A goodbye kiss to summer!

Hello friends! It's Emily.

It's been a while so, here is what has been going on with me since last I blogged. I...

- Moved back to Delaware from Pennsylvania
- Tagged horseshoe crabs and it was awesome (Don't ask. I'm a marine ecologist!)
- Did lots of experiments
- Got engaged to my beau :)
- Gardened my the summer away, all the while enjoying the payoff of lots of yummy veggies and fruits to eat

So about that last little factoid...I think I should come clean. While I do love plants, I am known by many in my circle of friends as a "plant serial killer". You might have even heard tales of me in your local paper. I go around purchasing houseplants and seeds from garden supply shops. I buy cutesy planters and even high-capacity misting bottles for my would-be photosynthesizing friends. Once I get them home, I quickly place the plants in a lovely, well-lit area and water them with care. This lasts for about a week and then...my busy research/life schedule gets the best of me and I ensure that they die the slow painful death of neglect and wilting**. Luckily my husband-to be has got quite the green thumb and is excellent at remembering that plants need water. This could quite possibly be why we actually have veggies and fruits successfully growing in our garden plot. This past summer we had the best luck with cantaloupe, basil and tomatoes, among a few others. This recipe is a reflection of that and trips to the farmer's market. Oh and listening to Nessum dorma, as sung by Pavarotti, one too many times while cooking.  Buon appetito!

Pavarotti Farmer's Garden Pasta


Ingredients

• Eggplant
• Fresh Basil 
• Tomatoes (mine were small, but not cherry variety)
• Vegan sausage 
• I used Tofurky Italian Sausage, but it does contain wheat. 
• If you can't digest gluten but want  to keep vegan, maybe give this Gluten-free Sausage Recipe a whirl. I haven't tried it, but it looks delicious
• Tomato-based pasta sauce (whichever catches your fancy)
• Angel hair pasta
• I use Barilla brand pasta, but Bionaturae brand has good gluten-free pasta options if needed
• Nessum dorma, as sung by Pavarotti 
• Note: the version by Andrea Bocelli will do in a pinch
• Sea salt
• Garlic/Garlic powder
• Extra virgin olive oil

Veggie prep

1. Add a generous amount of olive oil to a skillet. Roll the oil around to coat the pan's surface.
2. Add a pinch (literally a pinch) of salt in the oil. Add sliced garlic/garlic powder to oil as well. Place on medium heat.
3. Cut the eggplant cross-wise into 1/4 inch slices (~ 2-4 slices per person)
4. By this time the pan is getting hot. Nice! 
1. Add the eggplant slices. Be sure to space the slices so that they get crispy, not soggy.
2. Let cook for about 10 minutes (meanwhile, prepare the pasta and sauce)
3. Flip! and cook for 5 minutes on other side.

Pasta and sauce prep

1. Begin boiling water for the pasta. In the meanwhile...
2. Slice the veggie sausage cross-wise
3. Slice tomatoes in half
4. In a small pan, add olive oil and sausage. Cook covered on medium heat.
5. As sausage starts to brown, add tomatoes and cook until the skins begin to peel away (about 3 minutes).
6. Add pasta sauce to pan, add a few basil leaves, stir and cover.
7. Once water boils, add in pasta and cook for recommended time on package, occasionally stirring.
8. Drain when done.

                                                                                                                               Pulling it all together    

1. On a plate, place a portion of pasta and eggplant.
2. Ladle sauce with sausage and tomatoes on top of this.
3. Garnish with basil.
4. Enjoy! 

**Side note: I am very good, expert in fact, at killing plants around the house and yard (see earlier comments). However, I do feel it necessary to point out that I am not good at killing all plants. For whatever reason, orchids love me as do gardenias. While I am very proud of this, I have to wonder, did they not get the memo about my track record of (un)successes with their leafy cousins??

Adventures in lunching at the Raw Can Roll Cafe!

Sampler Platter - Hummus, Veggie Crisps, Thai Spring Rolls,
Garden Salad, Delicate Pasta, and two types of dressing, including
Japanese Citrus Ginger. And no, it did not taste like one big salad! 

