2 Comments

Posted on January 2, 2018 by The Divine Kitchen

Veggie Pad Thai (Vegan)

Happy 2018, friends!

What a whirlwind it’s been… already back to work. With the temperature in the single digits, neither my dog or myself wanted to get out of bed this morning. It will be good to get back into the swing of things and to get back into more of a routine.

One thing I like about the New Year is the initiative everyone starts with to invoke some change into their lives. While I hate the tired mantra of “new year, new me”, I’m going to carry through with my new year’s intentions of improving myself, and sticking with them. A reminder – they aren’t resolutions. there’s nothing broken about me that needs fixing. Think of yourself as a fine precious metal, or a prized trophy, a timeless heirloom piece of silver … you’re still the same you were, inside and out, but by polishing yourself up, you suddenly see yourself in a different way, which is the start of something great.

#1 – Self Care

My first intention for 2018 is to make sure I’m taking care of body the best way I can. Some people take this and run with it to the farthest extreme… which might just be the quickest way to set yourself up for failure.

“I’m cutting out all carbs for 2018!”

“I’m going to the gym TWICE A DAY… until forever.”

“I’m never drinking again. Ever.”

I had probably said all of these things at least once, myself. Here’s the problem: are you actually going to stick to any of that? Unless medically necessary, is this all realistic? No. My goal for the year is to prioritize my health first by maintaining the best habits from last year, and swapping out alternatives for things I wanted to  change. Instead of indulging in a big salty bag croutons to snack on (yes, I do actually do that… without salad…), I’m going to make sure I have veggies and homemade hummus on hand at work at home. I treated myself to a fun new water bottle so I’ll be more inclined drink more water. Which brings me to my next intention…

#2 – Buy only what I need

If you have ever met me, you know that I love to shop. I will shop for anything, anyone, anywhere. I have tons of crap I don’t need, and have the audacity to say “I have nothing to wear!” as I stare at a rather large walk-in closet filled with clothes I can’t even remember I have. I’ve worked at White House | Black Market for several years now, and even still, I’ll walk in and see another associate wearing something and comment that I like it, only to be reminded that I bought it 3 weeks ago. I’ve bought duplicates by accident of salad dressings, dish soap, bread (why am I buying bread???) ziplock bags, only to see that I didn’t need them. My intention for this year is to actively keep inventory of what I have, so that I don’t overbuy, overspend and overindulge. I should hopefully have a fatter bank account and less clutter.

#3 – Do stuff that actually makes me happy

To the tune of saving money, I’ve always been a stickler about expensive trips, or big ticket items. While I consider myself a money-saver in the grand scheme of things, I’ve been so obsessed over not buying large things that I’ve overlooked all the small stuff that quite possibly could’ve totaled up to a small fortune. I want to travel with my friends, I want to build a house, and just do things that I’ve wanted to do and never tried to. I want to make my cookbook eventually, and I want a great website for you all… of which I know costs money. No more wasting time, effort and money on things that don’t make me happy.

These are all things I’ve always liked to adhere to, but my intention is stick to them for 2018. If I slip up, it’s not the end of the world… I will just regroup and pick up where I left off.

What are some of your intentions for 2018? Let’s discuss over some delicious Pad Thai 🙂

Vegan Pad Thai

prep time: 25 min

cook time: 20 min

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

For the pad Thai:

  • 8 oz brown rice pasta
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips, ribs and seeds removed
  • 1 large carrot, julienned
  • 1/2 cup red cabbage
  • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 stalk green onions, thinly sliced on an angle
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, loosely crushed
  • 1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
  • (optional for non-vegans!) 1 egg, scrambled well done and finely chopped
  • sesame oil, for frying

For the dressing:

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ~1/4 cup of almond milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1 small clove garlic, pressed or grated
  • 1/3 cup organic peanut butter
  • 1 tsp honey
  • juice from half of a lime
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • (also optional) ~1 small squirt of sriracha for heat

Directions

  1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Sauté red bell pepper, carrot and onion until starting to brown, stirring constantly; about 8-10 minutes.
  2. While sautéing the veggies, cook pasta per box directions. Drain, and set aside.
  3. Back to the veggies! Next, add snap peas and cabbage and stir so they can heat — we want these to remain crisp for  texture, so they’re added last.
  4. Separately, in a mixing bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. the consistency should be somewhat thin to spread across the noodles — similar to a salad dressing, not too thick. Depending on your preference, you can add more coconut aminos, lime juice or almond milk to keep the flavors strong while thinning out the sauce.
  5. Once  finished with the sauce, add noodles (and egg, if using) and sauce to pan and turn off the heat. Continue to stir gently… we don’t want the sauce to muddy the veggies with the sauce, so don’t be too rough. Serve immediately and  garnish with cilantro and green onion.

