Out of the Pod- Pea soup

We all have comfort food. Usually it has more to do with associated memories than with the actual food.  For me it was always soup- something about the warmth from the inside out makes me feel at home.  I haven't lived in my parents house for almost 10 years now- but there are still times when I get a longing for being home where I grew up.  This pea soup is warm and comforting, yet light and filled with flavor.  So when you are getting that out of the pod feeling of wanting a taste of home with your own kick, it might just do the trick.  I took the concept from 101 cookbooks pea soup recipe and amended it to my own liking.

The walk home in Uganda

                                                                                                            Ingredients

                                                                                    1/2 white or yellow onion finely chopped

A view from my parent's home in NYC

3 tablespoons of Grapeseed Oil ( Butter would prob do the trick as well)

A bunch of sage

A bunch of mint

2 tablespoons of canned chiles (or 2 fresh ones)

3-7 cloves of minced garlic (depending on how garlicky you want it)

2 tablespoons of ginger powder (or you can use one fresh piece of ginger minced)

4 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (I use a bouillion)

3 1/3 cups of frozen peas

Vegan Creamy Pea Soup w/ a Kick

Recipe

1) Heat the grapeseed oil in a pot 

2) Add onion, sage and mint and cook for a few minutes until the onions seem cooked

3) Add garlic, chiles and ginger, and cook another minute or 2 until it all blends together

4) Add broth and bring to a boil

5) Reduce to a simmer and add peas.  Cook until peas are done and a bright green color

6) Transfer to a glass bowl. Using a hand blender whisk it all together until it is finely mixed.

Work with what u got - Salad

It's not just a motto for salad but one i've adopted for life.  Learning to work with the fact that I had big curly hair instead of fighting with it to be straight was probably one of the best lessons I ever learned- no joke!  Whenever I walk through a mall (maybe once a year), I always look at those poor teenagers with awkward frizzy hair and too much makeup and think: if I could only impart the wisdom I know now.... but alas we must all take our own journey.  Working with what you have often leads to a happier and more beautiful you- just as it does salad (don't laugh).

Embracing.

Working on it....

And that is what we got....

There are a few principles to abide by when creating a salad:
1- The more colorful the better-
    - several studies have been done on the relationship between food and color; a more colorful plate is associated with a more appetizing meal.
2- Think about the texture of what you are putting in
     - for example: I like to add crunch and softness; Bell peppers and Avocado
3- Try to put in at least 4 ingredients; if you put in too few it could become too boring
4- If this is your entree put in something that will "fill you"
    - for example: a protein, avocado, hummus, sweet potatoes, veggie burger
5- Use whatever you have in the house and be creative

My Regular Sunday Salad; (I make it on sundays and put in divided tupperware for the rest of the week)

Arugula or Spinach
Tricolor Bell Peppers (Orange, Yellow, Red)
Avocado
Cherry Tomatoes
Nuts or Seeds
Salt + Garlic Powder + All Purpose Seasoning
Optional Olive Oil
(Add a Dollop of Hummus in the morning before leaving)

Don't be a chicken- Turkey Burgers.

I've always strived to fill my life with adventure.  It usually came in the form of traveling to exotic places....and then came medical school.  Suddenly spontaneity became sitting in a different seat of the lecture hall.  I started discovering how to take risks in the everyday- and cooking became one of those outlets.  I've always been more of a vegetarian cook- I try not to eat too much meat and so i stuck to my comfort zone.  This year I've branched out and learned how to cook this healthy, delicious, yet simple- turkey burger.

These are a staple for me.  I make them and freeze them all of the time.  The ingredients are simple, and the whole thing takes probably 20 minutes total to make.

Ingredients:
Ground Turkey
Shredded Carrots (two large carrots- i just thinly peel mine because I don't have a shredder)
Handful of Shitake Mushrooms (diced)
Dollop of Mustard (Whatever kind you like- i prefer TJs garlic kind)
2 cloves of garlic minced or finely chopped
2-3 scallions chopped up real small (or you can use shallots or onions if that is all you have)
two hand fulls of Breadcrumbs (or easier when you are GF- toast two pieces of bread and break them in your hand to make your own)

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients with a fork without making them too mushy.
Heat a large skillet with some oil and form burgers out of the mixture with your hands.  Place a few patties on the skillet and flip them once one side looks browned.  You can flip again if you feel they aren't cooked through enough.  Once they are done if you want to freeze them just let cool and then put 4-6 in a ziploc bag laying each one flat, and throw in the freezer.  This way you can take out one at a time to defrost.

