Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I took a little break from the blog. Not because I do not love spending time on this space, but because I chose to soak up those face-to-face moments with some loved ones rather than get out the camera, open up my screen, or lose myself on the keyboard. I did not stop cooking. Far from it, but the meals were a little haphazard, thrown together with the odds and ends from things in the fridge and the freezer. I dug up beans and grains that I had frozen an unknown number of months ago, tossed frozen pesto that I had made when basil was ubiquitous into soup made of vegetables past their prime. We ate out quite a bit, savoring that time with family and friends rather than fretting over a grocery list or a dirty kitchen. I have thought about sharing my "real life" moments with you on Instagram, but there are quite a few reasons why it never seems to happen. For one, I enjoy the freedom of having my phone tucked away in my bag or in another room of the house, especially when I am with real live breathing people right in front of me. I am also a slow poke at posting on social media of any kind, so I fear that it would take away from me being able to participate in conversation or being able to hold my newborn nephew (!) or make cupcakes with my two-year-old niece. Being present in those intimate moments is so much more valuable than hashtagging the moment for all to see.

That being said, I always love it when other people post their real life moments. Social media can be deceptive. It makes us question how we are living our lives. While it can be inspiring in many ways, it can also leave us feeling a bit disappointed when it seems like everyone else is living a perfect little existence. If we are not careful, it creates a new version of "keeping up with the Joneses." Our Friday night was spent reorganizing the basement, cleaning up after a sick kitty, and watching YouTube videos while everyone on Instagram seemed to be hosting the most beautiful dinner party with the most beautiful people in the most beautiful house with the most beautiful place setting. That is not to say that I do not also love those types of posts. I very much do in fact! Who does not want to share their best moments? Social media allows us to curate that best image of ourselves- not just the image we want others to perceive, but what we want to see in ourselves. We choose what we let out and what we keep in. It just begs reminding that a picture or a post tells only one part of one person's story. There is a lot more to be had behind the screen.

In my social media adventures for this site, I aim to keep it authentic by posting things that I actually eat. Of course, I only post a handful of things that I make and consume. Again, these are just snippets of my life- part of a much, much larger whole. Do all of these dishes look exactly like I serve them up in my kitchen when it is time to eat? Not really. Or at least not always. A little effort certainly goes into styling my dishes, but that part is fun for me. If I were to photograph my dishes as they usually appear on my dinner plate, with poor lighting, all in a heap, I do not think I would inspire anyone to get in the kitchen and eat more plants. And that after all, is my goal. Just like makeup can enhance a woman's natural beauty, a little styling and fantastic lighting can bring out the beauty of these whole foods while still keeping it real.

This brings me to this Roasted Cauliflower Salad. I made this several weeks ago, and it is a beauty. It is also really scrumptious and perfect as the weather just starts to warm. It hits all of those notes of earthy and sweet, herbaceous and bright. If you cannot find pomegranate seeds for that little bit of sweet tang, feel free to substitute golden raisins or currants. You will miss the crunch, but the walnuts will keep you digging in for more. You could certainly toss this with some cooked grains or pasta for a make ahead lunch, toss it in a hummus-filled pita for a satisfying sandwich, or just stand over the bowl and grab it by the forkful as you figure out what you are cooking next.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

1 medium head cauliflower, leaves removed and thinly sliced and broken into small florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 15 ounce can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked)
1 large handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 large handful Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed (white pith removed) (see note*)
3 tablespoons Simple Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)
salt and pepper, to taste

Roast cauliflower. Preheat oven to 400º Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Toss cauliflower with oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer as best you can. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, tossing once while cooking. When done, allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except dressing. Add warm cauliflower to bowl and toss with dressing and all of the other ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes 4-6 servings.

*To remove seeds from a pomegranate, first slice pomegranate in half across its equator. Fill a large wide bowl about 1/4 of the way with water. Holding one pomegranate half above the bowl with the seeds facing the water, whack the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon. The seeds will splash into the water and the white part will float to the surface. Discard the bitter pith and drain the seeds to be used in the salad or for something else.

