Tuscan Soup with White Beans and Greens

It's finally springtime in LA! BUT it's still chilly out there, with unseasonably (for Southern California, that is) cool weather that we've had for weeks on end...

So, I went to the Atwater Village Farmers' Market last weekend and picked up some fresh greens and great veggies. What better way to celebrate the cool weather than a nice hearty soup?

Tuscan Soup with White Beans and Greens

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, minced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups slow-cooked or two 15.5-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt and feshly ground black pepper

1 small head escarole or bunch of swiss chard or any dark leafy green, coarsley chopped

1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta shape (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 mintes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

2. Transfer the onion and garlic to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the beans, stock, and red pepper flakes and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

3. Cook the greens in a pot of boiling salted water until softened, about 5 mintues. Drain and set aside. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the soup, along with the cooked greens, just before serving.

Notes:

If you don't have a slow cooker, just add all the things as listed, but do it in a regular pot and cook on low for 30-60 minutes, until everything has a nice soft consistency.

Find a good vegetable stock, that will give a good base flavor.

Enjoy!

Uncle Rex's Pie Crust

I've been craving pie this week. I think I'll have time to make one this weekend, with fresh berries from the Atwater Farmer's Market, which I've recently discovered and love dearly.
This recipe comes from my boyfriend's mom Wendy, who makes the most amazing pecan pie every year for holidays. The crust is flakey and yummy, and super easy to make, AND no eggs or dairy!

Thanks, Wendy, for sharing your Uncle Rex's recipe. I look forward to sharing the pecan pie recipe soon!

UNCLE REX’S PIE CRUST

8” pie shell
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp cold water

9” pie shell
1 1/3 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp cold water

9” – 2 crust pie
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cold water


First sift flour and salt together twice, over 2 separate pieces of wax paper, then into the mixing bowl.
Pour in oil and stir with tablespoon just until it almost forms a dough.
Add cold water and stir with spoon until dough begins to stay together.

“The key to the flaky crust is to keep working the dough to a minimum.”

With you hands form the dough into a ball, kneading LIGHTLY 2 or 3 times just to smooth it out and shape it into a ball shape. Dough should NOT be dry or crumbly.
Put rounded ball into center of floured wax paper and gently roll out to size.

Bake pie shells at 450 degrees, about 10 mins or until golden brown. Prick with a fork after 5 minutes in the oven to prevent puffing.

From TED: Battling Obesity and Promoting Good Food - Jamie Oliver's Wish

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

Silverlake Resevoir, Los Angeles. December 29th, 2010

Happy New Year Everyone!

I reread this short story by Miranda July recently and wanted to share it with you.

A little shameless self-promotion here... I have a great little role in her latest feature, The Future, which premieres at Sundance this January and the Berlinale in February!

Here's to a successful prosperous 2011 filled with Peace & Joy, Love & Light!

xo, o.

This Person

Excerpted from 'No One Belongs Here More Than You'
by Miranda July

Someone is getting excited. Somebody somewhere is shaking with excitement because something tremendous is about to happen to this person. This person has dressed for the occasion. This person has hoped and dreamed and now it is really happening and this person can hardly believe it. But believing is not an issue here, the time for faith and fantasy is over, it is really really happening. It involves stepping forward and bowing. Possibly there is some kneeling, such as when one is knighted. One is almost never knighted. But this person may kneel and receive a tap on each shoulder with a sword. Or, more likely, this person will be in a car or a store or under a vinyl canopy when it happens. Or online or on the phone. It could be an e-mail re: your knighthood. Or a long, laughing, rambling phone message in which every person this person has ever known is talking on a speakerphone and they are all saying, You have passed the test, it was all just a test, we were only kidding, real life is so much better than that. This person is laughing out loud with relief and playing the message back to get the address of the place where every person this person has ever known is waiting to hug this person and bring her into the fold of life. It is really exciting, and it's not just a dream, it's real.

They are all waiting by a picnic table in a park this person has driven past many times before. There they are, it's everyone. There are balloons taped to the benches, and the girl this person used to stand next to at the bus stop is waving a streamer. Everyone is smiling. For a moment this person is almost creeped out by the scene, but it would be so like this person to become depressed on the happiest day ever, and so this person bucks up and joins the crowd.