Enjoy!

-S

3 Comments

Posted on December 28, 2017 by The Divine Kitchen

Chipotle Caesar Salad (Paleo)

fullsizeoutput_590.jpeg

You know when you’ve reached “old” when you feel as though the end of year shuffle had just come on and gone, when in reality it was 12 whole months ago. Back to the same grind, having all this time off of work, thinking I won’t have any time to do anything, and ending up with all the time in the world to do everything. I’ve done a lot of shopping (I should stop), a lot of cleaning, a lot of eating… I’ve done a LOT of working out.

2017 was an interesting year. I think after the volcanic eruption that was 2016, people yearned for a change. They were electrified – ready to rip the band-aid off, ready to reach in and pull their heart out and heal what ailed them. In Chinese astrology, each zodiac year is not just associated with an animal sign, but also one of five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth. Both the zodiac sign and the element influence the astrology of the year itself. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years. A friend of mine who is also a Feng Shui expert (check out her website here!) got me thinking, and I did a bit of research myself.

2017 was a Fire Rooster year. There was chaos… a lot of ups and downs, but nothing seemed to last too long. Rooster years are a weird but even blend of righteousness and justice, braggadocio and efficiency, back and forth. 2017 was a year to get involved in something, if not everything. A lot of change was unearthed, which in this instance is for the best. People have become more aware of their intentions, more flexible – how they can make changes for 2018 will help them advance in their awareness.

This upcoming year is the year of the Earth Dog. 2018 is the year for those who are loyal, considerate, and well-disciplined to shine. This is a strong year for financial potential by means of new business opportunities, increased cash flow, building good reputation and a high social status for the workhorse out there. You might see that there will be more social gatherings and more to celebrate. As we bring more balance into our lives, we will recognize that the tumultuous times of 2017 can be calmed with our ability to match the good with the bad, the high with the low, and the peace with the chaos.

Take some time to look up your Zodiac signs and how they correspond to 2018 – when noticing trends, be sure to keep them in your thoughts as you kick off 2018 so you can start with the right outlook, the best attitude and stay open to opportunity!

 

While this serves as a rough guide (be sure to check your birthdate to make sure you have the right one – it goes by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is a bit different than the Jan 1-Dec 31 calendar!)

What-Does-Your-Chinese-Zodiac-Sign-Say-About-Your-Personality-4

Start off this new year with a tasty and simple treat 🙂

 

Chipotle Caesar Salad (Paleo)

fullsizeoutput_593.jpeg

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serves 8-10

 

Ingredients

  • 2 small garlic cloves, grated or pressed
  • 1 tsp anchovy paste (found near the canned tuna in the supermarket)
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (I am a stickler for Grey Poupon)
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)
  • 2 egg yolks (if you are opposed to using raw egg, you can use ½ cup of Coconaise instead)
  • 1/3 cup high quality organic olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp finely ground Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • (optional: freshly grated parmesan for a non-paleo garnish)

 

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
  2. Add the egg (or mayo), salt and pepper and continue to whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your preference – more tang needed = more Dijon or lemon, more salt needed, or more garlic.
  3. Serve over some crunchy fresh romaine, alongside some Maple Ginger Salmon, or even a tasty chicken dish like Dijon Crusted Chicken!

Enjoy 🙂

-S

Leave a Comment

Posted on December 26, 2017 by The Divine Kitchen

Creamy Potato Gratin with Sage and Fontina (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Who had a good Christmas? I did – and surprisingly, for as much as I jam-packed into those two days, it was relaxing and fun. I was tickled to watch my family open their presents, even if I did over-spend my Christmas budget. You know you may have gone a little overboard when TD Bank calls you because they think you have fraud on your card… and it turns out all the purchases were yours 😦

I got some fabulous kitchen goodies, so you know what that means! NEW RECIPES! I’m happy as a clam with my new KitchenAid hand mixer, my new Cuisinart food processor and a few other fun things. They’ll be making their appearances in my recipes in due time.