Simple Lemon Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or juice of 2 lemons
finely grated zest of 1/4 lemon
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1/4 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. Makes about ½ cup dressing and lasts about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats with Coconut Whipped Cream

One of my favorite things about Valentine's Day has always been seeing couples so smitten for one another. Something about the day puts people on their best behavior. I love seeing the guys with bouquets for their special someone, and the girls all dressed up on their way to a fancy prix fixe dinner.  We used to do the whole fancy dinner thing when we first started dating, but we are much lower key now. I actually prefer our quiet night in, leisurely making dinner and lounging on the couch. My fiance also used to get me the most beautiful lilies on special occasions, but then we got a cat who eats anything that she should not have, like lilies, which happen to be poisonous to frisky felines. To be honest, I do sort of miss the flowers, but I can make the sacrifice if it means no vet visits. One thing that has stayed the same over the years is the extra consumption of chocolate on Valentine's Day. Chocolate for dessert is a given, but why not have chocolate for breakfast?

These little cups are rich tasting, but still light on the belly. Nutty almond butter and rich cocoa powder make for a satisfying combo that tastes a bit like a brownie batter, and whipped coconut cream takes it to that extra special Valentine's Day level. If you have never made whipped cream with coconut milk, it is super simple. The hardest part is remembering to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight. Angela from Oh She Glows has a wonderful step-by-step tutorial for Coconut Whipped Cream if you need a visual. Considering the oats have to soak overnight anyway, I promise you cannot and will not miss that crucial first step.

Do your sweetheart a favor- or yourself for that matter, and make this. Combine everything the night before, whip the coconut cream in the morning, and win major brownie points. Pun most definitely intended.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats with Coconut Whipped Cream

1 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 1/4 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon dark chocolate shavings, divided
fresh raspberries, for serving
2 dollops of coconut whipped cream, for serving (see below)

Combine oatmeal with almond butter, almond milk, cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup, and pinch of salt. Mix well and allow to soak overnight. In the morning, divided into two portions, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, fresh raspberries, and a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Enjoy! Serves 2.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can full fat coconut milk
2 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup

Place can of coconut milk in refrigerator overnight. Scoop the thick cream from the top and add it to a medium bowl. The liquid left behind can be added to smoothies. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut cream until fluffy and light, for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in honey or maple syrup. Store in fridge for up to 3 days. Re-whip as necessary.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Lucky Pinto Bean and Beef Chili

I do not even have words for these wedges. They taste so much better than any chili cheese fry combo you could have, and I do not need to tell you just how much better they are for you.

These are the perfect game day food, the perfect comfort food, the perfect, "health food" to feed your skeptical guy friend whose first answer to kale anything is a resounding "No." Also, they are gluten-free if you need a crowd-pleasing recipe that accommodates those with gluten-sensitivities.

I like the thick-cut wedges for this recipe because they are just that much more fun to eat with your hands, but you could make skinnier sweet potato fries and dig in with a knife and fork. For an Asian variation on sweet potato fries, check out one of my first but favorite blog recipes, my Thai Loaded Curried Potatoes. I really need to re-photograph those fries to do their awesomeness justice.

I treat these wedges a little like nachos and throw some avocado, a touch of sour cream, and a smattering of cilantro on there, but you could leave them a little bit more naked with just chili and cheese. I recommend a sharp cheddar cheese, but I also love the idea of a tangy feta or even a salty cotija. Go wild. Your taste buds will love you, and your friends will love you more.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Lucky Pinto Bean and Beef Chili

1 large sweet potato (1 pound), cut in half lengthwise and then into wedges of 1/2ª-3/4ª thickness
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
salt, to taste
2 cups warm Lucky Pinto Bean and Beef Chili with Kale
3/4 cup loosely packed finely grated sharp cheddar cheese (see note above for other cheese recommendations)
Optional toppings: avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, sour cream

Preheat oven to 425º Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Toss sweet potato wedges with olive oil and generous pinch of salt. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until wedges are tender and starting to brown. Remove from oven, top with warm chili and cheese. You can return the pan to the oven just to melt the cheese if you wish. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Enjoy! Serves 3-4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main.

Lucky Pinto Bean and Beef Chili with Kale

I wish I did not believe in luck or was superstitious. But I do, and I am. My reasonable, rational self knows that it is not only a bit silly, but that I am also in a sense surrendering my agency to some outside force. When I was younger, I thought that if I watched my favorite athletes perform, they would lose. Thank goodness for replays because that is how I watched Tiger Woods play golf and the Duke Blue Devils play basketball. For exams, I never liked to break from my routine of having three mechanical pencils at-the-ready because that is how I had always taken tests and had done well. If I did not score well, it was not the pencils' fault, it was mine,  but if I did do well, it was because I had three mechanical pencils. Even to this day, if someone talks about how wonderful the weather is or how smooth the traffic is flowing, I have been known to get absurdly upset, like stomp-my-feet-and-cross-my-arms-upset, because I am convinced that their very words will jinx us into a torrential downpour or into a stop-and-go traffic pattern.

