beautiful

Simply beautiful. This radiant day, this breeze floating through my window, this cheeseburger.


Johnny fired up the grill tonight, and it was a beautiful sight to see. A gorgeous evening, all of us pooped out and sweaty from playing in the yard, and a perfectly grilled burger to end the day. Veggie burgers, Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean to be exact, you make me delightedly happy.

May the beginning of Spring fill your life, and your kitchen, with beauty!

family favorites

It's been a week of comfort food here . . . something we lovingly call family favorites. After one week of cleaning out the fridge followed by a week of traveling, we were ready to get back to cozy food. Easy, simple food - pretty much all of which I've already shared here. When I went to the grocery store this week, I didn't even bring a list. I just pulled off the shelves the things I knew I could easily create to make my sweeties happy:

Pasta topped with pine nuts, parmesan and chopped Roma tomatoes
Chinese dumplings and edamame
Chick patties with mac and cheese (aka the Blue Plate Special)
Bowls of homemade granola
Fresh salads with simple deliciousness dressing

It's one of my great pleasures in life to eat gorgeous, fresh salads. Something I dearly missed after a week on the road.


And, it's also a great pleasure and privilege in my life to connect with women through my work as a nurse practitioner. One of those women, someone I admire so deeply for her zestful joie de vivre, surprised me this week with a treat from her travels to Japan:


Green tea Kit Kat bars! Lightly sweet with wonderful, delicate flavor, these green beauties were a delicious dessert this week. YUM.


I'm so ready for more green to emerge, for Spring to come into full blossom. With the change in the seasons will come a change in my cooking. It's the true beauty of eating fresh - nature-inspired cooking. I look forward to sharing some creative ideas here.

But, for now, with a chill still in the air, Miss M has requested tex-mex soup and cornbread for dinner. I am most happy to oblige with yet another tried-and-true family favorite.

antidote

I've got the antidote to this crazy, isn't it supposed to be the first day of Spring? snow day blues: homemade granola.

 

This is something I was inspired to make after a visit to Shantivanam years ago and eating their delicious "Forest Granola" for breakfast. Every time I eat a bowl, I think of the peace and beauty of that place. And the green, green forest. How I would like to see some green anytime soon . . .

After you try this, you may never go back to box cereal again. Plus, it's so easy. All you need is a big bowl, a 1 Cup measuring cup, a big spoon and a baking sheet. This is especially fun and enjoyable to make with little chefs, too.

Meg's Granola
Adapted from Shantivanam's Forest Granola - "Food for the gods"

3 cups rolled oats (non-instant)
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup oat bran
2 cups pecans
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. brown sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)

Dump all the dry ingredients in a really big mixing bowl. Mixing with hands is completely encouraged.

 

Drizzle the oil, honey and vanilla on top. Stir until everything is beautifully coated. Pour onto an ungreased baking sheet and pop into a 250 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Your entire home will smell like heaven! Take a look at this pan o' beauty:

 

Eat warm from the pan or cooled -- I like mine topped with yogurt and fresh fruit. Store the remaining batch in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Adaptations are absolutely welcome to this recipe. My friend Wendy puts sesame seeds in her granola and also mixes in different combinations of nuts. Shantivanam adds in coconut, raisins or chopped dates. You can find the wheat germ and oat bran in the baking section of the grocery store by Bob's Red Mill brand or I buy it in bulk at Whole Foods.

Stay cozy today!

road trip ~ five

We are home now from a truly fabulous road trip. I had grand intentions of continuing to blog while on the go, but slow poke internet connections in Tennessee kept me from making that happen. Boo. I would move forward with what's cookin' in my own kitchen, but have to share a couple of gems we found along the last leg of our journey. These two out-of-the-way spots, and the delightful people we met at both, made for some very memorable meals.

1. Aretha Frankenstein's, Chattanooga, TN

With this name, you know this is going to be one groovy joint. And, it was. Most delightfully so! We had spent the entire day at the Tennessee Aquarium, a most amazing place, and were totally pooped out by late afternoon. We were in great need of comfort food. A big thank-you to our dear friends Sooz and Mel for telling us about this place from their previous road trip plus the kind, elderly gentleman at the Visitor's Center for giving me directions. You won't find Aretha's in any of the tourist brochures - it's literally off the map.

 

Aretha's is in a funky little blue house set up from the steep road that runs through the artsy North Shore part of town. Marcus, the very cool gent behind the bar, made us feel immediately welcome with his warm smile. While he served us delicious hot coffee and cocoa, someone was working a little magic in the kitchen . . . warm, fluffy, delicious biscuits served with homemade apple butter, fried potatoes and the most amazing chocolate pecan pie we've ever eaten! Holy smokes. This was sooooooo good, for both body and soul. I want to go back for seconds today.

