Lentil Soup

 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
generous pinch of dried marjoram or oregano
6 1/4 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Put all the ingredients except for the vinegar and seasoning in a large, heavy-based pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, the lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring the soup occasionally to prevent the lentils from stick to the pan.
2. Remove the bay leaves and add the red wine vinegar, with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra vegetable stock.
3. Serve hot, accompanied with warm crusty rolls.

Cinnamon-spiced Chickpea and Vegetable Soup

1 large onion, chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
pinch of cayenne
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
4 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 lb floury potatoes, diced
pinch of saffron strands
14 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the onion in a large pot with 1 1/4 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cayenne and 2 tbsp of stock to form a paste. Stir into the onion mixture with the carrots, celery and remaining stock.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and potatoes and heat until simmering gently again, then cover and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Add the saffron, chickpeas, cilantro and lemon juice. Season to taste and heat briefly, then serve.


My dad made this amazing soup while I was home. It was so filling, but we decided that it may need a longer cook time to really allow the vegetables to take on the spices. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheez

So yesterday I got to cook my little sister, Alicia, over her lunch break.  I figured if we went out we would be too rushed and not get to enjoy our time together as much.  So on this winter day, I made the classic tomato soup and grilled cheez.   I picked up some organic tomato basil soup from Bamboo market and some fresh sliced bread.  For my grilled cheez sandwich I used Daiya cheddar cheese and added fresh sliced tomato and avocado.  (My sister isn't vegan so she was treated to a Gouda filled grilled cheese with tomato and avocado).  I also added a little nutritional yeast and fresh avocado to my soup to give it a creamy flavor. Perfect meal on a wet snowy winter day...way yummy.

Play Time

So as a part of my finals recovery I have been treating myself to some amazing Colorado skiing and hiking.  The first day I was home I headed up to Copper Mountain where the snow was amazing.  Torin and Loren were great ski buddies in our quest for the best powder stashes, of which we found many.  It was a little cold and windy but totally worth the cold fingers. The next day I was lucky enough to get to ski ten inches of  fresh powder in Steamboat with my dad.  The tree skiing in Steamboat is one of a kind and you can usually find fresh powder lines into the late morning and early afternoon. The third day I was home I hiked up Emerald Mountain and took this photo of the mountain.  The sun was shinning the entire time which felt great considering the lack of sunlight I get Boston.

Copper Trees

Fun Toy I Wanted to Steal

Copper Bowl

Steamboat Trees

View From Emerald Mountain

Harwigs/ L'Apogee in Steamboat

My most favorite restaurant in Steamboat is Harwigs. This family owned and operated restaurant is a true gem.  They use only the most fresh ingredients and buy locally as often as possible. Jamie Jenny Jr., one of my dearest friends, alwasy spoils me with the most amazing vegan dishes. Last night I had golden beet carpacio with roasted red beet lavendar tartar and blackberries in lemon juice.  I also had spinach fettucini with truffle oil, shaved black truffles, and tomatos. Both dishes were exquisite. Harwigs is also know for their amazing wine selection. If you are looking for a great environment, great food, and friendly people Harwigs is the place to go. http://www.lapogee.com/

Winona's of Steamboat

My favorite breakfast spot in Steamboat is without a doubt Winona's. The food is amazing and they are super accomodating to special requests, I always order my home fries extra crispy.  I try to go there at least twice every time I'm home because I'm never disappointed.  Yesterday I got the tofu scramble with extra crispy home fries (of course).  It was amazing.  They also have this big train soy chai that is super yummy if you want a sweet fix. For non-vegans their cinnamon rolls are to die for.  If you make it up to the Boat this is a must go place.

Apologies

Sorry for my long absence.  I had a very long three weeks of finals and literally didn't have time to cook for myself, thus maintaining my site was out of the question. But I'm back and on my way to recovery.  I always worry about getting sick during finals, which would be disastrous.  So this semester I really focused on taking care of myself.  I did not eat a single piece of chocolate (my weakness), candy, cookie, or other sweet the entire three weeks of finals. I really think this helped keep me from getting rundown and sick.  I focused my meals around whole grains and green veggies to keep my energy up.  I did find myself going for easy breakfast options, like bagels with peanut butter. But I tend to study long past the point of hunger and then get bad headaches, so the carbs really helped to minimize that. Now that finals are over I get to go home and relax.  Since the snow is so good I plan to take advantage of that, but need to find balance to allow my body to recover fully.  Yoga is on my top list of priorities, along with sleep. My biggest challenge for the holidays is continuing to eat healthy foods.  Many get togethers around the holidays are centered around food and its easy to find yourself overeating frequently. So my goal is to not over do it. Good luck with all your holiday goals.

Daiya Quesadillas and Taco Salad

Quesadillas made with sprouted tortillas and daiya mozzarella are amazing. They pair perfectly with taco salad.  For mine I toss quinoa with fresh veggies, like tomato, corn, onion, black beans, purple cabbage and avocado.  Top with toasted pepitas for a crunch.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

4 Poblano peppers

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup mashed black beans

8 medium crimini mushrooms, diced

1 cup Daiya mozzarella cheese

1 diced tomato

Roast the Poblano peppers by placing them in a toaster or conventional oven on broil until the skin bubbles and they become lightly browned.  Immediately place them in a ziplock baggie, using tongs. Let sit for a few mins.  Remove them from the baggie and peel the skin off.   Sautee the mushrooms until translucent, preferably with Italian spices.  Mix the cooked rice with the mashed black beans, the mushrooms, tomato and Daiya mozzarella cheese (modify the ingredients to a mixture of your liking-i.e. more or less cheese or rice).  Slit the peppers on one side lengthwise, clean the seeds out. Stuff with the rice mixture and place in a greased baking dish.  Cook until the cheese melts at 350 degrees. Enjoy!!!

Super Easy Calzone

I made the best calzone this weekend... following my introduction to Daiya cheese.  Simply buy a pre-made pizza dough (I buy mine from Whole Foods), whatever choice of fillings you want and a can of pizza sauce.  I sauteed mushrooms with crushed red pepper and Italian seasonings, tossed in some rough chopped garlic, and spinach- set aside.  Then roll out your dough into a circle, and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Put one teaspoon olive oil on the inside of your crust and spread with spoon, place a large spoon full of your sauteed veggies just off center of the crust in the olive oil.  I also added black olives to mine.  Then sprinkle however much daiya cheese you prefer and top with a few tablespoons pizza sauce. Fold the larger side of the crust over to form a half circle, and pinch the sides closed. Slice two slits to vent on top of the calzone. Cook on 375 for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!