Michelle's tiny kitchen

Egg-free Easter Egg Meringues

2015-04-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

There's been something of a meringue revolution going on in the vegan community. Goose Wohlt recently shared his results from making vegan meringues out of chickpea cooking liquid, and vegans everywhere have been playing with this amazing discovery. In the past few weeks I've seen lemon meringue pies, marshmallows, macarons, and pavlovas.


Bean liquid, cream of tartar, sugar and air.

I finally started experimenting myself, and the results are, as I said to Jeff the first time I made these: "f*ing magic." The whipped liquid is virtually identical to beaten egg whites. Egg whites whip up so nicely because air bubbles get suspended in a structure formed by protein chains. As far as I know, bean liquid is not high in protein since most of the protein is retained in the beans themselves, but it does contain pectin, a gelling agent. Pectin is a long chain of monosaccharides whereas proteins are long chains of amino acids, so it would make sense to me that pectin forms a matrix that mimics egg white proteins.

Whatever the science, these meringues are incredible. I have about a million experiments I'm planning to try. In the meantime, I wanted to share these crisp and airy Easter egg meringues. They are especially perfect for Easter not only because they resemble eggs, but also because absolutely no baby chicks were ground up alive to make them. You can't beat a compassionate dessert on a day that celebrates life and rebirth.


On the left: white bean meringues made on a rainy day. On the right: chickpea meringues made on a sunny day, at a higher temp (thus the cracks).

So far I've only experimented with chickpea cooking liquid and white bean liquid. Jeff, my sister and I all agree that white bean is the most neutral flavored, though both are delicious. Like egg white meringues, these babies can be temperamental. I tried making some on a rainy day, and they absolutely would not whip to a stiff peak and took nearly twice as long to cook. But they were still delicious, so by all means, make meringues on a humid day. Just be flexible with the instructions.

If meringues aren't your thing, I shared some peanut butter and jelly chocolate eggs at Mommy Nearest this week. For savory Easter recipes, check out last year's recipe roundup.

Have a great Easter weekend!

Egg-Free Easter Egg Meringues

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 2+ hrs, plus cooling time

Ingredients

the liquid drained from one 15-oz can organic Great Northern beans (other beans such as chickpeas should work too, though perhaps with a less neutral flavor), reserve beans for another recipe
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)
colored sanding sugar, for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 F.

2. Add bean liquid and cream of tartar to the bowl of a standing mixer*. Whip on medium speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture doubles in size, and is white and fluffy. With the mixture still running, slowly add the sugar a little at a time. Stop to scrap down the sides of the mixture if necessary. Once all the sugar is incorporated, continue to whip the mixture until it is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla or almond extract with a silicone spatula.

3. Use two spoons to shape the meringue into quenelles (or else dollop in an egg shape) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for at least two hours--depending on the size of your meringues and the humidity that day, it could take longer. The meringues are finished when they release cleanly from the parchment paper and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn off the oven, place a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it slightly ajar, and leave the meringues in there overnight, or until they are completely cool. Store in a very dry airtight container in the freezer.

*You can also use a hand held electric mixer, just be prepared for the whipping process to take much longer.

Quinoa Crunch Chocolate Bark

2015-03-31T10:09:00.000-04:00

I know this looks like granola, but I promise it's a decadent treat. I think it would be perfect for Easter; in fact, I'm planning to mix up a batch in my new chocolate egg mold. The secret to this candy is the crispy quinoa, which makes it taste like a Crunch bar. I usually make two batches of chocolate at a time: one like this bark for me and Jamie, and a second one, at Jeff's request, that's all crispy quinoa.

Despite what Jeff thinks, the rest of the toppings are delicious, not to mention packed with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. There are nearly as many toppings as there is chocolate, which is especially great for kids, because it still tastes like candy, only with more nutrition and less of a blood sugar spike. Feel free to play around with the toppings, or even add your own. Sesame seeds, hazelnuts, or candied orange peels would all be fantastic additions.

This bark is especially fun to make with a toddler. I demonstrate sprinkling from high up, so that the toppings distribute more evenly, and Jamie usually tries to copy for a bit before just dumping big handfuls onto the chocolate (it tastes good either way). Once the chocolate is completely covered, I give him a spoon to gently press the toppings down. The toughest part is leaving the chocolate to cool for a few hours, but it's a good lesson in patience. I like to make chocolate bark right before nap time, and now Jamie understands that once he sets his little tray of chocolate bark on the counter to cool, it won't be ready until after he naps. On the days that we make this bark, his first word upon waking is always, "Chock-it?"

Quinoa Crunch Chocolate Bark

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 2.5 hrs, incl. cooling time

Keywords: vegan

Ingredients

For the Toasted Quinoa

1/2 cup cooked quinoa, prepared in water

For the Chocolate Bark

4 oz. semisweet chocolate (approximately 1 cup chocolate chunks)
1/4 cup toasted quinoa (recipe below)
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon dried mango, diced
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 teaspoon shelled hemp seeds
1 teaspoon shredded unsweetened coconut

Instructions

For the Toasted Quinoa

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Spread cooked quinoa in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

3. Bake 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the quinoa is brown and crispy. Set aside to cool.

For the Chocolate Bark

1. Warm the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Remove from heat and stir to melt any remaining lumps.

2. Pour the melted chocolate over a pan lined with parchment paper and spread the chocolate evenly to form a rectangle (roughly 8 in by 5 in). Sprinkle the toppings over the chocolate. Once the chocolate is completely covered, use a spoon to gently press the toppings into the chocolate. If there is any extra chocolate, drizzle it over the bark. Set aside for 1-2 hours, or until the chocolate has hardened. Cut the bark into random pieces and enjoy. Store leftover chocolate in an an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to several days.

