pack a bowl (full of salad greens)

it's not like dressing a salad with tongs or a wooden fork & spoon is that much of a chore, but something about it just annoys me. precious ingredients always go man overboard or i get balsamic on my white shirt or something. first world problems, i know. but sometimes, it's the little things that separates mundane tasks from being a pain in the ass and being no big deal. this set of bowls - in cheery crayon hues and sturdy as hell - are kitchen tools i find myself using almost every day. it might be funny to think of plain old mixing bowls as "tools," but they really do wonders. the secret is all in the lids!


they make the act of preparing a salad the easiest thing in the world. everything goes in, dressing is drizzled on top, lid is snapped on, and then you shake shake shake shake shake shake shake shake. you get full, even coverage of dressing on the salad, with no sad dry greens hiding at the bottom.

trying to eat more spinach these days

the lid + shake technique is especially good with coleslaw. plus, for leftovers you don't need crappy tupperware - the bowl is its own leftovers container! you don't have to look too far for thrills in my kitchen. my set is by martha stewart (who i've learned to stop hating and start sorta appreciating), but there are surely other good brands if you think m.s. is a zombie lady and are loath to give her any of your money. ooh, here's some nice ones on amazon. a bit pricey, but anything that makes you want to eat more salad is a worthy investment, in my book.

love,
emily

salad sponge

i know it's not very original to be all "i only want to eat salads in the summertime," but it's just the straight up truth. when the humidity settles over philadelphia, it kind of feels like slightly damp pantyhose has been pulled over your face. not appetizing.

while i've heavily considered adopting a temporary diet of ice cream and beer, my summertime fitness regimen (tennis! swimming! yoga!) demands at least some vegetable consumption. plus, vegetables are just freakin gorgeous right now, and denying them would truly be a crime. so...salads. there are thousands of varieties, and i like every last one of them. especially salads with a little something extra - grains, nuts, avocados. after all, salads aren't the most filling dinner dish (that's what makes them appealing in the heat in the first place), which is fine and everything until about 10PM when your belly starts harassing you for a late night snack.

that's why i'm a big fan of panzanella - bread salad! just that little extra carbiness can really round out the salad and fill up your tum. it's also the perfect way to use the heel of the baguette that always seems to get stale before you can use it up. old bread is actually preferable in this recipe, a la croutons and french toast. plus, you know how when you make a killer salad dressing, you mop the remainder off your plate with a piece of bread, because you can't bear to waste even a tiny drop of the stuff? panzanella is the salad and the salad sponge all in one! it's hard to explain, but even though soggy bread sounds weird, in this salad it is supremely enjoyable.

Panzanella (Bread Salad)
adapted from "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen" by Donna Klein
~ makes a nice big bowl ~
~ takes about 20 minutes ~

ingredients:
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, and a little more to taste
1/4 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (orig recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but that seems like A LOT)
2 tablespoons veggie broth or red wine
2 tablespoons red wine or champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
black pepper, to taste
6 cups cubed, stale french baguette or italian bread
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup each chopped fresh basil and parsley (optional)
1/2 cup good olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional, but adds some good protein)

- whisk the first 7 ingredients together in a big salad bowl. throw in some mustard if you're feeling adventurous!

- remove two tablespoons of the dressing and put aside for later.

- add the bread cubes to the dressing and toss well. let the bread sit for about 15 minutes to soak up all the flavors. while it's marinating, you can prep the rest of the salad stuffs.

-after 15 (and up to 30) minutes, add the rest of the ingredients, add the reserved 2 tablespoons of dressing, and toss well to combine. you can serve over salad greens, or just eat as is!


with the tomatoes (i have red and green here), cucumber, and red onion, check out the super pleasing rainbow action going on here! get into it.

love,
emily

quick & ease - sweet pot salad

it's a great feeling when you can tell that a new recipe is gonna be a lifelong keeper, before the food is even finished. that's exactly how i felt when rocking mark bittman's sweet potato salad, as posted on his most righteous blog bitten, in the new york times (sigh). even though bittman sure loves his meats and fishes, this spicy little salad came out of the box 100% vegan, so all i had to do is cook. using a recipe for a simple salad may seem a bit silly, but as our friend halimah put it, "they just always turn out better when you do." the secret, i think, is all in the dressing. if left to my own devices, i most likely would have over complicated it, adding extra spices or whatever that would muck it up. this one is simple as anything - just some jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and salt. absolutely gorgeous, and adds such a lightness to the decadent roasted sweet potatoes. the completed salad is a lovely, vibrant mix of colors and textures, and takes maybe 10 minutes to make (not including the time the potatoes are in the oven). one addition that i think could be nice for a heartier dish would be some roasted crimini or baby bella mushrooms. but it's pretty perfect on its own, too...

sweet potato salad
adapted from bitten by mark bittman
see the original post here
takes about 50 minutes, 40 minutes inactive
makes a big bowl full

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
a few tsps + 1/4 cup of olive oil
1 red onion, chopped or sliced
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno pepper, minced
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
juice of 2 limes
2 cups of cooked black beans
1 red pepper, diced
handfull of cilantro
salt & pepper

- preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

- toss the sweet potato and onions in a few teaspoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. lay it out on a pan, and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and tender and brown around the edges.

