Apple Curry

I had some leftover apples I needed to use up this weekend, so I made up a simple apple curry. 

Apple Curry, 2013.

When I was much younger, I made a dinosaur out of clay. My mom recently gave it to me, and now it sits on the mantle in the dining room. I have a vivid memory of taking the side of a popsicle stick and pushing it gently into the clay to make the mouth.

My dinosaur, circa 1982.

I even gave my dinosaur a signature:

That's me.

I've been meaning to try an apple curry for a while now, and I felt a similar sense of accomplishment as when I had sculpted the dinosaur in grade school. This recipe is all mine.

The dinosaur approves. 

Apple Curry

People: try not to overcook the apples! They should be soft but still firm. Cook too long and you will have curry applesauce (which actually sounds delicious. Maybe you should do that).

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 tart apples (I used Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
pinch of salt
1 tsp minced chipotles in adobo, or more to taste
2 tsp curry powder, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft but not browned (lower the heat if necessary), about 7 minutes. Stir in the apples along with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the chipotles, curry powder, and pepper over everything, stir well, and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, about 8 minutes, until the apples are al dente (soft but not mushy).

Enjoy with a side of cooked brown rice or quinoa.

Simple.

Green Giant Salad

I love salad!

A rainbow of green.  

I learned how to make hearty salads from my mom. (Hi mom!) She throws everything she has--greens, chopped veggies, fruit, nuts, and cheese--into a big bowl and serves it up. When I go out to a restaurant and get a salad with only lettuce and tomatoes in it, I think what is this??? To me, salad is a big, meal-sized endeavor full of different flavors and textures. 

This one is definitely filling enough for lunch or dinner, especially if you eat it with a side of homemade hummus (recipe coming soon). It's all-green in honor of spring: lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, peas, pistachios, and--my favorite--avocado.

Dinner. 

Green Giant Salad

2 cups broccoli florets, lightly blanched in salted water

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup thawed frozen peas

1 small zucchini, sliced thinly

1/3 cup toasted pistachios

gluten-free salad dressing of your choice (here's mine)

1 avocado, sliced

Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with some dressing. Add the avocado just before devouring. 

C'est tout!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I am aware that it is only April and many of you still have snow. An ice cream recipe might seem overly optimistic. But here in Cincinnati, it is 60 degrees and sunny! Perfect hiking weather.

And perfect ice cream weather? Maybe not, but I couldn't wait.

Vegan ice cream. No ice cream maker needed!

Okay, so technically this is probably more "smoothie" than "ice cream." But really, what's the difference?

One difference is that this is some pretty healthy stuff. Ingredients: frozen banana; peanut butter; almond milk; vanilla extract. No sugar, no eggs, no dairy. And really delicious, too, especially if you are a major peanut butter fan like me.

Stick some stuff in a blender, and you're done.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

1 banana, frozen and in chunks
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use sugar-free)
1/2 cup almond milk
dash of gluten-free vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Stir, then puree until nicely blended. Some chunks are allowed, but I prefer mine nice and smooth.

Eat with a spoon.

Happy spring!!

Willa bathed in light.

Fragrant Spring Cleaning & Cashew Curry

Happy March!

The veggies in this curry are just barely cooked, leaving them crisp and flavorful.

It has been a rough couple of months for me and Willa: I was sick throughout the month of February, so poor Willa didn't get many hikes. We spent a lot of time sleeping on the couch and drinking ginger tea. But I'm better now, back to cooking, back to hiking. Looking forward to spring.

Shadows on the path.

This weekend, I started my spring cleaning. I make most of my own cleaning products homemade, out of baking soda, citrus fruits, salt, and other household staples. I started doing that years ago for environmental reasons--all of the ingredients are safe and non-toxic for humans and animals--but I later found out how cheap it is. And fun! By switching up the ingredients you use, you can make your house smell like anything: lemons, oranges, peppermint tea, lavender. Probably not chocolate. (Though a splash of vanilla extract makes things smell like cookies!) Maybe this doesn't make spring cleaning completely awesome, but it does make it aromatherapeutic. :)

I will be posting some recipes for homemade cleaning solutions in the weeks to come. Today I give you a basic recipe for wood floor cleaner, and an all-purpose spray solution you can use on your countertops, stovetop, etc. 

