Blackberry Applesauce

I saw this great recipe for blackberry applesauce the other day -- which was perfect as I had some apples left over from apple picking.  But as I was reading through the recipe I realized it was a little more work than I wanted to do.  I mean, it was excellent if I wanted to can and store a lot, but I didn't.  I just wanted blackberry applesauce, and I wanted it now.

So I did what we all do when we need to figure out how to do something: I googled.  Because, believe it or not, I have never made applesauce.  Not once.  I only know the stuff that comes from the jar.  Oh, and those little plastic tubs that go in lunch boxes.  Yes, I know those, too...

But now I know how simple it is to make applesauce.  Which is unbelievably simple, actually.  And since I didn't really care if my blackberry seeds were in my apple sauce or not, I didn't worry about putting them through a food mill like I kept reading that I should to do remove the seeds.  I don't even know what a food mill is, so clearly I didn't have one on hand.  I just threw the berries in with the apples and moved on with my life  Simple.

I like simple.

And I also like bright pink food.  It is pretty.

So I guess this turned out perfectly for me.

What I came up with was enough applesauce for four servings.  However, if you make more, you can store it in the fridge for two weeks.

COST: $5.10           COST PER SERVING (4): $1.03

Edamame Hummus + Finding Balance

I have a life outside of food.  GASP!  I know.  I used to be better at showing it.  Sometimes I still am.  But most of the time I just share what I have been cooking, talk a little about the thoughts floating through my head, and then press "publish".

I think I am becoming compartmentalized.  School.  Home.  Blog.  Each fitting into their little boxes, only opened when it is the right time.

This is a good thing.  For example, nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about my students all day long (except my husband, who loves to hear all about them every single day and listens to me tirelessly... or maybe he is just a good pretender. Ha!) and so I am pretty sure you don't want to hear about them every day, either.

Nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about food all day long, either.  In fact, out of all of my friends of Facebook (all of whom are truly friends on varying degrees), only about 5% of them follow this blog.  I know it's not because they don't support me (because they truly do!), but because, well, blog reading isn't for everyone.

It is a different issue on this end.  While sharing details about life, about dreams, and so on are such an important part of blogging, you have to find a healthy, safe balance.  Those of you who read regularly feel like you know me, and I feel like I know you.  And you know what?  I do believe you can know somebody and be friends long before you meet in person.  But I am also aware that anybody can follow along. Anybody.  And so you have to find that balance -- share enough to keep up a connection with your fellow blog friends, but don't share so much that stalkers and serial killers could find you.  You know how it goes...

This has led me to a place where I have been having a hard time of thinking of things to write.  Just being honest.  Writing purely about food seems so boring, and so I don't do it.  Sharing all the details of my life, well, that isn't going to happen.  It has to be a balance.  Food, life, love, observations...  Food blogging is one of those things that isn't an exact science.  What works for some doesn't work for others.  I don't know the secret formula.  But maybe you do... and that is one of the many beautiful things about blogging.  I can ask you, whether or not I have ever met you in person.  So please, tell me, how do you find that balance?

PS -- Edamame hummus.  It's good, really good.  And easy.  Try it!

EDAMAME HUMMUS

SERVES 8  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 cup thawed edamame (not in the shell)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt, to taste
• "Unprocessed" pita bread, for serving  **I got my pita from Trader Joe's -- meaning it really came from the local bakery.  No preservatives, no colorings, unbleached flour... "safe" for October Unprocessed

directions

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients.  Blend until creamy.  Add more olive oil, tahini, or lemon juice if needed. 
2. Serve with pita chips (pita bread cut into triangular eighths, brushed with olive oil and salt, baked for 12 minutes at 400 degrees).  

  

COST: $4.47        COST PER SERVING (6): $0.56

Unprocessed    //    30 Min or Less    //   Vegan

Mountain View, CA & Strawberry Arugula Salad

When I found Jess's blog CookSmarts I instantly loved what she was doing. Her recipes are fresh and easy, the directions are clear enough that anyone can cook (yes, YOU!), and her graphics were eye-catching. The more I followed her and tried her recipes I knew I found something great. What I didn't know was that we were neighbors awhile back... until I got her farmers' market post! This market that she is sharing today was the one I used to visit in my neighborhood. What a small world! Enjoy a glimpse into OUR Californian market :)

Hi there! Jess from Cook Smarts here, and I was lucky enough to be asked by Tiffany to contribute to her Farmer’s Market Friday series. I’m not gonna lie. I don’t get to the farmer’s market nearly often enough. Weekends are often packed with travel and social plans, but on the rare occasion when I’m home and free, I have the hard decision of choosing from 4 different markets. Luckily, the largest and most vibrant one also happens to be the one closest to me, the Mountain View Farmer’s Market.

