Brrrrrrrr....It's cold inside

Hello Again!

I took an unexpected hiatus while I was busy getting married, and now I'm back. I plan to share some of the big events from the last year in my next few posts. I've been cooking up a storm and have many new recipes to share.



This Ohio winter has been quite mild compared to last year, and this week we were finally hit with blustery cold weather. Bill and I are still in the same Walnut Hills apartment that happens to be incredibly cold. Last night, our bedroom was 50°... SERIOUSLY.

  This place is freezing

To combat the frigid temperature, we've added several things to our lives: lots of layers, an electric blanket, and delicious soups. Most recently, I made a vat of vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup. I learned about this Jewish staple last year at a friend's house. It's like a vegetarian version of chicken noodle soup. Since Bill no longer eats meat, this has become one of our favorite comfort foods.

Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup

Serves 9

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients

• 4 TB unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 celery ribs, sliced
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 5 cups water
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Matzo Ball mix (requires 2 eggs and vegetable oil)

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until tender. Add garlic, bay leaves, celery seed, oregano, and dill weed. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. Add vegetable broth, water, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, follow directions on box to make Matzo Balls. Add Matzo Balls to soup and cook for twenty minutes.

Dreamy Hummus, Ezme Salad, and Gunshot Induced Insomnia

Come spring, I love to savor fresh vegetables. Hummus is one of my favorite ways to make that happen. I have been working on perfecting my traditional hummus recipe for years, but have never been able to get that perfect silky texture I seek. Today, I found the secret.

In the words of my future father-in-law, ‘Prepare to be bonerized.’

… remove the skins from the chick peas. Pinch the beans between your fingers and a thin film will come off. That’s it! So simple! I can’t believe it took ten years to figure it out! I also like to add a little Greek yogurt to take my hummus to a whole ‘nother level.

Enjoy this dreamy hummus with spicy ezme salad. This is basically Mediterranean salsa, and it is a fantastic condiment with kabobs and sandwiches too.

Creamy Dreamy Hummus 
*vegetarian

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained with skins removed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 TBS lemon juice

4 TBS Tahini

4 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Greek yogurt

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until blended into a smooth consistency. Garnish with paprika and Greek feta. Serve with pita chips and dipping veggies.

Turkish Ezme Salad
*vegan

2 dried ancho chilies, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, deseeded and chopped

1 serrano, chopped with seeds

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 handful Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1 TBS lemon juice

3 TBS tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp paprika

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until blended into a salsa consistency. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with pita chips and dipping veggies.

***While writing this post, I was interrupted by the sound multiple gunshots outside. I called the police and then went back to my blog about the realities of domestic bliss. Bill, the cats and I are now huddling in the dark away from windows. The joys of Cincinnati living!

Vegetarian Soup for the Soul and Get Your Goat and Beet It Salad

After a long week of being emotionally drained, another meltdown was inevitable. It came Thursday after a particularly long day that left me feeling completely burned out and in general very apathetic about life. I’ve been struggling with what has become a mundane day-to-day routine filled with unnecessary stressors and a lack of inspiration.  At the brink of a nervous breakdown, I expressed my urge to take drastic life changing measures on an unsuspecting Bill.

Instead of arguing, Nugget took the loving partner approach. He validated my mounting stress and acknowledged my need for a soul-nurturing environment. Without completely uprooting our small family, Bill came up with an incredibly insightful albeit simple plan of action. Instead of leaving our evenings open ended with the possibility of dwelling on the stress of the day, we will set goals to nurture our mind, body and soul each day.   

Today, this translated into cooking a nutritious meal. I bring you:

Vegetarian Soup for the Soul and Get Your Goat and Beet It Salad

Vegetarian Soup for the Soul
*vegan

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs in juice

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 small butternut squash, chopped

3 bunches multicolored carrots, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

½ small red cabbage, chopped

½ bunch purple kale, chopped

1 handful of chives, chopped

1 15-oz can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a stockpot with steamer insert and sauté onions until soft. Add the can of tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, butternut squash, carrots, jalapeno, and cabbage. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. Place the kale and chives in steamer insert. Set steamer inside stockpot and steam for 5 minutes. Remove insert and add kale, chives, beans, and vinegar to soup.

3. Continue to simmer soup until carrots and squash are cooked through. Season with pepper to taste.

Get Your Goat and Beet It Salad
*vegetarian

1 bunch green lettuce, chopped

½ small red cabbage, chopped

½ bunch purple kale, chopped

1 handful of chives, chopped

1 bunch golden beets. peeled and chopped

1 bunch red beets, peeled and chopped

As much goat cheese as your heart desires

Olive oil to taste

Balsamic vinegar to taste

Ground pepper to taste

1. Toss lettuce, cabbage, kale, and chives in a large bowl.

2. Assemble lettuce mix on a salad plate. Sprinkle beets and goats cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and top with ground pepper.