I also got a nice gift of one HaloTherapy session to the Salt Cove – it’s a new-ish place that hosts Halotherapy rooms – basically, the room is filled with Himalayan sea salt and is heated to a temperature warm enough to engage the flow of negative ions. Sounds counterintuitive, but negative ions are actually a good thing.  To keep it simple, ions are invisible charged particles in the air. Back to middle school science class, some molecules are positively or negatively charged. If one loses one or more negative ions, it becomes positive – the more negative ions, the greater the negative charge. Negative ions are found mots abundantly in nature… some of people’s favorite places. Have you ever gone to the beach and just couldn’t tear yourself away? Have you ever walked through a forest, took a huge breath, and just felt really energized? Trees, bodies of water, rainstorms, earthen landscapes… welcome to the land of negative ions.

Why are they so good, though? Here’s a few reasons:

  • They neutralize free radicals, which can prevent cancer
  • They promote cell metabolism
  • They enhance the body’s immune function
  • They purify the blood
  • They balance the autonomic nervous system, promoting deep sleep and healthy digestion

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/ ; https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cell-metabolism/

If you’re stuck in an office filled with hundreds of computers, cell phones and Bluetooth devices like myself all day, finding a place like this is a real treat. I highly recommend you check out one in your area – they’re popping up all over the map! It’s a great place to meditate, clear your mind and enjoy some relaxation.

Back to food… while I have been doing my darnedest to stick with the paleo grind, I couldn’t help myself with Christmas. I made the most delicious Potato Gratin… for those of you who can appreciate a little starch and a lot of flavor, please check this out J I will have some healthy recipes back on deck for you guys later this week… stay tuned!

 

Creamy Potato Gratin with Sage and Fontina (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

fullsizeoutput_585

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons ghee, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
  • 4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut in half
  • 1/2 cup organic crème fraiche
  • 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh sage, plus 10-12 large whole sage leaves
  • 1 large block (approx. 8 oz) Fontina cheese, shredded
  • Himalayan sea salt, to taste (I used approx. 1 tsp plus a bit more)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup plain  gluten free breadcrumbs (these are delicious)
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • ~ 3 tbsp Olive oil, for frying the sage

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large but shallow baking dish with some ghee and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Mash the potatoes, along with 4 tablespoons of the ghee. Add the crème fraiche, parsley and chopped sage. Once mixed evenly, mix in the fontina and season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Spread the potato mixture in the prepared dish in an even layer.
  5. Separately, in a small bowl, use your fingers to blend the rest of the ghee with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add a pinch of salt if you feel the mixture needs a bit more flavor. Top the potatoes with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and crisp on top.
  6. Meanwhile, as the gratin bakes, heat olive oil in a small skillet until shimmering (but not smoking!) Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, in both sides, about 1 ½ minutes per side.
  7. Transfer the sage to paper towels to drain. Once the gratin is finished cooking, scatter the fried sage over the top and serve.

fullsizeoutput_586

Enjoy!

-S

Leave a Comment

Posted on December 18, 2017 by The Divine Kitchen

Holiday Deviled Eggs with Roasted Red Pepper and Jalapeño (Paleo)

Such a heart-warming time this last week, especially approaching Christmas. My Adopt-a-Family gift drop-off for work was a few days ago, so I loaded my Jeep up along with several other cars and we dropped off 10 very large bags of gifts to Family Promise, a local chapter of a non-profit that helps families get back on their feet by providing affordable housing and life skills/coaching as they work to improve their situation.

I may have gone a little overboard in buying things myself for them — I picked up the unclaimed items on the list, found myself at Old Navy with their huge sales… and bought these little girls the cutest outfits, shoes, scarves, hats, gloves… I just wish I could be there to see them open everything. I hope they love it all.

Does anyone else feel a little unraveled? I know the holidays are always really busy, and I know i always feel like I’m one “Issue Notification” email away from a mental breakdown at work, but I’ve been feeling particularly frazzled this year. I leave for work, it’s dark. I come home, and it’s been dark. Do you know what I’ll be doing this weekend?

NOTHING.

It stands to reason that this probably won’t be a total truth, but I plan to do as close to nothing as possible. My current definition of “nothing” is listening to Christmas music, with my dog, wrapping Christmas presents and going to bed at 9pm. I’m so excited.

I’m also excited to have some more time to cook things for you all! I’ve concocted a ton of recipes, it’s just trying to find the time to make them. I’ve been so busy that I’m living off of chopped salad and scalloped potatoes I made, and have kept in my fridge. Whatever! Yolo.