Dinosaur Chips

2015-03-19T10:07:00.000-04:00

A version of this recipe originally appeared on Mommy Nearest

I've posted a recipe for kale chips on this blog before, back when we would make our chips with curly-leaf kale. In the last year or so I started using dinosaur kale instead, because it makes more uniform chips and I find it much easier to prepare. The leaves are a bit more delicate, so they take less time to cook, and they disappear faster too. We make these chips every week, sometimes several times a week, and whenever we pass the dinosaur kale in the grocery store, Jamie yells, "Mommy, chips!" until he's sure I've put some in our cart.

Besides being an easy way to eat an entire bunch of kale in just a few minutes, these chips are so fun to make with a kid. I barely need to do a thing anymore; Jamie can dry the leaves in the salad spinner, toss them with oil, sprinkle them with seasoning, and lay them on the baking sheets practically by himself. I've even taught him to use an oven mitt, so that, with my explicit permission, he can help me carefully open and close the oven door. A few weeks ago, he ran out of the kitchen as soon as a batch went into the oven and didn't respond when I called him. I went to investigate and found him meticulously preparing kale chips in his own kitchen!

At the moment, dinosaurs are the only things Jamie is more obsessed with than Nemo. He makes us read Linus the Vegetarian T. rex so often that I usually have to hide it behind the couch cushions so he'll sit down for dinner. The scene where Linus roooaaaarrs at attacking velociraptors is obviously his favorite--we reenact it often, especially while snacking on dinosaur chips.

Dinosaur Chips

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients

1 bunch dinosaur kale (also called lacinato or Tuscan kale)
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, aka "nooch," plus more for sprinkling
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Rinse the kale leaves under cold water. Use a knife to remove the stems from the kale so that each leaf gives you two halves and a stem. Cut the leaves into 2-inch chips and dry them in a salad spinner or with towels. Reserve the stems for soup or vegetable stock.

3. In a large bowl (I use my biggest salad bowl), add the kale leaves and drizzle with the olive oil. Use your hands to toss and gently massage the leaves until they are evenly coated with oil.

4. Sprinkle the nooch and salt over the kale and toss and gently massage them again to coat.

5. Place the kale leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet. To speed things up, I cook two baking sheets at one time. Bake in the oven for five minutes. Flip the leaves and return to the oven for two to three minutes or until the leaves are dry and crisp. A little browning is okay, but too much will make the chips bitter. The finished chips should be mostly green. Sprinkle with more nooch or salt to taste.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click those links and buy something. Thank you very much for your support, it means a lot!

Irish Soda Bread Grilled Cheese

2015-03-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

I was searching for a good St. Patrick's Day dish when this Irish Soda Bread Grilled Cheese with Pesto caught my eye. Grilled cheese is really more Jeff's thing, but we tried the new Field Roast Chao cheese slices on Valentine's Day and I've been thinking about them ever since. Irish soda bread + grilled cheese + pesto was kind of a no-brainer, so this sandwich became my vegan project for St. Patrick's Day.

Veganizing the soda bread was easy enough--I replaced the buttermilk with vinegar-curdled almond milk and the butter with vegan butter. The resulting soda bread was tender and delicious, like a cross between sandwich bread and a biscuit, but faster and easier to make than either.

Once the bread was sliced, it was just a matter of spreading the bread with some pesto, topping that with the Chao cheese, and frying the sandwich in more vegan butter until golden and crisp. Jeff's mother and sister happened to be visiting when I made these, and we tested two different kinds of Chao Slices: Creamy Original (which is like a mild cheddar, and makes a fantastic classic grilled cheese) and Coconut Herb (reminiscent of mozzarella, with no discernible coconut flavor). Everyone agreed that the Coconut Herb paired best with the pesto, though both were delicious. This sandwich was definitely a hit.

We seem to be in an age of incredible vegan cheeses. Jeff and I have gotten our hands on some tasty Kite Hill brie-like cheese, some smoky cultured cheeses from Miyoko's Creamery, and just this past weekend at the NYC Veg Food Festival we tried some ridiculously good cubes of Follow Your Heart cheese. We have been treating ourselves to a new vegan cheese every couple of months, and I'm finding that I am more of a cheese lover as a vegan than I ever was as an omnivore. Even if you're not vegan, it'd be worth it to check out some of the artisan vegan cheeses making their way to market. Not only are many of them delicious, they are better for the planet, for your health and of course, for the cows.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Vegan Irish Soda Bread Grilled Cheese

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients (4 sandwiches)

For the soda bread

1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

For assembling the grilled cheese

4 slices vegan cheese (such as Field Roast Chao Slices in Coconut Herb)
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade basil pesto
vegan butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in the almond milk mixture and melted butter with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are just combined.

4. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead it just until it comes together into a 6-inch round. The dough will still be sticky.

5. Cut a large X in the top of the round and place the loaf of a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

6. Transfer the loaf to a rack and cool it completely before cutting it into slices.

7. When ready to assemble the grilled cheese, spread 4 slices of the soda bread with the prepared basil pesto, and then top each with a slice of vegan cheese that's been halved and slightly overlapped. Place these open-faced sandwiches on a broiler tray and broil for 1-3 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler, or until the cheese just begins to wilt at the edges. Form sandwiches by topping off the melted cheese with a second piece of bread. Butter both exterior sides of the sandwich.

8. Heat a skillet over medium heat and transfer the prepared sandwiches to the pan, searing them just until golden on one side. Flip the sandwiches once to brown the second side and continue melting the cheese. Cut the grilled cheese and serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Just a Taste.

Cookbook Review (and Chocolate Cake Recipe!): Greens 24/7 by Jess Nadel

2015-03-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Jess Nadel of the fabulous Cupcakes and Kale was one of the first blogger friends I ever made. We connected over two years ago, shortly after the birth of her adorable son, and even though her hands were obviously very full, she was kind enough to provide me with advice and resources about vegan pregnancy and natural childbirth. She was an enormous help at a time when I felt completely lost and alone, and I've always been grateful to her for that.

