My Lifelong Battle with Sleep

     I haven't posted much lately. Ever since I returned from my trip overseas I have been trying to get back on schedule. I've been busy getting certain affairs back in order and trying to catch up after more than a month away. The main reason I haven't been posting, however, is that I have been having more trouble with sleep than ever before. Over the past 3 weeks I have not fallen asleep before 2AM and I've had two nights that I had no sleep at all. So, here I sit after another night of only getting 2 hours of sleep. On the bright side, I did get to see the sunrise this morning.

     I have the world's worst sleeping habits, at least it seems that way. I've had problems with sleeping for as long as I can remember. In elementary school I would often stay awake until 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning watching television or playing video games and then I would sleep until the early afternoon. In my teen years the problem got even worse and in college, between working full time and taking a full course load, sleeping was truly a luxury. As an adult my bad habits continued but I have been lucky that most of my jobs never required an early start time and I could make my own hours. There isn't a time in my life when I don't remember feeling like a zombie in the morning. I have always thought that people who say they wake up feeling rested were full of shit. I have almost accepted that I would always feel like garbage in the morning and there wasn't much I could do about it.

     I've had occasional success with my sleep. From time to time I'll get into a very nice routine, in bed at a reasonable time, up for an early start and feeling energized. But, those occasions have been very few. I'd quickly fall back into old habits. It has become quite obvious to me over the past few weeks that I have a serious problem that needs to be addressed. I've been reading a lot lately on how to obtain proper sleeping habits and over the next few weeks I'll be applying some of the things I've learned and talking about them here. This may not be interesting to a lot of you but hopefully it will be helpful to a few. I know for a fact that I'm not the only one with bad sleeping habits. Also, this will be a good chance to get back to why I started this blog in the first place, a place to explore self improvement. So, keep checking back in to see my progress or to see my crash and burn. Who knows what will happen.

Do you have bad sleeping habits too? Share your story.


Take care of yourself and each other......AND GET SOME SLEEP!

Tasty Tuesday! Late Edition

Yellow Split-pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale

     This is my first post since returning from Guyana! It has taken a little time to get back in the habit of updating "A Beer with Brad" but more posts are coming. In the meantime try this soup recipe. I believe I've posted a lot of soup recipes on here lately. Apparently I really dig soup and didn't realize it. I'll put up a wider variety of recipes some other time.

     This is the first recipe I've put up that you will need special equipment in order to make. You'll need a pressure cooker for this one or else the sweet potatoes and split peas will take forever and a day to cook. It just so happened that someone gave me a pressure cooker a while back and I have never used it so I thought why not try it out.

     The thing is, this pressure cooker was most likely manufactured in the 1950's (at least that is when the user's manual was printed). Obviously pressure cookers have come a long way in 60 years and they are completely safe to use now. Today, thanks to built in pressure relief valves, there is no risk of a pressure cooker exploding, or creating a new sky light in your kitchen, maiming you, or vaporizing the family dog. But, this pressure cooker lacked all the modern conveniences and safety features. I probably had no reason to fear the cooker while it was on the stove but I left the room anyway and crossed my fingers that I wouldn't have to explain to my landlord why his house had to have the kitchen replaced.

     Honestly I wasn't really curious as to how this recipe would turn out. I just wanted an excuse to use a piece of antiquated cooking equipment. It worked, the meal preparation was pretty uneventful, the soup tasted great, and I will be using the pressure cooker again in the future.

     If you don't own a pressure cooker this recipe may not be for you. There is a way to make this recipe without one but the amount of time it takes isn't worth it. If you have one though give the soup a try.

A fun side note: I scoured the user's manual for any kind of funny anachronistic uses of sexist/racist language but the manual was PC even by today's standards. Kudos Mirro-Matic!

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oil (I used olive)
• 2 tsp. ginger paste or 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (minced)
• 2 tsp. garlic
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 cups of water (give or take)
• 3 cups of dried yellow split peas
• 2 tablespoons of curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large handful of kale, central rib removed, chopped

1. Saute the onions until translucent in a little oil. Throw in the cumin, pour oil over the spices, add the ginger and garlic. Add the sweet potatoes, water, split peas, and 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Stir. 
2. Seal the cooker and bring it up to high pressure (as described in your manual). Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes, remove from the heat, and allow the pressure to come down.
3. When the potatoes and split peas are cooked add the kale, season with salt and pepper, and the rest of the curry powder. If the soup is too thick add a little more water.
4. Cover the pot again and let the kale cook down a little just using the steam of the soup. Do not apply heat.

Saute those onions

Add the potatoes

There is essentially a bomb on top of my stove.

