Tag: Sweet Potato

Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Vegetables

March 15, 2018March 20, 2018

As I recover from my lack of cooking, I am easing back in with my favorites, my go-to’s, and things I realize I should have shared with you.

I think it was around Thanksgiving that I first had some variation of this bowl. It’s a simple equation, really, and one you’ll find all over the internet. Cook a grain (or combination of grains), top with vegetables and/or proteins, and season with sauces. What I like best about them is that with minimal effort, you can feed yourself anywhere from four to six meals with only about two hours of effort. They have become a go-to in our house: I add a soft boiled egg at breakfast or crispy baked tofu at dinner. I add greens to make it more of a salad, or whatever roasted vegetables I might have lurking in the depths of my fridge that need to be finished up, or some smoked salmon from the farmers market. The point is, this is endlessly riff-able and endlessly people-pleasing.

Here are a few other recipes I use for topping my grains and sauces:

Ginger Scallion Sauce
Carrot Ginger Dressing
Baked tofu and/or mushrooms
Bo Ssam leftovers
The perfect egg (I like a six-and-a-half minute egg)
Smitten Kitchen’s scallion meatballs and the accompanying soy-ginger glaze

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Kale & Sweet Potato Soup

October 26, 2017October 30, 2017

We’ve turned on the heat. On the afternoons when the cold is seeping into my bones I nudge the thermostat up a couple of degrees. We’ve had four fires in our fireplace. Jonah even acquired one third of a cord of wood (which is a lot). I am drinking tea most mornings. The leaves are fiery red, more neon than I remember them being in years past. I think I’m so excited about all of this because I missed fall last year. I’ve always loved fall for many of the usual reasons: sweaters, tea, cozy gatherings with family and friends. But this year it all seems bigger. Last year we went pretty much straight from summer in Portland to more summer in Thailand, and then straight into winter in Germany. I missed my favorite season and some of my favorite ingredients.

But having more appreciation isn’t the only thing that’s different. There have been little things in our day to day lives that have altered since we started making this home. It seems silly, but I used to be very particular about leftovers, and often didn’t really like eating them very much. These days I am a leftover guru: combining bits from different meals to make something completely new and also really good (if I do say so myself). I am working on going with the flow more, and am getting better every day. And this season I am determined to confront my mediocre feelings toward soup. It’s not that I hate soup at all – I don’t even dislike it. But there is always something I would rather eat (the exception to this is matzoh ball soup). But with a new kitchen, a new dutch oven, and a new perspective on leftovers, I’m going to conquer soup.

I made this decision over a month ago when we arrived in Chicago for our wedding. Once we hauled our suitcases into the living room at Jonah’s parents’ house after a long day of travel, my mother-in-law asked if we wanted something to eat. She scooped rice into a bowl and topped it with this light coconut broth, simmered kale, and sweet potatoes. There was a healthy pinch of cilantro, and she got out the hot sauce for us to liberally drizzle over. I took one bite and was convinced that I needed to re-examine my relationship with soup. I ate this for the next three days for lunch, secretly sneaking into the kitchen for a slightly early lunch so I would get to it before Jonah’s family finished it off. It was selfish, but I couldn’t help myself.

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Weekend Finds 11:17:13

November 17, 2013February 5, 2017

1. Pie Alternative

Pecan Pie Ice Cream // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Pecan pie ice cream from A Beautiful Mess

Pies are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little something else on your Thanksgiving dessert menu. This ice cream looks just lovely – I love the cream cheese in the base and the fact that, yes, there’s still pecan pie in it.

2. Fall soups

A Lighter Pumpkin Soup // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Pumpkin soup with roasted garlic and leeks from Recipes a Volonte

I love a creamy fall soup, but sometimes they’re too heavy. This roasted garlic, pumpkin, and leek soup seems a little lighter (milk instead of cream, and only a half a cup), and would be perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer or any other fall night. (Also, a lot of the recipes on Recipes a Volonte look lovely.)

3. DIY Leather Coasters

DIY Leather Coasters // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — DIY Leather Coasters from Design*Sponge

Jonah and I have recently made a couple of trips to Scrap, a bits and pieces craft store a block from our house. And they have leather scraps. So maybe, you know, I could make these leather coasters. Talk about a neat present for the holidays.

4. Sweet Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato Gratin // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Sweet Potato Gratin with chanterelles and cheese

I’ve been looking for a gratin recipe to make. Gratins are lovely for the winter – take root vegetables (or even something like cabbage), basically smother it in bechamel sauce, and bake it. Could there be something more rich and warm and comforting? Nope. This sweet potato one with cheese and chanterelles looks so rich and scrumptious, I might have to convince my mother to add it to our Thanksgiving menu.

5. Pie Trimmings

Pie Trimmings // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Old pie trimming tips on Buzzfeed

These old pie trimming tips look so beautiful, and just like something I’d use for my pie crusts. I particularly like the cornucopias and the ruffle effect.