Jess recently wrote a cookbook called Greens 24/7: More Than 100 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes for Eating Leafy Greens and Other Green Vegetables at Every Meal, Every Day. I can't say enough good things about this book! I was one of her recipe testers for the book last spring, and every single dish we tested was divine. Jess' recipes are simple and appealing, and they incorporate greens in creative ways. The book is an excellent resource for veggie newbies and seasoned vegans alike; you'll find facts about green vegetables and other healthy ingredients, as well as some sample daily meal plans that demonstrate how easy it is to eat your greens at every meal.


Some of my recipe tests for the cookbook. Jeff had no complaints.

So far I've tried 14 recipes from the book, and many have become part of our regular rotation. The Breakfast Sandwich with Avocado and Arugula is, without exaggeration, one of my favorite sandwiches ever. I've made it nearly a dozen times since I first tested it. The Orecchiette with Chard, Sundried Tomatoes, and Toasted Almonds, which sounds straightforward enough, was a revelation. There are still so many dishes I am dying to try, like the Pesto Polenta Fries with Spicy Aioli, and her Kale, Collard, and Cabbage Sauerkraut. The recipes are paired with gorgeous photographs by Jackie Sobon of Vegan Yack Attack, which make it hard not to bookmark every single page.

As good as all of the savory dishes are, I think where Jess really shines is in pastry. I have never pretended to be good at baking, but through her recipes I've managed to produce shockingly good, restaurant quality desserts. She definitely doesn't hold back on the greens, packing her desserts with ingredients like cabbage, kale, and spinach. When I was preparing to write this review, Jeff and I debated between sharing her Rhubarb and Chard Pie or her Zucchini Chocolate Cake, both of which we made repeatedly last spring and summer. Even though tomorrow is Pi Day, we ended up agreeing to share this chocolate cake, because the way the zucchini bakes in this dessert is nothing short of magical. Try it and I think you'll start to understand a little bit of the magic of this book. You can find out more about Greens 24/7 at The Experiment website.

Greens 24/7 Photography by Jackie Sobon.

Have a great weekend!

Jess Nadel's Zucchini Chocolate Cake

by Jessica Nadel

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 60 mins

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) unrefined cane sugar
½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2⁄3 cup (170 ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (125 ml) almond milk
1½ cups (180 g) grated zucchini
powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 6- or 8-inch (15- or 20-cm) cake pan.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir.

3. Mix the oil and milk in another bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until you have a thick batter. Then fold in the zucchini.

4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

5. Allow the cake to cool before removing from the pan, dusting with powdered sugar, and slicing.

Recipe from Greens 24/7: More Than 100 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes for Eating Leafy Greens and Other Green Vegetables at Every Meal, Every Day © Jessica Nadel, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. www.theexperimentpublishing.com

Photo credit: Jackie Sobon.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Greens 24/7 to review.

Taco Tuesday: Fried Avocados (and Onion Rings!)

2015-03-10T11:27:00.003-04:00

This recipe originally appeared in Mommy Nearest

We take Taco Tuesday seriously, because tacos really should be a weekly event. These deep-fried avocado tacos were my Super Bowl recipe for Mommy Nearest earlier this year. I could eat about a dozen of them, and probably would every time, if Jamie didn't love them too.

And because this is already a deep-fried post, I have a little bonus recipe for you. Jeff doesn't eat avocados, so I like to toss thinly sliced onions in the leftover no-beer batter to make his favorite onion rings. Fry them between 325 and 375 in small batches, moving them with a slotted spoon or a spider until golden brown and crisp. Salt immediately and drain on paper towels.

Clearly being vegan doesn't mean depriving yourself of gut-busting food. Deep-frying doesn't happen often in our house, but we're certainly not opposed to it if the occasion or mood arises. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat a kale salad and a green juice.

Fried Avocado Tacos

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Keywords: fry vegan Mexican

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

For the Fried Avocados

2 ripe but firm avocados, chilled in the refrigerator overnight
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup + 2 tablespoons cold water
oil, for deep frying

For the Tacos

corn tortillas
cabbage, shredded
red onion, thinly sliced
cilantro
salsa and/or hot sauce
fresh lime, sliced into wedges

Instructions

1. In a large heavy pot or wok, heat a few inches of oil to between 325 and 375 degrees.

2. Carefully halve the avocados lengthwise. Discard the pits. Slice each half into three wedges and remove the peel (or, scoop the halves out with a spoon and slice into three wedges).

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk in the water until a thick batter is formed. If the batter is too thick to dip the avocados in, add water one teaspoon at a time.

4. Dredge each avocado wedge in the batter, letting the excess drip off.

5. Carefully lower the avocados into the oil and deep fry in small batches until golden brown. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with sea salt.

6. Place fried avocado on a corn tortilla, top with cabbage, red onion, cilantro, salsa and hot sauce. Serve hot, with lime wedges.

Jamie's Berry Almond Chia Pudding

2015-03-06T14:07:00.000-05:00

Jamie and I used to have our own language, but now that his baby talk is maturing I'm no longer needed as a translator. Bup is now clearly book, Sha-choo (Charlie) is the much more recognizable Chah-wee, and most recently he's stopped referring to himself as Baby and instead very proudly calls out his own name whenever you ask--which I do a lot. Some of his baby words have become part of Jeff's and my vocabulary, like yayoo (I love you), nana (bananas), ooh-eee (depending on the context, either cookie or excuse me), and bee-boo (blueberries).

Jamie's "Bee-boo" Ginger Smoothie:1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 banana, 1 Romaine leaf, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger...blend until smooth, add pitted Medjool dates for sweetness if needed

Jamie is obsessed with berries. In the summer, we don't need to do anything to his fresh berries except rinse and serve, and maybe occasionally dip them in chocolate. We buy frozen organic berries during winter, and we put them in everything: folded into pancake and waffle batters, spooned onto oatmeal, or just defrosted in a bowl with a teeny drizzle of coconut nectar. Our daily go-to berry recipes are smoothies (like the one pictured above) and chia puddings (recipe below), both of which Jamie loves to help make.

