Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut squash is one of my favorite autumnal foods, and autumnal is one of my favorite pretentious words. So here is some soup I made for lunch today (challenge no. 20). The recipe comes from choosingraw.com. It came out having an applesauce-type consistency (I was going for creamy), so that's why it looks like orange applesauce. This is probably because I had to use a food processor instead of the recommended high-speed blender and also I'm not a very good cook. But I like the taste. It's both refreshing and hearty, if that is possible.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

4 cups butternut squash, chopped
1 cup fresh apple juice or cider
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water (a bit less if you like a very thick soup)
2 large stalks celery
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 pitted and soaked dates (or 2 tbsps agave)
1 tsp salt
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of onion powder (or some fresh onion if desired)


Instructions:

Blend in a high-speed blender. Serve chilled or warm. You could also steam the squash beforehand for an easier blending experience.

Tacos Two Ways

Traveling on business for the past two weeks, I was not able to "make and bring my own lunch" (challenge no. 20), and this week I have been stranded in Brooklyn. But I feel very, very lucky to have power and open grocery stores in my neighborhood. So today I made my lunch and "brought" it to work, even if work is my dining table for the time being.

Oh, and I pretty much discovered the best raw vegan BBQ sauce ever (just blend the following ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and add some water, if needed, to get the right consistency):

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup tomatoes
3 sun dried tomatoes
3 pitted dates
1/4 clove (or one small clove) of garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp stone ground mustard
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/3 tbsp onion granules
pinch of black pepper
pinch of cayenne
pinch of sea salt

With this sauce I made mushroom BBQ tacos: sliced portabella mushrooms, the BBQ sauce, and diced onion wrapped in a lettuce leaf:

I also made balsamic mushroom tacos with guacamole. For this I marinated the mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce before placing them in a lettuce leaf and topping with guacamole and diced onion:

Kale Salad, Battersby Style

Earlier this year my Uncle Richard and I dined at Battersby in Brooklyn, per his keen pulse on the NYC restaurant scene. Not only did it meet our expectations, but the kale salad in particular blew us away. So my excitement was palpable when he informed me that this month's Bon Appetit magazine featured the recipe, as the "dish of the year" no less. Perfect lunch recipe for challenge no. 20:

I collected the majority of my ingredients at the Union Square Green Market and then went to work:

 Crispy Tuscan kale.

 Dressing of lime juice, red Thai chili, minced garlic, fish sauce and sugar.

Finished product!

Obviously it wasn't as perfect as the original, but it was one of the better/more interesting salads I've ever made at home. The dressing has that perfect sweet/hot balance, and the crispy kale brings a delightful texture to an otherwise "regular" salad. I kept all of the ingredients separate so that I could build it at work today for lunch.

Enjoy!

No, Really! Soup!

I was a bit nervous when I saw that the title of this soup was "It's Really Soup!", partly because of the infuriating use of an exclamation point but mostly because it does that equally infuriating thing that raw vegan recipes do -- try to cover up the fact that you're eating something raw vegan.

This recipe comes from the only raw food book I own, clearly purchased because of the rave review from Vegetarian Journal:

Despite all of this, onward I went with a basket full of fresh produce. And I have to admit - this was hearty and tasty. Provided a lovely lunch today for challenge no. 20 (make and bring your lunch two out of five days per week).

Once again I forgot to snap a picture, but just imagine the vegetable section of any grocery store and it pretty much looked the same. Just in a bowl. 

Liquid Lunch

This protein stuff + one banana + ice + water = challenge no. 20 (barely).

Challenge no. 20 is to make and bring my own lunch two out of five days per week.

Recipe Resources

While I wait for some equipment to sanitize in preparation for tonight's bottling and corking of my blackberry wine (challenge no. 9)...

...I thought I'd share a few websites that I frequent for lunch recipes (challenge no. 20):

1. CHOOSING RAW
Despite the name, not all of the recipes are raw. But they're consistently creative, well-balanced, and tasty. Also my go-to resource for smoothies.

2. VEGETARIAN TIMES
I like this one because it provides all of the nutritional information, and it has a pretty good search feature. Plus the recipes are reliably delicious.

3. SPRINT 2 THE TABLE
This site belongs to a friend from college, so I see her posts via Facebook regularly. She is big on working out, so her recipes support that kind of lifestyle.

Side note (just because I get this question a lot): I'm not vegan. I'm not raw vegan. I'm not anything. I eat what I like and what makes me feel good (good being more energized and "cleaner"). Most of the time it ends up being vegan or raw. So there. Stop freaking out if you see me eat an effing cupcake.

