sunny spring breakfast

i often complain about always working weekends. slightly jealous of the folks with the old nine-to-five jobs. but then every once in a while i can't help but snicker at everyone sitting in offices while i'm out enjoying a mid-week three-day stretch of amazing weather. the past two days have been perfectly sunny, low 70's... days when all of seattle makes a note to self that this is why we live here despite all the drizzly winter months. walking around greenlake there were itsy-bitsy-baby ducklings paddling around the edges of the lakes. proof that it's spring! it's not even 9am and i am sitting on my couch with a cup of tea and my windows wide open. giddy for another day of cycling and planning a 40 mile route. to fuel my ride i made this wonderful breakfast (actually two of these). enjoy!

sunny spring breakfast ~ for however many

crusty artisan bread

eggs (1-2 per person)

small bunch asparagus (5 spears per toast) 

olive oil

parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 425. trim asparagus and lay out on a baking sheet. drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss with salt and fresh pepper. roast until asparagus is slightly crispy, tossing once or twice (10 minutes or so). in the mean time, cook eggs however you like (scrambled, over easy, sunny side up are all great) and set to the side. using a vegetable peeler, make thin shavings of parmesan ~ about 1 tablespoon per egg or serving. as the asparagus are finishing, toast bread in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil on you baking sheet (or just simply in a toaster). to assemble, pile toast with 5 asparagus spears, egg and top with shaved parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. 

spicy tempeh stuffed collard 'tacos'

earlier this month, my other half took off on a month-long road trip across california, utah and nevada in pursuit of climbing the regions most stunning boulders. i sent him off with some of my camera equipment so that he could capture his adventure both in images and film. so today's post will feature some good old fashion camera phone photos. 

cooking for one while he is away isn't always glamorous. i tend towards making simple meals, salads, smoothies. one of my go-to meals is collard green wraps... scrambled eggs, avocado and salsa wrapped up conveniently inside of a large collard leaf... or sprouts, radish, grated carrots and hummus... or today i made these delicious spicy tempeh 'tacos' for lunch. they are a great way to incorporate some nutritious bitter greens into your day, and a fun food to make and eat! 

spicy tempeh stuffed collard 'tacos' ~ serves 2

8 oz package tempeh

4 large collard green leaves 

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons tamari 

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

chili flakes to taste

1 avocado

1 sweet bell pepper

1 spicy pepper (optional) 

small bunch green onions

1 cup plain yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt) 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 

juice of 1 lime

heat oil over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. crumble tempeh with fingers into pan (about the size of ground meat). fry until lightly browned. add spices and tamari and fry for another minute to combine flavors. remove from heat. 

in a small dish (or in blender), combine chopped cilantro with yogurt and lime juice. set aside. i used this as a dipping sauce, but you could also spoon some inside of your tacos. 

prepare remaining ingredients: thinly slice peppers, acovado and green onions. wash collard greens and square off the bottom of the leaf, removing the stem that protrudes from the leaf. 

to assemble, divide the fillings among the four leaves, leaving room at the top of the leaf for space to fold over (as pictured above). fold the top of the leaf over the fillings, and then fold the outsides in and roll up into a small little burrito. these would also be great with pico de galo, or radishes, or rice and beans. enjoy! 

it just isn't tacos without a messy plate... 

spring salad with dill croutons

one of my favorite cycling advocates (zero per gallon) makes fun bicycle icon t-shirts with a subtitle claiming '53 miles per burrito.' last summer i did a 60 mile bike ride after a delicious slice of quiche from my favorite bakery in seattle. i determined that made me more fuel efficient, right? perhaps it's more accurate to say i'm solar powered. sunshine feeds me energy more than anything else. i am insanely productive and active in the summer time - those short couple of months in seattle where we are graced with sunshine and a cool breeze. this week has been gorgeous in seattle. i hopped back on my bike for several long rides of sleeveless cycling! wonderful! post cycling, i was craving some carbs and some bright flavors. a friend had left a half a loaf of crusty rustic bread at my place after a lunch date, so i decided to make some croutons!... why do people buy croutons in a box? seriously. i love croutons to have a bite to them, crisp on the outer edges and chewy at its center. drizzled in olive oil and speckled with herbs. you can't find that in a box. this is a wonderful spring salad, and would make a great addition to an easter dinner served along side your deviled eggs! hurrah for spring time!

spring salad with dill croutons ~ serves 2

butter lettuce, enough for two

4 radishes

1/4 red onion

white balsamic vinegar

3oz sheep's milk feta cheese

1/4 - 1/2 loaf rustic bread

small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

preheat oven to 350. cut onion as thinly as possible into half-moon slices. trim ends of radishes, and slice thinly as well. place onions and radish in a small bowl or jar and submerge in white balsamic vinegar. place in fridge until ready to serve, or at least 20 minutes to pickle. 

cut bread into large cubes. place on a baking sheet, drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil to coat. sprinkle with lots of salt, pepper, and a tablespoons of finely chopped dill. bake in oven until edges are nicely crisp and brown but not burnt. stir croutons at least once while baking. let cool while you assemble the salad. 

