Wheat Berry Salad with Kale, Orange, and Olives

Over the past few weeks, I've had to opportunity to share some of my favorite healthy eating tips on my favorite store's blog. If you've been reading a while, you may know that I have a major crush on Terrain, Anthropologie's Home + Garden Store. It's got a pretty amazing online presence, but it also has the most beautiful store in Glen Mills, PA. It also has a super special place in my heart because it's where my husband and I got married last April. So, when they asked me to contribute to their blog in the spirit of wellness, I was so honored. 

In this third post, (my first and second are here and here), I talk about grain bowls. It's no surprise that I rely on them as part of my weekly pseudo-meal plan because they are so easy to throw together, are nourishing, and can go in all sorts of directions depending on what's in season and what I'm craving. 

In coming up with this particular grain combo was inspired by these gorgeous nesting bowls Terrain has in their store now. Seriously, I want a whole set of them. Maybe two. They're beautifully rustic and glazed in earthy hues. I wanted to create an equally rustic salad, but with bright flavors, and colors that would complement the blues and naturals. 

Citrusy with a salty punch and nutty finish, this salad is one for bookmarking. I made it three times in two weeks because I couldn't get enough. I think you're going to love this. 

Head over to Terrain's blog to check out the recipe! 

And if you're wondering, this post is in no way sponsored. I just love working with a company that's putting out some amazing things. Oh, and the photos? Those were shot by the talented Katie Hennessey for Terrain.

Kale, Bulgur, and Chickpea Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette

Kale salad has lovers and haters. There are also those people who roll their eyes at a another. kale. salad. but eat it anyway. I know, I know. But there are a few reasons why kale keeps hanging around. For one, it's durable. It can last for a while in the fridge compared to more delicate lettuce. It's more toothsome compared to spinach which had it's hey-day nearly a decade ago. It's also a nutritious and fiber-rich green that can take a beating (i.e. get sliced, massaged, and tossed) and still taste better the next day. For a girl who loves to shop once per week and batch cook, it's a winner.

This salad could certainly be a meal on it's own, but I sometimes enjoy it with a local egg or two that I've hard-boiled and sprinkled with sea salt. Sliced avocado? Always a good idea. The components are quick to come together and it makes for perfect take-to-work lunches. Other grains, like farro or wheatberries or even quinoa, can be substituted for similar results, but I think chickpeas give the best texture here. I recommend making extra dressing to have on hand for any other green things or grain things you're making for the week.

This salad is plant protein-rich with chickpeas, bulgur, and sunflower seeds and nutrient-dense. The apples give a lovely sweet-tart crunch, but a handful of chopped dried apricots would lend a sweet chewiness that would satisfy too. Once you get the basics, play around with it to create your own version! And then let me know about it. 

Don't be intimidated by the three recipes here. It all comes together in a pinch.

Kale, Bulgur and Chickpea Bowl

¾ cup medium-grind bulgur or 2 cups cooked grain
1 bunch massaged kale (recipe below)
1 14.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted*
1 medium crisp apple, thinly sliced
¼ cup Simple Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Cook bulgur. Place ¾ cup bulgur in a bowl. Add 1 ½ cups boiling water, stir and let stand 25 minutes. Fluff and drain off any excess liquid. Yields 2 cups soaked bulgur.

Assemble bowl. Mix together cooked bulgur, massaged kale, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and apple. Drizzle with ¼ cup vinaigrette and toss together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Serves 3-4 as a salad or light meal.

*To toast sunflower seeds, heat raw seeds in skillet over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until slightly golden

Massaged Kale

1 bunch kale, leaves removed from stems and cut into chiffonade
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Massage kale leaves with oil until softened and tender, about 1-2 minutes. Store in refrigerator for 4-5 days.

*lacinato or dino kale has rich dark leaves and is more tender, but curly kale (either green or Russian red types) can also be used.

Simple Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes approx. ¾ cup
1 garlic clove, finely minced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice or juice of 2 lemons
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to a jar and shake. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use throughout the week. Makes approximately 3/4 cup.

Spring Tea Party Bites + My Bridal Shower

My whole heart is so full, it is just about to burst. I am getting married in almost a month, and some of my favorite people got together this weekend to help me celebrate with my bridal shower. We had the BEST time. I will preface this by saying one of my favorite things to do is going to high tea. Hoity-toity it may be, but I relish in the excuse to get all dolled up, sip tea with our pinkies (awkwardly) raised, and nibble on dainty sweet and savory bites with people who just make me smile. I am not one of those people who had ever imagined what my wedding dress would look like or the type of wedding cake I would have, but I knew that I wanted a tea party to make an appearance somewhere in the wedding planning process. 