A simple reminder for this Holiday Season, don’t forget about yourself. There’s a fine balance with gift giving, and just general giving, which includes your time, your home, and even your thoughts. Don’t forget to give yourself some peace and quiet — you don’t have to accept every holiday party invitation, nor do you need to gift people the most expensive crazy thing you can find to prove their importance to you. Give from the heart, take some time for yourself, and enjoy the time of year where people are a bit more  generous, a bit more forgiving and a bit more kind.

Holiday Deviled Eggs with Roasted Red Pepper and Jalapeño (Paleo)

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs (preferably cage/cruelty free!)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2/3 cup Coconaise
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 jalapeño, finely minced, seeds and ribs/stems removed
  • Sriracha, for garnish

Directions

  1. In a saucepan large enough to fit all 12 eggs, cover completely with cold water. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Once the eggs have started to boil, remove from heat and let stand for 12 minutes to allow the eggs to cook thoroughly.  Run the eggs under cold water to stop from further cooking, then drain.
  2. Meanwhile, add olive oil and red pepper to a small frying pan, and sauté until soft and starting to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Stir frequently, so they don’t burn. Once finished, set aside.
  3. Gently peel the eggs, careful not to break the whites. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Arrange egg whites face up on a plate,  and set aside.
  4. In a bowl, mash egg yolks, Coconaise, Dijon, red pepper, salt and black pepper together with a fork. Continue to mix until smooth. Transfer the egg whites to a plate and fill them with the yolk mixture.
  5. Sprinkle with the jalapeño, add small drop of sriracha and serve immediately. You can cover and chill them for up to 4-5 hours if you need to make them ahead of time.

Enjoy!

-S

Leave a Comment

Posted on December 11, 2017 by The Divine Kitchen

Throw-Together Curry-Spiced Couscous (Vegan)

We had our first snowstorm this weekend, and it was kind of fun! I drove home, and it was nice to see the snow covering all of the trees. I think I’m ready for more snow after Christmas… I just need to get through the next three weeks so that I can get my shopping done.

Yesterday was a madhouse out shopping.  People were everywhere, and the sales were actually pretty good. What wasn’t good was the amount of money I spent… it was painful. It seems as though my list of people to buy for continues to get bigger and bigger, and I found myself getting upset with the fact that I was trying to find just something to buy for people.

After talking with people about what the best gift ideas are for big crown, I decided that giving people something that I love, that I also knew they would love, would be the best route. Food, it is! Maybe I’ll make people cookies, or fun dishes and things they can freeze and enjoy later. I haven’t quite decided what I want to do, but I do have a few ideas… They’re a surprise.

This past Friday, my best friend and her old roommate came out to my house for reading. It wasn’t meant to be anything grand or spectacular, but I knew there be people to feed and I was excited to throw something together. I made some delicious vegan garlic bread and a salad with some tasty pomegranate Dijon dressing, but the best part about the dinner was the dish that I just threw together with whatever was in the cabinet. I had couscous, a can of beans, and as I dug through my freezer I found some frozen spinach. With my endless supply of onions on hand, I decided to throw it all in a pan and see what happened. Delicious!

 

Throw-Together Curry-Spiced Couscous (Vegan)

img_30831.jpg

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 20 min

Serves 5-6

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp oil, divided
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 can white beans, rinsed and thoroughly drained
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 package frozen spinach
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp black pepper

 

Directions:

  1. In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until they start to become translucent – about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Once the onion begins to brown, add spinach to pan. If it hasn’t thawed, lower heat so as to not scorch the spinach as it cooks. Break apart with a spoon and continue to cook, allowing the water to cook out, turning the heat back up once the spinach is completely broken up. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until most of water from spinach is gone.
  3. Meanwhile, in a separate medium sized sauce pot, heat vegetable broth and other tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Once brought to a boil, add couscous and allow to cook per directions. Stir to fluff and set aside.
  4. Back to the frying pan – add beans and raisins to the pan and mix. Gently stir in the couscous and continue to mix. Add curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper and stir. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, until couscous starts to brown. If your mixture starts to dry out, add in a tsp of olive oil while stirring. Feel free to add additional salt, to taste (I find the other flavors mix nicely with this amount of salt, but feel free to add).

IMG_3082

Enjoy with some thing light – like my Garlic Tahini Kale Salad!

-S

 

Want to browse?

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com