Lemon-Peppermint Wood Floor Soap

1/8 cup natural dish soap

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup brewed peppermint tea

2 gallons warm water

Combine ingredients in a bucket, and use a mop or rag to scrub your wood floors clean!

Almond-Orange All-Purpose Cleaner

1 tsp Borax

2 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice

1/2 tsp natural dish soap

1 or 2 drops almond extract

2 cups very hot water

spray bottle

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake well for a minute or so. Spray and clean all of your surfaces!* (Always shake the solution again before use.) 

*though obviously not upholstery.

Now back to food recipes, though I can't take credit for this one. Today I made this cashew curry from 101 Cookbooks, a site that I love. It's not the normal way I make curry--the vegetables here are lightly simmered in curry-spiked coconut milk, and are left barely cooked. The curry is therefore very light, despite all the filling ingredients: tofu, cauliflower, green beans, and of course freshly-toasted cashews. 

The pictures on 101 cookbooks are better.
But isn't there something  charmingly honest about my crappy photos?

Enjoy. I'll be back to posting my own food recipes soon. Also, I have a thing or two to say about Emily Dickinson.

Ginger Applesauce

I never buy jarred applesauce because, let's face it, it's tasteless. Or it's super sugary.

Homemade applesauce is so much better. Plus, you can customize it to your taste.

Appley. 

Today I bought a big pile of apples and set out to make a basic homemade applesauce. At the last minute, I decided to throw in some grated fresh ginger. Ginger is warming, and it is cold out there.

One of these days, I want to experiment with a savory applesauce, adding celery root, onions and some savory seasonings (curry?). I will let you know how it goes.

This recipe is based on my mom's awesome applesauce, which she made for me and my sisters all the time when we were kids. (Hi, mommy!)

Did somebody say APPLESAUCE???

Ginger Applesauce

Making applesauce is a lot like making mashed potatoes. You peel and chop the apples, cook them in water to cover until tender, and then mash with some seasonings.

Here, I cook the apples with lemon juice, a cinnamon stick, and the grated ginger. Then I mash them by hand, with a potato masher, adding a bit more cinnamon (ground), some maple syrup, and a dash of cayenne.

Mashing them by hand leaves the sauce a bit chunky, which is how I like it. By all means, if you like yours smoother, use an immersion blender to puree yours.

6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
water just to cover
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 or 2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
dash of cayenne (optional but highly recommended)

Put the chopped apples in a large pot with water to cover. Add the lemon juice, ginger, and cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil. Stir and turn the heat to low. Allow to simmer for 15 or 20 minutes, until the apples are soft and mashable.

Using a fine-meshed strainer (so that you don't lose the ginger), drain the apples and discard the cinnamon stick. Return the apples to the pot, add the remaining ingredients, and use a potato masher to mash the applesauce to your liking. Taste and add more cinnamon or maple syrup if you like.

Eat it warm, eat it cold, eat it at room temperature.

Like mashed potatoes, but with apples. 

Beans & Rice, Today's Way

I've always thought "Beans & Rice" to be a rather dull name for a stellar meal.

Today's combination: pinto beans, white rice, crushed coriander.

This is less a recipe than a technique. Beans & Rice is such a staple for me, I make it literally dozens of ways. It depends on what I have in the house. Sometimes it's spicy black beans with brown rice, topped with diced avocado and a squeeze of lime. Sometimes it's red beans with white rice, carrots, and bell peppers, garnished with sliced green onions. Many times I add coconut milk (not today) or finish the dish in the oven (not today).

Sautee some onions and celery.

