Work-toberfest: Take 2

subtitled- "WE WIN!"

One year ago, we competed in our first annual Oktoberfest Cook-Off at Mark's work. We didn't place, even though heart and soul went into that Broccoli and Cheddar Ale Soup, and we cleaned splatters off of our walls for days. This year was a different story for us... because we WON FIRST PLACE!

Our winning recipe was Oktoberfest Lager Stew, a recipe I found on a new favorite blog, link below. Why did we win this year, and not last? Probably because, this year, we put meat in it. We won "bragging rights" (that actually wears off quicker than a cash prize would've) and a logo pint glass. For our second year entering? Not bad, kids! The winning streak begins now!

Award-Winning Oktoberfest Lager Stew

Oktoberfest Lager Stew with Sausage, Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Cabbage

Recipe slightly adapted from The Cozy Apron

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 (14 ounce) package beef smoked sausage, sliced (I know!)
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1, 10-oz bag shredded red cabbage (or 1/2 head red cabbage, sliced)
• 1, 10-oz bag shaved brussels sprouts (or risk slicing off your fingers by mandolin-ing your own)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• Pinch salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bottle German-style lager beer (we used Green's Gluten-Free Pale Ale)
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 2 ½ cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in the sliced beef smoked sausage, and allow the slices to caramelize and brown in the oil, for about 4-5 minutes. 
2. Once the sausage is browned, add in the sliced onions, stir, and allow the onions to caramelize with the sausage for another few minutes, until golden-brown and softened. When onions are caramelized, add in the sliced cabbage, stir to combine until golden. Add in the black pepper, ground caraway seeds and the pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Next, stir in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the beer; allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 3 minutes. 
3. Add in the cubed potatoes and the chicken stock, stir, and allow the mixture to come to the boil; once it comes to the boil, place a lid on (slightly askew to allow just a little steam to escape), and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer the stew for about 40 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and finish the stew by stirring in the apple cider vinegar, seasoning with more salt to taste.

To up our chances of winning, I brought out the big guns. My very Favorite Carrot Cake. Pretend I'm not a dietitian, this isn't healthy at all, even with crushed pineapple and gluten-free flour. But it's carrot cake, and it has cream cheese icing. Indulgent! When Mark called on his way home to say we won, I was sure it was on this cake. I'm glad it didn't split our votes!

Favorite Carrot Cake

Favorite Carrot Cake
from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free, depending on your audience)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup golden raisins (or walnuts... if you believe nuts belong in a cake.)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups carrot, grated
• 1 1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained

For Frosting:

• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 8-oz block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. 
3. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. 

While we are on the subject of SUGAR and pretending I'm not a dietitian.. check out these homemade PayDay bars my mom made...

homemade dulce de leche in between salted peanuts... rich!

In.sane. From Michael Symon. That is all.

What's up next for a healthy Thanksgiving?

First Anniversary Road Trip

We have been married for one-whole-year! Are we not newlyweds anymore? We celebrated our anniversary with a weekend away in Ithaca, NY. We stayed at a beautiful, historic B&B and enjoyed the fall foliage with the locals. We sipped wine at vineyards, hiked to the base of a waterfall, and of course filled our bellies with fantastic eats. Our favorite food stop was the famous Moosewood Restaurant. Moosewood is an internationally-renown vegetarian restaurant that has produced over 13 cookbooks! Having cooked from Moosewood since I was a high schooler, it felt dreamy to be eating in the flagship (only) restaurant. We came back from vacation refreshed, and brought home 3 new cookbooks (oops?), even more inspired for tasty vegetarian fare!

Salad boredom was officially busted with the construction of THIS salad. Roasted squash adds a different texture to the same salad bowl I eat almost every day for lunch. Thanks Moosewood for the inspiration!

best-ever fall salad

Best-Ever Fall Salad
Ingredients:

• Field greens of choice
• Butternut (pictured) or delicata squash, roasted in walnut oil @400 degrees for 20-30 minutes
• Red pear, perfectly ripe, sliced
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dried currents (or dried fig, chopped)

Directions:

Arrange on a lovely, simple plate and drizzle with pumpkin seed oil and red apple balsamic. Also delicious, a Moosewood classic dressing, Lemon-Tahini.

