A bowl of goodness

This bowl is full of goodness. It starts with a bed of brown rice, then pinto beans and sautéed summer vegetables before it's topped with avocado cream and jalapeño slices. This bowl is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. It's easy to prepare and is budget-friendly making it the perfect dinner for a crowd. Plus it's a way to use up all of that summer squash hiding in your crisper.

I love bowls like this. It's hearty without being heavy. I cook extra, so I can easily whip up a healthy lunch or dinner in minutes. This bowl is also gluten free and dairy free.

Cook brown rice according to the package. Then make all these yummy toppings. Cheese is optional, but would be an excellent addition as would homemade pico or tomatillo salsa.
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Pintos & peppers
1 red bell pepper, roasted (do ahead)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-oz can) and their liquid
1 jalapeño, minced
half of a red onion, diced
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 c cilantro
1 lime wedge

Preheat oven to 400. Put the bell pepper onto a baking sheet. Roast the bell pepper whole until it's browned all over and starts to blacken in places. This should take 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pepper. Remove from heat and put into a sealed plastic bag. Once it's cool to touch, remove from the bag, and peel the skin off the pepper. Dice the pepper into small pieces. Do this step ahead of time. It can also be done the day before.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. When it's warm, add the onion, jalapeño, and salt. Stir often, cooking until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, roasted red pepper, and half of the cilantro. Cook until the spices are fragrant. Add the beans and their liquid (from the can or saved from cooking them). Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Sauteed summer squash & zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 of a red onion
1 summer squash, sliced thinly into rounds

1 zucchini, sliced thinly into rounds

2 garlic cloves, minced

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, then add the squash and zucchini. Cover, cooking for about 5-8 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic, stir well. Cook for another few minutes, and remove from heat. 

Avocado cream

2 avocados

1/4 c cilantro

1/4 c ice cold water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Eat on everything.
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Now assemble your bowls and serve with this michelada. Happy Friday friends!

Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød is a Danish-style open face sandwich. When I was researching places to eat on our honeymoon, I stumbled upon this word many times. My favorite smørrebrød from our trip was topped with tomato chutney, arugula, and farmer's cheese served with a smokey corn soup.

This week's Food Matters Project recipe is updated tea sandwiches hosted by Aura. I decided to mix it up and make smørrebrød. I made Bittman's wheat bread and piled it high with delicious toppings: yogurt cheese, cucumber, cooked beets, and balsamic glaze. Cooked beets are my new favorite sandwich filling.

Eat with a side salad or bowl of chilled soup for lunch or serve a platter as appetizers at a dinner party.

Yogurt cheese
1 c organic plain yogurt (use low or full fat)
2 tbsp mixed herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil)
freshly ground pepper

Line a strainer with a large piece of cheesecloth. Set over a bowl and add the yogurt. Refrigerate. Let the yogurt drain overnight or up to 24 hours. You want the whey to drain completely from the yogurt, so it's nice and thick.

Remove yogurt from cheesecloth and put into a small bowl. Add the herbs and pepper. Mix well and spread onto the bread.

Balsamic glaze
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Add vinegar to a saute pan and bring to a simmer. Stir often, cooking for 8-10 minutes. You want the balsamic to thicken and become almost syrupy. Remove from heat and drizzle over top of your sandwich (or anything really).

Baked basil-chard falafel

This week's Food Matters Project recipe is chickpea fritters with vegetables. See the original recipe hosted by Lena and check out what others made here. Instead of frying chickpeas into fritters, I decided to make a baked falafel.

When I decided on falafel, I immediately remembered this recipe that I had bookmarked last summer. These baked green falafel look much better than their popular fried brown cousins. Don't get me wrong I love fried falafel too, but these are much lighter, healthier, and perfect for summer. I added chard, basil, parsley, and pistachio not only for flavor, but also to add that green tint to my falafel (not to mention that's what I had in the fridge).

Make these for that next potluck and impress your friends. Gluten free and dairy free, you'll make everyone happy.

Baked basil-chard falafel
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook & Green Kitchen Stories
2 c chickpeas, soaked overnight (not cooked)
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 swiss chard leaf
1 small bunch of basil, about a cup loosely packed
1/4 c parsley
2 tbsp pistachios
1 tbsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the chickpeas into the food processor. Process until they break up and form a chunky paste. Add the remaining ingredients and process for about a minute. The mixture should be dry, not wet. If it's too wet, add more chickpeas, chickpea flour, or pistachios. Scoop up the mixture with a spoon, rolling into a ball about an inch wide (or smaller, if you want more). Repeat with the remaining chickpea mixture. Put on the baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The bottoms of the falafel should be nice and golden.

