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September 2018

Dinner Recipes Salad Vegetarian

Bruschetta Panzanella

September 19, 2018

Bruschetta Panzanella
(AKA Hobbies on Hobbies)

My husband has a lot of hobbies. So many hobbies, that his hobbies have hobbies. Take gardening. He is on the quest for the perfect vegetable garden. So he did all of the research and bought all of the materials he needed for the garden. This included a worm farm… enter secondary hobby. I know. Never in my life did I think I’d be cohabitating with worms, but then again never in my life did I think I’d (happily) be living in Iowa and here we (happily) are. At any rate – We got worms.

Jon’s rational behind the worm farm was so that he could achieve the most perfect soil for his garden. I told him I would never be a part of the worm farm – the feeding, the cleaning, the saving any food scraps. But surprise, surprise, 10 months later I’m dedicated to the project. I even have a little section in our refrigerator devoted to feeding the worms. It’s just a container with some food scraps, but now I feel odd when I throw away apple cores, carrot shavings, kale stems, etc.

When we go out with friends, Jon and I usually have a conversation before that goes something like this…
Me: No talking about the worms tonight. People already think we’re weird enough.
Jon: Okay, no talking about the worms.
Gets to party
Me: So have you heard about our worms???

I admire my husband’s hobbies – they’re so original and make mine feel so basic.
Mine: Pilates, food, running, organizing, decor. Ugh! I may as well write “North Face & Uggs!”
His: Gardening, orchids (?!?), bread baking, ice cubes (that’s for another post… see note above about being weird).

But onto the recipe. Thanks to the garden… and the worms, we have beautiful tomatoes. So many tomatoes we didn’t know what to do with all of them. Until I came across this Bon Appetite article that inspired me to make this salad.

This Panzanella is perfect for using up the end of your summer produce. I love it as a side, dinner itself, or if you’re feeling fancy, for brunch. In all honesty, panzanella is such a funny salad to me! It’s called a salad, but it’s just an excuse to eat a loaf of bread? And I’m okay with that!

Bruschetta Panzanella
(Serves 4)

3 cups of cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic, peeled
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, separated
½-1 teaspoon of salt
½ a baguette or about 4 cups of bread ripped apart
5 ounces of arugula (one container)
Juice of half a lemon
4 leaves of basil, chiffonade
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
¼ cup of pine nuts
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the tomatoes and garlic on the baking sheet and toss them in ¼ cup of olive oil and ½ a teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper or to your liking. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside until warm or room temperature.
  3. Place the torn bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the pieces toast.
  4. Make the salad: Toss the arugula in the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the toasted bread and place the tomatoes on top. Drizzle the balsamic on top and garnish with pine nuts, basil, and parmesan.

Question:
What are your hobbies?

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Dessert Gluten Free Optional Recipes Vegan Vegetarian

Mini Chocolate Tahini Pies

September 4, 2018

Mini Chocolate Tahini Pies
(AKA Unwinding Pie)

My grandmother had 7 children. 7 kids in the span of 12 years. I have one and can’t figure out how to leave the house some days. We like to ask my mom how our grandmother coped and according to her, after all the kids were asleep she would eat a mini Table Talk Pie. I like to picture her sitting at her kitchen table, putting her feet up on the chair next to her, taking a deep breath, and going in with the fork. No grubby little hands intervening, no sharing bites off the same fork, just her and her pie.

I’m a cliche. I like to unwind at the end of the day with a glass of wine, but I don’t like to do it every day. The ritual doesn’t feel as luxurious when it’s an everyday activity. I do like to have a treat at the end of every day. Sometimes it’s a glass of wine, kombucha, bad TV, or zoning out on Instagram and wondering how I got to an oddly specific page on skin. No, just me? Nevermind then… Other days it’s a pot of chocolate.

Enter these little pies.

I really like tahini. I put it on stirfry, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, tofu. Why not put it on chocolate?? These pies are on the simpler side – even my sister could bake these. And I bet you have most of the ingredients on hand. If tahini is not your thing, try swapping in almond butter (another heavy hitter in this house) or peanut butter.

Mini Vegan Chocolate Tahini Pies
Serves 4

Crust
⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ cup of Earth Balance, melted

Filling
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate
⅓ cup of tahini
Pinch of kosher salt
½ cup of canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (garnish)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, and kosher salt. Slowly add the melted Earth Balance while mixing until the dough becomes crumbly. Pack evenly into 4 3-inch oven safe ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
  3. Combine the semi-sweet chocolate, tahini, and kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  4. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk and maple syrup on medium-low heat. Do not boil. Pour on top of the chocolate and tahini mixture, stirring with a silicone spatula until the chocolate is fully incorporated and melted. Pour onto cooled chocolate crusts. Sprinkle on the Maldon. Cool before serving.

Question:

What do you do to unwind at the end of the day?

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