Breakfast or Snack @ 226 - Magic Muffins

Things are pretty bleak over here, people.  I have two little people that want to play outside so bad their heads hurt.  They talk about the seasons changing in school.  They talk about how yesterday was the first day of Spring.  They bring home art projects that involve tulips and baby animals.  They beg me to take them to the park, even though they can see their breath.  The walk from the car to our backdoor seems long and we're all holding our breath by the time we turn the knob.  I've thought about starting a fire in the fireplace.

They monitor the plants that grow in our basement, below warm lights, and wonder why the same isn't happening outside.  They look out the window and with their hands to the glass, testing for warmer temperatures, but there are none.  Today, it's snowing.

I think Spring will come.  But truthfully, I'm starting to doubt its inevitability.  I want to believe that its right around the corner and surely it will come with April.  March is supposed to leave like a lamb, right?  But, all I see are grey skies, snowflakes, and restless children.  We have done nearly every Pinterest project.  We've painted and colored until the markers are dry and colorless.  We've run made-up errands just to get out of the house, thank you Target.  We've built every shape and style of fort and had dance parties till our thighs ache.  We've done copious amounts of laundry and reorganized the furniture more times than I'd like to count.

The elbows on my favorite sweater are wearing thin.

There is one thing that Becks and Reed still get excited about.  Any Kitchen Project.  So, we've made a daily activity out of it.  And, even though it's become part of our indoor routine I think a part of them looks forward to it.  In the past week, we've made granola, granola bars, 2 kinds of snack bites, hummus, shamrock cookies, three kinds of muffins, freezable protein snack-cakes, and two loaves of really good bread.  We do a kitchen project almost every morning.  Over breakfast , we comb the internet for ideas and inspiration.  It's a made-up chore because we don't really need any of these things.  But, I don't know what I'd do with my mornings without them.  An added bonus: my kids are going to know their way around a kitchen.

Magic Muffins - In an effort to make every snack we have substantial (my kids are eating a ton these days), I am tending towards flour free recipes.  [Just to avoid the question, I am not, by any means going Paleo.]  However, I refuse to eat a muffin that is as hard as a 2x4.  I don't know how these muffins work, I just know they are puffy and satisfying.  It's hard for me to walk by the freezer without grabbing one.  They're also great to throw in lunches.

1 cup of any nut butter (we have tried peanut and almond)
2-3 bananas with lots of brown spot so they are super sweet*
a handful of pitted medjool dates, only if your bananas aren't brownish
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey, optional
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
chocolate chips, optional

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Put all ingredients into your food processor.  Blend until totally mixed.  Evenly distribute your batter in the lined pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, if using.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  They should look puffy and lightly browned on the top. Cool on a rack and store in the freezer for up to one month or in a sealed container for up to one week.

*I have made these twice.  The first time my bananas were not as ripe as they should be so I threw in 6 or 7 pitted dates.  The next time they were super ripe so I skipped the dates and the honey and they were great.  I'm not a fan of super sweet things anyway, so the super ripe bananas were perfectly sweet enough on my second try.

Dinner @ 226 - Madhur Jaffrey's Everyday Moong Dal

I have a solution for your dinner rut.  You know, those times you look into the empty, crusty crevices of your GE and it all looks a little...blah.  You reach for the broccoli, but realized you had broccoli soup the day before yesterday and return it to the crisper that is jam packed with nothingness.   You feel as though if you make another soup, chunky, creamy, or otherwise, that you might croak with a ladle still clenched in your lifeless hand.

That little guy on the right is my asafetida.  I found it at an international market.

 It's March, after all.  We've had all the soups, stews and crock-pot meals that our frigid little bodies can handle.  We crave the freshness of crisp asparagus and little green peas that pop between your molars.  We want dinners to be less...cooked.  But still, the temperatures hold and there isn't a decent looking spear of asparagus in sight.  In fact, snow is on the forecast for tomorrow.  Snow.  Thanks a lot, March.

This dinner is one that has made it into our weekly rotation.  Yes, I said weekly.  Whenever I feel that cloud of Dinner Nothingness descend over my kitchen, this is what I prepare.  Even though it's not Spring Fare, it will carry you through till the asparagus get smaller and the back deck gets power washed.  And from there, if you're anything like us, you'll make it every week or so after.

Everyday Moong Dal - This recipe comes from one of my favorite books.  I've had a long-existing obsession with Indian food that started at a buffet near the mall in High School.  I will eat it absolutely anytime; usually frightening amounts of it.  Please don't be dissuaded by the Indian origin, you really only need to venture out to find one or two ingredients that you don't already have/or have had before.  I've changed the recipe a bit to be more convenient, according to what I usually have on hand.  If you'd like to make it the way it was written, the original is in parenthesis.  Serves 4-6 as a side dish, I always double it if it's all we're having.  And, it usually is.

1 cup moong dal, washed and drained
1/2 bunch kale, ribs removed and cut into 1 inch strips, optional*
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil (or ghee)
1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida
1 teaspoon ground cumin (1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (1-2 hot red chilies)
1 large shallot, peeled and cut into fine slivers

Put the dal in a medium pot and add 3 1/2 cups water.  Bring to a boil.  Skim off the white froth and add the turmeric.  Stir to mix.  Cover partially, turn heat to a gentle simmer, and cook 40 minutes.  At this point, add the kale to the dal, cover and let the kale wilt for 5 minutes. Add the salt and stir to mix.  Turn off the heat.