I recently had a lunch-time adventure at the
Raw Can Roll Cafe in Douglassville, PA. The idea of working more raw foods into my diet sounded good in theory and I figured that if I could get someone else to make my lunch for me, all the better! Never having been to a raw foods restaurant before, I have to admit that as intrigued as I was, I felt a bit skeptical...exactly how exciting   could a bunch of carrot sticks and celery stalks get? Would it all just taste like one big salad? I had previously heard good things about "going raw" from my Mom*, so I figured I'd give this raw lunch a shot. As it turns out, this little Cafe was right on the money and got me inspired to eat more raw food. The combinations of flavors, textures and colors were both creative and delicious. The veggie tortilla crisps and Jimica salad were amazing. I've been dreaming of them ever since.

Leah enjoying Thai Coconut Juice straight
from a Thai Coconut!

Common food allergens like dairy, eggs, and gluten weren't an issue either. If you have food allergies, then you know what a pain the %&# it can be to barrage restaurant chefs and wait-staff with questions about what is "safe" to eat. My friend Leah came with me to check out the Cafe. Between the two us, we have 3 food allergies and lactose intolerance. Fun dinner company, right? After asking the initial, "Is your food really dairy/peanut/gluten-free?", we were completely set. Sweet! What's even better, I left the cafe feeling completely satiated.  Definitely check out their webpage for photos of their food and make the pilgrimage out to Douglassville if you can - it is so worth it!

Raw Can Roll Cafe

39 Old Swede Road 

Douglassville, PA 19512

*I often joke that I was that kid in elementary school who brought a sandwich on whole grain bread (not Wonder Bread, sigh!) along with carrots and raisins and juice to lunch. I think it goes without saying that next to no one ever wanted to trade lunches with me in the cafeteria. While I went through various food-rebellions growing up, now as an adult I practically kiss the ground whenever I think about my mother and all of the nutritional wisdom that she's passed on - THANKS MOM:)

Creamy Dreamy Shells and Salad to make you dream of the seashore

Based on emails that I've been receiving from people, I take it that you  noticed that I have been MIA for a while. Okay, a LONG while. First of all, I'd like to say 'Thanks. I'm glad that you noticed!'. I've been so wrapped up in my work and just life in general that I didn't post. Also, I have to admit that I kind of wondered if my Mom was the only one reading my blog. Guess not! (But you're still my #1 Fan Mom!) 

Secondly, I'd like to say that I've got a mostly good reason for being silent for so long. I'm temporarily living in a cabin in rural Pennsylvania for my research. Yes, you read right, a log cabin. Being the coastal dwelling creature that I am this has been a big change for me, but I am loving it! I mean, come on, I get to live in a place that looks like this:

Sickeningly picturesque, right? All I can say is that I wish that I had cable television here (oh! and all of my kitchen supplies and seasonings). On the upshot, I've been getting a lot of work, knitting and reading accomplished:>)

I present to you, the first recipe from my little cabin out in the middle of almost nowhere...

"Creamy Dreamy Shells and Salad" (almost guaranteed to make you dream of the seashore!) 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

- Seashell pasta 

- Chreese (optional; a dairy-free replacement for Mac & Cheese)

- Daiya brand shredded soy cheese (http://www.daiyafoods.com/)

- Portobello mushroom

- Avocado

- Baby spinach

- Extra virgin Olive oil

- Garlic powder

Portobello Mushroom

1. Wash and slice a mushroom
2. Put a little little olive oil in a pan with a sprinkle of garlic powder
3. Place slices in pan and drizzle a little olive oil over them. Follow up with another sprinkle of garlic powder.
4. Cook on medium-low heat until tender (about 8-10 minutes)

Pasta/Pasta and Chreese

1. Prepare Pasta shells/Pasta shells and Chreese as you would normally
2. Place drained shells/shells and chreese in a warm pot on low heat
• Slowly stir in the soy cheese shreds 
• Note: Any brand will do but I like Daiya brand best because it tastes like cheese and melts like it too...it fools dairy-lovers all of the time - no joke! 
3. When "cheese" is melted (~3-4 minutes), scoop out desired portion of pasta on serving plates.