Making chia pudding in his kitchen. Notice the white shirt--don't be like me.

If you aren't eating berries every day, you should start. In addition to being delicious and low in calories, berries are rich in phytonutrients associated with decreased risk of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders. In my book, that's a win-win.

Have a great weekend!

Jamie's Berry Almond Chia Pudding

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins to 1 hour (passive)

Keywords: raw breakfast dessert gluten-free soy-free sugar-free vegan

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
2 Medjool dates, pitted (adjust based on the natural sweetness of the berries)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup chia seeds
coconut whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend almond milk, berries, dates and almond extract until smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the chia seeds until well combined (small kids can help with this).

2. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally, until the pudding has thickened to your desired consistency. Serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.

Baby Led Lunch: Sweet Pea Soup

2015-03-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

I miss blogging. I'm still sharing weekly recipes at Mommy Nearest, and have also signed on to produce recipes for the upcoming Generation Veggie, but recipe testing and writing with an editor is just a different ballgame. I miss having a space to write freely, and being able to cook without measuring spoons and a notepad. Sometimes when I'm making lunch, I'll start writing blog posts to an imaginary audience in my head. I blame this endless winter--too many days spent indoors are not good for one's mental health.

The positive by-product of being cooped up has been finding creative ways to keep my son entertained. He's turned two since I last posted here, and he has never been more fun to have around. We have various toy stations all around the apartment, but at the moment his favorite is probably his kitchen. Clearly spending so much time in the kitchen with me has had an effect on Jamie because, like me, his favorite thing to cook is "soup!".

KidKraft Vintage Kitchen

This sweet pea soup is typically a Friday lunch dish, something I cobble together the day before grocery day with the few things I always have in my kitchen. Sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until tender, then add water, vegetable bouillon, and some frozen peas. Blend with a scallion (if you have one) or some fresh parsley until smooth. You can add additional seasonings as well; coconut milk or green curry paste are just delicious in this soup. I kept this batch simple and poured our soup into mugs so we could sit on the couch and sip lunch while watching Finding Nemo for the six zillionth time (amazingly, it still holds up--though, that could be the winter madness again).

KidKraft Wooden New Smoothie Set

I know I've said it before, but I really am going to try to start blogging regularly again. If you're following me on Instagram, you'll know that I love cooking with Jamie. I believe that kids who cook their veggies are much more likely to eat their veggies, and Jamie has yet to prove me wrong. I'm planning to share ideas here for those of you with kids who love to cook as well, or who are hoping to bring your kids into the kitchen more. If you're interested, please say hello and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see!

Jamie's Sweet Pea Soup

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 vegetable bouillon cube (I like Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon)
1 cup frozen peas
1 scallion
fresh parsley, for garnish
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant.

2. Add 2 cups water, bouillon, and bring to a boil. Add frozen peas and remove from heat.

3. Pour the contents of the pot into a blender and add scallion, plus a few sprigs of parsley. Blend until smooth. Season to taste. Serve warm, garnish with parsley.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click those links and buy something. Thank you very much for your support!

Baby Led Lunch: Spaghetti Squash Two Ways

2014-09-03T21:36:00.004-04:00

Whoops! It's only Day 3 and I'm in danger of missing a day of Vegan MoFo already! I thought I would continue this week's theme of food for babies with these two spaghetti squash lunches that I photographed earlier this year.

1. Spaghetti Squash with Lentil Balls

My lunch: Spaghetti squash with lentil balls is one of our regular dinners in the fall and winter and the leftovers are really easy to heat up for lunch. I made these lentil balls with mashed green lentils, rolled oats, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder and then baked at 350 for 20 minutes.

Jamie's lunch (12 months): His lunch was the same as mine, minus the salt and the tomato sauce.

2. Spaghetti Squash with Veggies

My lunch: I mixed leftover spaghetti squash with tomato sauce, stuffed the mixture into button mushrooms, and then baked them at 400 for 15 minutes until browned all over. They were delicious over a spinach salad with bell peppers, sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.

Jamie's lunch (13 months): While my mushrooms cooked, I chopped up spinach, peppers, and mushrooms and sautéed them with some cooked spaghetti squash for Jamie.

Baby Led Lunch: Greenmarket Salads

2014-09-02T12:56:00.000-04:00

[June 28, 2014]

On Saturdays in the summer, we (Jeff, Charlie, Jamie and I) walk a mile to our neighborhood Greenmarket to do the bulk of our weekly food shopping. We started the tradition last summer, but it has been even more fun this year now that Jamie can walk around to each stand and taste bits of fruit. It feels silly to say it, but one of our favorite vegetables is the green leaf lettuce at the market. It's truly delicious--almost buttery--and we look forward to our Saturday salads all week long. Our enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed by Jamie: I never offered him any lettuce until he started asking for it himself, and now he loves salads just as much as we do.

Jamie's lunch (16 months): Basically the same lunch as us, minus the crusts on the baguette, and I lightly splashed his greens with balsamic vinegar rather than balsamic dressing.

Jeff's and my lunch: Balsamic salad with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, sesame seed baguette, garlic hummus, and Angela Liddon's crispy chickpea bites. If you haven't tried the baked chickpea patties, they are simple, hearty, and delicious. I make them all the time, with fresh cilantro in place of the coriander, and rolled in panko bread crumbs. Our balsamic vinaigrette is a simple mix of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a bit of Dijon, salt and pepper.