 

2. The Bucatarie, Paducah, Kentucky

Once we got rolling with finding restaurants off the beaten path, we just couldn't stop. All of the roadside fast-food joints just looked completely unpalatable. So, when we decided to stop in Paducah for lunch, we followed the signs into the historic downtown district and started walking. What treasures we found! First, a lovely old bakery on the national register of historic places, with excellent iced butter cookies I must add . . .

 

. . . and then a beautiful cafe completely covered with handcrafted tiles and mosaics. The art, of course, drew me in, but the kind greetings inside from the owners welcomed me to stay. They were more than willing to create vegetarian sandwiches for Miss M and me, just for asking. So, we dined on avocado, tomato and swiss melts made on fresh croissants, fresh fruit salad, and blissful Kentucky Derby tarts, all lovingly created by Rachel, the owner/maitre'd/chef of The Bucatarie. What a treat.

 

On their menu, it states, "Our business is built on our collection of memories." How delightful, as was the pleasure we found dining there. Thank you, downtown Paducah, for some beautiful memories and inspiration for my own kitchen!

road trip ~ four

No diners, no dives today. We went a bit more upscale with a lovely lunch at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. I love art. I love beautiful cafes. So the mix of art and cafe all in one makes me a very happy girl.

 

A fresh, beautiful strawberry salad with spicy pecans and blue cheese was a welcome treat for this traveler. Plus, the Frist was a jewel of a gallery with a fabulous hands-on art studio for kids. If you are in the Music City, go!

road trip ~ three

Before we left on our journey, I checked out some vegetarian websites to find local flavor along the way. I was guided to this co-operative bakery in St. Louis for a very veggie-friendly experience:

 

Black Bear Bakery is a bit of a dive in a gritty, low-rent part of town, but an area with the inklings of rejuvenation. A pasta maker was right next door, as well as this graffiti.

 

Anywhere you can find vegetables as graffiti, I say go!

Inside, we found an eclectic mix of tables and chairs and hip, tattooed folk baking up all kinds of goodies. On the chalkboard menus, we found not one bit of meat. Poor Daddy. He seemed a bit tense with the amount of seitan available. But, his mood lightened considerably when this plate of gorgeous french toast arrived at our booth.

 

Oh, so amazingly good slabs of wheat bread with powdered sugar and cinnamony pecans. YUM. We also had spicy sauteed sweet potatoes and a chocolate chip scone (my sweeties said that mine are better :). A delicious veggie meal, good coffee and grow-your-own veggies sprouting in the windowsills, too. Life is very good.

 

And, the bathrooms were a fun surprise, too -- total chalkboard walls! We added our own funky graffiti.

 

Thank you, Black Bear, for a memorable brunch!

road trip ~ two

No major veggie gourmet breakthroughs today, but some wonderful travel adventures. The zoo kept us happily occupied all morning and then we spent the afternoon hanging out with our friends. We didn't make it yet to Crown Candy, but hope to on the way back through STL.

Instead, we went to another mecca of funky foods, the one and only Trader Joes. When are we going to get one of these in KC??? Please, TJ, come to my neighborhood! So many fab veggie-friendly foods for sale . . . we picked up chevre, baguette, and organic salad goodies for our dinner. Plus, these fabulous yummies.

 

My little shopper and I agree - it's nature's perfect combination! :)

 

Onward to our next adventure!

road trip ~ one

Oh, we are off to a great start. A fabulous start, indeed!

Last night's first foray into the Triple D of the veggie world far, far exceeded my expectations. I read about this restaurant on the above-mentioned show's website and my interest was definitely peaked. Then my dear friend Si-fou offered it as a place where our families could meet up and it seemed like destiny. So, last night we drove through the rain and a tangled web of streets into an old neighborhood on the south side of St. Louis to find this little gem. Our friend Mike met us at the door and said with a big smile, "definitely a dive."

 

Iron Barley is a crazy, funky, delicious juxtaposition of exquisite gourmet food and black vinyl chairs, the kind you find at a donut shop. A charming musician just inside the door singing gentleman Jim Reeves and elbow-to-elbow happy folks drinkin' cheap beer. A photo of the Soup Nazi is above the bar and the mirror in in the lone bathroom is made from a horse bridle. Crazy and funky and definitely fun.

But, on to delicious. The menu lists just a mere fraction of what's cookin' back in the wildly creative kitchen. Our waitress began to list the specials and after a while, I honestly felt the need to take notes. We couldn't believe the choices available to us. Amidst a multitude of offerings for carnivores, there were unusual veggie girl options and I had fun ordering things I have never eaten before. Such as some type of soft, savory cheese (polano? poblano?) grilled in a HOT skillet with marinated tomatoes, red onions and a savory vinaigrette to be spooned on warm, whole wheat tortillas. OMG.