This last visit to the market was at one of my favorite times of the year when summer produce is just arriving. Every fruit stand vendor is handing out samples of their sweet harvests. Tomatoes, asparagus, and strawberries blanket the market stalls. The sun is out and an outing to the farmer’s market feels more like a trip to the county fair than grocery shopping.

My typical approach is to take one lap to soak it all in before making any purchases. Once I’ve gotten my share free samples, then I get down to business and start coming up with menu ideas. We just launched a new meal planning service over at Cook Smarts, and it’s always fun to use the market to inspire our menus.

On this last trip after a few laps, I picked out:

• A pint of strawberries ($3)
• A bulb of fennel ($2)
• Basil ($2)
• Arugula ($3)
• Fingerling potatoes ($3)
• Lacinato kale ($2)

When I got home with the bounty, I got to work on making one of my favorite salads - mixing strawberry, fennel, and arugula with a balsamic vinaigrette. The pepperiness of the arugula combined with sweet strawberry and fennel and tart balsamic is one of my absolute favorite combinations. Here’s the recipe below:

Strawberry Arugula Salad

{serves 4}

Fennel, sliced - 1 small bulb

Strawberries, sliced - ½ pint

Basil, sliced - A few leaves

Arugula - 4 oz

Pecans - ¼ cup

Balsamic vinegar - 1 ½ tbs.

Dijon mustard - 1 tsp.

Salt & pepper

Olive oil - 3 tbs.

Clean and prep all salad ingredients. Mix together vinegar, mustard, and a good pinch of salt & pepper. Whisk in olive oil, and toss everything together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

See what I am talking about with the fresh and easy recipes?!  My favorite dish right now is Jess's sweet potato tacos, and the chances are if you come to visit that is what I will be serving :)  Make sure you stop over at CookSmarts or find Jess with one of the links below to see what goodness she is cooking up today!  Thank you Jess, for sharing your/our bit of the globe with us and maybe we can hit up the market together one of these days!!!  And to the rest of you, I hope you get out and enjoy your farmers' market this week!

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PB&J Milkshake

I am a snob.

A peanut butter and jelly snob, that is.

This was told to me by a friend a few years back as we were shopping for PB&J fixings.  He reached out for wheat bread, I wagged my finger and said, "No."  White bread was what was called for.

He grabbed some Jif, and I put it back.  Creamy Skippy, no questions asked.

He didn't even bother getting jelly, but let me peruse the shelf until I found Smucker's Seedless Strawberry Jam.  It's how I roll.

And then he told me I was a PB&J snob.  I just nodded and smiled.  Because I knew it to be true.

So when it was time to make Joy the Baker's peanut butter and jam milkshake and I read the ingredients that said 'natural peanut butter' I shook my head no.  Which might be odd, seeing as almost everything else I eat is under the 'natural' category.  Ok, so maybe I have given up the white bread.  And maybe I used soy ice cream and coconut milk in this shake instead of the dairy stuff.  But don't mess with my Skippy.  There are some things I don't think I will ever change.

Because I am a peanut butter snob like that...

This is actually two shakes in one.  The peanut butter shake (ice cream + milk + peanut butter + a teeny bit of vanilla extract) is layered with the jam shake (ice cream + milk + a bit of jam + fresh fruit blended in).  When they are brought together they make the perfect milk shake combo.

Apologies + Tomato Salad

Dear Friends Who Leave Me Voicemails,
I am sorry I never reply to you.  Actually, I am sorry I never even check your messages but just delete them and call you back when I have time.  I would like to say I have some good excuse, but I don't, other than I simply don't like checking my voice mail.  Sorry.

Dear Other Drivers on the Road,
I am sorry for all the times I wished the CHP upon you when you ticked me off.  I wouldn't like it if you did the same in return... oh wait, I am pretty sure you do do it in return.  Oh well.