Green leaf salad with roasted chickpeas and spring onions; French sourdough with Vegenaise, tomatoes and sea salt

Green leaf salad with carrots, radishes, tomatoes, and onion and olive bread

Watermelon Salsa

2014-09-01T12:16:00.000-04:00

Today marks the start of VeganMoFo, the Vegan Month of Food, when over 400 bloggers join together to write as much as we can about vegan food all month long. I've been following along for a few years, and have discovered some of my favorite food blogs from it, but never really thought I could handle the commitment. I signed up this time around because I've accumulated so many unfinished blog posts over the past year that this seemed as good an excuse as any to try to start blogging again in earnest.

For any newcomers to my blog, you can expect some posts on feeding a vegan toddler, some veganized Filipino dishes, and maybe some recaps from meals at vegan New York restaurants. For today, I'm starting with something simple. Jeff, Jamie and I have been trying to eat our body weights in watermelon this summer. Over the weekend I shared three ways to enjoy watermelon on Mommy Nearest. Head on over there for my recipe for this super delicious and refreshing watermelon salsa.

See you tomorrow!

Watermelon Pico de Gallo

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Ingredients

2 cups diced watermelon
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon finely diced jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed
juice of 1 lime
sea salt, to taste

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and season to taste with sea salt. Serve immediately, or let marinate in the fridge before serving.

National Zucchini Day!

2014-08-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

August 8 is National Zucchini Day, so here are five yummy and simple zucchini dishes we can't get enough of this summer:

1. Zoodles

Mommy Nearest has my Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce up today. This dish takes just 30 minutes and almost no effort to make. It's so much fun watching Jamie slurp the zoodles up.

2. Spaghetti

For you carb-lovers: my simple spaghetti with zucchini and breadcrumbs.

3. Fried Zucchini Blossoms

These blossoms were a total improvisation and they turned out so beautifully. They were almost like chicken wings, I couldn't stop eating them! I stuffed them with truffled cauliflower purée (steamed cauliflower, olive oil, truffle salt), dipped them in a batter of 1/4 cup AP flour, 2 tablespoons corn starch, a pinch of paprika, and about 1/2 cup of cold water, then deep fried them until they were golden and crispy.

4. Risotto

Zucchini, toasted breadcrumbs, and a little squeeze of lemon make an amazing summery risotto. Jamie can eat three bowlfuls in one sitting!

5. Zucchini Bread

And lastly, if you're looking for something sweet, Isa Chandra's Zucchini-Banana Bread is simply amazing. You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. I sub chocolate chips for the raisins, but you could make it without any of the add-ins and it would still be the best banana bread you've ever tasted.

Have a great weekend!

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Vegan Grilling Ideas

2014-07-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

I sometimes forget that the idea of a vegan barbecue is totally baffling to most people, when in reality, there is nothing inherently non-vegan about cooking over a flame. I think grilled veggies can be just as flavorful and definitely more creative than traditional backyard barbecue fare, and I've shared four of my favorite grilled veggie dishes today at Mommy Nearest to prove it. Head on over there for the recipes!

Barbecued Cauliflower Steaks

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 heads of cauliflower, sliced vertically into 1-inch “steaks”
vegetable oil
sea salt and black pepper
barbecue sauce (plus water and/or vegetable broth to thin out, as needed)

Instructions

1. Rub the cauliflower “steaks” with oil, salt and pepper, then grill for six to seven minutes on each side.

2. Add the grilled cauliflower to a sauté pan and cover it with your favorite barbecue sauce. Add water or vegetable broth if the sauce is too thick. Simmer over medium high heat until the cauliflower is fork tender, about five to ten minutes.Serve with extra barbecue sauce spooned on top.

Raw Chocolate, and Toddler-Friendly Summer Desserts

2014-07-02T18:17:00.000-04:00

Raw Chocolate-Dipped Banana Pops

If you've never made raw chocolate before, you should give this recipe a try. It's very easy to make, with just three ingredients: organic cacao powder, coconut oil, and coconut nectar. Raw cacao is rich in antioxidants, and coconut nectar is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, so I don't feel guilty letting Jamie have some of this chocolate every once in a while. My first few attempts at making raw chocolate were too bitter for Jamie and too gritty for me, but I kept experimenting, and he and I both love the recipe that I finally landed on below. I promise my raw chocolate-dipped bananas and chocolate-covered strawberries taste every bit as sweet and indulgent as their sugar-loaded and nutrient-poor counterparts.

For your Fourth of July weekend, I've shared a trio of healthy red, white and blue desserts on MommyNearest.com, all of which are Jamie-approved. Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate:
¼ cup virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut nectar
¼ cup organic cacao powder

Gently heat oil and coconut nectar in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk vigorously until well combined. Remove from heat immediately. Important: The heat is only necessary to help combine the oil and nectar. Do not let the mixture get warmer than body temperature.
Sift the cacao powder into the oil and nectar mixture and whisk until the mixture has the consistency of melted chocolate. This chocolate mixture will thicken as it cools, and can be hardened into candies or used for dipping or drizzling.

Fresh Fruit Skewers with Chocolate Drizzle

Raw Fruit Pie

Smoothie Popsicles

Toddler Travel Foods, and a Product Review: Tiny Fruits!

2014-06-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

I wrote about 5 Quick and Healthy Travel Foods for Toddlers in today's Mommy Nearest Magazine, and I would love it if you would check it out and share your own favorite kiddie snacks. I had to include the only packaged baby food that I buy: Little Duck Organics Tiny Fruits. When I started looking for a "puff" type snack for Jamie several months ago*, Tiny Fruits were the only product I found that didn't have any added sugars or preservatives; the sole ingredient is organic fruit. These were a lifesaver on the drive down to DC for Christmas. That was the first time Jamie ever rode in a car without having a meltdown, and I have been a devoted Tiny Fruits fan ever since.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with some of the people at Little Duck Organics (they are based in Brooklyn!) and they offered to provide samples for my mommy friends to test out. So we threw a picnic in the park this past Saturday to try Tiny Fruits and Mighty Oats (a just-add-water container of cereal, with a cardboard package that you can plant to grow vegetables!), and play with duck stickers and cute little rubber duckies. It was a gorgeous day. The kids seemed to love the snacks, and I even saw parents munching happily away. Some moms commented that if it weren't for the kid-oriented packaging, they'd buy the Tiny Fruits for themselves. Personally, the package design has never stopped me--my favorite is the mango and pineapple mix.