Beet Pasta & Uncontrollable Sobbing Over A Stockpot

Most of you who know me, know that punctuality is not my gift. So, when I was asked to bring a dish to my friend’s dinner party last weekend, I knew I needed to pad in some extra time for preparations.

I planned to make a pasta dish from one of my favorite recipe publications, Vegetarian Times. I woke on Saturday (afternoon), wrote my grocery list, and then got completely lost in Netflix while unpicking an old pair of jeans for a project that I will probably never complete.

I figured that I needed an hour and half to go to the grocery store and make the dish. That meant I had to get off the couch by 5:15pm in order to get to the dinner party at 7.  Completely unaware, 5:15 came and went. I had forgotten that the living room clock was still an hour behind due to daylight savings and my procrastination. When I came to this conclusion, it was 6:30 and things quickly spiraled out of control.

Anxiety, depression and PCOS do not make for balanced hormones, and I spun into an all out PMS rage. Pots and pans flying, bubbly water splashing, cats bolting, a meltdown ensued. ‘I can’t do it all! What am I doing with my life! I’m so sad all the time!’ Bill slowly backed out of the kitchen and left me to my angry sobbing while I tried to throw together some pasta with whatever I had in the fridge. This is what I ended up with…

Beet Pasta & Uncontrollable Sobbing Over A Stockpot 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS Olive Oil

Ground thyme to taste

Basil to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste

¼ cup lemon juice

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1 large beet, chopped

3 small golden beets, chopped

8 carrots, chopped

18 oz can artichoke hearts – quartered

1 bag frozen peas

1 box Rotini pasta

Ground pepper to taste

Shaved Parmesan blend

11. Heat oil in stockpot and add garlic, thyme, basil, and crushed red pepper. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add lemon juice, vinegar, beets, golden beets, carrots, and artichoke hearts. Cook 10 minutes at medium heat.

22. In separate pot, cook pasta according to package directions.

33. Add peas to vegetable mix. Cook for 5 minutes or until peas are heated. Add pepper to taste.

44. Drain pasta and mix with vegetables.

55. Serve warm and garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

We still showed up late, but the pasta was a success!

Later in the week, I decided to go to the grocery store and make the Fusilli Col Buco with Braised Spring Vegetables that I originally planned for the potluck.

Fresh herbs and a hearty broth made this recipe much more delicious and complex, but I’m still proud that my rushed beet pasta was edible. Happy Spring Cooking!

The Recession: A Love Story

I was angry all the time.

I hated my job. The big boss picked on me.

I knew Bill had a ring, but he was waiting until he had a secure job to propose.

I saw a therapist. She told me the job was crazy, not me. I had a feeling I was going to get laid off.

I got laid off. 

I wanted to blow things up.

I got really drunk and vomited gyro all over a brick road. Bill took care of me. I slept on the floor.

I was really sad and drank a lot, and then my computer crashed. Then I drank more.

I folded Bill’s laundry and set it by his dresser. A week passed and the laundry basket was still sitting there.

I was angry and put his clothes away for him. I found a ring in the drawer.

I tried it on and put it back in the drawer.

I tried it on again and wore it around the apartment when I was alone.

I told Bill that I found the ring.

I told Bill that he needed to find a job.

I went to New York to buy some fabric and visit some friends. It was fun, but Bill said that he would never be happy living there. New York is too expensive. My severance pay was almost up.

I bought a new computer on credit. I needed it to get a new job.

I started getting unemployment checks. It was only enough money to cover my rent and health insurance.

I went into debt.

I didn't have enough money to afford my medication, so I stopped taking it. I stopped paying for health insurance too.

I was anxious and sad all the time.

I realized that I had gained a lot of weight. Then I got more sad and anxious.

I did a few projects.

I had a few interviews.

I had to buy a bunch of bridesmaid stuff for a wedding. The wedding was terrible. I had two panic attacks and soaked the shoulder of my brother’s dress shirt with tears. The wedding was outdoors and it was really hot.

I gave a sweet toast, even though I was disgusted with the bride and groom. I got really drunk and vomited lasagna and wine into the shapes of the Hawaiian Islands. Bill took care of me again.

I got a job offer in Cincinnati, so Bill and I moved into his parent’s basement in the country. 

I lived out of a box. 

I started a new job.

I told Bill he needed to get a job.

I started taking my medication again.

I moved into an apartment in the city with Bill.

I was happy when he got a job nearby.

I still drank too much.

I lied about it.

I was angry all the time.

I went to a couple of AA meetings. I met some kind people there, and realized I'm not an alcoholic. I needed therapy.

I had a long talk with Bill about the last few years.

I went to see my old doctor in Clifton. She told me to stop drinking. I did. She told me to me to exercise and take vitamins. I did. She told me not to resent Bill for things he can't control. She told me not to resent myself for things I can't control.

I felt better. 

I started listening to Bill's stories again. 

I laughed.

I realized life is not all about me.

Bill and I started to be happy again.