Teachers of subjects that this person wasn't even good at are kissing this person and renouncing the very subjects they taught. Math teachers are saying that math was just a funny way of saying "I love you." But now they are simply saying it, I love you, and the chemistry and PE teachers are also saying it and this person can tell they really mean it. It's totally amazing. Certain jerks and idiots and assholes appear from time to time, and it is as if they have had plastic surgery, their faces are disfigured with love. The handsome assholes are plain and kind, and the ugly jerks are sweet, and they are folding this person's sweater and putting it somewhere where it won't get dirty. Best of all, every person this person has ever loved is there. Even the ones who got away. They hold this person's hand and tell this person how hard it was to pretend to get mad and drive off and never come back. This person almost can't believe it, it seemed so real, this person's heart was broken and has healed and now this person hardly knows what to think. This person is almost mad. But everyone soothes this person. Everyone explains that it was absolutely necessary to know how strong this person was. Oh, look, there's the doctor who prescribed the medicine that made this person temporarily blind. And the man who paid this person two thousand dollars to have sex with him three times when this person was very broke. Both of these men are in attendance, they seem to know each other. They both have little medals that they are pinning on this person; they are badges of great honor and strength. The badges sparkle in the sunlight, and everyone cheers.

This person suddenly feels the need to check her post office box. It is an old habit, and even if everything is going to be terrific from now on, this person still wants mail. This person says she will be right back and everyone this person has ever known says, Fine, take your time. This person gets in her car and drives to the post office and opens the box and there is nothing. Even though it is a Tuesday, which is famously a good day for mail. This person is so disappointed, this person gets back in the car and, having completely forgotten about the picnic, drives home and checks the voice mail and there are no new messages, just the old one about "passing the test" and "life being better." There are no e-mails, either, probably because everyone is at the picnic. This person can't seem to go back to the picnic. This person realizes that staying home means blowing off everyone this person has ever known. But the desire to stay in is very strong. This person wants to run a bath and then read in bed.

In the bathtub this person pushes the bubbles around and listens to the sound of millions of them popping at once. It almost makes one smooth sound instead of many tiny sounds. This person's breasts barely jut out of the water. This person pushes the bubbles onto the breasts and makes weird shapes with the foam. By now everyone must have realized that this person is not coming back to the picnic. Everyone was wrong; this person is not who they thought this person was. This person plunges underwater and moves her hair around like a sea anemone. This person can stay underwater for an impressively long time but only in a bathtub. This person wonders if there will ever be an Olympic contest for holding your breath under bathwater. If there were such a contest, this person would surely win it. An Olympic medal might redeem this person in the eyes of everyone this person has ever known. But no such contest exists, so there will be no redeeming. This person mourns the fact that she has ruined her one chance to be loved by everyone; as this person climbs into bed, the weight of this tragedy seems to bear down upon this person's chest. And it is a comforting weight, almost human in heft. This person sighs. This person's eyes begin to close, this person sleeps.

Excerpted from No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. Copyright © 2007 by Miranda July.

Why I Shop at Health Food Stores...

Holy Guacamole!

Super quick, super tasty with a fresh light flavor, this guacamole will be a hit at your next party or on top of your favorite Mexican dish...

2 ripe avocados
1/2 tomato
1/2 onion, finely chopped (optional)
1-2 jalapenos, de-seeded & finely chopped
1 tbs cilantro
juice 1/2 lime (or to taste)
2 pinches of salt (to taste)

Cut and scoop out avocados into a medium sized bowl. Using two forks, mash up the avocado, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, and enjoy!

A note about ingredients:
If you don't have a tomato in the house, you can use a spoonful or two of pico de gallo or salsa. Just adjust the rest of your ingredients to accomodate for it (i.e. - maybe less jalapeño or salt).
Also, I sometimes don't use onion, and it's delicious either way.

A note about avocados:
Guacamole is all about fresh ingredients and the perfect avocado. Make sure you are using good avocados that are already ripe. This is pretty much impossible to find in a supermarket, so I usually can't make guacamole the first day I get an avocado from the store.