Pour the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium high heat.  When hot, put in asafetida, cumin, and cayenne.  As soon as the spice mixture is fragrant (30 seconds) add the shallots.  Stir and cook until the shallots darken.  Pour the shallot mixture over the cooked dal and stir.

Serve with brown rice (or whatever rice you prefer), whole wheat naan, plain yogurt for topping, sliced red onion, lemon wedges, and fresh cilantro.

*If you're looking to make this a complete meal, throw in a bunch of kale as noted.  That's my way of getting out of making a salad.

For other rad dinner ideas, go here.

Breakfast @ 226 - Bird Seed Bran Muffins

I've always loved bran muffins.  I realize that's a strange claim.  Sort of like saying, I've always loved Shakespeare or folding laundry, both of which are true.  Most people eat wheat bran out of obligation to healthfulness, not out of genuine cravability.  When I'm at the airport 100 hours early for my flight  and they have those shrink-wrapped-baked-100-years-ago-muffins, next to the perfect looking bananas that I'm not sure are even on sale (seriously, I tried to order one once and it was like the first time they had ever heard this request), I always snag the bran variety.  Always, always, always.

There are so many typical breakfast muffin combinations that fly off those magazine or coffee store shelves.  Even at my local coffee shop, harried customers always leave with a napkin wrapped blueberry muffin stuffed in their suit pocket or the coffee cake with streusel topping gently held by their teeth while they juggle two ventis and the exit door..  But, no one ever gives the bran muffin the attention it deserves.  Although, even as a fan of bran (hehe), I can admit these prototypes are not the best representation of bran muffins.  They're often so dense, you need a liter of water just to wash it down and the sugar content is usually astronomical to accommodate for the fact that most Americans don't like healthy tasting food.

Even armed with the knowledge that a bran muffin could get better, I never ventured out to find wheat bran.  In fact, until yesterday, I had no idea what wheat bran even looked like.  Just FYI, it's white and light brown light-as-a-feather flakes.

At Trader Joe's, you can find some delicious bran muffins.  Though they are on the pricier side (as with all pre-prepared food), these prepackaged wonders only list a few ingredients, a good sign that a home cook can probably recreate them.  The other game changer came with this book.  My sister gifted it to me and I even got to pick up lunch (curry tuna salad with grapes on a housemade croissant) at the renowned bakery when I was visiting her in Boston.  It was every bit as adorable and delicious as the book leads you to believe.  And, I'm happy to report that these muffins (adapted from that book) that finally got me off my tush and to the health food store bulk bins are absolutely worth it.  I'll never go shrink-wrapped again.

Bird Seed Bran Muffins - adapted from this book.  For convenience, I let these cool and then wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag in the freezer.  If you're not going to eat them on the day they're baked, I recommend you do the same.  That way, when your inevitable bran muffin craving strikes, you just pluck one of these out of the freezer, jam it into your bag and eat it on the go an hour or so later.  I do not recommend thawing/warming them in the oven straight from the freezer.  It dries out the outside, while leaving the inside cold.  They're great cut in half, smeared with almond butter or salted butter, or both. Make 16 muffins.

2 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 1/4 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (not low or non fat)
2 eggs
1 cup golden raisins
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used part pastry flour and part spelt flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsulfered molasses (dark or light both work)
a spoonful of millet
a spoonful of flaxseeds
a spoonful of sunflower seeds

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 16 spots in two muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together the first four ingredients and set aside to let the wheat bran absorb the moisture for about 30 minutes.

Using a small bowl, cover the raisins in nearly boiling water to plump them up.*

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

After 30 minutes, add the brown sugar and molasses to the bran mixture.  Stir to incorporate.  Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture as well.

Scrape the bran mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold them together.  The batter is thick, but gloopy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them nearly to the top.  In a small bowl mix up the millet, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds.  Sprinkle over the top of the unbaked muffins and gently press the "bird seed" into the batter with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, switching rack position halfway through.  Let cool in the pan, on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Then, eat them, yo!


*This step gives the raisins an almost berry like texture.  If you prefer your raisins dense and chewy (like Beckett does), skip this step.

Want more breakfast ideas?  Check here.

Lunch @ 226 - Genius Roll Ups

*****This post was scheduled for 3/11 but was delayed due to an internet outage.  Thanks for waiting!****

Stop what you're doing.  Read the rest of this post.  No, skip reading and scroll down to the instructions for making the most successful lunches I've packed for my kids in as long as I can remember.  Well, at least since these.   In fact, I'll skip the post and just give you the goods.  Nobody wants to read on a Thursday.  I just made that up, but it seems logical and like there is probably some scientific research to support it.  I'll look into it.

Go pack lunch.  Right nowish would be greaaaaat.

Banana Nut Butter Roll Ups - I'm going to skip measurements because I think you all are super smart.

1 whole wheat tortilla

any kind of nut butter, crunchy or smooth

1 banana

honey

cinnamon

Spread a few spoonfuls of nut butter on half of the tortilla.  Drizzle the nut butter with a little honey and a few shakes of cinnamon.  Place the banana towards the UNpeanut buttered side of the tortilla and roll it up, gently and tightly.  The peanut butter will help to keep it rolled.  

