sweet tater 2 ways

Today was another crazy, busy day.  Despite the hectic schedule, I managed to have a stellar day of eats.

It started with a lovely buckwheat bake.

I obviously made the microwave version, as we are still stove-less. 

This was a pretty basic bake, but delicious nonetheless!

• 1/4c raw buckwheat flour
• 1T raw buckwheat groats
• 1T chia seeds
• 1t cinnamon
• 1/2 banana, mashed well
• 1 large egg
• 3T milk
• 1t vanilla
• 1/4t baking powder

1. Whisk egg + mashed banana in a bowl. 
2. Add milk + vanilla and whisk.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into a well-greased bowl and microwave for 1min 30sec – 1min 45sec, depending.  The consistency should be like muffin batter.  If it’s really thick add another 1T of milk.

Before cooking, I topped the bake with about 5 frozen cherries, the rest of the banana, and some Love Grown Foods granola.  Instead of mixing it in, or adding it after, I just lightly pressed it in before cooking. 

I topped this bad boy with maple cinnamon almond butter, almonds, and honey.  Lately,  I am just obsessed with honey.  I’ve been using a local, raw honey, that it outstanding!

Per usual, the buckwheat bake held me over for a good 4.5-5hrs!  I initially always want to eat more, but after letting it sink in [~20min] I’m perfectly full for the whole morning.

For lunch, I had a monster sweet tater that was just waiting to be chomped on.  This spud was large + in charge!

In lieu of microwaving, I decided to do another grill-bake experiment!  I cubed the tater and gussied it up with tons of flavor.

curry + turmeric + cinnamon + cumin + coconut oil + salt + pepper + garam masala

I preheated the grill to about 400*, lined my pan with parchment, tossed the taters with the spices + threw the pan on the grill.

I initially thought I burnt them, but realized the charred look was exactly what I wanted.  The darker they were, the more delicious.

You can see how blackened some of them were.  They did not taste burnt in the least!  About half way through cooking, I made room on the pan for shrooms, cherry tomatoes, and frozen chickpeas [cooked a few weeks ago + frozen].

After another 15min, my lunch was complete.

Grilling veggies in a pan is so easy!  We have a grate that sits in the grill for veggie cooking, but the pan method is much easier!  Make sure to use parchment paper and not foil or wax paper.

There was one more component to lunch.  An egg!  I just barely whisked this guy around in a well-greased dish.  I didn’t want to fully cook the egg, so I microwaved it on 50% power for only about 40sec.  The white was perfectly cooked and the yolk stayed a bit runny.  Eggzactly what I was going for!

The flavors were bold.

The textures were crunchy, yet soft and also juicy from the tomatoes.

Topped with a partially runny egg + more grill-baked veg, this meal was way more than I was hoping for.

Curried Grill-baked Sweet Tater

• 1 large sweet potato [large enough for 2 servings]
• 2T curry
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2t turmeric
• pinch of cumin
• 1/4t cinnamon
• 1.5T unrefined coconut oil,melted
• 1/4-1/2t garam masala [depending how spicy you want it]
• 1/4t salt
• black pepper
• 8 button mushroom, sliced
• 6-10 cherry tomatoes,sliced
• 3/4c pre-cooked chickpeas

1. Preheat your grill to 400*/med-high.
2. Cube the sweet potato, into about 1/2-3/4” cubes.  I first slice the sweet potato into 1/2” slabs and then cube from there.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and throw the cubed sweet potato on.
4. Add all ingredients on top and toss until well coated.
5. Place the pan on the grill for 8-10min, then turn 180* to avoid hot spots on the grill. 
6. Grill for another 8-10min, then toss and grill for another er 15-20min, turning once in the middle, again.  The sweet potato should be browned/charred + very soft.
7. At the 1/2way point, when you toss the sweet potato, slide it to 1/2 of the pan and add other veggies with a 1/2T [or so] of olive oil.  Toss to coat and cook for the remaining 15-20min, stirring once.  [*You can mix them all together if you’d like.  I kept them separate, so I could make a sweet potato soup. See below.]
8. Remove pan from the grill and enjoy!

*You can add the veggies to the pan initially if you would like.  I added these half way through because they are quicker cooking. 

The sweet potato was HUGE, like I said.  What to do with the leftover cooked cubes?  Reheating these tomorrow would be an option, but I know they’ll get mushy + dry out in the micro.  So…what to do?

The other day I saw Jenna make a super simple coconut curried sweet potato soup.  She cooked the potato, then blended it with spices, coconut milk + veggie stock.  Brilliant idea for a quick + easy soup!

I threw the extra 1.5c of cubed sweet potato into the Vita-Mix.

Then I found a can of coconut milk. 

Then I dug around for 10min trying to find the can opener…

Found it!

Then I added 1c of light coconut milk and blended until creamy smooth.