Dear Friends Who Invite Me Over,
I am sorry for all the times I brought lame, store bought food to potluck dinners.  I know that you expect more from a woman with a food blog, but it's just so easy to hit up Safeway on the way over...

Dear Digestive Track,
I am sorry for all the times I fed you cheese or popcorn, knowing full well that it would make you miserable, and therefore make me miserable. I apologize for thinking more about the taste buds than I think about you.

Dear College Roommate,
I am sorry that I showed up to your wedding in the wrong colored bridesmaid's dress. You said 'blackberry' and I wrote down 'black', only to find out the day of your wedding that 'blackberry' was code for 'dark purple'.  Oops.  (And thank you for still being my friend, despite that.)

Dear Husband,
I am sorry for all the times I made you sit through The Bachelor with me. I know you have about 1,287,658 things you would rather be doing, but you power through so I can have someone to comment to.  You are a trooper!

And, Meu Amor, while I am at at, I am sorry that I never feed you Brazilian food anymore.  You have given up your country and your language and all the people you knew, and I don't want you to have to give up your food, as well.  I hope this tomato salad can help put us back on the half-American-half-Brazilian track again.  Besides, with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice it is delicious and there is no reason not to have this on our plate, regularly.  Kind of like pico de gallo as a side dish...  Yum.

Whew!  It was good to get that all off my chest ;)

// Day 13 of Blog Every Day in May //

BRAZILIAN TOMATO SALAD

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 3-4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ½ onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1-2 limes or ½ lemon
• salt, to taste

directions

1.      Mix tomatoes and onions together.  Add cilantro and lime/lemon juice with salt.  Enjoy!

 COST: $3.14       COST PER SERVING (4): $0.79 

Basil-Almond-Garlic Pesto + Me, in 10 words

Today I am supposed to sell myself in 10 words.  Hmmm.  This is a tricky one...

But here goes nothing.

Loyal.
Compassionate.
Creative, at times.

Learner.
Life lover.
Talker.
Sharer.

And since I am a sharer, I am sharing my favorite way to make pesto.  I don't put any cheese in it, keeping it plant based.  Almonds are cheaper than pine nuts and add a bit of flavor that is just right.  It is incredibly garlicky, so if you are sensitive to that you can cut back on the garlic.  We use it on top of pasta, in sandwiches, over chicken... there are SO MANY uses for pesto.  And as always, pesto is naturally gluten free, so even those with sensitivities to gluten can enjoy this over fish or chicken.  Enjoy!

BASIL ALMOND GARLIC PESTO

YIELDS 1 CUP  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup washed basil leaved, packed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup almond slices
• 1/3 - ½ cup olive oil
• sea salt, to taste

Directions

1.      Place all ingredients in food processor or blender.  Run for about 30 seconds.  Add more olive oil to get to desired consistency.

2.      Use on top of cooked pasta, in sandwiches, on top of chicken – wherever you want!

 COST: $3.45           

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies

Move over, marshmellows...  There's a new Rice Crispy treat in town!

That's right, peanut butter & chocolate.  Looks and feels like Rice Crispy treats, tastes like Lil' Debbie's Nutty Bars.  Heck yes.

What do you need?  Five ingredients: brown sugar, blue agave, puffed rice cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate.

I went all Trader Joe's on this one, as I should have.  They are the ones who supplied me with the recipe after all.  Just another reason to love them.  Which I do... a lot.  Make these and you will love them a little more, too.  And with raw brown sugar, blue agave, and natural peanut butter, this is quite a healthy rice crispy treat.

Sure doesn't taste that way ;)

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CRISPIES

Recipe from Trader Joe’s Crisp Rice Cereal

ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup blue agave                                                       
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 7 cups crisp rice cereal
• ½ cup chocolate chips            *Leave the chocolate chips out to make it vegan

directions

1.      In sauce pan, mix brown sugar and agave.  Bring to an almost boil, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.

2.      In large mixing bowl, combine crisp rice cereal with brown sugar mixture.  Stir and add chocolate chips.

3.      Pour into greased 13x8 baking dish.  Press down with waxed paper.  Put in fridge for several hours to cool, or put into freezer for one hour. 