Breakfast for Dinner

When I was younger and my dad used to go out of town, in order to put us in a good mood my mom always made breakfast for dinner.  It was thrilling- like I never knew eggs and pancakes could be cooked once the sun set! I'm just now reading the book Room by Emma Donoghue, and it is reminding me of the excitement children have when learning something knew that as adults we take for granted.  So whenever I need a pick me up or an excuse to get excited over dinner- I make breakfast for dinner.



This week I invited over 10 friends to share in my excitement and eat breakfast for dinner with me.  I am making the basics and they are bringing the extras.

The menu:
Half a Grapefruit
Homemade Granola + Yogurt + Berries
Roasted Potatoes
Bregg
Frittata
Mini Frittata
Birthday Donuts
Mimosas

1-Half a Grapefruit

2-Homemade Granola, Yogurt and Berries

3- Frittata #1

3-Frittata #1: Sundried tomatoes, Artichokes, Shallots, shitake + cremini mushrooms, drizzled with Truffle Oil

4- Mini Frittatas : Smoked Salmon, Herbed Goat cheese + Chives
(not shown)

5- Bregg

5-Egg/bread dish I'll call Bregg (more info to follow in later post): Bread (I use GF bread), Eggs, ricotta cheese, milk, spinach, cremini mushrooms, onions and garlic

6- Potatoes + Onions prior to roasting

6- Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/ Ginger, Cinnamon + Onions

7- Roasted Medley of colorful Potatoes w/ Tj's South African Smoked Spice Blend








How to make a Frittata
(first you must learn how to say it five times fast- try this without laughing- I dare ya)
So the great thing about Frittatas is you can add milk or not- just depends- are you a lactard? or do fluffy eggs matter to you more than if you smell up the room with post dairy indulgence?

Ingredients:
A- Eggs- so this is the bread + butter of a frittata (confused yet? me too) but it depends on how many people are eating it, what size pan you are using and how thick you want it to be.  I would experiment with the pans you have but in general I use about 8 eggs in a medium sized pan to feed about 4 people.
B- Select your filling- any vegetable combo you might like, its like a pizza, u choose!

Preheat oven to 350
1. Sautee the filling with some oil or butter until the veggies are cooked but not browned
2- Beat the eggs and if you are adding milk add it now, just a bit at a time to ensure the mixture doesn't become too white- prob around 1/2 a cup will do if using 8-12 eggs. Add any spices you want to the egg mixture.
3- Pour the eggs onto the sauteed veggies and ensure the veggies are evenly spread throughout
5- Put the pan (yes I said the frying pan) into the oven and let cook for 10-20 minutes, checking periodically

*Note of caution- when removing the pan make sure to use oven mitts, as panhandles get hot in ovens not just in florida*

And there u have it Breakfast for Dinner!

Granola in Crunch.

It's the easiest thing to make, yet everyone seems intimidated.
It will take you 15 minutes tops to throw together the ingredients and then its about 30-45 minutes in the oven and bada bing bada boom you've got yourself a granola.

Ingredients:
Oats (not the quick cooking kind, I like TJ's rolled gluten Free oats)
Nuts (how many depends on how nuts u are about nuts- i tend to go heavy on them)
- i usually buy the raw pieces so you dont have to crumble them yourself (pecans, walnuts, almond slivers and cashew pieces)
Honey ( again how much depends on how crunchy you want it, i do it dollop by dollop and see how many clusters i form)
Cinnamon
Salt - just a pinch here and there
Vanilla extract- for that extra kick
Unsweetened Coconut (optional, shredded or pieces)
Ground Flax Seed (optional for that extra Omega 3s we are always trying to get into our diets)
Dried Fruit ( I use dried figs but anything you can play around and find what you like)

Preheat oven to 350. Basically from here I just take out a big mixing bowl and pour in enough oats to fill it up halfway. Then I layer the nuts, ground flax seed, and coconut, enough cinnamon to cover them all up, a few dashes of salt, a sprinkle of vanilla.  I mix it all together and then comes the honey.  I do this part bit by bit, and have toyed with it different ways, really just depends on how crunchy and sweet you want it.  Then I spread it onto a baking dish that is lined with parchment paper- this makes clean up waaay easier.    I would check it after 20 minutes and mix abit, then put it back in until the nuts look browned (30-45 min total).  Once it is done I let it cool while I chop up the figs and put them into the mixture.  And wallah granola.  Then I jar up the granola in old jars I've saved.  This allows me to store it in the fridge easily and section it out day by day if I decide to bring it to work/class and eat it there.  It tastes delicous with yogurt or almond milk :)

For the moment.

My new years resolution for 2012 is to live more in the moment, be more present, and worry less about the future. As a third year medical student, it's often a challenge for me to focus on the here and now instead of what is to come. Thus came about the idea of starting a blog- to hold me accountable (maybe?), to share with others, and to embrace the wonders each day brings. I will try to focus my writing on food, fun, and love- well here goes nothing....