And then I was in foodie dreamland….

The char-grilled flavor really came through as well as a ton of warmth from the spices.  I recommend baking or grill-baking with the spices and then turning into soup, for a deeper flavor.

Literally, the easiest soup, EVER.

Add coconut milk and you’re done!

Curried Sweet Potato Soup [inspired by Eat, Live, Run]

• 1.5c cubed + cooked sweet potato from the above recipe
• 1 – 1.5c light [canned] coconut milk

1. Throw in a blender until smooth.  Start with 1c of coconut milk and add more if you want it thinner.  Or, you can add 1c of coconut milk and add a 1/4-1/2c water or veggie stock to thin out as well.

Lunch tomorrow…can’t wait!

And that is how you can take 1 HUGE sweet tater and turn it into 2 meals.  Of course the soup will need a side!

Mock-kitchen disaster alert!

Can’t wait to show you dinner…AND the counters!!!!!!!!!!!!  Installation happening this afternoon!

Ashley 

Don’t forget about the Love Grown Foods giveaway!

huffing + puffing

It’s been one of those days.

It started with crazy dreams, then waking up in a sweat.  It continued with grumpiness, stuffiness, a partially wasted day and a headache.  [Boy, does that all sound super trivial.]

I tried to pull out of it with a sweat-fest at the gym.  Thanks to Gina for kicking my butt today!  I used a workout she posted recently and it rocked.  I was feeling better for awhile after the workout, but something was just off today.

Dinner time rolled around and I started off annoyed that the sun was fading away.  I was annoyed that our kitchen table is about 6” lower than countertop height.  I was annoyed at how many trips I had to make to the bathroom to wash veggies or clean a knife. 

I was annoyed when I had to walk through the maze of cabinets floating around in the kitchen and out the door to the grill.  I was annoyed when the tofu stuck to the grill.  I was annoyed when the potatoes stuck to the foil. 

I’m sure Chris was annoyed that I was huffing + puffing around the house, muttering under my breath.  I’m sure Chris was annoyed when I told him this dinner might be a flop.

I was annoyed when I ran out of counter table space.  There was no room for my light box and no more sun.

I plated my food, sat down on the couch-bed, and took a bite, practically holding my breath, annoyed at myself.

Dinner success.

Happy mouth.

Happy husband.

Grumpiness still here.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Curry Grilled Tofu [serves 2] adapted from Mango Power Girl

• 1 block, extra firm tofu
• 1T millet flour [ground from whole millet in a blender]
• 1T minced ginger
• 1T lemon juice
• 1T olive oil
• 1t garam masala
• 3/4t cumin
• 1/4t coriander
• 1/2t salt
• 1t chili powder
• 1/8t cayenne pepper
• 1/2t turmeric
• 1.5t paprika
• 1T curry powder
• 1T minced garlic
• 1C plain yogurt

1. Drain tofu and slice into 6 even slices. 
2. Using 2 kitchen towels, double one up and spread slices in 1 layer on the towel.  Double up the 2nd towel and place on top.  Place a cutting board on top and a few heavy books on top for 10-15min.  This helps squeeze the liquid out.  You can also use a tofu press. 
3. In a large plastic container combine all ingredients and whisk with a fork.
4. Place tofu in marinade and coat the top.  Let sit in the fridge for 1-2 hrs [I only did it for 20min :)] turning once in the middle.
5. Heat your grill to 350* or med – med/high.
6. Grease the grates very well with oil.
7. Place tofu on the greased area and do not move for about 7-10min.
8. Carefully flip with a metal spatula.  It will stick a bit to the grill but really try to scrape under the tofu to flip and place on a new well greased spot on the grill. 
9. Cook on the 2nd side for another 7-10min.

I thought I was doomed when I saw how charred it was the first time I flipped.  But fear not, it was delicious!  Grilling tofu isn’t the easiest and mine definitely stuck a bit.  Just try to work the spatula under the tofu the best you can!  Or, if you want to use the oven, check out Mama Pea’s tofu cooking method that she just posted.  It looks perfect!

Time to sleep away this funk.

Ashley

buckwheat in a bowl

After talking to Teri on g-chat last night, she had me convinced to make the banana breakfast cookie with pumpkin, not banana.  As a pumpkin lover, I was game.  I haven’t opened a can of pumpkin in at least a month, so this was long overdo. 

I consulted Teri’s version first and then got busy in the kitchen.  I’ve been trying to stay away from oats for the past week-ish.  So many people have commented about the cross-contamination between wheat + oats in production, and while I don’t think I’m quite that sensitive, I’ve been looking to other morning alternatives. [brown rice pudding, coconut flour pancakes, creamy buckwheat, etc.]  I have still been enjoying the Trail Mix Cookies with oats though.  Sue me!