Now, slice off the uneven ends and put aside for a snack.  Slice the rest of the roll in one inch segments (serrated knife works best).  Admire your adorable handiwork and put in your child's lunch container.  Expect that it will be empty when they return.

Cucumber Cream Cheese Roll Ups

1 whole wheat tortilla
cream cheese*
1 1/2 Persian cucumbers
a small handful of alfalfa sprouts
salt and pepper, to taste

Spread a few spoonfuls of cream cheese on 3/4 of the tortilla.  Place the cucumber and 1/2 (I should have added 1/2 to mine.  I had a lot of empty tortilla leftover.  I don't want that for you) at the UNcream cheesed end and add the alfalfa sprouts right up next to it.  Sprinkle the whole thing with a little salt and pepper.

Roll up, gently and tightly, letting the cream cheese "glue" the roll shut.  Slice off the uneven ends and set aside for a snack.  Slice the rest of the roll into one inch pieces (serrated knife works best).  Pack 'em up in lunch containers.

*you can use Tofutti if you're looking for a dairy free option.  And, I'm thinking hummus would also work, but I haven't tried it yet.  If you do, report back!

Lunch @ 226 - Stuffed Mini Peppers

You might think this lunch is fussy.  But, I assure you it is anything but.  Sure there are fresh herbs that need chopping, and peppers that need to be trimmed.  But, I made these little beauties in the time it took  my slowest eaters ever, why do children eat so slowly? children to eat a bowl of cereal.

They came home a few weekends ago from spending a day or two with Jason's mom.  After they told me about all the fun they had, they couldn't stop talking about these elusive mini peppers.  I buy bell peppers all the time, regular bell peppers. You know, the ones that compliment fajitas or create the first-to-disappear element of a crudite platter.  The ones that jack up your grocery bill, especially if you buy them organic.  The kind my son loves, and staunchly believes that I add them to dishes specifically for his pleasure.  "Oh Mama, you added vvvvvell peppers* just for me.  My favorite."  So, naturally, I am beholden to add them to everything I possibly can.

But, what?  Miniature super sweet peppers?  Tinier and more adorable than the ones mama buys?  And oh so much sweeter?  My pepper love was in danger of being trumped by a smaller, sweeter version?  Okay, fools, I will up my grocery game.  I will search high and low for these crack-laced mini peppers so that you all can once again, be in vvvvvell pepper* ecstasy.  I would hate for you to go through withdrawals.  The search will begin pronto.

As it turns out, they sell them at the very grocery store in which I work, in the very department in which I most frequently work.  I do not know how this sort of thing happens.

Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers - These are great for lunch boxes because they can be tousled around and remain intact.  Plus, they are very intentionally not a sandwich.  I try to mix things up when it comes to packed lunches.  Who wants a sandwich every day?  Both kids' lunch boxes came back completely empty after school.  And, both kids asked for me to make them again the next day.  Success!  They would also be great for a quick appetizer and I promise you they don't take too much longer than a PB&J.  Makes 8, serves 2 with some fruit alongside.

4 mini bell peppers (shocker, these can be found at Trader Joe's, next to the regular peppers)
1/4 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped chives
salt and pepper, to taste

Slice your mini peppers in half, from stem to bottom.  Clean out any seeds and white ribs with a paring knife or your fingers.  With a fork, stir together the goat cheese, yogurt, chives, and salt and pepper, until smooth.  Using the fork, smear enough of the cheese filling into the pepper halves to almost fill them.  The filling is rather rich, so don't overfill them.  Also, they don't have to be perfect...see above picture.

If you're packing lunches, obviously pack them cheese side up.  I hope you would know that.

*Both kids have always mispronounced the word bell peppers.  Since they uttered the word, it has been "vell pepper."  I gave up correcting them years ago because I think it's super funny to act like it's normal.  Sorry, not sorry.

For more lunch inspiration go here.

Breakfast @ 226 - Yogurt Toast

During the week, we usually have very basic breakfasts.  They rotate between toast with almond butter and sliced banana, raisin bran with almond milk and on mornings when we have a few extra minutes, a fried egg with toast.  Nothing special or unusual or particularly inspiring happens in our house before 9 a.m.  There's just a lot of routine.  Brush your teeth and sometimes your hair.  Get dressed.  Pick your breakfast.  Eat your breakfast.  Feed the dog.  Feed the cat. Get your backpack and shoes.  Get in the car and go to school.  It sounds almost dismal, doesn't it?

Let me ease your mind by telling you it's not all done in militant type order, with little enthusiasm.  Not exactly, there are laughs and kisses and sometimes crying about arbitrary and completely avoidable subjects like who gets the melamine rainbow plate.  Sometimes we even play a quick card game or Beckett tells one of his ghost stories (which can take hours).  But for the most part, we save our indulgent, involved breakfasts for the weekend, sitting at the table drizzling maple syrup for over an hour.  During the week, it's more about short prep time and little fuss.  

If your weekdays are similar, here's a toast to throw into the mix.  It's not any more complicated than any of the aforementioned breakfasts, but it certainly is a bit more exciting.  It sounds unfamiliar and a little against the grain to put yogurt on toast.  But, just try it and you'll change your mind.  