Finishing touches

1. Rinse and drain baby spinach
2. Prepare chunks of avocado 
• Cut avocado in half and discard seed
• Slice fruit in shell, first length-wise and then across
• Scoop out chunks
3. On plate with cheesey pasta shells, add:
• Cooked portobello slices
• Avocado chunks
• Handful of baby spinach
4. Enjoy! Oh and be on the look out for the following qualities of this recipe:
• Comforting cheesey good-goo of the pasta shells 
• Sweet creaminess of the avocado 
• Meatiness of the portobello 
• Spinach greens keep the recipe from being too rich

"I miss summer already" salad

After reading the title of this post I know what you might be thinking, "Emily, it's only a few weeks into fall and you're already missing summer?!". What can I say? After having grown up on the salty coast of southeastern Virginia, I'm thoroughly a warm weather kind of gal. Don't get me wrong, I love early autumn with its lovely crisp air, leaves of various hues and foodie offerings like pumpkin pie and cider. BUT with the weather getting cooler, I'm already missing summer's warmth. Today's recipe is a salad that has the flavor of summer but has enough heat to keep you toasty in this cooler weather (especially if you like to go overboard on the black pepper like me!!).

"I miss summer already" salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
6 oz firm or extra-firm tofu (~1/2 a container's worth; I promise, tofu is NOT as scary as it may sound!)
1/4 Bell pepper (in this salad orange and yellow are best)
1/2 Tomato
Alfalfa sprouts
Olive oil
Black pepper
Lime juice (optional)


Tofu

1. Place onto a plate and use a fork to crumble the tofu
2. Put the tofu on a skillet and mix in a little olive oil
3. Heat on medium heat for about 8 minutes while you prepare the veggies, stirring occasionally

Veggies

1. Wash and slice tomato and bell pepper to desired size
2. Wash alfalfa sprouts, blot on paper towel

Culmination

1. Remove tofu from heat and place on a plate
2. Sprinkle black pepper
3. Add alfalfa sprouts
4. Add sliced veggies
5. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle even more black pepper, and if desired, a spritz of lime juice
6. Bon appetit! 

Sunset on Lewes Beach - Summer 2010

Warm start to a chilly morning - Figgy Oatmeal

Ummm, excuse me please but have you noticed that it is getting to be just a little bit chilly outside? The daytime climate is breezy and a bit cool at times, but still sunny and warm enough to fool me into thinking that summer might stick around a bit longer. Oh but every morning as I crawl out of bed, I am reminded by the nip in the air that Autumn is just about here. It's exactly this kind of in-between weather that lends itself to breakfasts that are spiced, warm and nourishing. Some slices of sweet summer fruit make me feel like I can hang on to the sunshine of summer just a little longer.

The Super-simple, Super-delicious Bowl of Figgy Oatmeal
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes

Oatmeal

• Prepare a serving of oatmeal in a pot with water
• Keep the oats on medium heat for 5 minutes/until the water is absorbed 
• Stir occasionally...you know the drill!
• Add a little soymilk/ricemilk/milk (1/4 cup) 
• Keep stirring until all of the liquid is absorbed
• Place in bowl

Figs

• Slice up 2-3 ripe Black Mission Figs
• Add to bowl with oatmeal

Finishing touches

• Spice it up with ground Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger and Nutmeg
• Sweeten it up by sprinkling on brown sugar or adding on a swirl of agave nectar 
• Eat it up and love every second of having captured Summer and Autumn in a single breakfast bowl! 

Light meal idea #1, or more aptly put, my Apple-icious sandwich

After being holed up in the library studying the majority of the day away, I decided to make a break for it and go home for some "me" time. That's right, I went home with the aim to paint my nails and watch "Oprah". Unfortunately, Oprah did not get my memo...Oprah's special guest today was teen pop star Justin Bieber. Seeing as how I am no longer a 12 year old girl, I was not impressed and this was not the relaxing point in my day for which I was hoping. This minor kink led to me making a return to my "yoga on the beach" class which I had been meaning to go to for a few weeks.

