Eggplant Bulgar Pilaf and Winter Hikes

Obviously my new years resolution was not to blog more consistently.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and were able to enjoy some time with family and friends.

Now its back to reality! No more washing several ginger cookies down with a glass of So Delicious Egg Nog (don't look at me, I would never do that). No more messy house with glitter and tinsel in the strangest of places. No more crying while running on the treadmill because you just love that Christmas song your listening to that much.

The gym is busier than it has been since October and people all around are jumping back on the healthy bandwagon. It can certainly make things a littler easier for those of us who try to live a healthy lifestyle year round. I have been meeting with a lot of new people at the gym lately and part of that initial meeting is to talk about nutrition. One pattern that I see ALL the time, is well intentioned people trying to eat healthier and loose weight by restricting carbohydrates. Unfortunately, it seems that 20 years ago Dr Atkins instilled a fear of carbohydrates in us that would last far too long. I don't want to turn this into a crazy big blog on the different types of carbohydrates and why good complex carbohydrates are essential to your health- so let me cut right to the chase. The more complete, unprocessed and whole you can get your carbohydrate the better- and about 60% of your calories should be coming from these carbohydrates!

When I talk about whole grain carbohydrates I don't necessarily mean whole grain breads and pastas. While these foods are not evil and certainly better than their white counterparts, I am trying to get even grainier! Think oats before they have been turned into oatmeal bread, think qunioa, barley, millet, farro, rice, bulgar, wheat berries, and kasha. These grains are nutrient powerhouses filled with great complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and depending on the grain, a whole slue of other nutrients.

While most of us do not have a millet recipe right at the top of our heads, many of these grains are easier to incorporate and cook with than you would imagine. My goal is to spend my next few blog posts sharing recipes incorporating one of these grainular powerhouses.

Eggplant and Bulgar Pilaf
(Makes 6 servings)

This pilaf is great served warm but also makes a yummy cold pilaf salad the next day. Feel free to add in vegetables that you prefer or have on hand and season to your taste- next time I'm going to add mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur (see Note)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound eggplant (see Tip), diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning mix
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable stock (optional- I did not need)
1/2 - 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

 Preparation

1. Place bulgur in a large deep bowl, add enough warm water to cover by 2 inches, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain; set aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant. Do not stir for the first minute; then cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the eggplant to the sides, making a well in the middle for the other ingredients.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the middle of the pan. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Do not stir for 2 minutes; then mix all the ingredients, including the eggplant, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Make a well in the ingredients again and add tomato paste to the middle. Do not stir for 30 seconds; then turn the tomato paste over and cook for another 15 seconds. Add the drained bulgur, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper; stir well to combine. Heat through. If the eggplant is not completely tender, stir in broth, cover the pan and simmer until the eggplant reaches your desired tenderness. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley (or cilantro).

Tips & Notes

Note: Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Bulgur just needs a quick soak in hot water for most uses. Look for it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains. I get mine from The Flour Mill Natural Foods in Hayden.

Tip: If you’re using large, common globe eggplant, which can be more bitter than other varieties, salting beforehand can reduce bitterness. To salt: Place prepped eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour before using. Rinse well with cold water.

Nutrition Per serving: 214 calories; 10 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 9 g fiber; 357 mg sodium; 533 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (64% daily value), Vitamin C (62% dv), Magnesium (17% dv), Potassium (15% dv)

I find that I get a little more sedentary in these colder months. In the summer I am gardening, running, riding my bike and generally just moving more. I try to remember that all types of weather can be enjoyable to get outdoors in - some of the funnest runs I have been on have been in the pouring rain. That being said I am not a fan of running on ice - however, a snowy hike is right up my alley. I finally forced enticed Thor into going on a winter hike with me - we ended up having a great time and I took a couple of photos to share with you!

What are your favourite ways to get outdoors in the winter months?

Pumpkin Soup

I missed my Silent Sunday post this week but here is the picture I would have posted had I made it to a computer..... 

Eeek! Talk about "Happy Halloween"! This spider found a new home in my shoe and had to be coaxed out by the brave and rugged Thor. I did actually take this photo though - anyone who has known me a while knows that I must have come a long way to get this close to this spider! I have since learned that this is a Cat Spider (his HUGE back looks like a cats head- the points are the ears) and is non-poisonous and beneficial in the garden for killing insects. They create beautiful big webs and do not like to venture indoors. Thor and I decided not to kill this guy and set him out in a home away from my shoes.... 