Yogurt Toast with Pistachios and Honey - If you use Greek yogurt (which I would suggest that you do) this breakfast has the added benefit of a protein jolt, hopefully getting your kids through till lunch without hunger pangs.  Serve with some sliced oranges or strawberries and it's a nice, quick little weekday breakfast.

Serves 2

2 slices of sprouted bread (or your favorite whole grain bread), toasted

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

a scant 1/4 cup lightly salted pistachios, roughly chopped if you have the time

a scant 1/4 cup dried cherries, or other dried fruit (optional)

drizzle of honey

Spread the yogurt onto the two pieces of toast.  Divide the pistachios (and cherries if you're using) evenly on the two pieces of toast and lightly drizzle with honey.

Don't make this too far in advance, the toast does get soggy after about 1/2 an hour.

Dinner @ 226 - Braised Purple Cabbage

I was recently stuck on an idea for a German themed dinner club get together.  All the meat and potatoes dishes had been taken, which was fine with me, because I'm not really a meat and potatoes sort of gal.  But, after a quick Google search for German vegetable side dishes that yielded very few, if any, authentic German dishes, I was at a loss.

I started to think I should just cheat.  I'll make Borscht.  It's Russian, but no one would care, right?  Plus, I have a dangerously good Amish recipe for Borscht that turns even the most Persnickety Beet Averse to Marveling Beet Enthusiasts.  Plus, you know, it's pinky-purple.  And who doesn't like to eat pinky-purple food?

After some hemming and hawing, it turns out, I'm a Themed-Party-Purist and I couldn't cheat.  Not even a little.  Somehow copying three quarters of my Junior Year Honors English Final Essay from an essay that a college aged babysitter gave me was totally fine.  Making a Russian dish for a German dinner party?  Not so fine.  Perhaps my moral fiber has grown stronger over the years.  Let's hope so.   As good as my Borscht would be (and it would have been) I would know its geographical origin.  And good food never comes from Russia lies.

I needed reinforcements.  Or, more specifically, I needed my sister.  Any question that I ever have regarding food, cooking or literature are texted or emailed exclusively to her.  She is my one stop resource for those topics.  There are times that we have 17 minute long text sessions about the right way to approach the Salade Nicoise or if you should peel or break off the tough stems of asparagus.

It's pinky-purple.  All is right in the world.

"Why text?" you ask.  Well, with my two crazies and her adorable little crazy, it makes actual conversations rather challenging.  Inevitably, one of us has to leave the conversation unexpectedly to change a ripe diaper or to yell at gently ask a certain four year old boy to stop eating the pieces of pasta he finds in the couch cushion.

"If you liked it, then you better put an egg on it."  My breakfast philosophy.

Her articulate response to my asking for ideas for a German vegetable side dish?  "Fuuuuuuuck!  Veg is def not the Germans' strong suit."  After a little marination, she did come up with a fantastic idea that we've both made and loved for years.  Why was it slipping my mind?  I don't know.  That's why I have a sister.

Braised Purple Cabbage - This dish is all great things.  It takes very little active prep time.  And the result is so divine.  The day after dinner club, I ate it for breakfast lunch and dinner.  Reed declared that we must plant purple cabbage so that we could make this all summer long.  It would be tremendous with a side of pork or sausages or as a tangy accent to any and all rich egg dishes, like this quiche.  Please don't wait around for German themed festivities.  I recommend you double this recipe if you have a pot big enough.  It keeps in the fridge for at least a week.  Adapted barely from this recipe.

2 tablespoons oil (most anything works, I used grapeseed)
1/2 small red onion, trimmed and finely chopped
1 large head of purple cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (use the largest knife you have to make this job easier)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a grater
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 generous tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon salt
a scant 1/4 teaspoon of caraway seeds

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot or dutch oven.  Add the red onion and sauté until translucent and fragrant, (do not brown) about five minutes.  Add the cabbage, apple, vinegar, honey, salt and caraway seeds.  Turn the heat down to medium low and cover.  Stir every 15 minutes, for an hour or so.

The cabbage should be silky and soft, but still maintain it's individual shape.  We're not making baby food.

Serve warm.  And let the salivating commence.

Dinner @ 226 - Enchilada Sauce (Part 2)

What is a burrito if not swathed in Enchilada Style, tomato based, spicy sauce?  If you ask me, nada!  I know it's not normal burrito assembly procedure to pour a healthy cup of reddish brown sauce over your tray of rolled up tortillas.  Or, to drag the whole wheat tortillas through a puddle of the sauce before wrapping them around their cozy filling.  None of it's normal.  None of it's traditional.  Let's get crazy and break some burrito standards.  

If I tell you the savory result is so much better than when you follow the rules, as is true with most things...will you do it?  Come on, let's smoke cigarettes in the locker room, steal your dad's Pontiac and make out behind the bleachers.  And put enchilada sauce on our burritos.  We'll be so much better for it.

Beckett approves of the sacrilegious burrito wannabe meal.  You can tell by the chipmunk cheeks and the focus.

Part One of this Several Part Recipe

Enchilada Sauce - This recipe is so good poured over a tray of burritos or enchiladas.  But, you can use it as a dipping sauce for quesadillas or on top of some rice and beans.  Add a little zesty indulgence wherever you see fit.