Makes about 14-1inch round falafels or more if you make them smaller. Serve with tahini-yogurt or a raita for a nice dipping in sauce. Toss a few falafel into a pita (or into a lettuce leaf for a gluten free option) with veggies and dip for a quick, healthy lunch on-the-go.

Chard packages

Tired of eating sautéed greens? Liven up your plate by making these chard packages.

My crisper is overflowing with greens—kale, chard, beet greens, and lettuces—from our CSA. I wanted something different for dinner, so I decided to stuff my chard leaves. I had leftover brown rice and lentils that I knew would make a perfect filling. I spied a half full jar of tomatillo salsa that I decided to use for the sauce. These are similar to stuffed grape leaves you might find at a Mediterranean deli.

Don't worry this is a pretty easy and quick recipe. Simply select the six biggest leaves you have. Prepare the filling, about a cup's worth. Stuff your leaves and bake. Feel free to change up the ingredients in the filling or the sauce. I think tomato sauce or freshly diced tomatoes would be nice.

Chard packages with tomatillo salsa
6 large chard leaves, rinsed well
~1 c of tomatillo salsa
1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
2 small onions, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp oregano
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper chili flakes
1 small carrot, diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 radish, diced, small
1/4 c cooked brown rice
1/3 c cooked lentils

Preheat oven to 350. Pour half of the tomatillo salsa into the bottom of a loaf pan.

Cut the chard stems at about where the leaves start. I normally make an upside down V with my knife into the stem. Set leaves aside.

Prepare your filling. This is where you can get creative. I used what vegetables I had on hand. You really need about a cup of filling. Saute the diced onion in the olive oil until transparent. Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant then add the carrot, celery, and radish. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice and lentils.

Fill your chard leaves. Grab a leaf, scoop about almost two tablespoons of the filling, and add to the middle of the base of the leaf (widest part). Roll in the sides, while rolling towards the end of the leaf (smallest part). Make sure to hold the filling with your fingers, so it doesn't go all over the place. After one or two you'll get the hang of it.

Nestle the chard packages, seam side down, right onto the salsa in the loaf pan. Drizzle the rest of the salsa over the tops. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-22 minutes.

Enjoy with a side of lentils and chipotle sweet potatoes.

Instalunch: Tahini greens with millet

My camera is dead so I thought I’d post a quick & easy recipe using instagram instead. I picked a lot of vegetables this morning at my CSA and I knew just what I wanted to have for lunch. This recipe is adapted from Whole Foods Market.

Hearty kale salad

In the winter,  I don't crave salads like I do throughout the spring and summer. Colder temperatures make me yearn bowls of piping hot soup, roasted veggies over wholesome grains, or these stuffed sweet potatoes. When I do have a salad this time of year, it needs to be hearty, packed with healthy fats and protein. 

This salad was rather impromptu. I had a big bunch of curly kale, leftover lentils, and a small jar of roasted cherry tomatoes. It couldn't have been more perfect. The lentils and feta gave it substance, the tomatoes added a burst of flavor, and the celery provided that nice crunch. Not-to-mention the heartiness of the kale as compared to your normal salad full of cool romaine or spinach.

Hearty kale salad

2 tbsp walnut oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp sea salt

4 cups kale, small bite-size pieces

1 celery stalk, diced small
1 c cooked lentils

1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (or sundried tomatoes)

1 tbsp dill, minced

1/4 c feta, optional

Whisk walnut oil, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in a small bowl. Put kale in a large bowl and drizzle vinaigrette over top. Massage with hands for about 5 minutes or until the leaves have broken down some. Mix in celery, lentils, roasted tomatoes, and dill. Sprinkle feta over top. Makes 2 large salads. 

The humble jacket potato

When I studied abroad in London, I became very familiar with the jacket potato. They were on many menus throughout the city and fit my student budget. The jacket potato is the British version of a dressed up baked potato, plus it has a nicer ring to it. They stuff the humble potato with a variety of fun toppings—not just the typical butter, cheese, and chives combo—and turn it into a meal.

So yesterday when I was looking around the kitchen to see what I had to make for lunch, I spied a purple potato begging to be stuffed. I had a big bushel of collards in the crisper to use for filling and a carrot-ginger dressing to add a punch of flavor and color. You could really fill your potato with just about anything.

This impromptu lunch might be my new favorite. And look at all that color! The purple of the potato to the green of the collards to the orange of the dressing. The rainbow of color means it's packed with a variety of good-for-you antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. I also sprinkled some sunflower seeds over the top for that much-needed crunch. Also this dish happens to be dairy- and gluten-free.