 COST: $5.89           COST PER SERVING (18): $0.33

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"We trust you..." {Sweet Potato Hummus}

I walked into Trader Joe's earlier today with a shopping list in one hand and bag with some return items in the other.  Up to the counter I went and started making my returns/exchanges.  You know, without a receipt, without a reason...  The beauty of Trader Joe's.

They took back the chips that I didn't like (because they were too crunchy for my taste) and made my exchange of coconut oil.  Not wanting to have to pay for the coconut oil again, I asked if I should keep it up there at the customer service counter.  Since I didn't have a receipt or anything... "No, just take it with you and tell the cashier you've already paid for it.  They'll be cool with it; we trust you."

We trust you.  

Three simple words.  And that's one of the reasons Trader Joe's has my business.  No having to prepare myself for battle; no one looking at me sideways when I want to bring something back.  They just take it, do whatever it is they do with it, and smile.

They trust me.

What would shopping -- or better yet -- the world be like if we all had that attitude?

Sure, I could have been dishonest. I could have eaten half of the bag of chips because I was hungry and then brought them back claiming I didn't like the texture or taste (which is, by the way, a totally acceptable reason to bring things back at Trader Joe's).  And they would have lost $2.  Two dollars isn't much, but if many people do that it adds up.  But they choose to trust, making me a more solid shopper, which will balance out what might be dishonestly lost.

They are making the right choice.  By trusting, they are not losing, but gaining.  I don't think life is much different... so I choose to trust.

Sweet Potato hummus

ingredients

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• Salt and pepper

directions

1. Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
2. Combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. Puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Serve with pita bread or make pita sandwiches.  

COST: $2.07  (Makes four cups)

My New Fave -- Sweet Potato Tacos

Move over tortellini with butternut squash and sage, there's a new favorite in town!

From sweet potato hater to lover like that *finger snap*.

You cannot thank me for this, though.  All the credit goes out to Jess at CookSmarts.  She is a brilliant one, I tell ya, and if you are looking at this thinking, "Man, if only I could cook," look no further because she is here to help.  With her videos, easy recipes, and all these handy kitchen tips, you can't help be leave her site a little bit more handy in the kitchen.  Where was she when I needed her two years ago?!

Oh well, she is here now and so are these tacos.  Which I have had six of in the past twenty-four hours.  Dinner last night, lunch today, and now dinner tonight.  I guess you really can't have too much of a good thing...

Click here for the recipe for Sweet Potato Tacos.  I did it word for word, minus the cayenne pepper, and choosing Greek yogurt for my dairy.  Leave the dairy off and you've got a great vegan plate. And now I am hoping that my husband will say, "Yes, we can have them again, for the third time this week..."

COST: $5.97    COST PER SERVING (4): $1.50

Do You Hear the People Sing? (Roasted Acorn Squash Pasta)

In T-minus two hours I will get to do something I have been waiting for since August: see Les Miserables!  (Actually by the time this post goes up I will have seen it, but bear with me, at this moment the excitement is flowing.)

//source//

Here is something about me you might not have known about me, but I am a major musical girl.  Love love LOVE them.  I first discovered this as a teenager, roaming the streets of London with my senior class.  Piccadilly Circus offered us any musical we could want, and I made the call: Les Mis.  I had never heard of it before, yet I was scared to watch Phantom (true then, not true anymore...), so I just went with it.  My friends did not argue.  From the moment I stepped into that theater and watched this beautiful and ugly story unfold before my eyes, I was hooked.  Anna and the King, Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Miss Saigon (which I have seen both in English and in Portuguese!)... I cannot get enough.  

But none has touched me like Les Miserables.  

Maybe it is because it was my 'first love', maybe it is because both London and San Francisco did it right.  I don't know, really.  But I do know this: I have been waiting for this moment (first chance to see it on the big screen since it came out two days ago) ever since I saw the preview in Aug.  I have been counting the days. And I no longer have to say, "One day more..."

But first we dine on our roasted acorn squash pasta with kale and toasted almonds.  Vegan and full of rich vegetables, not to mention quite tasty...  (Asked in my best Chandler voice) Could tonight be any better?!

How about you -- Yay or nay for musicals? Favorites?