3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
1 heaping teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

In the bottom of a small saucepan (off the heat) mix all the dry spices.  Whisk in enough water to create a thinnish paste.  Set pan over medium heat and add the rest of the water.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.  When the sauce coats the back of your spoon (25 minutes) stir in the tomato sauce.  Simmer a few minutes more.

Enchilada sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

What We're Reading @ 226

Harlem's Little Blackbird is one of our current favorites, but I have a suspicion that it will linger in our favorites list for years and years.  It's the empowering and inspiring story of Florence Mills, the legendary entertainer and mesmerizing songstress, whose career began at the age of six but flourished at the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance.  The lessons of racial injustice and perseverance through unfavorable odds are captivating (and important!) for little audiences.  The illustrations are colorful and lovely as well.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a joyful read about a donkey who finds a magic pebble that can turn him into anything.  In an unfortunate incident, he accidentally turns himself into a rock and his mother and father worry that they've lost him forever.  In the end, after a joyful reunion with his parents, he decides that the Magic Pebble is nice, but maybe his life with his family is the nicest.  This a classic (1970), but the message remains poignant.

Dinner @ 226 - Quick Pickled Red Onions (Part 1)

I have a silly (and slightly annoying) personality trait that compels me to walk away from every meal, brainstorming ways it could have been better.  Fortunately, I don't blab on and on about these improvements for the sake of my family who would surely make me live in the garage with some crumpled up newspapers for blankets if I did so.  After all, a good meal can be ruined by the chef's narrative.

But, in my head they're constantly there.  More heat.  More texture.  Overcooked.  Under seasoned.  Too much tang.  Not enough herbs.  Needs to be fresher.  I want more crunch.  And every so often, I just walk away not being able to precisely pinpoint the shortcomings.  It just wasn't right.  It wasn't enough.

So was the way with my burritos for the last three years.  They're good and I kept making them better.  Everyone eats them and really likes them.  But, a good burrito can take you to a different place, like say the porch of a beach shack in La Jolla, looking out onto the Pacific.  That's what I wanted out of my burritos and I wasn't getting it.  I understand that this is a bit compulsive or obsessive, or both.  But, if I don't set the standards high then what will I work on for the next few decades.  Just leave well enough alone and keep serving the same tired burritos?  Nah.  Not a chance.

Well, it happened last night.  The perfect burrito happened.  It was a fresher, less indulgent version of one I tasted ate every last morsel of in San Francisco last year.  Taqueria CanCun was on Market Street in the Mission District and walking in made me anxious.  I wanted to hide my giant camera and the sign on my head that read "Total Tourist.  From the Midwest.  Where Are The Tractors?  Does Not Know Anything."  The people were ordering in hip lingo that I didn't understand and there was an obvious ritual to seating yourselves but we couldn't catch on to that either.  I muttered something like, "vegetarian burrito, whichever way is most popular and delicious...ummm, por favor." Wet?  Dry?  I don't know, I'm from Ohio.  I guess it didn't matter because the place served up some serious burrito business.  

Little Baskets of Sunshine

Offerings.

1003 Market St.

The burrito was was so great, but only because it had all my favorite elements in and on it.  It broke some burrito rules and made new ones.  It's like they looked at a perfectly great burrito and kept adding elements that would make it greater and greater until there was no place left to go.  The Anxiety Inducing Taqueria CanCun Burrito would be my muse.  And a short six months later, I created my perfect burrito.  It's not the same as the classic Mission Burrito, but it is my lover everything I've ever dreamed of in a rolled up tortilla.

Quick Pickled Red Onions - makes enough for six burritos.  Generally, the burritos in San Fran don't have pickled onions on them.  But, I think every good burrito should.

I fear that if I give you the whole burrito recipe in one post, you will be put off by how many steps there are.  If I told you it was a 30 minute meal, I would be lying and it's most certainly not light on the dishes either.  Remember what I said about "all my favorite elements," that means there's Cilantro Spiced Rice, Cumin Scented Pinto Beans, Enchilada Sauce, Grilled Peppers and Corn, and Pickled Onions.  Not to mention tortillas and toppings.  But, do you think Julia Child whipped up her famous Boeuf Bourguignon in 30 minutes?  Most good food takes time, except this, of course.  You can make many of the elements ahead of time and then assemble and bake for the finale.  We shall start with the pickled onions, which you can use in many applications.  On sub sandwiches, salads, pizzas, or mixed in with any other roasted vegetable, like cauliflower for example.  The rest of the burrito recipe will be coming next week, as to not overwhelm.

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 peppercorns
2 cups water
1/2 a large red onion, thinly sliced

Whisk all ingredients, except the onion, together in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Add onion and let simmer or 3-4 minutes.  Strain and pick out peppercorns.  These onions will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Snack @ 226 - Grain Free Crackers

Life without a good camera is leaving me totally uninspired.  I look at the pictures on my phone and know the food that I made had all the qualities of a bloggable meal, but with the weird shadows and the awful reflections on my iPhone, I don't like what I see.  So, it makes me hesitant to blog about it.