Bake a purple or regular ol' sweet potato at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size. While the potato is cooking prep the collards and make the dressing below.

Garlicky collards
3 large collard leaves, destemmed, cut into bite size pieces (3-4 cups)
1 T olive oil
1 shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/4 c vegetable broth
dash of salt

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot to the oil, cooking until translucent. Then add the garlic and chili flakes, cooking until fragrant. Add the collards and vegetable broth to the pan. Bring the pan to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The greens will turn bright green and the broth will have reduced.

Carrot-ginger dressing
4 medium carrots, grated
3 T ginger, minced
1 shallot, diced
1.5 tsp tamari
2 T rice vinegar
1/4 tsp curry powder
2 tsp miso
3 T sesame oil
2 T avocado (or olive) oil
3 T water or more to thin out

Add the carrots, ginger, shallot, tamari, rice vinegar, curry powder, and miso to a food processor. Blend on high for a few minutes. While the processor is running, add the oil and water.

When the potato is done, slice it open and stuff with collards, a drizzle of carrot-ginger dressing and a garnish of sunflower seeds. You should have enough filling to stuff 4 medium potatoes.

Curried sweet potato soup

I've been making a lot of soup lately, since the weather has finally cooled down. I make soups all year long, but there's something comforting about eating soup in the fall. I think its the warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, curry, ginger, cumin and cayenne.

Do you share my love for soup? If so, what's your favorite? The Kitchn just posted 25 soup recipes if you need some inspiration.

This is a simple soup and you probably already have most of the ingredients at home. If you don't have sweet potatoes, you can use carrots instead. But to make it creamy without adding dairy, add a tablespoon of oats, Arborio rice or potatoes when you add the stock. After you blend the soup, you'll notice that it has a thicker consistency.

Curried sweet potato soup

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

dash of cayenne

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2.5-3 cups)

2 small carrots

3.5-4 c veggie stock

1 T lemon juice
1 tsp ginger juice*

sea salt to taste

Add the coconut oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic, curry, cumin and cayenne. Stir for about a minute. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Let the vegetables sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil (make sure the liquid covers the vegetables). When it reaches a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked well. When done, blend with an immersion blender or put into a blender (be careful with hot liquids). Stir in the lemon and ginger juice. Add sea salt to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of lemon-tahini dressing or yogurt, paprika and cilantro.

*To make ginger juice: Cut an inch piece of ginger, peel and grate or mince very finely. Wrap the minced ginger with cheesecloth and squeeze over a small bowl. You should get about a tsp or more of ginger juice. 

Makes 3-4 servings.

The perfect fall lunch

It's amazing how our bodies react to cooler weather. We tend to yearn for warm foods like soups and stews instead of cold salads and raw foods. Warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg seem to find their way into our soups, coffees and baked goods. Pumpkin-spiced latte anyone?

This dish is the perfect fall lunch or dinner. Caramelizing the onion not only makes this dish taste better, but also heartier. It also takes advantage of those winter squashes that are popping up all over the market—acorn, butternut, kabocha, spaghetti or pumpkin. Feel free to substitute the acorn squash in this dish for your favorite winter squash.

Kale with squash, chickpeas, caramelized onions and cilantro-yogurt dressing
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil
1 bunch kale, washed
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
dash of pepper
dash of red chili flakes
1 acorn squash, cooked and cut into cubes
1 c cooked chickpeas
1 T cilantro, minced
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp tahini

1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2 c yogurt

In a saute pan over low heat, add 1 T olive oil. Add a dash of sea salt and the onions. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's best if you walk away from the stove and start prepping the kale, so you won't be tempted to stir. The onions should slowly start to brown and caramelize.

Destem the kale leaves with your hands. Keep the stems and dice small. Take the leaves, roll them, and slice thinly into a chiffonade (very thin slices). Heat remaining 1 T of olive oil over low-to-medium heat. First add the kale stems (since they take longer to cook than the leaves), then add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently. About five minutes later, add the kale leaves. If the leaves start to stick to the pan, add a little water. Cook for a few minutes or until the kale starts to wilt. Add the garlic cloves, cooking until fragrant and remove from heat. The kale will cook down to about half the size it was, when you put it into the pan.

In a large bowl, add the squash and chickpeas. In a small bowl mix together the cilantro, lemon juice and tahini. Pour over the squash and chickpeas, and mix carefully.

Blend the cilantro and yogurt until smooth.

To assemble, start with a bed of kale. Add the squash and chickpea mixture and top with caramelized onions. Drizzle the dressing around the dish.