New Obsession: Farro

Have you guys heard about FARRO?! It's only my most exciting grain discovery since quinoa. It is soft yet toothsome with a delightfully nutty flavor. Low in gluten, rich in protein, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and E. If brown rice had a cool, super-friendly Italian cousin, it would be farro. 

Today's lunch (challenge no. 20) is farro-ful. I don't have a specific recipe for you, but there are plenty of great ones online (I recommend this one from the Food Network).

Roughly: I sauteed some onions, garlic, red and yellow peppers over medium heat until soft. I added some spinach and let that cook down. I added the farro (about 3/4 cup, soaked for a few minutes and then drained) and let it "toast" for a minute or two. Then I started adding vegetable stock. Three cups were added in total, but I added it gradually. Let the farro soak it up before you put in more. Near the end I added salt and pepper to taste.

Farro is perfect if you have a ton of random veggies you need to use up. Veggies + farro + vegetable stock = perfection. I feel like this is going to be a staple in the Hamilton-Pickles-Potts household.

Dagmar's last name is Pickles.

A More Appropriate Recipe

Last week (one of the hottest weeks ever in life) I made pot pies, otherwise known as a hot and hearty winter dish. So for my lunch today I thought I'd redeem myself with something a little lighter. And colder.

On today's menu (challenge no. 20) is zucchini pasta with peas and asparagus, tossed in an avocado sauce. To make the noodles, I opted for a vegetable peeler, which made fettuccine-like noodles out of the zucchini. You can also use a spiralizer or whatever fancy schmancy robot noodle maker you happen to have in your kitchen.

  

Pasta: 
1 large zucchini
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup asparagus

Sauce:
1 avocado
6 TBSP water
1 TBSP lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 TBSP fresh thyme

Directions:
Peel the zucchini and noodle-ize them to your liking. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Throw the sauce ingredients in a blender and...wait for it...blend. Until smooth.

Blanch the asparagus and peas (I actually just poured boiling water over them in a bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes).

Drain the asparagus and peas and combine with zucchini noodles. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Do a jig (optional).

Pot Pies

Yesterday I connected with my inner Martha to whip up a batch of individual vegetarian pot pies. A good friend sent me this recipe from Vegetarian Times. They save really well, so I decided to make the leftovers my lunch for challenge no. 20.

I forgot to snap a picture of them straight out of the oven, but they looked very similar to this, except I would never choose that tablecloth and I rarely serve meals with a side of raw asparagus:

Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. cold soy margarine, cut into pieces

Filling

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium leek, white and green parts chopped (1 ½ cups)
• 1 ½ cups chopped celery or fennel
• 2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 4 oz. red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (1 ½ cups)
• 2 ¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 2 Tbs. creamy cashew butter, optional (I left this out)
• 6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
• ½ cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 
  

Directions

1. To make dough: Whisk together flours and salt in bowl. Cut or rub margarine into flour mixture until no large pieces remain. Stir in 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water until smooth dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill while making Filling.

2. To make filling: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrots, and mushrooms; sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in flour 
and garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and poultry seasoning. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cashew butter (if using), and 
cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and stir in asparagus, peas, and corn.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 8 4-inch rounds.

4. Divide filling among 8 1-cup ramekins. Place dough rounds on top, pressing dough around sides of ramekins with fork to crimp and seal. Poke hole in top of each pot pie. Place pot pies on baking sheet, and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Friday Faux Gras

A few months back I ranted and raved and squealed about this stuff, Faux Gras, also known as Toasted Walnut Lentil Pate:

My friend Ian, dazzled and moved by my glorious blog, decided to try out his own version. According to him, it was spectacular. So I had to make it for myself:

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups of uncooked brown lentils
About 4 cups of water
1 heaped TSP of Marmite
2 large onions, sliced/chopped
Olive oil
A bag of walnuts*
1 TBS soy sauce
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the lentils for 45 minutes with the water and Marmite. Drain any excess water.

While the lentils are simmering, saute the onions on low heat slowly in olive oil. Check and stir frequently. This slow, gentle caramelizing of the onions gives this spread its outstanding flavor.

Blend everything (I used a food processor) until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*I decided to toast my walnuts in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes before blending with the other ingredients.

Okay, so it looks a little like cat food. But trust me, this stuff is insanely good. I put it in a collard leaf with some julienned carrots and zucchini for a nice lunch earlier this week (challenge no. 20).