Luckily, I am friends with some pretty inspiring people (thanks, Kimber).  So, I can't sad-sack for too long.  One of them posted pictures of a few homemade snacks she had made and I promptly requested the recipes.   She promptly inboxed me (thanks again, Kimber).

None of us are wheat free or suffer from wheat allergies of any kind.  Actually, none of us have any allergies at all.  We're freaking lucky in that regard.  But, I just feel like (unless it's in treat form like coconut cake or whoopie pies) flour is an empty ingredient.  (If you're interested in knowing more, this is a great read about the developments in the wheat industry in the last 60 years and the rise of Celiacs and gluten sensitivities.) And, if I can replace it with something more substantial and still end up with tasty results, I'm so in.

We tried to roll out the scraps and use a cookie cutter with decent results.

Well, that happened with these crackers.  They're fairly mind-blowing.  I made them with the babes after school and they were out of the oven by 4:00 p.m.  That means it took us a total of 30 minutes to make 60 crackers.  I can't wait to try them with hummus but they'd also be good with a slice of cheddar.  We ate nearly half the bag plain so we didn't get to, ahem, experiment much.  So much for being uninspired.  As for the photos, they still are.  Please accept my apology.






































Awesome Grain Free Crackers - adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seed or pepitas or some mixture thereof (I used half and half)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon salt free seasoning mix (I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup sesame seeds
about 1/4 cup water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Whiz the sunflower seeds (and/or pepitas, if you're using), sea salt, seasoning, and garlic in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add the sesame seeds and pulse a few times to mix.  Now, lightly drizzle in the water while the machine is running until a dough ball forms.  I used exactly 1/4 cup.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper, until the crackers are 1/8 of an inch thick.  You can always opt for a thicker cracker and leave them at 1/4 inch, but I really liked mine crispy.  Once they're rolled out, remove the top sheet of parchment and slide them onto a cookie sheet.  Take a sharp knife and slice the crackers into the size of Wheat Thins, approximately.  You can leave the misshapen edges and have some irregular crackers or you can remove the scraps and roll them out and repeat the process again.

Poke each cracker twice with a fork and then bake them for 12-15 minutes.  Keep an eye on them because the time will depend on how thin you rolled them out.  Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan.  Break apart the crackers along the scored lines and munch away.

Dinner @ 226 - Lettuce Wraps

This weekend I found things to celebrate:  refinancing our house to save over $300 per month, a new baby arriving shortly amongst our group of friends, the tastiest lettuce wraps outside of China, the best coconut cake I have ever eaten or made, sleeping in until 9am on Sunday, two friend-get-togethers in one weekend (thank you, Super Bowl), and the conclusion of Project Hoosier Cabinet.  All mighty good things.

The garland turned out a wee bit more country than I'm into, but it served its purpose.  And, it was too late to change it.

I also, unfortunately, found things to lament:  a giant crack in the bowl of my food processor rendering it out of commission, the screen on my Canon repeatedly displaying ERR 99 leaving it without the ability to take a photo, and the sudden and unexpected last gasp from my 1991 Volvo.  Three things, gone.  Or at least in a dire state of disrepair.  I am equally dependent on each of these modern appliances and I'm not looking forward to braving the dreary world without them.  But, onward I must go.

The finished Hoosier Cabinet.  The iPhone doesn't do it justice, it is the most amazing color of mustard and I am so in love with it, I find myself ogling.  Oh, and that middle platter was filled with Banana Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Filling.  They flew! 

Baby Face Game, pretty funny.

 For now, let us focus on the mighty good things, because they really were terrific.  The baby shower went so well, even though these iPhone pictures are all that remain (Read above:  ERR 99.)  I found out just how many people fit comfortably in an 1800 square foot house.  The answer is: fewer than the number of people that were here.  Crowded-ness aside, it was a great time.  We set up a game for guests to make a composite of the mom's and dad's faces on a baby silhouette, attempting to predict his appearance.  Or, more accurately, attempting to be stupid.  It was pretty hilarious and I recommend it for a couples shower where you don't want overly girly/sentimental games.

My lettuce wrap, the morning after.  I added a fried egg to help cure my hangover because I thought it would be tasty.  It was.

I made gobs of Asian inspired food like vegetable summer rolls with peanut sauce, crab and mango salad in wonton cups and lettuce wraps.  Though the lettuce wraps weren't as Mingle Friendly as I'd hoped, they are super stinking good.  We make them a lot for dinner and it's fun for the kids to build them and pile on the toppings.

Hopefully you found a lot to celebrate this weekend.  And, your camera/car/favorite kitchen appliance didn't peter out leaving you with a feeling of emptiness.  Make these lettuce wraps for dinner tonight and you'll have one more thing to celebrate.

Tofu and/or Beef Lettuce Wraps - You can make the "meat" of this dish with whatever you like.  Most of the time I use tofu and mushrooms for ours.  But, in the past I've used lean ground beef or chicken, lentils or a mixture thereof.  Serves 4.