I am going to be wearing large gloves next time I'm pick up leaves....

Good thing we had a warm and hearty dinner to sooth our souls. I created this Pumpkin soup from a variety of recipes. It was the perfect combination of savory and sweet, light and filling and healthy and delicious. 

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion

1 clove garlic

3 lrg carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4-5 whole cloves

3 cups pumpkin puree

6 cups vegetable broth

2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

2 tbs pure maple syrup

In a large pot, saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. To make the recipe oil free, I sautéed in a splash of the vegetable broth. Add carrots, celery and cloves and continue to cook until carrots are fork tender. Add the pumpkin and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Remove cloves. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until lumps are gone. You can also do this by transferring your soup to a blender or food processor. Return soup to a light simmer. Taste and add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to your preferance. Stir in coconut milk and maple syrup. Serve immediately or store in the refridgerator. 

I would assume this soup will freeze well though I have not yet tried it.

Garnish with a dollop of coconut cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Tenn Sense Shout Out!

I wanted to finish todays post with a blog shout out to a fellow blogger, leader, amazing mother, army wife and friend. Her name is Amy and her blog is Tenn Sense. Amy writes about her family and their day to day joy, pain, successes and struggles as an army family, away from 'home' and raising a beautiful daughter with special needs. Tennyson was born very early (I think I remember Amy saying she was a little over 2lbs) and has had to fight many battles already just to live and interact in the same world as the rest of us.

Every time I see a new blog post up from Amy, I am so excited to read it. Not only because Amy is sharing a special peak into her amazing family, but because Amy shares this peak in such a beautiful and honest way. I have known Amy since high school and I knew very quickly after meeting her that this was one tough lady who did not hold back and was not afraid of saying how she felt, but I had no idea that this would transfer into some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. There's no poetry, no fancy word choices and no flashing colours. Its just real.

Take a few moments to visit Amy and her growing family over at Tenn Sense. I know that you will be glad you did.

Silent Sunday

I'm Back...With Chocolate Cake!!!

I must have composed my next blog post two dozen times in my head. My last post was in June and it seems like yesterday and like a lifetime ago all at once. I am not under any false pretense that my blog was an important part of anyones lives, though I know that there are a few of you out there that do read very consistently and I thank you for that. I think that I am the one that likely missed my blog posts the most. 

Too me this is a type of diary and a social and creative outlet unlike any other. I feel held to a high standard to be as honest and forthright with my blog writing as I am when I talk to myself. Maybe that is why I have not blogged in a few months. While some exciting and great things have happened, there have also been events that maybe I am not ready to put to paper keyboard. 

Maybe that is OK. Maybe I can share what I wish to share and let the rest come out naturally on its own. I have so missed this ritual and am so happy to hear the clicking of keys once again as I type this. 

One of my big motivations to return was a delightful recipe that I received many requests for. I knew that writing up the recipe on my blog and posting was the easiest way to share and so here I am. 

This past month I launched a new nutrition program from my home called Plant Strong. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time and I finally decided just to go for it. The program was a great success and I was so pleased with the amount of interest and support that this program received. I limited my first group to 8 people since we would be meeting in my home and I wanted to make sure that I got a chance to really get to know each person over the course duration of 4 weeks. 

Each week I provided a nutrition lesson, Plant Strong recipes , recipe samples and a cooking demonstration. I think I can speak for the group when I say that we had a fantastic time and we all learned so much from each other. For the final week, I asked to group to bring their own Plant Strong dish and recipe to share with the group. I was so blown away by the yummy foods that came into my kitchen from carrot soup to pizzas to golden flax seed bread with coconut whipped cream. 

The dish that I prepared for the group was of course a dessert..... anyone who had read my blog before knows that I have a terrible sweet tooth. The person who has read my blog before also knows that I don't just bake sweets the 'normal' way....