tear butter lettuce leaves into halves or quarters. pile the lettuce on a platter or individual plates, top with pickled radishes and onions (drained from vinegar), crumbled sheep's milk feta and croutons. drizzle the salad with a nice olive oil. salt, pepper, and a few more sprinkles of fresh dill. 

tahini yogurt with cardamom blood orange supremes

it is officially spring. while there is still a wait before all the wonderful spring time crops come into season here in the northwest, the citrus right now (albeit from california) is amazing! i've been plowing through grapefruit after grapefruit, oozing between my fingers and dribbling down my chin. they are so juicy right now! but i decided to branch out this morning and enjoy a blood orange. my simple intention was to have a slice of toast with tahini and yogurt with slices of blood orange. turns out the tahini i bought was incredibly thin and runny - still delicious, just not a practical spread for toast. so! this is what i came up with. 

really this post is just an excuse for me to daydream about iceland... first, let me tell you about icelandic yogurt. "skyr" is the traditional yogurt of iceland: thick, creamy in texture but tangy in flavor. if you like greek yogurt, you will love icelandic yogurt, as it has even more protein! [look for siggi's brand at whole foods or other specialty shops.]

pardon me while i gush about iceland for a moment. beside icelandic yogurt, i also love icelandic chocolate. nói síríus to be specific. this might be one of my favorite plain chocolate bars in existence. but beyond the promising culinary allure, and besides the fact that several of my favorite bands are from iceland, iceland looks extraordinary! see what i mean?

ok now back to the recipe... 

tahini yogurt with cardamom blood orange supremes ~serves two

3 blood oranges

1/2 teaspoon cardamom 

1 tablespoon honey 

2 cups plain icelandic (or greek) yogurt

2 tablespoons tahini

juice one blood orange. cut the remaining two blood oranges into 'supremes' ... basically trim off the peel with a sharp knife all the way down to the flesh. then gently hold the peeled citrus in your palm and cut each segment of flesh out from between the pithy membranes. squeeze the remaining juice from the piths into a small saucepan and combing with the juice from the first blood orange. add honey and cardamom and gently heat for 3-4 minutes. remove from heat and add the supremes. let cool completely for about 20 minutes to let flavors combine. 

in small serving bowls, swirl together 1 cup yogurt with 1 tablespoon tahini for each person. top with blood orange suprimes and drizzle with a bit of the cardamom-infused sauce. enjoy!

a beet smoothie

as much as i love juicing fruits and vegetables, i also want the fiber. so a few years ago i sold my fancy juicer and bought a vitamix. *best birthday present to myself. ever.* i've gotten into a habit of packing a smoothie for my lunch. especially when working in an industry that doesn't always allow for a lunch break, smoothies keep me energized, hydrated and full while i'm buzzing around behind the bar or out serving tables. also, they are delicious and packed with nutrients. my latest favorite concoction includes raw beets. gorgeous in color, and delightfully earthy. coconut water for electrolytes and cashews to help you absorb fat-soluble nutrients. it's a smoothie suitable for any meal of the day! note: i have not tried making a veggie/fruit smoothie in a 'regular' blender. my vitamix does a powerful job of creating a smooth and enjoyable texture and consistency that may be lacking from vegetable smoothies made in 'regular' blenders. so no promises, but feedback  is welcome! (sorry, did that sound like a vitamix commercial? i can't help myself. i'm obsessed.) 

beet smoothie...

8 oz coconut water + 1 small or medium beet + 1 small apple + 1/2 banana

2 small carrots, or 1 large + 2 medium stalks celery + 1 handful spinach

1 oz raw cashews, soaked overnight in water & drained

...blend for up to a minute until very smooth. chill to desired temperature. 

kasha nut granola

in pursuit of a more balanced life and work schedule, i recently started teaching yoga at the seattle bouldering project. i was excited to be working with athletes and admittedly stoked to benefit from a free climbing gym membership. i used to climb years ago, but had only recently started back up alongside my partner in crime (who just so happens to be a rock climbing instructor... lucky me!) i've been improving steadily and love the mental and physical challenge climbing offers me. so there i was, in between teaching classes with a few hours to climb. at the very end of the session, right before it was time to head back to the yoga studio, i decided to try just one more route. good news: i flashed it - cruised right to the top of a rather challenging route. *high-five* aubrey. bad news: i managed to fall while trying to match my hands on the last hold. completely caught off guard, i landed poorly. i'll spare you the details. luckily it was not painful, but let's just say the sensation made me instantly nauseous. prognosis: torn ligaments on both side of my ankle, which could take several months to return to full range of motion and stability. bouldering, specifically, is out of the picture for quite some time... 

