sprinklefingers

Like I said before, I don’t really make resolutions. 
Now that we’re in the third week of 2012, I’m mighty glad about that. Everywhere around me I’ve seen resolutions crashing and burning.

As for my goal of cutting out half & half? Well, the first week of it was really tough, but I did it. No half & half for a week. The second week I allowed myself two cups of coffee during the week that each contained one tablespoon of the good completely-amazing-oh-my-god-how-I-miss-it stuff. And this week I plan to treat myself to two to three tablespoons as well. How indulgent!

Something I’ve realized in all of this?
I’m really good at quitting! (I plan to add quitting to the list of things I do well. Right now that list also includes sleeping and walking.)

Quitting is easy! Especially when I have motivation. Here’s an example:

Facebook. While this may come as a shock to you, I am not on Facebook. This sentence surprises even me when I read it. I mean, I was, basically, the Queen of Facebook. If I did something even remotely interesting, I Facebooked about it. Most of my thoughts came in status updates. I found myself doing things on purpose so that they’d make a good Facebook story. I had hundreds of friends who were actually my friends, I commented on their cute kid photos, I drooled over snaps of what people were having for dinner, I laughed at all their jokes. Facebook was the first thing I checked in the morning and the last thing I checked at night. Madness!

Much like my half & half situation, I was addicted to Facebook.

But not anymore.

Here’s what I did. For two weeks I tracked how much time I spent on Facebook. Whether it was via my mobile phone or my laptop, I made a note of how much time I spent wandering aimlessly through the cyber lives of my friends. And it added up to a lot of time. Let me say that again: It added up to so much time that I started feeling guilty. Who was I to complain about my busy life if I was spending hours Facebooking? Madness indeed.

But this madness served as my motivation. Just like after seeing how many calories a day I was consuming in half & half alone, the hours I was logging on Facebook - and the thought of gaining those hours of my life back - served as my motivation.

So, I quit. I deactivated my account.

And then the withdrawals set in. At first it was like an unpleasant itch that I couldn’t scratch. Like, right under my bra strap in the middle of my back. And then it was like I was covered in poison ivy from head to toe. I missed Facebook so much. I was still thinking all my thoughts in status updates, but I didn’t have any place to put those thoughts. I felt lost. It was seriously weird.

But, the fact that I missed it so much didn’t push me back to Facebook - instead it bolstered my resolve and served as proof that I was making the right decision! Yes! You can turn off your main source of communication with your friends who are scattered worldwide and still be fine! Yes, you can miss out on the latest YouTube sensation that until now you’d only find out about on Facebook. Yes, you CAN (and I seriously mean this) go a day without reading about the political opinions of friends. And, yes, you can put your phone down and connect with your kid or your husband or your friends - face to face with no electronic device necessary. 

Freedom. 

So, I’m spending 2012 with less half & half and no Facebook. Unbelievable.

If Facebook was still a part of my life I would tell all my friends about this delicious dish we had for dinner a few nights ago. And everyone would have commented about how delicious it sounded. Or about how they wanted me to adopt them. Or something like that…

Sweet Potatoes & Kale in Coconut Milk
Serves 6 

The stars of this dish are earthy, roasted sweet potatoes and braised kale - add in a rich (and some might say decadent) coconut broth with some slabs of pan-fried tofu and you’ve got an easy one-bowl-meal that anyone would be happy to sit down to on a blustery January night.

The recipe may seem long, but I have given you some tips for do-ahead work. If you do some of it ahead the whole thing will come together quicker than you can imagine on the night you plan to eat it - I promise.

You need:

• 1 lb firm tofu, drained 
• 4 medium sweet potatoes, washed/unpeeled and cut into 6 wedges each
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1 bunch of kale, washed/toughest part of stems removed and then cut into ribbons
• 2 T premium quality red curry paste  
• 2 cans (not light) coconut milk, shaken well
• 8 oz chicken broth (you’ll use half for the kale and half for the coconut broth)
• 1 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• fish sauce
• brown sugar
• 1 lime, zested & juiced
• steamed rice (we like Bhutanese red rice, but brown rice will work)
• sliced green onions

Prep the tofu:

You can prep the tofu (drain it and dry it out) a day or two in advance. Just be sure to refrigerate it until you’re ready to fry it. Drying the tofu out in a few layers of paper towels helps when it comes time to cook it - less moisture ups your chance for achieving a delicious golden crust on your slabs - the texture is a great match for the sweet potatoes and kale.

1. Wrap the already drained tofu in a thick layer of paper towels. 
2. Set the paper-wrapped tofu on a plate and then invert another plate on top. 
3. Set something heavy on the top plate - say a can of beans or a bottle of salsa. 
4. Let the tofu sit this way for around 20 minutes.
5. Unwrap the tofu and slice into slabs that are about 1/2” thick.
6. Heat a small bit of oil (your choice) in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
7. Add the slabs of tofu and let cook until golden. Flip and fry the other side of the slab in the same manner.
8. Set aside.

Roast the sweet potatoes:

Much like the tofu, you can prep the sweet potatoes in advance. I usually roast them on my day off for dinner a few nights later. I simply refrigerate them until I need them and then reheat them until hot in a 400 degree oven. Easy!

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Toss the sweet potatoes in 2 T of olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper.
3. Roast approximately 25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to yield to a bite, but not falling apart or about to become mashed sweet potatoes. 
4. Set aside. 

Prep the kale:

Since the kale will soon be swimming in a delicious pool of coconut broth, I take it easy on the seasonings here and simply braise it in broth then lightly season with salt & pepper.

1. Set a pan over medium-high heat and bring 4 oz of the chicken broth to a simmer. 
2. Add the kale and let braise in the chicken stock until dark and soft.
3. Season with salt and pepper then set aside.