Chocolate Cake With a Plant Strong Secret

Inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 tbsp ground flax

1/3 cup pure cane sugar

1/4 cup sugar replacement (stevia) or more sugar

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 loosely-packed cups frozen cauliflower, thawed completely but not cooked  (Or omit and sub 1 cup canned pumpkin, if cauliflower is too weird for you. I cant wait to try the pumpkin version )

1/2 cup milk of choice. For pumpkin version, use just 1/3 cup milk 

3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350F, and grease an 8×8 square or 9 inch round baking dish. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix very well. Combine all liquid ingredients and the cauliflower in a food processor and blend until super-smooth, so there are NO lumps whatsoever.

Pour wet into dry, and mix until just combined, then pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

If making a double layered cake like I did, double the ingredients and bake in two round 9in pans.

Avo-Yum Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

2 avocados
1/2 cup raw agave or sweetener of choice (I LOVE making date paste)
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tbs vanilla extract
a tiny pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Feel free to play with different additions.... instant coffee grounds, coconut, cinnamon, mint extract etc....

Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 can full fat canned coconut milk (placed in refrigerator at least overnight)

1 Tbsp sweetner of choice (agave, sugar, maple syrup or stevia work well)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Open can of coconut milk upside down. Pour liquid into a container to be saved for future culinary uses. You will be left with the “solid” coconut milk on the bottom. Scrape in a large bowl and beat on medium/high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and soft peaks form. Add-in sweetener to taste and vanilla. 

A great recipe to get creative with- add flavors of choice such as mint, coconut, almond extract etc...

Assembling the Cake

I spread my vanilla Coconut Whipped Cream on one of the 9 in cakes and then gently placed the 2nd cake right one top. I frosted the whole cake with the Avo-Yum frosting. I placed dollops of the Whipped Cream around the top of my cake and sprinkle coconut shreds on top for a special touch.

There is a lot of work to be done on the blog..... my 'Recipe Archive' is a mess and my 'About Me' and 'Contact' is completely out of date... 

But for right this moment, lets just eat some chocolate cake.

MORE Banana Nut Muffins

I know that this is not the first time I have posted a Banana Nut Muffin recipe. Maybe not even the second time.... BUT how do you not love turning too old to eat bananas into sweet healthy treats. With this recipe I decided to try and go so healthy I would feel good about eating these for breakfast.... no sugar, no butters, no oils. Leave that stuff out and bring on the yummy factor.

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup  oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp flax seed powder + 4 tbsp water

1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)

6 tbsp nut butter (I used a mix of walnut and almond, but any nut butter is fine)

3/4 cup water

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Mix flax seed powder and water, keep it aside.

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.

In a separate bowl, stir oil and nut butter. Now add the mashed banana, flax seed and water mixture, 3/4 cup water and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix till everything is combined. Add the spices and lightly mix in. 

Spoon them into greased muffins tray - regular or mini sized work well.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degree F for 20-25 minutes or till the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Are you sick of pictures taken around my yard yet???? If you are now might be a good time to stop looking... BUT there is an awesome Iris picture to come.... 

Enjoying the colours of Spring.

I am smitten with these Iris's!

This might be one of my favourite pictures... 

I just love these pinks and greens.

Green tomatoes! 

My veggie patch is coming right along.... Do you like the weed that is front and center there?!

Hello June!

Do you like the new background?? It is part of my attempt to re-inspire my blogging consistency.

Boy, I can not believe we are nearly half way through 2012 already! It has been a bit of a whirlwind year for me thus far but also a good year.

I am so excited that summer is arriving and I can not wait to explore more hiking, running, biking and other fun adventures in my new town of Hayden. 

This last weekend we took the short drive to Sandpoint, ID. A cute little town surrounded by 

Lake Pend Oreille.

How darling are Thor's parents!?!?

I have been spending A LOT of time in my yard, prancing about, attempting my first veggie garden and weeding like a maniac. Here are a few of my favourite shots of the garden.

The list of edibles I am attempting to grow this year....

Carrots
Beets
Spinach
Kale
Arugula
Sugar Snap Beans
Shell Peas
Lettuce
6 Varieties of tomato plants
Red, purple and yellow bell peppers
Jalepeno
2 Varieties of eggplants
Zucchini
Strawberries
Herbs - chives, mint, rosemary, sage, parsley, cilantro and coming soon basil

Well I may have bit of more than I can chew (pun intended). It actually makes me a little nervouse to look at that list!

This is my first ever veggie garden so I am planning on a huge percentage of failure and experimentation! That way I can only be pleasantly surprised....haha.