I was all set to gather around with my close friends and family for tea and bridal shower games, until I stumbled upon Maddie from Madalynne Studios on Instagram. Maddie, a seamstress extraordinaire (among many other awesome things), makes beautiful sporty, modern lingerie and hosts day-long sewing and bra-making workshops which attract people from all over the country. I reached out, asking her about hosting a little sewing workshop in her beautiful studio space for my bridal shower. I was thrilled when she said yes. The plan was that we would all bring homemade tea-party bites, sip tea, and learn to sew something. She had the idea of doing a little "Panty Party" in which we would all sew cute panties while we mingled around. 

The most fantastic thing was that none of us had any real sewing machine experience, and ALL of us made a pair of fancy underpants by the end of the shower. They were bright red, high-waisted in the best possible way, and incredibly comfortable. Maddie warned us that we would all be wearing them by the end of the event, and right she was! Maddie was the perfect hostess and instructor. She was patient with the more perfectionist types and easy-going with those who got a little distracted with the delicious treats we all made. She also was a master troubleshooter when I got myself into a sewing hole...which happened quite a few times. As an added DIY, I brought materials for simple hand-sewn heart-shaped tea bags that looked beautiful floating in their tea cups. 

I must give a huge shout-out to all of my friends and family who brought the most beautiful and delicious tea party treats. We hardly had enough table space for all of the goodies! My Mom and little sister made super-cute avocado and egg sandwiches on pumpernickel, miso-yogurt and radish toasts, and cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. My bridesmaids and friends made savory frittatas, brie-stuffed puff pasty nibbles, chocolate and red wine strawberry cakes, mini lemon cupcakes, and cookies galore. My future sister-in-law brought the juiciest strawberries from Carlos Bakery, and my future mother-in-law brought tasty Filipino empanadas fresh from the bakery. The photos below do these treats more justice than any words, so take a look for yourself. Maddie snapped the gorgeous event photos in between wearing her sewing teacher hat.

Food and tea aside, It was so special for me to have many of the important, supportive, and loving women in my life all together for the afternoon. Many of them come from different periods in my life, so to have that shared sewing experience was just the cherry on top. I cannot wait to have them all together again in just 32 days when I walk down the aisle (!).

As many times as I was told I should not have to do anything for my shower, I could not resist. I love making things look beautiful, and that most certainly means I wanted to make some beautiful food. Nothing fancy, but something certainly bright, fresh, and oh-so-spring. I made four types of tea nibbles leading up to the event as practice and loved them all!

• Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain
• Roasted Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpkernickel
• Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat
• Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

I could not even name a favorite for you- they work so well together. I ultimately decided to take just two of them to the shower given the amount of food others were bringing, and I am glad I did because there was not a smidgen of space left on the tables... or in anyone's bellies!

Without further ado, here they are!

Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely diced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and finely diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 radishes, very finely julienned
8 slices whole grain bread, preferably sandwich bread

Mash 1 avocado with lemon juice and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir in chopped eggs. Add remaining diced avocado and mix gently so as to not break up the diced avocado too much. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with julienned radishes. Slice pieces into squares or into slender thirds. Enjoy!

Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpernickel

3 medium to large beets, greens removed and roots scrubbed clean (no need to peel yet)
1/2-3/4 cup tahini
1 lemon, zested
1 handful dill, finely chopped (or another microgreen of choice, for garnish)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
sea salt and pepper, for sprinkling
7 thin slices German Pumpernickel bread, toasted or other thin, sturdy bread

Prepare beets. Place clean beets in a steamer basket in a pot with water just to bottom of basket. Steam beets for 40-50 minutes, or until butter knife inserted to beet slips through easily. Be sure to add more water about half way through to prevent pot from scorching. Alternatively, beets can be wrapped in foil and roasted in oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove beets from heat and allow to cool before slipping skins from beet. Using a mandoline or very carefully with a knife, thinly slice beets into paper-thin sheets. Set sheets aside.

Spread about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini on one side of each of toasted bread slices. Be careful not to go over the edge or the become a little messy. Layer beet slices in thin layer atop tahini. Sprinkle with lemon zest, chopped dill (or microgreen), toasted sunflower seeds, and sea salt and pepper. Slice bread into thirds and then leave in rectangles or slice into squares. Makes 21 rectangular slices or 42 squares.

Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat

1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1 recipe Edamame Goat Cheese Spread
1/2 loaf of soft whole wheat bread
handful of chives, finely chopped
sea salt, to taste

Slice cucumber width-wise into thirds. Thinly slice cucumbers thirds lengthwise into paper-tin strips. Divide edamame spread amongst bread slices. Layer cucumber slices diagonally atop spread. Some cucumber will hang over the edges. This website has a great visual tutorial. Carefully cut crusts from bread, and then cut slices into 4 small squares. Sprinkle with chives and a sprinkling of sea salt. Enjoy!

Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 green onions, white and light green parts, minced
1/3 cup of dried apricots, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2% recommended
1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head radicchio, leaves removed carefully and torn in half (alternatively, use lettuce leaves or endive)

Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add chickpeas to skillet and toss to coat. Remove chickpeas and residual oil to bowl. Add green onions, apricots, celery, and lemon zest and juice. Stir to combine. When mixture has cooled slightly, add yogurt, almonds, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. mix thoroughly. Divide mixture amongst radicchio cups, placing a few tablespoons in each cup, sprinkle with any extra cilantro and almonds, and serve. Makes about 12-16 radicchio cups, depending on the size.

**A huge THANK YOU to Maddie for also taking beautiful photographs at the event and to BHLDN for supplying some of the bridal shower-perfect decor and paper products. Maddie also blogged about the event here on her blog and posted more photos, so check it out!

Late Summer Minestrone

My favorite soup of all time is my late grandmother's minestrone soup. Studded with everything from cabbage to white beans to potatoes to little pasta, it is a whole meal in a bowl. The best part is always topping it with a sprinkling of super sharp, aged Italian cheese- either pecorino romano or Parmigiano-reggiano. I could eat it anytime of year. It is light enough for summer but hearty enough for winter. It just makes me think of all of those visits to her house as a kid. The only problem is that it requires a whole grocery cart full of ingredients and half of your day. There is a reason it is so delicious and so coveted by my family. When you order a minestrone soup in a restaurant, however, it is always a bit of a surprise what you get. The only somewhat predictable things you can expect when your bowl arrives to the table are a tomato-based broth, some vegetables, beans, and pasta in a tomato-based broth. All the little details are up to the chef. At home, minestrone soup's versatility is what makes it so great for using up odds and ends of vegetables you have left in the fridge. You throw in some beans, some pasta, and some tomatoes and you have got yourself a minestrone.

This is a pretty low maintenance soup. In my version here, I love how the zucchini and macaroni noodles soak up the broth as it cooks. I used Swiss chard, sauteing the stems in with the onions, but any greens could do. The little something that gives this soup some real body and deliciousness is the finely grated cheese thrown in just before serving. In most soups that I am simmering for a long time, I like to throw in a rind from a hunk of Parmiggiano-reggiano, a trick I learned from my Italian host mother several years ago, but I wanted this to be quick. And instead of just sprinkling some on each bowl at the end like my Grandma would do, I mix it all together to create a rich broth flavor in no time. Sprinkle some fresh basil to give it a bright, fresh note at the end, and you have dinner.

My only cautionary note here is that the pasta will continue to soak up all of the broth as it is sits, so be sure to check the doneness of the noodles often to avoid overcooking them. This is a fabulous soup to make ahead of time and in large batches to freeze for those nights when a big bowl of soup is the only thing that will do.

Late Summer Minestrone

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups water or vegetable broth
2/3 cup whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 bunch of Swiss chard, washed, stems finely chopped and leaves cut in 1/2-inch wide strips
2 medium zucchini, washed and diced into 1-centimeter cubes
1 cup cooked and drained chickpeas (canned are fine although I used ones I had previously cooked and frozen)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1 large handful of basil, leaves cut in chiffonade
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chard stems. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute about 8-10 minutes or until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent.

Add diced tomatoes and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and add pasta, chard, zucchini, and chickpeas. Stir to mix and allow to cook at low boil for 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and pasta is al dente. Stir often during this time to ensure even cooking of the vegetables. Remove from heat. Pasta and vegetables will continue to cook a little more.

Add finely grated cheese to pot and stir until thoroughly combined, and broth slightly thickens and cheese has melted completely. Sprinkle soup with basil pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if desired. Enjoy!  Serves 4-6.