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon Sriracha or bottled chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced

For the filling:
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or other flavorless oil)
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
6 green onions, sliced, green parts set aside for topping
2 bell peppers chopped, one set aside for topping*
1 pound of "meat" ie: cooked lentils, tofu (drained and cut into small cubes), lean ground meat, or diced mushrooms
1 8 ounce can of water chestnuts, chopped

For assembly:
1 head of Bibb lettuce, carefully washed and trimmed
chopped red pepper
sliced green onion, green part
lightly salted peanuts
slices of lime
fresh cilantro or basil (optional, but a definite plus)

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium and add the ginger, onion whites and pepper (and any other vegetable you're adding, see not below).  Do not burn the ginger, just let it get fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the "meat" and cook it through.  You know, either brown the meat, or warm the lentils or tofu through.  Add the reserved sauce and the water chestnuts.  Let everything mingle in the hot pan for about 5 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure nothing is sticking.

Put all your toppings in separate bowls like it's taco night.  Fill the lettuce leaves with the saucy-meat mixture and then top with your favorites.  In my case, it's a little of everything.

And obvi, put a fried egg on the leftovers.  I really hope you love this.

*sometimes I throw a bunch of finely chopped or shredded vegetables in, depending on what I have or how much chopping I'm in the mood for.  Carrots, celery, snap peas and mushrooms have all been known to work (and go undetected by the vegetable-wary crowd).

Breakfast @ 226 - Bulgar Wheat with Lemon Zest

When it comes to diet, moderation is the key, they say.  You know what I say?  People with no will-power don't have access to the concept of moderation.  I imagine most of us know what the word means, and maybe even use it in reference to our half-ass workout routine, but can we practice it in our everyday diets?  Ummm, no.  I eat what I like and I guess I have to be thankful that I've trained my tastebuds to like more healthful foods.  But, when I eat those foods, or any foods, I eat alot of them.

Just a moment ago my spoon inadvertently dipped into the peanut butter jar seven times.  Then, my spoon got bored, and dipped itself in the Nutella jar, twice.  It was only then that I noticed that I was even eating.  It is, for this very reason, that I surround myself with good, whole foods.  I cannot stock my pantry full of packaged snacks and my freezer full of creamy treats because I will eat them all, in one day sitting.  

It is in this context only that I agree, abstinence is the only 100% protection philosophy.  While it is rare that I crave bad food, I would eat it if it were around.  I can't "just say no" or even say, "just a little."  That sort of discipline is not a character trait that I was given, or have been able to develop over the last 30 years.  I only know, "yes" and "more."  This morning, at work, a lovely, lovely woman (who has never baked an average tasting baked good in her life) brought in Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies.  "Great," I thought, "I'll try one."  Seven cookies later, I left the break room.  Did I need them?  Was I hungry?  It was 7 a.m. and I had already eaten breakfast.

It is for the aforementioned flaws that I make things like this Bulgar for breakfast.  Please don't think me a nutritionally virtuous angel because I am not.  I just try to put some serious distance between me and the cookie jar.

Bulgar Wheat with Lemon Zest - from this book.  We love oatmeal, just as much as the other All-American family of four, especially this one.  But, when you're looking for something brighter and chewier and all-around more interesting, give this a try.  I was not expecting to be as completely delighted as I was the first time I made it.  My kids love it.  Serves 4

1 cup coconut milk (I've also used almond milk)

about 1 1/2 cups water

1 cup medium bulgar (I use quick cooking)

pinch of salt

zest of one lemon*

1 tablespoon or so of local honey

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk and 3/4 cup of water to a boil and stir in the bulgar.  Bring back to a boil then turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, until the bulgar is creamy, 5-20 minutes (depending on what type of bulgar you use).  Add water if the mixture becomes dry before the bulgar cooks all the way through.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and honey.  

Serve in individual bowls and top with toasted almonds.  Sometimes, I add more almond milk at the end, it just depends on how soupy you like your breakfast grains.

*Do not be tempted to squeeze the lemon juice in also.  It curdles the milk, I know.

Breakfast @ 226 - Banana Crunch Muffins

I had dinner ready at the Senior Citizen Hour of 4:10 p.m. yesterday.  There were a few reasons for this, none of them planned.  I knew Jason was going to be working into the night so I was preparing myself to be a One Man Band by getting all my dinner ducks in a row before I picked Reed up from school.  You know, mise en place, as they say.  

When we arrived home, I was barraged with 1,700 only slightly whiney requests for food.  The phrase , "May I please have..." was on repeat, not to mention it's less formal and more demanding cousin, "Mama, make me..."  The scene was really, very charming.  Every time the tip of my toe crossed the threshold of leaving the kitchen (to say, go do some laundry or get the mail) there was another child.  Another child, asking for more food.  At one point I was slicing an apple with one hand and dishing out snap peas with the other.  I only survived one hour before...

I started making dinner.  I know it's a drastic decision to pour a little olive oil in a pan at 3:45 in the afternoon.  But, if I hadn't done that, I would have done something worse.  Like, maybe...run away to a deserted island where no one even snacks, or eats at all.

The only backlash of this wild decision was that dinner (usually the main time-consuming event of the evening) was over at the ripe hour of 4:30.  Plates in the sink and faces wiped: Done.  Before the begging for dessert or complaints of boredom even began, I announced the post-dinner project.  "We're making muffins!"  Of course, I announced this before checking the pantry to see if we had anything with which to make a decent muffin.  Small Detail.  The kids were thrilled because our evening rituals usually include something less involved like taking a walk or reading books.  Making muffins in the evening time was a major deal.