Roasted Acorn Squash with Kale and Almonds

Recipe from Everyday Food, Dec. 2012

Prep: 10 Min    Total Time: 40 min    Servings: 4

ingredients

• 1 acorn squash (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch wedges, then crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 pound medium pasta shells
• 1 bunch curly kale, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together squash, garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil and arrange in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Bake until squash is soft and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove garlic from skins and toss with squash.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions. Add kale and cook 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain. Return pasta and kale to pot, add squash mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with almonds.

COST: $3.53   COST PER SERVING (4): $0.89

Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Apparently, I am a bad neighbor.

I mean, I try really really hard to be a good one.  Tip-toe through the apartment at night to not disturb the people downstairs, offer to help the old lady next door to carry up her groceries... see?  Proof that I TRY to be a good neighbor.  And I would have said that I was ACTUALLY a good neighbor, until the other day showed me otherwise.

My neighbor was walking toward her apartment, laundry basket in front of her large, pregnant belly.

"Baby is almost here, right?" I asked.  "Probably just a few more days?"

She looked at me with an odd expression for a few seconds and then said, "She is already here.  She was born three weeks ago."

WHA...?  I walk past their door how many times a day?  How on earth did I miss that?!

See, not as good of a neighbor as I thought.

But this weeks 'Sundays with Joy' recipe totally made up for that.  I mean, who could think I am a bad neighbor when I bring them a nice, fresh loaf of vegan pumpkin walnut bread?  And on Pumpkin Day no less?  Yeah, that's what I thought.  I pulled it out of the oven and let it cool, and then wrapped it up (with what I had on hand, which is why that is yarn), and headed over, being all good-neighborly.

So maybe I am not so much of a bad neighbor as an unaware one...

Wanna be a good neighbor?  Joy's recipe makes two perfect pumpkin loaves, great for sharing.  Or great for keeping all to yourself.  It's OK, I won't tell anyone ;)

.For this week's recipe, visit Joy's blog HERE or go buy a book HERE.  You will be happy you did.

PS -- Yes, I am sharing my usual Sunday post today, on a Friday.  That's because today is National Pumpkin Day and, more importantly, I have very special thing to share with you on Sunday.  So come back and check it out!  See you then :)

COST: $6.30   COST PER LOAF (2): $3.15

Whole Wheat Pasta with Walnut Garlic Pesto

It has been ages since I have posted a new recipe.  And by ages I mean two weeks.  But when you love to cook, two weeks can seem like ages.

Yesterday, though, the business slowed down a bit and the rain paused long enough for me to do what I enjoy.  Who cares that there was laundry to be done and work to do?  The conditions outside were right, and I wanted to cook.

This is not actually a new recipe.  In fact, this was one of my original recipes on this blog.  But it was time to do it again.  What can I say -- my pictures in the early days were atrocious.  ATROCIOUS.  Oh well, I have lived and I have learned.  And I needed an easy unprocessed recipe for dinner.  What's easier than pasta???  I like the ingredients on this bag of penne:  organic whole wheat flour.  YES.

Pesto is always so easy to make if you have a food processor, and this pesto is no different:  walnuts, garlic, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Mix it up and that's it.

The recipe called for cooked mushrooms and spinach, but there was no spinach to be found in my fridge... but there were brussel sprouts!  Yes, you heard me correctly -- I added brussel sprouts.  Don't yuck my food just yet.  These things taste good when cooked right!  And I cooked them right :)

The end result?  A fast, unprocessed, vegan meal that you can make in 20 minutes or less.  And a happy, happy Tiffany.

Man, it feels good to be back in the kitchen!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food with Rachael Ray, August 2010

Ingredients

TipBuy walnut pieces, which are cheaper than whole walnuts, when the shape of the nut doesn't matter.

TipToss a small handful of baby arugula with the spinach or brussel sprouts.

TipSpice up the walnut sauce with crushed red pepper.

• 1 pound whole wheat penne rigate pasta

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups white mushrooms (about 5 ounces), thinly sliced

• 1 cup brussel sprouts, leafed or spinach

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 cup walnut pieces (about 4 ounces), toasted

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

• Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brussel sprout leaves and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
3. Using a small food processor, mince the garlic. Add the walnuts, parsley and lemon peel and process until finely chopped. With the machine on, add the lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Process to form a paste.
4. Add the walnut pesto and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pasta; toss to coat thoroughly. Stir in the mushroom mixture, adding more pasta water if needed; season with salt and pepper.

COST: $6.83   COST PER SERVING (4): $1.71