Middle Eastern Grilled Eggplant with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Some days, I am paralyzed with indecision of what to cook, so I cook nothing at all. For example, I have loads of zucchini. I could make a ratatouille, throw them in a minestrone, confit them, grate them into little zucchini fritters. Instead, I do nothing with them, putting off the decision for another time. I turn into a grazer, eating a little bit of this, a little bit of that, until I feel satisfied. It may be some leftovers + avocado toast with an egg + a sliced tomato with sea salt + a cup of yogurt with nuts and chocolate + some leftover brown rice with cheese... it can go on. I tend to keep whole and nutritious foods on hand, so it is not like I am grabbing bags of processed this and that, but it is a lot less satisfying, a lot less satiating to graze and assemble than it is to sit down to a composed meal.

Ideally I would use the weekend and decide what to make for the week ahead, go to the farmers' market and grocery store and only buy those ingredients and get started on my cooking. This is something I am working on, and I know it can be done- my older sister and her husband have this whole menu planning thing down to an art and have for several years. Instead, what usually happens is I go to the farmers' market and grocery store and buy ingredients I happen to be in the mood for, that are looking rather pretty, or are on sale. Then I go home and eventually figure out what to do with them. While I certainly like the spontaneity of this sort of wing-it style, planning and organizing would help me avoid many of those indecision-induced grazing sessions.

A solution to my moments of indecision is to have a third party decide for me what I am doing with all of my ingredients, or rather, narrow my options of what to do with them. This is where Foodie Dice comes in. I saw them in a magazine last year and knew I had to order them. They could get me out of my decision ruts and spur me into action. The idea behind Foodie Dice is that you roll 6 dice, each with a different component to make a full meal. The categories are: protein, starch/ carb, herb, cooking method, bonus ingredient, and seasonal vegetable (there are 4 dice for this category). You roll and voila!...your dinner template is revealed. You obviously can re-roll any dice for which you do not have the ingredient on hand and see if something else comes up. What is wonderful about the dice is that you are still in charge of executing the dish and bringing the whole thing together, but the main parts are chosen for you. Fewer options for the win.

I had a bounty of summer vegetables that I purchased from the local farmers' market. Everything was beautiful- zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, but I just stared at it all when I got home. I could not commit to a dish I wanted to make, so I pulled out my little bag of dice and decided to leave dinner's fate in the dice's roll. And the results were... lamb or beans, rice, oregano, grill, garlic, and eggplant.

I had chickpeas on hand and a multi-grain/ brown rice mix that I had cooked a few days earlier. I did not have any fresh or dried oregano, but I did have a jar of Middle Eastern za'atar which contains dried oregano, thyme, and sesame seeds which I decided would work beautifully with the eggplant. I had a grill, garlic, and a gorgeous deep purple eggplant from the market. I added in some lemon, fresh cilantro, and tahini to tie it all together, and the result: a beautiful, summer dish inspired by the flavors of Israel, from where my little jar of za'atar had come.

This dish can easily be made ahead of time without the extra tahini sauce on top. Just reheat in the oven. When you remove it from the oven, the heat will help the tahini sauce get into all of the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle with a little extra cilantro or parsley, and you will be ready to serve. I used a brown rice/ grain mix here, but plain brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc. would work, and another white bean or even lentils could serve as a chickpea substitute. Have fun with it!

Middle Eastern Grilled Eggplant with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Grilled Eggplant:
1 large eggplant, top removed, and cut into 1/4" slices, lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained (canned are fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons za'atar spice mix or dried oregano
1 large handful of cilantro or parsley, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Lemon Tahini Sauce:
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Grill eggplant. Heat grill to high heat. Drizzle eggplant slices with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with salt. Grill eggplant slices, turning once, until softened, about 5-8 minutes total. Remove from grill and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix lemon zest and juice and garlic clove. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for garlic to mellow. Whisk in tahini paste, extra-virgin olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine rice, chickpeas, za'atar, cilantro, salt, and 1/2 of the lemon tahini sauce. Stir until well-combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay out eggplant slices on a cutting board or counter-top and place a heaping spoonful of filling on one end of each slice. Roll each slice up. Tuck away in a baking dish, seam side down. If any filling remains, you can sprinkle it around the edges of the dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle remaining lemon tahini sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining herbs. Enjoy! Serves 4.