Avocados do not "ripen" or "soften" on the tree, they ripen after they have been harvested. Depending on the time of the season, green fruit can take anywhere from two to seven days to ripen when stored at room temperature. You can speed the process by placing your avocados in a paper bag with an apple for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. To check for ripeness, gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand (avoid using your fingertips), when they yield to gentle pressure, they're ready to eat.

Soliphilia, Solastalgia, and more...

An incredible article about ecopsychology and new ways of looking at how we humans are connected to our environment...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/magazine/31ecopsych-t.html

Veggie Lasagna

The long awaited lasagna recipe is here!!!

1 package frozen spinach, thawed or one large bunch fresh, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
40 oz tomato sauce (homemade is best, see my favorite recipe here)
4-5 zucchini, sliced lengthwise and thin
3 links vegan sausage (Trader Joe's makes a great one!)
Tofu ricotta:
-1 lb firm tofu, rinsed
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp dried basil
-2 tsp sea salt
-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for sauteeing
12 pieces lasagna pasta (no boil is easiest if you can find it)

Preheat oven to 375º F. In a large pan, saute onions and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms, saute 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, place zucchini slices in a roasting pan or casserole dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven for 20 minutes. Remove onion and mushroom mixture from pan. Next, fry sausage, adding more oil if needed, in same pan you used for onions and mushrooms till brown.

To make tofu ricotta combine tofu, thyme, oregano, basil, salt & pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add a tiny amount of water if the mixture seems too dry. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Now to assemble the whole thing:
Ladle enough tomato sauce to thinly cover bottom of lasagna pan. Lay down 4 pieces of pasta on top of sauce. More sauce to cover pasta, then spread half of the spinach evenly over that. Over spinach lay half of the mushroom mixture, then half of the ricotta mixture. Then 4 more pieces of pasta. Repeat layers with the other halves of mixtures, asving a quarter of the tomato sauce. Top with 4 more pieces of pasta, covering that with the last of the tomato sauce. Cover entire thing with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. if you are using cheese or vegan cheese, grate it and sprinkle it on top in the last 15 minutes. If you like a crispy crust, remove foil for last 10 minutes.

The Best Corn Bread Ever! (Vegan & Gluten-Free!)

This cornbread is moist and tender, with a delicate texture, great for either muffins or a loaf. Delicious! I made it for the first time at my birthday dinner. It came out perfect and was a big hit...

Thanks to my friend Jen who gave me the wonderful birthday gift of the great cookbook, Babycakes by Erin McKenna. Babycakes NYC will always be a must-go-to when I go back to visit!

Amazing Corn Bread
(adapted from BabyCakes by Erin McKenna)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup rice milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free All-purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup corn flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for the pan
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 7 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan with oil.
2. Pour rice milk and vinegar into a small bowl, but do not stir; set aside to form “buttermilk.” In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add oil, agave, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour in “buttermilk.” Mix gently until ingredients are fully incorporated and batter is slightly grainy.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on center rack for 32 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 20 minutes. The finished bread will bounce back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
4. Let cool for 20 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the bread. Cover the top with a cutting board, and invert the loaf onto the board. Re-invert, cut, and serve warm. Store uncut bread at room temperature for up to three days.

Nana's Cranberries

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, there was always a jar of Nana's cranberries on the table, no matter where we were. When Ruth got too old to cook anymore, my mother and I took over the cranberry making. Now that she's passed, I make them every Thanksgiving, no matter where I am, and my Nana always has a place at the table in spirit...

I've never seen another cranberry recipe like this one. The dish is sweet and tart and totally tasty, with the most amazing fuscia color and a great texture. The raisins when heated get soft and plump, and the apples are a great crispy compliment to the cooked fruit.

Ruth's Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 12oz bag cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup sherry
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs lemon zest
2 apples cored and diced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Cook the cranberries, raisins, sugar and water for 5 minutes, until cranberries pop. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, zest, sherry, apples and pecans.

That's it! I always find that it's nice to make this recipe at least a day before to let all the juices soak into the fruit. It's nice to store the sauce in a clear glass jar with one of those rubber sealed lids to bring to your next dinner. These cranberries last a long time in the refrigerator (because of the sherry, I think) so if you are a small family and you don't finish them up at dinner they can be enjoyed with leftovers during the week and even a month later.