I want to note that I was not compensated for this post. Little Duck Organics graciously provided samples, but they did not request a blog mention in return. This is the only baby food product I've ever purchased, and I love telling people about it (as friends and family no doubt can attest). Moms at the party kept commenting that Jamie should be a spokesperson because he had his hand in a bag of Tiny Fruits practically the entire time. It feels so good to have found a healthy, vegan, organic snack that Jamie adores.

Thank you Little Duck Organics for a fabulous afternoon in the park!

*The first time we bought these for Jamie, there was a "Level One" variety for babies 6 months+, but I don't know if those are available anymore. The current products are labeled for 1 year+.

Baby Led Lunch: Chilled Beet Soup

2014-06-19T11:07:00.000-04:00

[June 1, 2014]

My lunch: This chilled beet and apple soup would have been perfect yesterday, when temperatures in New York soared to the 90s. You can find my recipe in the Mommy Nearest Magazine.

Jamie's lunch (16 months): Because Jamie usually gets soups everywhere but in his mouth, I whisked chia seeds into his portion to make a savory beet pudding that is much easier to scoop. Plus it's packed with omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber. My ratio for chia pudding is roughly 2 tablespoons chia seeds per 1/3 cup liquid, but there is no need to measure. Just add some water if it's too thick, more chia seeds if it's not thick enough. Remember that the pudding will continue to thicken as it sits.

I know I've been an absent blogger lately, but I have so much to share with you! I need to write some reviews from the fabulous 8-day family staycation we took last month, plus some more Baby Led Lunches. My tutoring schedule is finally easing up after a busy end of the school year, so I'm hoping to find some time to blog again. In the meantime, I'm still writing weekly posts for MommyNearest.com (full list of all my articles here), and posting photos to Instagram. I hope you'll stick around!

Apple Cole Slaw and a Classic Sandwich

2014-05-20T09:48:00.000-04:00

I had a couple of ideas for my Memorial Day-themed recipe on Mommy Nearest this week, but I was thrilled when my editor approved this apple cole slaw. This seriously yummy, oil-free slaw is terrific on its own, but it really shines in these vegan Primanti-style sandwiches. This was Jeff's first French fry and cole slaw sandwich since he went vegetarian over two years ago, and I wish you could have seen how happy he was taking his first bite. It may not be a pitch-perfect recreation of Pittsburgh's beloved signature dish, but it definitely hit the right notes for one vegan Steelers fan, and at the end of the day, it's just a damn good sandwich.

Soft Italian bread, tons of apple cole slaw, baked French fries, vegan Italian sausages and Daiya cheese

Cinco de Mayo Made Easy!

2014-05-05T16:21:00.001-04:00

I shared two super simple Cinco de Mayo recipes in the Mommy Nearest Magazine this weekend. The dessert nachos are a MUST MAKE--you will not believe how delicious flour tortillas, cinnamon and fruit can be. I've posted some other quick and easy recipe ideas for tonight's dinner below. If you have extra time on your hands, my slow-cooked black beans or homemade corn tortillas would also be fantastic.

Dessert Nachos

Black Bean Salsa-stuffed Avocado Boats

Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup - add some black beans and corn to the soup for texture

Black Bean, Corn, and Butternut Squash Flautas

Happy Cinco de Mayo and have a wonderful week!

Happy Easter Weekend!

2014-04-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

via Wikimedia Commons

A few of my recipes from Easter 2012 have been making the rounds on Pinterest, so I thought that I would link to the really popular ones here in case anyone is looking for some simple, cruelty-free dishes for Sunday. We're getting ready to catch a train to see Jeff's family for the weekend. My sister and her husband recently purchased their first home, and it's only one town over from where Jeff grew up. I am so excited to spend Easter with her! They're having us over for a gluten-free and vegan Easter brunch, and at my sister's request I'll be bringing my green bean potato salad.

Whether or not you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with family, friends, and delicious plants!

My Sweet Carrot Rice Pudding, shared this week in the Mommy Nearest Magazine

Roasted Cauliflower

Maple-Glazed Baby Carrots

Crunchy Chickpea Polenta

Peanut Butter Cookies for Baby

2014-04-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

We're heavily into spring cleaning at our house. Jamie's Bumbo has been retired and replaced with a darling little table and chair, and we converted his crib to a bed, much to his delight. We also traded out the straight-backed window chairs in our living room for comfier armchairs, specifically chosen because they also come in a child's size. I'm in the middle of a massive closet overhaul, which I keep trying to convince myself is going to be worth the sweat and the tears in the end. Meanwhile, Jamie is loving all the new arrangements - our apartment is his own personal jungle gym.

Fourteen months is a really fun age and I want to remember everything. Like how Jamie plays Peekaboo by holding his hands to his cheeks (Home Alone-style), pulling them off, and yelling "taka-ta!". His kisses are still open-mouthed, but if you beg him to make a kissy face he will form a tiny "O" shape with his lips before dissolving into giggles. In between playing with Charlie and stacking blocks he will "read" aloud to himself next to his bookcase, or else carry a book over to the closest person with a free lap to snuggle into. When it comes to placing circles into circle-shaped holes and stars into star-shaped holes, he excels, but the triangles and squares are another story; he hurls them out of frustration and I keep finding them in odd corners of the room. And then there are his hugs! He gives the BEST hugs, clinging super tight and either pressing his warm cheek to mine or burying his face in my neck.