Today, I had dried pinto beans, Arborio rice, onion, celery, garlic, and a can of tomatoes. If I had had them, I would have added carrots, which make any bean dish sweeter and more colorful. But I didn't. So I worked with what I had. (There is a life-lesson in this, methinks. But this is a cooking blog, so I will leave you to your own reflections.)

Crushed coriander and other spices make things yummy.

I always have vegetable stock and a variety of spices in the house. And as long as I have some aromatics (at least an onion), some beans (canned or dried), and some kind of rice, I can make this--without having to grocery shop!--in almost no time. It's cheap, delicious, filling, and healthy. You can eat it as is, stuff it into tortillas, or use it as a dip for corn chips.

With dried beans, it takes a couple of hours to make Beans & Rice. With canned beans, I can make it in 40 minutes.

The flavors are saying their vows!

Beans & Rice, Today's Way

The key to a good Beans & Rice dish is the seasoning. Especially if you're using dried beans (which I recommend, if you have the time), you need to add quite a bit of salt. Lots of black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cumin, oregano. And here, the star seasoning is crushed coriander seeds.

I don't bother soaking dried beans anymore; I just cook 'em until they're done. But you can soak yours if you want. It will cut the cooking time a bit.

2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock

1 cup Arborio rice (or whatever rice you have)

1/2 lb dried pinto beans
1 tsbp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 tsp dried cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
at least 2 tsp salt, plus more for cooking the beans, and lots of black pepper (to taste)
1 14-oz can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice

Cook the rice, using half of the vegetable stock, in your usual way. (I use less water than most package instructions recommend; I like my rice al dente, not mushy.)

Cover the beans with several inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and cook until tender, about 1 hour to 90 minutes. Add a huge scoop of salt near the end--I use probably a tablespoon. Taste a bean every now and then to ensure you don't overcook them. Mushy beans are not good beans.

When the beans are nearly done, heat the oil in a cast-iron pot (I use a Le Creuset) or large skillet with deep sides. The heat should be medium-high. Add the onions and celery and saute, stirring, for about 8 minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add a heaping teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Then add the garlic and stir for another minute. Add the crushed coriander seeds, cumin, crushed red pepper, and some more salt and pepper, and stir for 30 seconds or so. Things should smell very fragrant!

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon right in the pot if they are whole. Add the beans and, if things look too dry, a little bit of the water you cooked the beans in. Or add more stock. Stir everything well, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until--as they say--the "flavors marry." Taste, and adjust the seasoning (you will likely need to add more salt).

By now your rice should be done. Serve the soupy beans over the rice, and eat them up.

A stellar meal.

Ginger-Lemon Drink

Here's something I drink.

Fresh lemon + fresh ginger = reFRESHing.

Ginger and lemon are great for wintertime illness, immune health, and hydration. No, I'm not a doctor. Well, I'm not a medical doctor, anyway. But that's what I've heard.

After Willa and I have returned from a hike, she takes a long, refreshing drink from her bowl, and I take a long, refreshing drink of this. Then she takes a nap.

Even when sleeping, Willa's ears are awesome.

You can make this drink hot or cold, and it's much better for you than store-bought soda! (Cheaper, too.) And simple. The hot version is a bit more involved, but not much.

Hydrate, people (and dogs). It's good for you.


Ginger-Lemon Drink: Version Cold
serves one

1 lemon
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)
dash of cayenne (optional)
1 cup sparkling water
ice if you need it

Juice the lemon right into a glass. Use a reamer if you want to get all of the delicious juices. If necessary, strain the lemon juice through a finely-meshed sieve to remove the seeds. (Or just be lazy, like me, and let the seeds float around in the bottom of your glass.)

Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir vigorously with a spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings. Drink.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.


Ginger-Lemon Drink: Version Hot
serves one


5 thin slices fresh ginger, pounded with a mortar (or a hammer, mallet, rolling pin...)
1 cup water
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)
dash of cayenne (optional)

Put the ginger and water into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat for 15 or 20 minutes.

Strain the ginger out with tongs or a slotted spoon, and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Drink.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.

Enjoy your weekend!