Kale and White Bean Salad

For today's lunch (challenge no. 20), I made a hearty and delicious salad with homemade caesar dressing. I found the recipe here.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 small or 1/2 medium head dinosaur (lacinato) kale, sliced into thin ribbons
6 sundried tomatoes, sliced into narrow strips
1/2 cup white beans

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of two lemons
Black pepper
3 pitted dates
1 tsp dulse flakes
3/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend all of the dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Massage over the kale (I used three tablespoons of dressing for my portion). Add the beans and sundried tomatoes and toss.

Stir Fry Try

Another raw vegan lunch recipe for challenge no. 20 (make and bring your lunch two out of five days per week). For this one I went for a stir fry. Mostly stir, not much fry.

BROCCOLI MUSHROOM STIR FRY
(recipe source)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp agave or raw honey
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 large parsnip
1 large carrot
1 cup sugar snap peas
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Make a marinade with the olive oil, soy sauce, and agave/honey. Toss in the mushrooms and broccoli and set aside.

Peel and cut parsnip into pieces. Place in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped, when it takes on the appearance of rice.

Julienne the carrots into matchstick size pieces. Chop the peas into 1/2 inch pieces and toss into the parsnip rice with the carrots.

Stir in the entire broccoli and mushroom marinade mix. Toss. Add some sesame seeds. Enjoy!

On the side I made some eggplant chips in my dehydrator to dip into my new obsession: toasted walnut lentil pate. This stuff is heavenly:

Vegetable Party in My Mouth

Today's lunch (challenge no. 20) recipe comes from one of my favorite raw blogs, Choosing Raw (only about half of the recipes Gena posts are raw, so don't let the name scare you away). Tomorrow I'm attending the Vegetarian Food Festival in NYC and will get to hear her speak, so I thought I'd try out one of her recipes: CURRIED CAULIFLOWER OVER PARSNIP RICE.

I'm using her picture here because it's so darn pretty, but mine looked pretty identical, just stuffed in a mason jar instead of a cute little bowl from Anthropologie:

Makes two servings.

For the curry:
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
1 1/2 tsps mild curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp avocado oil
Pinch sea salt
Black pepper to taste

For the rice:
4 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini
1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
2 tsps rice vinegar
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but tasty)
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk together curry, turmeric, lemon juice, avocado oil, sea salt, and pepper to make a marinade.

Pour marinade over cauliflower, and mix well. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 1 hour, OR roast at 375 for 30 minutes, OR simply allow to marinate while you finish prepping the rest of your dinner.

Prepare raw rice by placing parsnip in a food processor and processing till it’s quite broken down, but not quite “rice” sized in texture. Add remaining rice ingredients, and then pulse until the mixture does resemble a medium grain rice.

Place the cauliflower mixture over the rice and enjoy.

Sage-Squash

I tried to go for a Sasquatch pun but I don't think it worked out too well. Regardless, I am pretty damn proud of today's lunch (challenge no. 20). I can't wait to inhale it later. 10:30 a.m. is a reasonable lunch time, right? On the menu: MUSHROOM SAGE CREAM SAUCE OVER BUTTERNUT SQUASH NOODLES.

I found the recipe here but didn't follow it exactly. Here is my version:

The night before:

Submerge 1 cup cashews in water and soak in the fridge overnight.
Soak 4 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms in the following marinade overnight as well:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sweetener of choice (I actually used grade B maple syrup, but you can use agave or honey)

The next morning:

Rinse and drain cashews. Combine cashews, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp sage (I used fresh sage), about 1/4 cup water (add until you get the desired consistency), and salt/pepper to taste in a food processor (or high speed blender) and puree until smooth and creamy.

Rinse and drain mushrooms. Mix sauce and mushrooms together.

For the noodles, peel a butternut squash and use either a spiral slicer or just grate it (which is what I did). Toss with the mushroom sage sauce.

Drool.

Mash n' Mush

For lunch today (challenge no. 20) I made Rosemary Mashed Cauliflower and Marinated Mushrooms. I'm calling it Mash n' Mush. The recipe comes from Rawmazing. I've been itching to try mashed cauliflower for a while as a substitute for mashed potatoes, and this version turned out excellent. Next time I might try it with cashews (creating a cashew cream and then adding the cauliflower) instead of pine nuts and see what happens. I also want to try a version that incorporates garlic.