Probably my favorite thing about Jamie at this age is how much he seems to understand. If we pass a dog on the sidewalk, he raises his hand in a small wave and says "hiiiiiiii-ya." When we tell him to do something he doesn't want to do, he shakes his head vigorously: "Ny! Ny!" He springs into action when we say "dance party!" (always with an exclamation point, and never a question mark), or "give your brother a kiss." Ask him if he wants a cookie, and he'll speedwalk to the fridge, where we always have a container of these peanut butter cookies.

We've started baking all of our sweet potatoes on Sunday when we get home from the grocery so that they're ready for a quick lunch or snack all week long. From there it's just a matter of mixing some with organic peanut butter and rolled oats to make a giant batch of cookies. I am super proud of this recipe. One of the highlights of my day is watching Jamie savor each bite of his cookie with this giant goofy grin on his face (Charlie hovering close by so he can pounce on every crumb), and knowing that I made that happiness happen.

Have a great week!

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (for babies over 6 months)
Recipe originally published in the Mommy Nearest Magazine.

Vegan (dairy- and egg-free) and gluten-free
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 heaping cup mashed sweet potato (1 large sweet potato or 2 medium, baked in the oven or microwave)
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash the sweet potato and peanut butter with a fork or a silicone spatula until thoroughly combined. Fold the oats into the mixture.
Use a 1.5-tablespoon ice cream scoop to divide the dough into equal portions on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Gently flatten the dough balls with a fork (the dough is sticky, so it helps to very lightly grease the back of the fork).
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until bottoms are set and the tops of the cookies are dry. Check after 10 minutes to rotate the pan if necessary. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing. If your baby is new to solid foods, break the cookies into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Baby Led Lunch: Black Bean Patties

2014-03-28T12:34:00.000-04:00

Jamie's lunch (13 months): I mashed 1 cup of black beans with a little water, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/3 cup of rolled oats (all rough measurements), portioned the mixture with a mini ice cream scoop, then baked at 400 for 15 minutes, flipping after 10, until the patties were crisp on both sides. I had hoped to pack leftovers in the fridge for the next day's lunch, but between Jamie and Charlie there wasn't even a crumb left by dinnertime. The salad was finely grated carrots, diced avocado, cilantro, and a tiny squeeze of lime.

My lunch: While Jamie's patties were in the oven, I piled black beans, carrots, avocado, mushrooms, and bell peppers over mixed greens, and topped it all with cilantro, chili oil and lots of fresh lime juice.

For a sweet treat for baby, check out my 3-ingredient snickerdoodles currently in the Mommy Nearest Magazine.

I'm hoping to make this "Mommy and Me"-style lunch post a regular series on the blog. But I'd also really love to hear from you! Did you have anything good for lunch this week?

5 Baby-Approved Smoothie Recipes

2014-03-24T19:31:00.000-04:00

1. Green smoothie
Recipe in the Mommy Nearest Magazine

Family weekends are the best. We ate too many delicious vegan donuts, finally tried Chipotle's sofritas, and could barely get Jamie away from the playground slide. But the two highlights of my weekend by far were walking around Chelsea with Jamie on my finger, and seeing the incredible sculptures at the Li Hongbo exhibition.

I have been admiring his work online for a while, but it was amazing to see the sculptures in person. The artist glues together thousands of layers of thin paper and then carves the blocks into classic busts and figures. They look completely solid, even on close inspection, until they're pulled apart. I was so tempted to reach out and touch every single piece. The sculptures made me reflect on the human body and mind, on what it means to be truly flexible, and the fine line between fragility and strength. But also, and maybe this is because we were heading to Williamsburg for donuts afterward, they reminded me of cronuts. I'm obviously very deep and artsy.

Our busy weekend left me feeling good but tired. I rely on blended fruit instead of coffee or tea for my mid-day energy bursts, and it struck me as odd that there isn't any record on this blog of something that I make nearly every day. So today I'm sharing five of my favorite smoothie recipes, all of which are Jamie-approved. Jeff and I started making our own almond milk at the beginning of the year specifically so that we could make smoothies for Jamie, and now he's an addict like me.

Even if you don't think of yourself as a smoothie person, these are worth a try; I never actually liked them until I started making my own. Feel free to add agave nectar or brown rice syrup if they are a bit tart for you. And, just putting this out there: every one of these is improved by the addition of chocolate chips. Now blend, sip, and be rejuvenated. Have a great week!

2. Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie
1 cup almond milk, 2 cups frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder, 4 Medjool dates (if tough, soak in water first), 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; garnish with hazelnuts

3. Strawberry Banana Smoothie
1 cup almond milk, 1 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, 1 ripe banana

4. Chocolate PB Smoothie
1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana (peeled and sliced into chunks), 2 tablespoons PB2 powder, 1 tablespoon organic unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5. Mixed Berry Smoothies (makes 2)
2 cups almond milk, 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, 1.5 cups frozen raspberries; optional: 1 frozen banana

Black Beans

2014-03-21T14:31:00.000-04:00

When Jeff recently brought up how weird it is that black beans are now his favorite food, I went through my blog archives to find the first black bean dish he ever liked. I couldn't believe that it was only a year ago, in December of 2012. These days, we go through all kinds of dried beans like crazy and, at Jeff's request, we have these black beans for dinner nearly every week. Looking back at our eight-year relationship, I realized I never put any effort into getting Jeff to try beans. Although, I'm not sure that it would have done any good before he cared about nutrition or the effects his choices can have. I am constantly amazed by Jeff's capacity to change and grow, in more ways than just his dietary preferences, ever since he decided to go vegan.