Get your hand out of the frame, dude!

Though, in the wake of our evening chaos, I quite honestly have no idea what I made for dinner.  I do know I made some bomb-ass muffins.  And for a moment, everyone was content.  Here they are.

Banana Crunch Muffins - which should really be called Survival Muffins are adapted from these

3 super ripe bananas

1 large egg

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

a hearty pinch of cloves

1 1/2 cup your choice of flour (I used oat bran, white whole wheat and spelt, 1/4 cup of each and I love how they turned out)

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1 tablespoon chia seed

1/4 cup uncooked millet

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan or line a muffin pan.

Whip your bananas and egg together in an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk* attachment until light and pale yellow.  This can also be done with a hand mixer.  Add the oil and fully incorporate.  Add the sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and whip until uniform.  

Sprinkle the baking soda, salt and spices over the batter and mix.  

Lastly, add your flours, flax, chia and millet and with the mixer on low, mix until just incorporated.

Pour into prepared loaf pan or a lined muffin pan.  Bake loaf for 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  The muffins will bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These stay good for a while (5 days), and really get a little better each day!  Though we won't really get to find out, we only have four left.

*The paddle attachment would also work.  But, the whisk just made the batter light and creamy, and broke up the bananas.

So thrilled he gets to eat the prop.

Snack @ 226 - Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites

I wish I didn't have to admit this to you.  This is not the conversation that I set out to have, but we're having it.  Right Now.  I just brought a small bowl (pictured below) containing three of these bites up into my bedroom so I could 1) photograph them and then 2) sit down to write this post.  I was, of course, planning on returning the Snack Bites to their safe and chilled home in the refrigerator.

Somehow, I got distracted and threw one in my mouth.  It was casual, nobody saw.  Luckily, I had already taken a totally underwhelming picture of them.  That's not to say that I didn't want to take more, better pictures.  "That's not too bad," I thought.  There are still plenty for after-school treats throughout the week.  One less?  No one will even notice.  Not even my major chocolate obsessor whose name starts with a B.  My mind is full of all kinds of denial.  Mostly regarding chocolate and growing credit card debt.

And then, I think you know what happened.  I'm not proud.  I totally set out with pure intentions.  Then there was chocolate and snack and dough.  But, not real dough.  It just tastes like dough in the best, most guiltless way.  The bowl is empty.  But, I didn't have to say that, did I?

Now, as I sit here in a pile of shame and tears the only penance I can think of is to share the recipe with you and hope that you don't have a modicum of self control.  Best of luck to you, friends.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites - makes 20-30 bites

2 cups dates, pitted (I use Medjool)
1 teaspoon vanilla
a scant 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 mounded tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder*
4 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup raw walnuts or pecans or a mixture of the two

Blend all ingredients in the food processor for about 1 and 1/2 minutes, or until mostly smooth.  Take "dough" out, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for 1 hour.  When ready, roll "dough" into balls of a snackable size.

*I found my cacao powder at the health foods store.  It is a brand called Navitas Naturals.  If you can't locate cacao powder, unsweetened cocoa will do the trick.

Dinner @ 226 - Thai Coconut Lime Soup

The mystique of our local sushi restaurant is what keeps Jason and I coming back, as we drool with memories of our last Pad Thai.  Their impossibly sharp knives and the tiny cat who waves to us as we stare in amazement at the Chef's knife skills. The curly orange corkscrews and weird pile of crunchy, clear grass.  The smell of fermented soybeans and happiness that saturates the tiny walls.  And of course, the food.

I first fell in love with this soup eight years ago when I began to go outside the confines of ordering Spicy Tuna Roll every single time.  I have now tried nearly everything on the menu, but this soup fills me with joy.  And, I'm not talking about a simple smile and casual happiness.  I'm talking just finding your favorite right-foot moccasin after three years of thinking the dog chewed it up into bits, sort of joy.  Yes, this soup brings me nirvana.

So, I learned how to make it at home.  Wouldn't you if you were being kept from experiencing such joy on a regular basis because of financial strain and because the sushi chef knows both of your childrens' names and possibly also their birthdays.  It was turning into a problem.  It was, frankly, the only solution.

Thai Coconut Lime Soup - I serve this with many things; homemade pad thai, stir fry or a huge salad with some spicy sauteed shrimp and this Carrot Ginger Dressing.  This amount will serve four people if you're having something else rather filling.  If this is intended as a main, double the recipe and add shrimp!  Remember, it's just as good the next day.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated (I do mine on a Microplane and always go closer to 3T)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 carrots, peeled and very thinly sliced (I do these on my mandolin)
1 8 oz container of mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 roma tomato, cut in chunks (optional)*

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat the oil over medium heat in a fairly large saucepan, or if you're doubling it, in a soup pot.  Briefly warm the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, I'm talking 1 minute or less.  Add the coconut milk and 3 cups of water.

In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water.  Add to the pot and bring to boil.

Reduce to simmer and add the carrots and mushrooms.  Let them simmer in the soup for about five minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and salt.  Just before serving, stir in the scallions and cilantro.  You do that so they don't wilt and brown.

*At the sushi restaurant in our neighborhood, they're always putting different vegetables in.  Sometimes you'll find a tomato or green beans.  Feel free to add what you like.