Make the coconut broth:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 2 T of the curry paste. Let the curry paste heat up until fragrant.
2. Once fragrant, add both cans of coconut milk to the curry paste and stir until the paste incorporates into the milk.
3. Add the remaining 4 oz of chicken broth.  
4. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and stir well.
5. Add 1-2 T of fish sauce. I like more fish sauce than less, but you should adjust to your own liking.
6. Add 2-3 T of brown sugar, again, the amount depends upon your taste.
7. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and stir.
8. Let the mixture sit over the heat until hot. 
9. Taste and adjust seasonings - adding more fish sauce, brown sugar or even salt and pepper if desired.

Assemble your bowls:

1. Place a serving of rice in a deep bowl. Place a few wedges of sweet potatoes on the side of the rice, then a few slabs of tofu and finally pile in some kale.
2. Ladle the hot coconut broth over all and garnish with the sliced green onions. 

I like to make extra rice to keep in the fridge and - wait for it - I reheat the rice with some leftover coconut broth for breakfast! A great way to start the day.

Goodbye, Facebook! Hello delicious meals!

whoa is me. it’s been a rainy month here in good ol’ oregon.
i heard the other day that we’re just a few inches shy of this march going down in history as the rainiest march in years. although, i could be wrong. i (over)heard this information at the end of a rather tough spin class and sometimes my brain is too overcome by my legs complaining that they can’t feel themselves to pay any real attention to what people are actually saying. so, to sum it all up: it’s been extremely rainy. this rain may or may not be record-breaking. and, i really go for it at spin class.

speaking of rain and spring and spinning, i’m really hoping all the asparagus popping up at the market means spring really is on the way…please? spring? come on! we’re waiting for you! and speaking of asparagus, you should buy some. and then make this:

roasted spring asparagus with poached eggs & grits
serves 4 light eaters (or two eaters if you eat like me & my husband)

this is delicious and would be perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. a bed of cheddar grits topped with a poached egg accompanied by a side of roasted asparagus? yes please.

this feast requires a bit of multitasking, but i know you can do it. i suggest you prep everything ahead, then first roast the asparagus. while it’s in the oven, heat the milk/water mixture for the grits at the same time as the water for the eggs. you’ll get the grits in the pan and - while stirring occasionally - focus on the eggs. doing things this way should find all three components finishing up at around the same time. alternatively, you could roast the asparagus ahead and enjoy it at room temp (which is actually how i prefer it) alongside the eggs & grits.

for the asparagus:

you need:

• 1 bunch asparagus - not the thinnest of the lot and not the thickest of the lot
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• pepper

roast the asparagus:

1. preheat the oven to 425.
2. wash & pat the asparagus dry.
3. holding one stalk in your hands, bend it in on itself. see how the end snapped off? now trim all the other stalks just below that same place.
4. arrange the trimmed stalks on a sheet tray in a single layer.
5. drizzle the stalks with olive oil.
6. season with salt and pepper.
7. slide the tray into the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes or until roasted but not darkening too much. (be sure to shake the pan a few times while roasting.)

for the grits:

you need:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup corn grits
• a hefty pinch of kosher salt
• a hefty grind of black pepper
• 6 oz vintage white cheddar, shredded

make the grits:

1. combine the milk and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. once the mixture starts to simmer, add the salt, pepper and grits.
2. adjust the heat so that the grits remain at a simmer.
3. simmer the grits for 5 minutes - the mixture will bubble & burst - stirring all the while.
4. after 5 minutes, check the grits…are they as thick as you’d like them to be? if not, let them cook a little while longer, taking care to watch that they aren’t burning in the bottom of the pan.
5. once the grits have reached your desired doneness, remove the pan from the heat and add all but 2 oz of cheese to the pan. stir until the cheese melts into the grits.
6. put a lid on the pot and set aside until your eggs are ready.

for the poached eggs:

you need:

• 4 farm fresh eggs, each cracked into a ramekin
• 2 t white vinegar

poach the eggs:

1. bring a saucepan of water to a simmer (note: i did NOT say boil. one way to ensure that your water is hot enough but not too hot is to first bring it to a full boil, then reduce the heat and let the water settle to a simmer - this is the water you should poach your egg in.]
2. add the vinegar to the water.
3. carefully slide each egg out of its ramekin down into the water. (if your saucepan isn’t large, poach only two eggs at a time.)
4. simmer each egg for 3-4 minutes, then remove them from the water using a slotted spoon.
5. set the poached eggs on a lint-free towel to dry off a bit.

finish the dish:

1. quickly & neatly plop a scoop of the grits onto a dinner plate. sprinkle 1/2 oz of cheddar on top and then carefully top with a poached egg. line a few stalks of asparagus alongside the grits. sprinkle with a bit of salt & pepper to taste.
2. repeat Step 1 for your dinner partner.
3. enjoy.
4. make it stop raining.
5. please.

ps: a delicious twist to this meal would be to use SMOKED cheddar instead of the vintage cheddar in the grits. actually, you could make it both ways and decide which you like best. start now!

oh oh oh! how is it already this late? i should have been in bed an hour ago!

i blame the bbc. their good food site sucked up 100% of my free time tonight.

there are many reasons to love good food. the first being that they call zucchini courgette. the second being their library of blackberry recipes. seriously, bbc? seriously?

and the third reason i love it? the search engine. seriously. i typed in ‘chutney’ and screamed out loud: EIGHTY results for chutney. EIGHTY!

sure all the recipes are written for folks across the pond - but after a few conversions it’ll be a piece of cake. i’ve already picked out what we’re having for dinner tomorrow night. and dessert, too.

thank you, good food.