This morning, instead of making the cookie with oats, I made it with ground buckwheat groats!  I am loving buckwheat and it is insanely nutritious.  Even better!

Buckwheat Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie [serves 1]

• 1/4c ground buckwheat groats [untoasted]
• 1T whole buckwheat groats
• 1/2-1t cinnamon
• 1/2T vanilla
• 1/4c pumpkin puree
• 1/4t baking powder
• 1 egg white
• 1T chia seeds
• 2T chopped walnuts [I use my hand, because like Teri, I am also a ninja]
• 2T almond milk
• 1/4t ground ginger
• pinch nutmeg/allspice

1. In a microwave safe bowl [a wide cereal bowl], whisk egg, pumpkin, vanilla and almond milk.
2. Add other ingredients and mix well with fork.
3. Microwave for 1min 30sec – 1min 45sec. [cook timevaries depending how wide the bowl is]

Would you look at this beauty???  Buckwheat has no sweetness to it, and because I used pumpkin instead of banana, this is not sweet at all.  With my banana/pnut butter/coconut butter topping, it was perfect for me though.  However, you may want to add 2t sucanat/pure cane sugar/maple syrup/honey to the mixture, or you can always put it on top, after.  Or, you can just mash 1/2 banana, instead of the pumpkin. :)

I’m sure you can make this vegan and leave the egg white out.  The chia should hold it together.  Maybe I’ll test this tomorrow, so I can tell you for sure. :)  A flax egg could do the trick too!  This cookie was very dense and with the peanut butter.  Quite the mouthful! 

I love that this worked with buckwheat…just check out these stats!!!!!!!  Hello protein + fiber!!!  This is without toppings.  Check out the calcium too.  I’m so excited about this!

I broke out the juicer around lunchtime.  Am I craZZy with this combo??  Chard??? 

In the mix:

• 4 chard leaves
• 2 small apples
• 1 large cucumber
• chunk of ginger

Now that is green!

The chard flavor was quite strong, but I managed to suck it down.  Don’t think I’ll be juicing chard again though!! haha 

I think lemon would have helped!  A lot of people have been asking about how easily the juicer cleans.  I actually think it’s easier than my large food processor to clean.  The blade on the food proc. can be really hard to clean and the edge inside the bowl is not easy to fully clean either.  The juicer has 5 parts to clean, but 4 of them really just need a good rinse.  I use a soap wand quickly and the first 4 pieces are cleaned in 1 minute.  The hardest part is the mesh strainer/blade.  It takes a little scrubbing to get all the gunk out of the mesh, but it’s not too bad.  It came with a brush to help!

More pumpkin with lunch!

Udi’s gluten free bagel [deeelicious!!!] with:

• peanut butter
• banana
• pumpkin
• coconut
• cinnamon

I’ve never tried this combo in a sandwich, and it was faaaabulous! 

I’ve been making really quick dinners lately, but tonight I wanted to cook!

Chickpeas + curry were on my mind and then this is what happened.

coconut millet + quinoa and tomato coconut curry with chickpeas

Tomato Coconut Curry [serves 3-4]

• 15oz can diced tomatoes, juices drained
• 1c low-fat coconut milk [from the can]
• 1T unrefined coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion [~3” diam], sliced
• 1.5T curry powder
• 2t turmeric
• 1/8t garam masala, or to taste – this stuff is spicy!
• 1T grated ginger
• lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 squeeze of lemon
• 1/4t salt
• 2t maple syrup

Coconut Millet Quinoa [serves 3-4]

• 1/2c millet, rinsed
• 1/2c quinoa, rinsed
• 1c water
• 1c coconut milk [from carton – or if using canned use 1/2c + 1/2c water]
• 1T coconut oil

1. In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium.
2. Add sliced onion and cook 3-5min, until soft and lightly browned.
3. Add garlic, cook 1min.
4. Add curry, turmeric, garam masala, ginger, and salt.
5. Cook ~1min until fragrant.
6. Pour in tomatoes, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
7. Stir and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25min
9. In another pot, heat coconut oil over medium.
10. Add in quinoa and millet once hot, and toast for 2-3min.
11. Add water + milk to the pot, stir once and bring to a boil.
12. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for ~20min, until liquid is absorbed. Do not open lid + stir while cooking.
13. Turn off heat and take off burner.  Let sit 5-10min and fluff with a fork.
14. Serve.

This hit the spot!

I also added a few new prints to my Etsy store today!  Here are 2 of my favorites.

[on a boat leaving Sausalito, CA back to San Fran]

[Cleveland botanical gardens]

Save 20% with code - “first50” 

I finally got out to walk the dogs today.  It felt so good to stretch my legs!!  I’ve been stuck on the couch for way too long.  I also did 20min of yoga to help loosen up.  So nice. :)

Time to watch The Office + go to bed!

Ashley