When I really think about it, the idea that I think what I or another person could say or do could impact something so far removed from me is selfish. I must think of myself as really, super-duper important if my watching Tiger Woods play golf will impact his play or that having two pencils instead of three will cause all of the material I studied to just go poof! from my little brain. 

Despite my observations and my rational sensibilities, I still cling to luck and superstition. This especially comes to those things that I have less control over, like sports games. Which brings me to the Superbowl.

I have no real vested interest in the Superbowl until Superbowl Sunday. I usually pick a team and root for them for some arbitrary reason, unless it is the Green Bay Packers, and then I am obligated by my Wisconsin-born side of the family to root for them. This year, I already know who I am rooting for given that I am from North Carolina, and we could use a professional sports win. Go Panthers, go!

Now I cannot control how the team actually plays, but I can eat this chili, chock full of lucky black-eyed peas and fortuitous green kale. As I see it, I am doing my part to win this Superbowl, now they have to do theirs. It takes all of 35 minutes to come together if you are in a rush, but it can also simmer for up to an hour to allow the flavors to meld a bit more. I highly recommend making a big pot of it the day before you plan to serve it and let the flavors come together even more overnight. I give some suggestions for serving, but get creative. Top a baked potato or baked sweet potato with chili, make chili fries, or serve it alongside brown rice or another favorite grain.

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now, I rarely post meat dishes but I do eat them on occasion. When I cook them at home, I try to source meat from local farms, without antibiotics or hormones, and if possible, free-range and/or grass-fed. I encourage you to find the best quality ground beef you can find for this, and then go get your Superbowl cheer on.

Lucky Pinto Bean and Beef Chili with Kale

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pound lean ground beef (90%), preferably local and/or grass-fed
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho or chipotle chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, avocado, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips or cornbread

In a large pot, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat and brown beef for 5-7 minutes, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. When cooked, remove beef to bowl and add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil to pot. Add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chili powders and cumin, pinch of cinnamon, and generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add tomato paste, cooked beef, stock or water, diced tomatoes, and drained beans, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes or until flavors have melded, stirring occasionally. Make sure you stir to the bottom of the pot! If you can cook a little longer, cook for up to 45 minutes. Stir in kale and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with desired toppings. Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

The Best 5 Minute Tomato and Egg Toast

We have been hunkered down inside since Friday overtaken by a blizzard. Our final snow count? 16 inches. It was a doozy of a snowfall, and a fantastically beautiful one at that. As much as I love getting outside, exploring the city, I also love an excuse to stay inside and do basically nothing. Nothing is a bit relative, considering I am knee-deep in wedding invitations, workshop planning, and more wedding planning, but an excuse to just lounge in my pajamas all day is quite welcome. The cats are loving it.

My would-have-been-a-meteorolgist-in-a-second-life Dad called me on Friday to tell me- "Emily, make sure you have plenty of food in the house. At least 3 days worth. This storm is going to be a big one." I reassured him that we would not go hungry- especially since I had a giant batch of this heart-warming dal in the freezer and had stocked up on avocados, bananas, and nuts- you know, all of the essentials, but I also kind of thought he was over-reacting. Oops.

Now what does this recipe have to do with this blizzard and our 16 inches of fluff? Nothing really except for the fact that it most likely does not require a trip to the store and can be made comfortably in your pajamas while watching Youtube videos of James Corden and John Mulaney. I may or may not know this from personal experience.

It tastes a little like pizza but does not require an oven or a tip to the delivery guy. A sprinkling of cheese to take it to the next level is totally optional. Good quality extra-virgin olive oil, however, is not.

The Best 5 Minute Tomato and Egg Toast

1 thick slice of your favorite bread, toasted (I used a local rosemary and olive oil bread from Metropolitan Bakery)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 egg
pinch of fresh oregano leaves, chopped, or dried oregano, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste

Toast bread. While warm, rub with garlic clove sliced in half. Fry egg. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat and. Add egg, turn heat to medium, and allow to cook until desired doneness. I cover mine with a domed lid to help the white steam a little and cook faster. Meanwhile, mix remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and tomato paste in a small bowl until combined. Place egg on garlic toast, top with oil mixture, and sprinkle with oregano and salt and pepper. Enjoy. Makes 1 egg toast.

Optional toppings to spiff it up: sliced avocado, a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil instead of oregano, a sprinkling of cayenne or dash of hot sauce for some heat. Play around, have some fun, make something delicious.