Lemon-Tahini Dressing, from Moosewood Restaurant

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Generous pinch of ground black papper or cayenne
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Dressing keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

After we arrived home late Tuesday evening, we were not ready to give ourselves back to the real world just yet. With a few hours of vacation remaining, I did the only thing I could think of that was wild and crazy for a work-night... baked scones!

The Pumpkin Drop Scone recipe I used came from one of my new favorite blogs, Healthy Living How-To. (You should check out her real-food, lower-carb menu for Thanksgiving, it looks amazing!) I changed a few things in my scones, but if you click the link you can see Vanessa's original recipe. Instead of xylitol, I used maple syrup, and I skipped the crushed walnuts and opted for... mini chocolate chips (WHAT!)...

pumpkin chocolate chip drop scones

I would say we are adjusting to the non-newlywed world just fine. Here are a few more pictures from our trip!

the william henry miller inn.

a little appetizer we enjoyed while wine tasting (yes, honeycomb!)

this waterfall is higher than niagra falls

smiling because we are about to enjoy pre-ssert!

More good eats coming your way soon! Go do something crazy like bake scones on a Monday!

Butternut!

Hello again!

The best season of all is here, and the best soup of all is here:

Curried Butternut Squash

I think butternut squash soup is this decade's Italian marinara sauce... everyone has their own recipe and swears it's superior to all others. Well, here is my recipe, and yep, I think it's awesome. You can agree or disagree, and I'll still share! Curry and cinnamon give it warmth and sweetness. We enjoyed this batch over a French film rented from the library.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (~3 cups)
• 3 apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 15-oz can coconut milk
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ tablespoon curry powder
• ½ tablespoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add squash, apples, sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, coconut milk, cinnamon, curry, pepper, and cayenne. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until squash is soft. Let stand 10-15 minutes to cool slightly. Puree with immersion blender. Bring back to a simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, swirl of pumpkinseed oil, and maybe some toasted coconut!

A new favorite seasonal recipe we've been into recently is my pumpkin smoothie. Mark even said, and I quote, "This is as good as pumpkin pie." (Did you know one of his top-5 favorite foods is pumpkin pie?) Now whip this up:

Pumpkin Power Smoothie

• 1/2 banana, frozen in slices
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp cashew butter
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (alternatively, 1/2 cup plain yogurt and a tsp of stevia or honey)
• 1 cup unsweetened almondmilk
• Lots of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

Blend. Eat!

I can't believe we will be celebrating our 1-year anniversary next weekend! We are off to upstate New York for a long weekend to enjoy the gorgeous season.

Until next time, eat well!

Half-Anniversary, Full Menu

We have been married for 6 MONTHS! (6 months and 2 days now, technically.)

What to do to celebrate a half-year of wedded bliss... hmm... that's easy! Cook! Eat! And drink plenty of good wine!

My job was planning the menu, Mark's was picking out wine. He did so good - he found a bottle of wine from Bernardus, a tiny vineyard we visited on our honeymoon in Monterey! After Mark revealed the special wine, he opened the fridge to show me another "special wine" he chose in honor, not of us, but of the Master's.

red for our love, white for Arnie

Our first course was this: Mediterranean Vegetable Stacks with Garlic White Bean Spread and Arugula Cashew Pesto... plated with a sprinkle of goat cheese and balsamic glaze. Delectable. Mark ate a third for dessert.

first course.

 Our second course would be Pistachio-Encrusted Wild Caught Halibut with Saffron Risotto. 

second plate.

Before baking these beautiful, wild-caught halibut fillets (Mark said, "I got the most expensive fish at the counter,") I dressed them with olive oil and pressed them into a pile of crushed pistachios and dill. Baked at 425 for 10 minutes. Nailed it. The red puff is a sprinkle of Hungarian paprika. I realized almost too late that this dish, although its flavor could speak for itself, was not perfect in color contrast.