Makes about 4 servings

Millet croquettes with eggplant puree

Celiac awareness day is celebrated on September 13. I'm a few days late, but I thought I'd share this delicious gluten free recipe.

If you're not familiar with millet, you should be! Millet is a non-glutinous grain that has a very small, yellow round shape. It's hypoallergenic and is a great substitute to wheat. It's a common grain in birdseed, but it's definitely for more than just the birds. Rich in magnesium—which is thought to help with asthma and reduce migraines—phosphorous and the B vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B6. It's also a better source of protein than wheat, corn and rice.

When cooked millet becomes pretty sticky, so it's perfect for croquettes. You don't even need an egg to help bind these veggie-packed patties. These croquettes are baked, not fried so they're better for you.

Millet croquettes
1 c millet, rinsed
3.5 c water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 c kale, chopped
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1 pepper, minced
1 tsp freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp zaatar
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Rinse millet. Add 3.5 c water, millet and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15-20 minutes. (Starting with cold water makes the grain stickier which is perfect when making croquettes. If you wanted to make a pilaf or grain salad, start with boiling water.)

Bring another pot of water to boil. As you're waiting, you can chop up the kale. Make sure to remove the stems. Have an ice bath in another bowl ready (Fill bowl halfway with water and add ice cubes). When the water is boiling add the kale. Blanch the kale for about 1 minute then dunk into the ice bath. When the kale is cool, remove from the ice bath and mince.

Put a saute pan over low heat. Add the olive oil. Then add the onion, cooking until translucent. Stir in the minced pepper, salt, pepper, cumin and zaatar. After a few more minutes add the garlic. Cook until the garlic has become fragrant and then remove from heat.

When the millet is done, let is sit for a few minutes. Mix the kale and onion mixture together in a large bowl. Then add the millet. Mix well with your hands. When it's all mixed, form small patties with your hand. Put onto the baking sheet and bake on each side for 10 minutes or until it side lightly browns.

Makes about 12-2 inch croquettes.

Eggplant puree
6 small eggplants
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c plain yogurt
3 T tahini
1/4 c parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 350. Place eggplant onto a baking sheet and poke a few holes in each eggplant. Put into the oven, cook for about 25 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

While eggplant is cooking, saute the garlic in olive oil over low-to-medium heat. Remove when you start to smell the garlic.

Mix the yogurt, tahini and parsley together in a small bowl. Add the garlic and olive oil.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool. When it's cool enough to touch, slice it open lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Put the eggplant and yogurt mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Top the millet croquettes with the eggplant mixture.


Makes about 3/4 a cup.


Sources: 
WHFoods.org
Murray 2005, p. 347-348.

The best Greek salad

I love Greek salads. Salty olives and feta with the refreshing bite of cucumber and tomato is perfect. This salad is so simple that it relies on the integrity of its few ingredients. Buy the freshest tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil you can find (probably at your local farmers market). We all know that eating Greek salads in winter, when tomatoes and cucumbers are out of season, isn't very tasty.

This is a great healthy lunch that can be made in minutes. Or make the night before so the flavors have time to meld and pack for lunch the next day.

Greek Salad
1-2 pickling cucumbers
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c kalamata olives, pitted & halved
1/4 red onion, sliced
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
dash of sea salt and pepper
handful of basil, chiffonaded
goat feta to garnish

Chop the cucumbers into slices and cut in half. Toss into a bowl along with the tomatoes, olives, and onion. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil and goat feta. Enjoy with a slice of baguette or this cold soup.

Thanks again for all your comments on what you like reading here!

Edamame-ginger wrap

Yesterday I was craving a veggie wrap for lunch. I didn't want regular hummus, and as I scanned the cupboard I realized all I had was dried beans. Then I remembered a bag of edamame in the freezer. This chunky protein-rich spread is super easy and makes a quick, healthy lunch possible.

Chunky edamame-ginger spread
1.5 c cooked edamame
1 in knob of ginger, minced
juice from half a lime
juice from one lemon
dash of sea salt
1 tbsp sesame (or walnut) oil
dash of gomasio (optional)

Add all ingredients except oil to blender. Pulse a few times, then whisk in the oil, and pulse a few more times. If you're not a fan of chunky dips and want the consistency to be creamier, then blend on high for longer.

Now assemble your wrap. I used an Ezekiel sprouted grain wrap. I buy them frozen and store them in the freezer, so they'll keep longer. Whenever I want to eat one, I heat in a pan over low heat to thaw. I smeared on the edamame spread, then added lettuce, carrot sticks, avocado slices, and red onion. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper and a dash of freshly squeezed lime. Now roll up. The avocado and red onion really make this wrap tasty. I love the addition of ginger to the spread, as it provides a nice spicy kick. I hope you enjoy this refreshing lunch as much as I did.