A little note, I have a new love affair cooking up with Tazo Focus Tea. Orangey and chocolatey. YUM!!!

Saturdays and Banana Nut Muffins

Lake Coeur d'Alene

 What is a Saturday like in our house? Well this weekend it consisted of waking up and doing some knitting, meeting a gal pal for a small hike on Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene (above pic), vacuum shopping, and watching Inglorious Bastard (good movie but horribly violent) with a mug of hot cocoa. Nothing to spectacular but I think it was a pretty wonderful Saturday.

Almost every year for birthdays and Christmas, my little brother Blayne gets Thor some type of cleaning tool knowing how much Thor likes things clean. He was very happy today.....

Side note---- the clowny window trim was left in the house by the previous owners, I promise you its coming down soon!

Not in chronological order here but.....

Friday I visited Thor at work with some Banana Nut Muffins. They were a hit and since they are whole wheat and vegan and white sugar free, they were a guilt free hit!

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

Wet

1 cup (appox 3 medium) mashed very ripe bananas

1/2 cup maple syrup ( can substitute with agave syrup) 

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup organic canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

Dry 

2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

Brown Sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

3.In another mixing bowl add the wet ingredients and mix well by hand or with an electric mixer. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

4. Grease muffin tins or insert paper liners into the muffin cups. 

5. Spoon the batter into the cups and fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar and a couple of walnut pieces.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, the tops of the muffins should be golden brown. Let them cool for 10 minutes and enjoy these golden treats!

Lots of changes Max, lots of changes..

I miss you guys. Really, I do. You are my sounding board. My journal. My excuse to not feel totally crazy and narcotic cooking like a mad women and taking 20 pictures of a single dish of food. And like a true friend, whether I post daily or monthly, the relationship is much the same.

Well big news in my house.... its a new house!!! The beau and I moved out to Hayden, Idaho a couple of weekends ago and have been settling in nicely to our new home. Couple of points about the move..

1. Moving furniture is really not that much fun. Make sure you have a good solid relationship with the person you are moving furniture with and take a moment to make each other laugh at the craziness of it all.

2. Starting fresh is fun! Where should I put the plates? pictures? What kind of door mat do we want? It is a lot of questions and we spend a lot of time saying "we should get this", but at the end of the day it is so fun to make those decisions and get a fresh start.


The other thing that is getting a bit of a fresh start is my career. I decided that the hour commute to my former job was just too far to drive in a climate that can be snowy 5-6 months out of the year, and so I am currently job hunting here in Hayden, Idaho. I actually already found a little job teaching Zumba and yoga 4 times a week at a martial arts studio and got a call this morning from a bigger gym looking for Zumba subs.  In addition to teaching classes, I would also like to find another fun part time job where I can meet people and pick up some hours. I am thinking coffee but would be open to some other avenues too (dream job.....assistant vegan cook - not very probable in Hayden, ID).

Today on craigslist there was a job posting for a full time coffee shop manager. I am torn. I have done this before and enjoyed it but it was not what I envisioned for myself in Hayden. The job includes a salary and benefits but I would probably have to give up teaching group fitness classes to take the job.  Advise? Words of wisdom?? Should I just apply and worry about making the decision if I am actually even offered the job??

HELP!!

Well, that is something to think on for sure but let me leave you with a couple of pictures....

Hayden Lake - I live here!!!!!! OK, well I don't live on the lake but I do live in the town thats next to this lake...

Beautiful flowers sent to us from Thor's parents. Such a great surprise!

After YEARS of cooking with thrift store saucepans, I finally took the plunge and upgraded..the first meal? Pasta all Puttanesca of course!

Oops must go... the timer is beeping for "Holiday Soup for the Soul"... recipe coming soon!!!

Knitting Meltdown

I have been knitting for a little over two years now. It has been a gradual learning curve but I really enjoy the process of knitting. It forces me to slow down and really focus my mind in a creative manner, that is likely very under produced in the physically driven body of a personal trainer. I love the feel of the yarns, the different colours and stitch patterns, and of course, I love finishing a project and wearing it around town.



 I recently joined a Stitch & B*!*?h knitting group at a local yarn store and have LOVED getting to know other knitters, sip wine and chat away while we each work on our own projects. Maybe partially due to the confidence inspired by this group of co-knitters or maybe due to the beautiful cable scarf that I just got off my needles, I have been feeling less like a newby lately and ready to tackle some more complex projects. I wanted to try my first garment!