Dessert was a treat I had always wanted to try. It's easy, SO easy, and really quite refreshingly bright and good. Raw Brownies. I'm serious. It was walnuts, cashews, organic Medjool dates, and cocoa powder. Pulverized. Pressed into a pan and refrigerated until we cut them, brought to room temperature, and devoured! A friend sent me to this recipe on a blog called My New Roots - see for yourself. (We didn't add in chopped nuts at the end, because nuts in brownies do not belong, unless of course, they are pulverized.)

sweet ending

Mark definitely pretended like he was not interested in these raw brownies. It only took 1 bite to convince him. I think this dessert may be our new thing!

The star of this menu was really that first course. Here's the how-to:

To make vegetable stacks...

• Drizzle whole portobello caps, sliced eggplant, and red pepper halves with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, top with sea salt and pepper.
• Roast at 375 for 20 minutes. Flip. Roast another 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool slightly to handle. Remove skin from red pepper.
• Layer as follows:
• Portobello cap (bottom)
• White Bean Spread
• Roasted red pepper
• Arugula Cashew Pesto
• Eggplant

Garlic and White Bean Spread
Blend:
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt, pepper to taste
That was easy!

Arugula and Cashew Pesto
Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times

• 3 cups tightly packed chopped arugula
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced basil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp tamari (or reduced-sodium soy sauce)
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Puree dry ingredients in food processor before adding lemon and tamari. Drizzle in olive oil with blade running until thoroughly combined.

YUM and YUM!

We have 6 months to dream up our next milestone menu (THE First Anniversary!)... what will it be?!

Minty Pea Soup and Perfectly Poached Eggs

I have never made nor have I ever tasted pea soup before in my life. Have you? An acquaintance of mine mentioned making it for Saint Patrick's Day. I did my research and created a recipe loosely based off of Ina Garten's. The funny part is that the peas most often used in pea soup are frozen, not fresh. Apparently fresh peas are much too starchy and not sweet at all! Here's the pleasantly sweet pea result.

Fresh Pea and Mint Soup

Fresh Pea and Mint Soup

Ingredients
2 tbsp organic butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp dried dill
4 cups vegetable broth
5 cups frozen sweet peas
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint
1 tsp+ sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Directions

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat, and saute leeks and onion until soft, 8-10 minutes.
2. Add dill, broth, and peas and increase heat to a simmer, 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in mint, salt, and pepper.
4. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in a food processor until velvety smooth. (Note- I tried using my immersion blender, and it could not get through the leeks! It was an asparagus soup flashback!)
5. Return to pot and reheat until hot. Stir in plain yogurt.
6. Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt and fresh mint.

Now, poached eggs! It has been 10 days since I poached my first egg. I'm hooked. The whites are tender and the yolks are soft and just runny enough to flavor whatever else is lucky enough to be on the same plate. I got some how-to help from a wedding gift-cookbook, The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated.  Instant favorite at our house!

Step 1. Get yourself some good eggs. Local is best. Organic is next-best. 

Step 2. Crack eggs into individual cups. The separate but equal cups are important, as you will need to drop the eggs into the water at eggs-actly the same time!

Crucial egg prep step

Step 3. Get your water ready. Fill a shallow skillet with water, 1 tsp sea salt, and 2 tbsp white vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil. The salt flavors the eggs, and the vinegar flavors them AND prevents the whites from getting too whispy. A shallow skillet (I used an 11-inch French covered skillet) works best, as the egg doesn't have as far of a drop and can bounce up quickly in the hot water.

Step 4. Drop the eggs at the same exact time into the water. Cover the skillet and remove from heat! Set your timer for 3 1/2- 4 minutes! (Longer for a large or x-large egg)

DON'T CHOKE!

Step 5. After the timer goes off, it's time to carefully lift the eggs out of the water and onto the plate. I used a slotted silicone spatula. If you are feeling outrageous, nest your poached egg onto a small bed of cheese!

Our most recent meal was paired with beer bread, tamari-braised portobellos, and roasted asparagus. 

thanks instagram, for making my eggs look even awesomer.

Ignore tonight's snow storm, spring is coming in 2 days! I can't wait for the outdoor farmer's market to start up so we can eat poached eggs over every other vegetable we can find.