 

And then a salad made from barley and roasted veggies topped with another type of vinaigrette, this time perfectly tangy and peppery. Ohhhh. Miranda ate all of the above with me plus a bowl of the "best mashed potatoes I've ever had." Happy, happy veggie girls indeed.

 

John reached his own new level of meaty happiness with a special aptly described at the Flintstone Platter. A beef short rib (with the giant bone still grisly present)and a mountain of smashed taters. No chlorophyll present whatsoever. I had to avert my eyes.

Unfortunately, no room left for dessert. And, true to form, there were some wild and crazy offerings, including frozen cheesecake with jalapeno sauce. But, no worries, we're off to a candy mecca today, day two of our adventure.

To our new friends at the Iron Barley, our travelin' hat goes off to you. Thanks for a meal to remember!

wfw - dessert first

Yesterday was a dessert-first kind of day - a celebration for the beginning of Spring Break!

 

To our two favorite gentlemen from Vermont, we adore you. Yes, yes we do. I'm especially impressed with the magic you work with caramel. Please note a smudge of my fabulous treat below.

 

Later, we dined on a healthy feast of veggie treats gleaned from the freezer: edamame (of course! my staple food), chinese dumplings, and leftover brown rice. It was a perfect meal after dessert and gave us the energy to get packin'.

We're taking this show on the road. We hope to find many local-flavor-funky-monkey vegetarian dining treasures along the way . . . a journey akin to Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, but with a lot less grease. But hopefully some great desserts. Gotta have deserts.

Until we meet again, peace, love, and veggies to you!

wfw - pot o' beans

We're almost completely out of fresh veggies, so tonight I fired up the rice cooker and perused the pantry for our dinner. This is so darn easy, I don't think it even counts as cooking.

 

Easy Red Beans & Rice

2 cans organic red beans, rinsed and drained
1 can organic fire roasted tomatoes, seasoned with roasted garlic
1 can organic chopped tomatoes

Get out your big cook pot and get dump everything in. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the beans can contentedly percolate longer on the stove while you unpack backpacks, sort through the mail, hug your husband, smooch your kid, etc.

Pull your favorite large bowls from the cupboard and ladle the red beans and tomatoes over fresh, warm brown rice. Sprinkle with shredded monterey jack cheese if you wish and serve with fruit or veggies or nothing at all. It's a very satisfying, simple meal, just as it is.

Resume the evening with a happy, full belly!

wfw - scones

So, what do you do with half a container of vanilla yogurt, a few eggs, and fresh tomatoes? You make scones and The Scrambler for dinner!

I love scones with a spot of tea. I'm very fond of the entire high tea scene and all the accompanying tasty morsels. I think would make an excellent Englishwoman, except I'm afraid I would have to be much more well behaved. :p When I first proposed this lovely item for our dinner table, John vetoed. The scones he had tried before were dry as a bone. Oh, not these scones. It's delightful what a bit of vanilla yogurt can do. (Thanks for the initial recipe, Dannon!) These bake up with just the right balance of moistness and floury goodness.

Sumptuous Scones

2 C all-purpose flour
1 C oat flour (optional, you can also just use another cup of all-purpose)
1/3 C sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 C butter, softened (I use Smart Balance 50/50 olive oil blend in all my baking)
1 C vanilla yogurt
3/4 C choice of mix-ins and toppings**
sprinkle of turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw)

**The sky is the limit here. I've added in dried fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, orange zest, etc. to this lovely dough with wonderful results each time. Poll the family to see what they are in the mood for or just use whatever strikes your fancy. Tonight, chocolate chips were high in the polls, and I had a craving for cherries, so, Chocolate Chip Dried Cherry scones, here you come!

Scoop all of your dry ingredients into your mixer bowl. Add in the softened butter and mix until you have the consistency of cornmeal. Pour in the yogurt and toppings and blend gently until you have a soft dough. Be aware that this dough is THICK!

 

Scoop out the dough onto a lightly floured board and divide in half. With each half, pat out until you have a nice round, about 6 - 7 inches across. (This part is especially fun to do with little chefs.) Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 happy triangles. You can certainly add more toppings now and/or sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Simple math - do this twice and you get 16 scones, ready to go in the oven.

 

Place the triangles on a buttered cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until evenly browned. A lovely, toasty scent will fill your kitchen. Be ready for happy kids to appear. "I want this one!"

 

I served these lovelies with eggs topped with chopped fresh tomatoes (or, you are welcome to say tomahtoes), Laughing Cow, and chives. Oh, how fetching The Scrambler can be.

These scones last beautifully layered with wax paper in an airtight container. Enjoy for days to come. Until our next Weird Food Week adventure, cheerio!