I found this beautiful shrug designed by Lion Brand Yarns. The name of the Shrug is 'EASY Lace Shrug'. So really, how hard could it be??

I was inspired. I was confident. I had a plan. I headed off to my knitting group with the pattern and picture in hand and a list of questions to ask the more experienced knitters. I understood all the stitches in the pattern. With a little patience and focus, what could possibly go wrong?

They assured my that I could handle this. I selected some beautiful jewel ruby yarn to knit with and I was off to knitting my gauge swatch. (I had never even knitted a gauge before because I selected items that it was unimportant, so I was feeling super proud!)

Prepare yourself for the dramatic turning point in my story....

After knitting a few inches in my shell lace pattern. I handed the swatch over to a more experienced knitter to get her opinion on if I had enough to determine my gauge.

She studied my knitting for a while then said "Let me just watch you knit a few rows."

I knew that this couldn't be good, but I had not yet grasped the depth of the situation. So, away I knitted with my experienced guide looking over my shoulder.

"Well," she started after a couple of rows were complete. "You are knitting in the 'Eastern European' style"

"I'm knitting in the what? Are you making that up?"

"No no, you're doing OK, there is no wrong way to knit" (so sweet of her to say, but really a little too kind) "you are just twisting every stitch that you knit, so your knitting is a little tighter and compressed."

What she was telling my in her very sweet and encouraging way, is that I do not know how to knit. I have been doing every single stitch incorrectly. I could literally feel any knitting ego I had built over the last two years come crashing down around me.

I poured a glass of wine and ate some chocolate.

I took a deep breath.

"OK, can you show me how I should do a knit stitch?"



Few favs

Just a quick post today,,, wanted to catch you up on three of my favourite things right now.

1. My little brothers cooking video on his blog. Just trust me on this ..... it is so worth two minutes of your life. Scroll to the bottom on the page and watch his video on making fruit kabobs. Just do it.

2. Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf- If you are vegan you will never go without at another holiday meal.... in fact some of the meat eaters may steal bites of your loaf!

3. Nog for the dairy free!!!! Celebrations are in order...this stuff is soo yummy I have developed a horrible habit of having some in my coffee every morning. I don't know what I am going to do when the holidays are over....

Speaking of the holidays.... am I the only slacker who has done nothing in preparation so far?? Might have to at least get the Christmas songs onto my ipod today...

There is an Arizona!

Well, it has been so long it almost feels as if I am writing my first ever blog post. I am so very sorry to the small number of people that may actually look forward to new posts from me. promise I have not abandoned this project, just a little hiatus I suppose. So much has happened since we chatted last but instead of boring you with a long laundry list, I will just spend this post on our most recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona!

The first snow fall has officially arrived in Spokane, so an escape to a warmer climate was very welcomed. We were thoroughly enjoying the temps in the low 70's, while locals were bundling up in sweaters.




BBQ "Chicken" Sandwich. Vegan comfort food at Green, an all vegan restaurant in Tempe. One of my favourite things about traveling is discovering the array of veggie options in other cities.




Oh yes, we were those tourists! While locals bundled up, we rocked the convertible... it is what makes a work trip for Thor in to a bit more of a vacation.

Squinting in the sun! We attended "Fall Ball", minor league baseball.

Some of Thors newest fantasy baseball players.... what a dork!!! hehe

Feeling pretty cool!

On Saturday we drove up to Sedona, somehow I managed to snag the keys from Thor...

The red rocks of Sedona... Amazing!

Thor was not sure if he was impressed or terrified at my ability to take pictures, drink coffee and drive all at the same time. Women just multi-task better I guess...

More beautiful shots....

and more....

Cheese!

and more...

and more....

and more..

and more..... these pictures really make me want a high quality camera one day....

Sunset in Sedona. The cloudy day parted to give us the most spectacular sunset!

I am so grateful that I occasional get to tag along on these weekend work trips with Thor. Every place I travel I am so amazed b the beauty that surrounds us. Just another reminder at the spectacular gift that our world is.

Now it is back to reality in Spokane... the holiday season approaching quickly and TWO snow "storms" are headed our way. I think it is time to head to the kitchen for some warm vegan comfort food....