Until next time! Happy eating!

Beet Dip, a Detox, and a Huge Cake

This recipe is no joke! Get ready for a hummus makeover with killer flavor and a distinguished zip.  I can't promise your husband will enjoy it, because mine is still anti-beet. More for me!

Tahini Beet Dip with Roasted Curry Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 cup roasted beets, cooled
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
2+ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed. Drizzle olive oil in while processing to achieve a smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste!

I paired this dip with cauliflower, lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, pepper, and curry powder, roasted at 375 for about 20 minutes.

just beet it

While I can't give him credit for loving beets, I have to let you know that my Mark is a nutritional champ! Leaving (almost) no dish untasted, Mark proudly shows off his healthy-foodie-packed-lunches to his co-workers every day. He didn't even ask questions when I came home from work last month and told him I wanted us to go on a 14-day dietary detox. And he didn't complain once!

For two weeks, our diet was free from gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. We sustained on organic vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, quinoa and brown rice, wild caught fish, organic/free-range chicken, and vegan protein shakes made with almondmilk. I was the cranky one the first 3 days, not Mark! (Watching the Bachelor with no chocolate and red wine? THAT was tough.) But after a few days we both felt incredible improvements in energy levels and digestion. Neither one of us craved sugar or snacky snacks when we weren't eating them! It was an amazing reboot, and I am so proud of my other half for enduring two weeks without some of his favorite foods!!

Lucky for him, the week after our detox was Mark's birthday. I pulled out all the stops to celebrate him with the tastiest of foods. For his birthday dinner I made an organic, grass-fed ribeye, roasted butternut squash and onions with pumpkinseed oil (amazing- buy it), and kale and portobello mushrooms braised in tamari and white wine...

Now for the birthday cake! I baked him a 3-layer German Chocolate Cake, with pecan and coconut icing. I followed a recipe from America's Test Kitchen, in a cookbook given to us as a wedding gift. I didn't even try to make it healthy! (I am known for ruining baked goods when I try to make them healthier by changing multiple ingredients. Yes, I know you can't do that. But I still go for it every. single. time.) The cake was far from perfect - the icing was runny, the layers were a little thin, it was slightly lop-sided - but it tasted delicious! It was a solid first birthday cake for Mark... hopefully my birthday cake baking skillz only improve from here on out.

Happy Birthday Mark!

Join us here next time for whatever detox and cake rebound we try next!

Lentil Apple Walnut Loaf

Sweet, savory, and satisfying... Lentil Apple Walnut Loaf!

If you have seen only some of my little foodie blog, you surely know by now that I love lentils. These tiny, versatile legumes are quick-cooking and nutrient-rich with protein, fiber, and iron.  I have worked hard at making this recipe just the way I want it before sharing... which is why I am tickled to offer it here today!

This particular recipe is a bit involved- (be prepared to use multiple pots and pans) but I promise it is worth it. It's a great meal to make on the weekend or day off and enjoy for the week ahead. Having dinner ready to reheat on a weeknight is much appreciated for this (now!) working couple! :-)

Lentil Apple Walnut Loaf
Recipe adapted from Terry Walters' Clean Food

Ingredients
For loaf:
1 cup dried lentils
3 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, grated
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 apples, peeled, grated, and mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup breadcrumbs
(*Note- Substitute brown rice breadcrumbs if making the recipe gluten-free)

For glaze:
2 tbsp organic ketchup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp corn starch

Directions
Preparing lentils
Rinse lentils, place in a pot, and cover with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preparing loaf
In a small bowl, combine ground flax seed with water and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and carrot in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add rice vinegar and saute 3 minutes more until soft. Add grated apple, walnuts, and garam masala and saute another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in cooked lentils, breadcrumbs, and soaked flax seed until evenly mixed. Press mixture firmly into lightly oiled loaf pan and set aside.

Preparing glaze
In a small saucepan over no heat, combine all glaze ingredient until smooth. Place over medium heat and stir continuously until thick (about 2-3 minutes). Spread evenly over loaf and bake, uncovered, 40 minutes.

Serve with sauteed greens and brown rice for a lovely meal!

Happy eating!