit of Sriracha. Either way, very fast, very satisfying, and enough for leftovers.

Easy Weeknight Thai Stir-Fry
adapted from Sing For Your Supper
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 16 oz package of frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 8 oz package of brown rice noodles
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Sriracha, optional

Preparation

1. Soak brown rice noodles in hot water until softened. Meanwhile, cook frozen stir-fry vegetables in a pan with a little bit of oil until warm and cooked through.

2. Mix together the coconut milk and red curry paste. Pour mixture over the vegetables and heat thoroughly. Add in noodles and toss to coat.

3. Garnish with cilantro and Sriracha to taste.