- while the taters are cooking, chop the peppers and drain the beans.

- put the jalapenos, garlic, lime juice and 1/4 cup olive oil into the food processor. blend until smooth. taste for salt and pepper.

- when the potatoes & onions are done, toss them in a bowl with the red pepper, black beans, and the spicy dressing. sprinkle with a healthy dose of cilantro. done!


love,
emily

solo dinner//what to do with leftover spaghetts

you may notice that sissy lauren has been awfully quiet during the past 2 weeks. her silence is solely due to the fact that she's been in seattle (with side trips to portland and maybe olympia) for the past 10 days. basically just livin' it up in vegan paradise, and i'm sure there will be a full report during the next week of the veritable rainbow of treats that she consumed while westerly. she comes back tonight, which i am so ready for! it's great to borrow from her closet at will and everything, but i've really missed her.

i on the other hand, have been holding it down in philly, slowly cooking and eating my way through the thoroughly decimated contents of our fridge and cupboards. we still haven't done a big grocery store shop, so what produce there is is about half a day away from rottens-ville, and all of the jars of staples are about 1/5 full. it's a a shoddy state of affairs.

but i won't let a solo dinner be a thing to mourn. i admit, i did consider skipping the kitchen and trying a south philly tofu hoagie (there are so many places to get them around here!). but i have been eating many - too many - sandwiches lately, plus i don't really feel like leaving the house.

so with well-honed scavenger skills, i rolled up invisible sleeves and commenced the dig through the fridge. with an excellent queen album as my soundtrack (so triumphant! and did you know that shit when triple platinum?!) i put together a humble, but totally delicious, solo dinner.

green salad with nectarine, carrots & scallions with a sweet mustard dressing


leftover pasta with tomatoes & basil in garlic and olive oil

one of my favorite things to do with leftover pasta is to simmer a ludicrous amount of garlic in olive oil over very low heat, and then toss the noodles in this oil (still over the low flame), and let it cook for a few minutes. then throw in salt & pepper, tomatoes (cherry, if possible) and fresh basil and toss til it all heats through. it literally takes 8 minutes, but has a deep flavor that insinuates a slower process. like i said before, this is a humble method, but sometimes you don't need - or want to - be fancy or complex when cooking for yourself.

so while a glass of slightly dry red wine would've complimented the plate nicely, i opted for a very cold, and very unpretentious bottle of budweiser instead. it was a nice little dinner, but alright, i'll admit it: i will be happier tomorrow when i'm once again cooking for 2.

love,
emily

22, count 'em, 22

so i've embarked on the mission to eat out [in] san francisco. with so many vegan friendly joints in the city, i certainly haven't had any difficulty and am definitely not starving.


*vanilla soymilk shake and vegan chorizo hash with tofu and avocado - st. francis fountain
*vegetarian burrito mojado - mojado means "wet" which means a big fat rice and bean burrito covered in enchilada sauce and mild and hot salsa (one on each end!) - taqueria can-cun
*homemade baingan bharta (we say banging bartha) and chana masala courtesy of mary
*grilled avocado salad, mushroom + barley soup, tempeh brochettes, mushroom pot pie and english tea shortcake with earl grey sorbet - millenium (LONGER post to follow soon)

the real highlight:

burma superstar - probably just made the list of one of my top five favorite restaurants. the highlight of the meal and the trip (and probably my life) was the rainbow salad made of 22 ingredients! ours was only 21 ingredients because we forewent the dried shrimp. here, i will try to remember all 21:

1. crispy tofu
2. crispy garlic
3. saffron rice
4. crispy wontons
5. crispy onions
6. raw onions
   
7. peanuts
8. scallions
9. lettuce
10. cabbage
11. tomatoes
12. papaya
13. rice noodles
14. rice noodles
15. rice noodles
16. rice noodles (4 different kinds)
17. split pea powder
18. rice
19. cilantro
20. red pepper flakes
    
21. tamarind dressing
    

perfect score! some of those i may have made up, but i looked at a picture online and wrote down everything i could remember. i actually just called the restaurant to ask for all 22 and the person on the phone couldn't even remember them all. tamarind dressing is unlike anything i've ever tasted or experienced. the samosa soup - possibly my second new favorite thing to eat - was amazing as well. crispy pieces of samosa in a spicy lentil soup! why haven't i eaten this before?

pictures soon, i promise! i forgot my camera cable but they are patiently waiting to be uploaded and hopefully you can be patient too. and guess what? it's been sunny!!

after i post this i'm heading to the kitchen to make spanikopita with sofi, then it's off to maggie mudd for ice cream and a meet + greet/networky thing with La Cocina. Perhaps more burmese food for dinner, then dancing my last night away.

not wearing socks,
lauren