While we always have organic, BPA-free canned beans in our pantry, the one canned bean we never buy anymore is black beans. There is no comparison between these slow-cooked dried beans and the gloopy canned ones. This recipe makes a huge batch, so you could make them over the weekend and enjoy burritos with homemade corn tortillas and tomatillo salsa all week. Is it any wonder that we make these all the time? I can't think of any other meal as easy to make, inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious. And don't forget the benefits to the planet and the animals when you substitute these for a meat-centric meal.

As you can tell from the photos, Jamie loves these beans as much as we do. Even Charlie loves black bean nights at our house, because Jamie is very good at sharing. The recipe happens to be perfect for little ones because salt isn't added until the end, so you can take out a cup for baby before seasoning the pot. I really hope this meal becomes as much of a regular in your household as it is in ours.

On the subject of beans, Jeff and I are excited to finally try the new Chipotle sofritas burrito tomorrow, after we check out Li Hongbo's Tools of Study exhibition for date day with Jamie. Anyone else have fun plans for the weekend?

Black Beans

by Michelle's tiny kitchen

Cook Time: 2 hours

Keywords: Mexican

Ingredients (serves 8)

1 pound (about 2 ½ cups) dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
1 medium white onion, diced
2 large dried bay leaves
3 vegetable bouillon cubes, such as Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon (optional)
salt

Instructions

1. Pour the beans into a deep (4- to 6-quart) pot. Measure in 8 cups water and remove any beans that float. Add the chopped onion and bay leaves. Bring to a strong rolling boil, then set a cover slightly askew and reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer until the beans are thoroughly tender, about 2 hours.

2. If serving to a baby, remove some of the beans before adding salt. Stir in 3 bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons salt and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Add additional salt to taste.

Jamie's first birthday!

2014-03-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

When I put Jamie to bed each night, I swear he's a different person than when he woke up that morning. A few days ago he still had to pull himself up on furniture to stand, and now he's doing squats while toting his Lifefactory bottle one-handed around the apartment. It's only been six weeks since his birthday and I hardly recognize the sweet baby in these photos. The little boy who hasn't yet taken his first steps, fallen in love with Ethiopian food, or mumbled "Mom" in his sleep. I remember feeling anxious about my baby turning into a toddler--why didn't anybody tell me that toddlers are amazing?

Jamie's birthday fell on the Super Bowl, which was held in New York this year. We decided to host the party in our small apartment, which meant limiting the guest list to immediate family and Jamie's best friend. Jeff and I had struggled with whether to invite all of our friends, but in the end I was grateful to have a very low-key, casual event to celebrate Jamie's first year.

Our apartment decor is already heavily Disney-influenced, so it seemed natural to go with a Mickey Mouse-themed birthday. Plus, Jamie's grandpa had given us personalized Mickey ears when he was born and Jeff was really excited that they finally fit. I hung photos of Jamie everywhere, papered the nursery door with calendars from my Project 365 of his first year, and displayed his twelve monthly photos behind the food table. The food was standard football fare: three-bean chili, sweet potato fritters, kale salad, soy-garlic "wings," a veggie platter with hummus, and tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. For dessert, Jeff made chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free donuts, and my sister brought vegan red velvet cupcakes.

The day went exactly as Jeff and I had hoped it would. The food was well-received by our mostly non-vegan families and Jamie was a happy and entertaining birthday boy. Even the terrible one-sidedness of the game worked in our favor: our family members--who had traveled from Boston, DC, and Long Island--were able to head home before it became too dark, giving Jeff and me plenty of time to snuggle with Jamie and reflect on the past year.

My family

It may not be obvious, perhaps because Jamie's changes are so much more dramatic in comparison, but Jeff and I have grown a lot this year too. Jeff graduated from business school, and I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. We've both started to define the kinds of parents we want to be. I sometimes think that being parents suits us too perfectly, because it's hard to focus on our career goals when we so adore every second spent raising our son. But that's more of a concern for our birthdays, not his; and anyway, I wouldn't trade this past year for anything. Right now, it's hard to imagine any job bringing me half as much joy as being a work-from-home parent has, even with all its trials.

I wrote a bit more about Jamie's birthday, and how I made his cake, in the Mommy Nearest Magazine. The day was a wonderful start to Jamie's second year, which so far has been even more fun than his first.

Side note: Thursday, March 20 is Meatout Day. Please consider taking the pledge to help save 8,000 animals, protect 3.7 million square feet of forest, and prevent 10,500 doses of antibiotics from being misused. Your choices make a difference. Go vegan!

Mayim's Vegan Table [Guest Post for Willy B Mum]

2014-03-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, fellow Brooklyn blogger Willy B Mum invited me to attend a book launch event for Mayim Bialik's new cookbook Mayim's Vegan Table in her place. Naturally, I jumped at the chance, as it's not very often that I get to meet a celebrity who is a vegan, a proponent of attachment parenting, and a scientist (probably the three topics that most occupy my brain right now). I have a degree in biology and am hoping to pursue advanced degrees in science and/or medicine, but lately have been deeply conflicted about leaving my son. I had about a million questions I wanted to ask Mayim--about dealing with non-vegans, going back to school as a mom, writing a cookbook--but in the end I completely lost my nerve. She signed my cookbook while talking to another fan, so I hovered awkwardly until her publicist announced that it was time to wrap it up and then I basically fled the scene. Even though she is astonishingly laid-back for a Hollywood star, I found her myriad accomplishments and general awesomeness pretty intimidating. Anyway, the event was a lot of fun, and the cookbook is fantastic. You can read more about my experience in my guest post on Willy B Mum.

The Cafe Blossom menu clockwise from top left: Buffalo arancini with vegan bleu cheese sauce | crostini with Japanese eggplant baba ghanoush | smoked tempeh and cheese fried wonton | herbed flatbread with plum tomato ragout, arugula, and housemade cashew ricotta

I'm off to make this corned bean hash for dinner. Check out the Mommy Nearest Magazine for my simple, dairy-free colcannon recipe. Happy St. Patrick's Day!