Before class, I felt like such a slug due to my schlumping in front of a desk for 5 hours reading about the wonders of matrix algebra and ocean circulation. After 45 minutes of being warmed by the sun, soothed by the bay breeze and gently stretching out every muscle in my stiff body, I felt...light as a feather and completely relaxed (mission accomplished - take that Oprah!). However, this new and improved me soooo did not feel like cooking. Or eating anything heavy for that matter. That brings us to tonight's entry...a light and delicious sandwich that is satisfying. Avocado and vegan cheese make it velvety while the alfalfa sprouts provide more texture and drama than mere lettuce can provide. As the name suggests, there is an apple in there too for a fun crunch and taste. Wait no more, here is the Apple-icious sandwich.

p.s. For those of you wondering, don't worry I eventually painted my nails after dinner ;>)

the Apple-icious Sandwich
(Total time: ~10 minutes)

Ingredients
    - 2 slices of whole wheat bread
    - Granny Smith apple
    - 1/4 of an Avocado (way better than mayo and filled with good fats)
    - Alfalfa sprouts
    - Veganrella cheese (or Mozzarella. Whatever catches your fancy!)
    - Peanut butter

Preparation


Sandwich - side one

• Avocado 
• Halve an avocado and remove about 1/4 of the fruit 
• Spread this on to one side of 1 slice of bread 
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Wash alfalfa sprouts and pat dry with paper towel 
• Place on side of bread with avocado spread

Sandwich - side two

• Granny Smith Apple
• Wash apple and slice circles of apple
• Place apple slices on 1 slice of plain bread
• Vegan Cheese
• Slice and arrange on top of apple slices
• Place this arrangement (bread with apple and cheese slices) in toaster oven 
• Toast at 450 F for 2 minutes and then broil for 3 minutes
• Note: vegan cheese melts...better than you might imagine. Be careful that it doesn't bubble over the edges of the bread and onto the oven coils. 

Assemble sandwich and enjoy remaining bits of unused apple with peanut butter!

Quick dinner entry numero Uno: Asparagus, Mash Potatoes and Tangy Chicken

I'm in the midst of studying for my Ph.D. qualification exam. It's only the biggest exam that I will ever take in my life as it determines whether or not I can stay in my graduate school program. I've been studying bit by bit every day so preparing for it has gotten to be too bad yet, however I am getting to point where I am getting just a little bit stressed.

With this in mind, something super-simple for dinner is required. Simple but tasty meals involving few ingredients are typically my specialty, but due to my lack of time to grocery shop lately I've had to seriously scrounge through my pantry. That's right, I raided my "in case of natural disaster emergency" pantry shelf and broke out the boxed mashed potatoes flakes. As an advocate for cooking with all fresh food, I hang my head in shame on this entry. Even so, this meal was pretty delicious, proving that quick and cheap can still be mighty tasty and reasonably healthful. Interested in the meal below? Read on!

Asparagus, Mash Potatoes and Tangy Chicken 
(Total time: ~20 minutes)

Chicken

• In a pan on medium-low heat, place: 
• Olive oil (silver dollar-sized amount)
• Boneless chicken breast
• Sprinkle chili powder
• Lime juice (about 2 tbs)
• Place lid on pan, and cook each side of breast until cooked (~4-5 minutes each side). Don't overcook! 
• Remove from heat and cut into chunks. 
• P.S. see the "make it vegan" tip below

Asparagus

• Wash asparagus bunch and find the part (opposite the tip) that bends easily. Break off this end. (Trust me, you're not wasting it. It's too tough to eat anyways.)
• In a new pan on medium-low heat, place:
• Asparagus 
• Olive oil  
• Place a lid on pan and cook until the asparagus is a dark, vibrant green and begins to look just a little seared (about ~8 minutes).
• Remove from heat and place on plate immediately to avoid overcooking. 

Mashed potatoes

• Follow directions on mashed potato box, then skip to the 3rd bullet. OR
• If you choose not to go the boxed route like I did, follow this for the yummiest mashed potatoes ever:
• Thoroughly wash and cube red potatoes. Keep the skins! 
• Boil those babies up until completely soft (~15-20 minutes)
• Drain and place in bowl to mash
• For a smoother, creamier texture, try adding one or all of the following:
• Soymilk
• Olive oil
• Tofutti Sour Supreme: Better than Sour Cream (a delicious soy substitute!)
• Finish by adding garlic powder and dill. 

Want to make this meal even more healthy, cheap and kind to animals as well? Make it vegan by replacing the chicken in this meal with slices of firm tofu. Follow seasoning instructions given for the chicken and cook to desired texture.