Curried lentils with leeks

As you can probably tell I love bean salads. They're so tasty and an easy way to get more vegetables into your diet. This salad is excellent. The addition of late spring vegetables like leeks and scallions with a pungent curry flavor make it irresistible. Feel free to add different vegetables like cooked zucchini, celery or carrot. 

Curried lentils with leeks 

2 cups cooked lentils, or 1 can rinsed

1/2 red onion, diced

small bunch of scallions, chopped

1/2 c cilantro

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 large leek or 3 small leeks, rinsed and chopped*

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp freshly ground cumin

dash of sea salt

juice of one lemon

1 tbsp sesame or olive oil

Cook lentils according to instruction. Rinse and put lentils into a large bowl along with red onion, scallions and cilantro. Heat sesame oil over medium heat. Once warm add the chopped leeks, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and remove from heat when leeks start to brown lightly. While leeks are cooking, make the curry vinaigrette. Mix the curry, cumin, salt, and lemon juice together. Whisk in the sesame (or olive) oil well. Pour dressing over the lentil mixture along with the leeks and garlic. Mix well. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with goat cheese or a hard-boiled egg.

*Leeks are very sandy, wash very well.

This is a great salad to make dad for Father's Day. Who can say no to hearty lentils? Happy Father's Day weekend!

Green olive chickpeas

I stopped by my favorite Mediterranean bakery and deli to grab some pita bread last weekend. I didn't realize I was hungry until I stood in front of the counter with hummus, baba ghanouj, tzatziki, bean salads, potato salad and tabouli staring back at me. I normally grab hummus or tabouli, but this time I grabbed a chickpea salad. I took a bite expecting it to taste like an regular chickpea salad with lemon and parsley. But I was wrong. There were salty green olives sprinkled throughout which made it something special. I decided I had to make this at home (as an alternative to this yummy salad).

Green olive chickpeas
2 c chickpeas or 1 can, rinsed
1/4 c green olives, sliced
1/2 c parsley, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp za'atar
cracked pepper

Mix chickpeas, olives, parsley, scallions and tomatoes into a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a small dish. Stir well and pour over the bean mixture. Let flavors meld before serving. Enjoy as a cold salad or stuff inside a pita for a tasty lunch.

Feel good chickpeas & kale

The weather has been surprisingly cool and rainy for NC this time of year. Our spring is usually very quick with temperatures soaring into the 80s by May. I'm not complaining, I love this weather, especially when the afternoon is filled with rain.

Have a bunch of kale (or any green) on your hands that you need to cook? Here's a quick and delicious recipe to whip up for a light lunch or a side with dinner. I love the mixture of garlic and ginger, it gives this dish a punch of flavor as well as health benefits from these amazing spices.

Feel good chickpeas & kale
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 bunch of russian kale (or any kind), rinsed and cut into thin ribbons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 inch knob of ginger, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 c chickpeas or 1 can, rinsed (or use any bean on hand)

Add the coconut oil to a saute pan over low-to-medium heat. When the oil has melted, add the cumin seeds, cook until fragrant. Toss in the kale, garlic, sea salt, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes, until fragrant and the kale starts to wilt. Mix in the chickpeas and cook until warm, just a few minutes longer.

Edamame guacamole

Avocados have been on my mind lately. If you caught my tweet a few days ago, I've been thinking about growing them. Apparently you can start from the large seed that you usually discard when you cut open the fruit. I always felt bad about tossing the golfball-sized seed.

Today is the perfect day to celebrate this healthy fat, plus they are usually on sale at your local grocery store (they were at Whole Foods this morning). What's your favorite way to eat an avocado? I love avocado slices with lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Sometimes I eat alone or mashed on a piece of toast for breakfast.

I grabbed a few avocados this morning and whipped up a big batch of guacamole at lunch. This isn't just any guacamole, but I added 3/4 cup of cooked edamame for a protein kick. The usual ingredients that give guacamole it's signature flavor—avocado, cilantro, tomato, red onion, serrano pepper, sea salt, pepper, cumin, lemon and lime juice—are still included.

Enjoy with tortilla chips or spread over lavash (or stuff a pita) with crunchy veggies like I did for a simple lunch. Yum.

How are you enjoying the holiday?

lazy sunday

Sundays are meant for being lazy. I threw together a late lunch of cabbage salad with cilantro, fresh ginger, olive oil, curry and rice vinegar on top of a bed of mixed greens. Then I diced up (Wild Wood Teriyaki) tofu & garnished with carrots, and a side of red grapes and pears.