after a day of moping around and going stir crazy in my apartment, i realized that sitting on my couch, watching hulu and snacking cheese and chocolate was not going to aid my recovery. i rolled out my yoga mat and spent a few hours figuring out what movements i could still do. it was frustrating at first, realizing my limitations and fretting how long it would be before i could return to where i was. but fascinating at the same time to view each yoga pose in a new light with respect to my ankle and foot. a new awareness of samasthiti. the next day, i taught three yoga classes. my mantra: "life does not get easier; we become easier with life just as it is" - donna farhi

to fuel my recovery, i committed to a simple three-day green smoothie cleanse. not only would it aid my damaged body heal and repair, but it also greatly improved my mood and energy! continuing to eat mindfully and healthfully throughout this slow recovery period is important to me. so today, after finishing my smoothie cleanse, i made a gluten-free granola packed full of nutrients, fiber and healthy fats. enjoy! 

kasha nut granola: makes 18 x half-cup servings 

2 cups gluten free oats

1 cup kasha, aka buckwheat groats (raw or toasted) 

1/2 cup sesame seeds, raw

1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/3 cup coconut or grapeseed oil or ghee

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla bean 

6 oz pitted dates or other dried fruit, about 1 heaping cup - cut into small bite sizes

1 cup large flake unsweetened dried coconut

preheat oven to 300. in a large bowl, mix together oats, kasha, sesame seeds and almonds. in a small sauce pan, gently heat oil, honey and cinnamon and vanilla together. remove from heat when it reaches a simmer and pour mixture over the grains & nuts. dig your clean hands into the mixture, and mix until evenly coated. spread the granola onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. you want the granola to form a single layer, rather than piled high so it toasts evenly. use two baking sheets if needed! bake 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. remove from oven and add coconut flakes and dates, stirring to evenly distribute. return to oven and bake for 15-20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. remove from heat when oats and almonds are golden brown and coconut is lightly toasted. let cool on baking sheet over a wire rack. store in air tight container. 

note: granola is rich in nutrients, fiber and healthy fats but fairly rich. serving suggestion is 1/2 cup granola (~195 calories, 8.5g fat, 30g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 4g protein). i don't typically calculate the nutritional value of my recipes, but i wanted to compare my home recipe to my favorite granola brand. i love granola with almond milk for a filling snack, or combine with fresh fruit or yogurt for a wonderful breakfast. 

sweet valentine

this past week i was tasked with writing a guest blog post article for 'good food life' about the five most romantic foods. nifty! but where does one start with such a subject? i wanted it to be fun, a bit racy but appropriate, and inspiring for home cooks. in the end, i think it came together quite nicely, if i do say so myself (read it here)... and it even inspired me to test out a new recipe that combined two of the most seductive foods: chocolate and cheese. who could resist? these cookies are simple to whip up and will certainly make an impression on whomever is lucky enough to share them with you. 

cream cheese and cocoa nib shortbread cookies

(makes about 50-60 mini cookies) 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon course sea salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temp

3 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup raw cocoa nibs

whip together cream cheese and butter in electric mixer until light and fluffy. add salt, sugar and vanilla to combine and then slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time. finally add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup nibs. save 1/2 cup nibs for rolling your dough in! once combined, divide dough onto two large pieces of parchment paper. form each into a inch thick log and wrap with parchment paper. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. once the logs are firm, preheat oven to 350 degrees. remove from parchment paper and set onto cutting board. spread 1/2 cup nibs on the cutting board and roll your dough through it, patting and pressing the nibs into the edge of your log. using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4" rounds. set the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. they will not expand or spread out much, so don't worry about crowded baking sheets. bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms and edges take on a tiny bit of color, but not too browned.

these shortbread cookies are fabulous with coffee! or with a scoop of coffee ice cream sprinkled with a few extra cocoa nibs. yum! 

better than oatmeal

you've probably had black sticky rice pudding at thai restaurants before, no? rich and soft and creamy. and oh so very sweet. it is served in thailand for either dessert or breakfast, but to me, the american restaurant version is far to sweet to be served as breakfast. rather than adding sugar, i used a small amount of coconut palm sugar - giving the dish just a subtle sweetness and hint of coconut. and rather than coconut cream, you could use almond milk or rice milk or a lighter coconut milk beverage. topped with fresh or dried fruit and toasted shaved coconut, i'd say this breakfast is equally as fulfilling and healthful  as a bowl of oatmeal. better tasting than oatmeal and perhaps, even more nutritious since black rice is full of antioxidants. *note, black sticky rice (aka black glutinous rice) is different from wild rice. it is a shorter grain, and almost purple in color. you can find it at most health and specialty shops! 

black sticky rice porridge with coconut and date: 

1 cup black rice, soaked in 2 cups water for 30-60 minutes

1 cup coconut milk (or almond or rice milk)

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup pitted dates, quartered

1/2 cup coconut shavings

extra coconut milk for drizzling

soak rice in 2 cups water for 30-60 mins in your steamer or small sauce pan. after it has soaked, turn on heat and let simmer for 45 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. add coconut milk, salt and coconut sugar and simmer at a low temperature for another 30 minutes. if you have raw coconut flakes, toast them in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet until lightly brown (peek at them every few minutes... they will toast quickly!) to serve, top 2/3 cup porridge with dates, toasted coconut and a few tablespoons of coconut milk (or another rice or nut milk). serve warm! also wonderful topped with raisins, fresh bananas or other dried fruits!