MASH N' MUSH

Mushrooms:
3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced 1/3" thick
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup nama shoyu (I just used soy sauce)
1 tbsp agave (I used Stevia)

Mix marinade ingredients, pour over mushrooms, and marinate for at least 4 hours. I marinated mine overnight in the fridge. If you can, stir them occasionally.

Cauliflower:
1 large head of cauliflower
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp rosemary (chopped)
Water

Cut florets from the cauliflower and thinly slice. Place slices in a bowl, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss. Place cauliflower in one layer on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for 2 hours at 116 degrees. If you don't have a dehydrator or don't give a crap about eating raw, you can roast them in the oven until soft.

Once done dehydrating, place cauliflower in a food processor along with the pine nuts, about a tablespoon of olive oil, and enough water to give it the right consistency. Puree until smooth. Add the rosemary and blend. Salt and pepper to taste.

The Weekly Three

Last month I did a post describing my five daily challenges. Today I thought I'd discuss the three challenges that require my attention on a weekly basis.

DO YOGA THREE TIMES A WEEK.
There are so many different types of yoga, but I have narrowed it down to the two that I love the most: Power Vinyasa and Hot Yoga. After brief stints with Yoga to the People (cheap and convenient but crowded) and Bikram Yoga Lower East Side (fabulous instructors and a great vibe but expensive), in addition to some at-home yoga, I think I finally found my match.

David Barton Gym at Astor Place impressed me from the beginning. This gym is beautiful, high-end, and incredibly unique. It's like if Studio 54 came back as a gym run by gay goths. Trust me, that would make sense if you've been there. The whole place (4 floors) is dimly lit, which I love. It was uncrowded despite the prime time I visited, and what? Is that a DJ? Playing a pumped-up version of the True Blood intro song? Where do I sign? The yoga studio is in the gym, so I don't have to separate my gym and yoga memberships. And the yoga room is gorgeous. Candle-lit at all times. Smells better than fresh laundry. I could barely walk for three days after my first Power Vinyasa class there, so I'm also confident that it's challenging enough.

MAKE AND BRING YOUR LUNCH TWO DAYS A WEEK.
I've talked about some of my lunches here and here and here. I plan on making more of these meals post-worthy and making more of an effort to "cook" rather than just "assemble." Last week I finally got a food processor, so I feel like I just unlocked a new cooking door. Next up (maybe even this week): Mashed cauliflower and marinated mushrooms. A ridiculously healthy version of steak and potatoes.

DO 200 CRUNCHES AND THREE 1-MINUTE PLANKS EVERY OTHER DAY.
Someone once told me that planks get easier the more you do them. LIES. For me, they're getting harder. Why is this? I'm angry. However, I have noticed that my core is stronger. I can do some ab moves that were near impossible before. When I'm feeling ambitious I add some side planks. Still waiting on that six-pack though. Shy little muscles, those abdominals.

Do Rice Cakes and Peanut Butter Count as "Making" My Lunch?

Because that was my lunch. Re: Challenge #20.

If you're impressed by my culinary skills and think that you'd like to attempt this incredibly complex recipe, here are the things you'll need:
1. Rice cakes
2. Peanut butter
3. Knife or finger

Instructions:
1. Remove peanut butter from jar with knife or finger.
2. Spread on rice cake.
3. Indulge simultaneously in rice cake and self pity.

You could also just dunk the rice cake directly in the peanut butter, which I have totally never done before.

Speaking of peanut butter, there's this:

And this:

"If you can't control your peanut butter, you can't expect to control your life." -- Bill Watterson

Yeah. Think about THAT.

Great post, Noel.

Sushi-ish

***Re: challenge #20 - make and bring your lunch 2 of of 5 days per week***

This was supposed to be sushi but ended up being more like nori burritos. Delicious nonetheless.

First I chopped up some crimini mushrooms and cilantro and shredded some carrot and zucchini. In retrospect I should have julienned them so that the rolls had some structure. I'm not saying I have sufficient kitchen smarts. I wasn't even following a recipe.

Then I made a nut pate using raw pumpkin seeds, almonds and a few Brazil nuts. I combined the nuts with some lemon juice, grated ginger, chopped garlic and salt. A food processor should have been used, but I used my little nut grinder and it did just fine.

When putting the rolls together, I laid the nori sheet out, first put down the pate, then the vegetable mix, and topped it with some avocado. It was pretty simple to roll up, but then as I tried to cut it into individual sushi rolls, the filling didn't stand up. Oh well. Nut nori burritos it is!