Next add the kale

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Roasted Beet and Tofu Burgers

     This will be the first Tasty Tuesday post made during my trip to Guyana. Well...I'm actually making this post from the comfort of my Baltimore kitchen a week in advance but you know what I mean. This week I bring you beet and tofu burgers. I know...sounds weird but try it! I promise you will become a fan.

     I've always been a fan of beets but never really knew what to do with them. Being from the south, I only consumed beets of the pickled variety or cut them up into salads. After reading a little about beets (yes, I take time out of my day to read about beets) I found out just how versatile they are. Beets can be processed into table sugar, used a performance enhancer for athletes and race horses, and can be used a natural coloring agent in food, among other things The coloring agent part explains why I ended up with pink hands making this. Sorry for not taking more pictures by the way but I like the color of my camera the way it is..

     I came across this recipe on the blog Fat Free Vegan and I knew I had to give it a shot. I will have to warn you now that this is not a quick recipe that you can whip up right after work and I modified it a little from the original. This takes a bit of time but you can make the patties in advance. Beets are a hearty vegetable so will probably still be in season for a little while longer. Take advantage while you can because very soon the only seasonal vegetable will be turnips!

• 2-3 medium sized beets
• 1 onion (or 3 small)
• 1 head of garlic (that's head, not clove)
• 1 package of tofu
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Trim the beets using a vegetable peeler if you have one and remove the stems and leaves. Remove the excess skin from the onions, and trim the top off of a head of garlic. Wrap each item in foil, place on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for about an hour. Once the time is up remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
2. While they are cooling, crumble the tofu and add the reaming ingredients. Finely chop the onions, remove the garlic cloves, and mash the beets into the tofu creating a "ground beef" like consistency. This is the part where your hands will turn pink. 
3. Shape the mixture into patties (whatever size you like), place on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. 
4. Create your favorite burger with whatever condiments you have on hand.

The only picture I took before my hands turned pink

Take care of yourself and each other...

And Away I Go...

     Not too long from now I will be boarding a plane and traveling to Guyana. Without getting into too many details I'll be taking part in an expedition to discover, catalog, and hopefully one day protect the biodiversity of the Guyanese rainforest. How did I end up with this job? I'm still trying to figure that one out. This is just the next step in what has been a very long journey. I'm looking forward to this new chapter. 

     I've already written a few pre-scheduled blog posts that will be up at random times over the next few weeks. Keep checking back in for those. Don't expect anything insightful or terribly interesting while I am gone. This is going to be my chance to get away from technology for a bit. It will be nice to take a breather. I've become too dependent on my laptop and cell phone. I need to take a moment to center myself. I think we all need moments like that from time to time. I've always tried to use travel as an excuse to get away from technology and to reconnect with people and places. I've never understood people who don't take the time to travel even though they have very few obligations like a job or a family but I also stopped trying to understand people's actions (or lack thereof) in general. I wonder and find great interest in what other people are thinking but I know that I will never fully understand them and they will never fully understand me. I guess that's why we have to keep the lines of communication open. We may not be able to understand each other completely but hopefully we'll get close enough. So, I encourage you to travel. See other places. Experience new things. Live life the way other's live it. You may find out that you like their lifestyle. Their habits may become your habits and before you know it, you've grown as a human being. It's funny how easy it happens. Look around every once in a while. You could be missing some very interesting things.

What are some of your favorite travel stories. Share them with me.

Take care of yourself and each other...  

      

  

Tasty Tuesday!

Baba ghanoush

     This week, I bring you a really simple recipe. Baba ghanoush! If you aren't familiar with baba ghanoush you are really missing out. Baba ghanoush is very similar to hummus so if you are a fan of hummus you will like this recipe. If you want a simple hummus recipe check out my previous "Tasty Tuesday" post here. 

     I had a few eggplants left in the Towson University Urban Farm that needed to be harvested before our first frost so I brought some home. The original plan was to make a nice eggplant Parmesan but that's old and played out. Even though I've had baba ghanoush plenty of times in restaurants I never made it myself and it is super easy. So, if you have a spare eggplant laying around give this recipe a try. The recipe says "serves 8" but I ended up eating it all in two sittings. This mess is addictive!

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• garlic (as much as you like. I used 3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons of tahini
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• salt (to taste)

1. Cut the eggplant in half and roast in a 400 degree oven (skin side down) until a fork easily punctures the thickest part.
2. Allow the eggplant to cool. Using a fork or spoon, scoop out the inside of the eggplant into a blender or food processor. Do not use the skin.
3. Combine the eggplant with the remaining ingredients, except for the oil, and blend until smooth.
4. Once the mixture is combined slowly incorporate the olive oil.

Take care of yourself and each other...

I'm a Reader...

     A few weeks ago a very good friend of mine sent me a couple of books in the mail. It's so awesome having a friend that works at a bookstore. Anyway, for reasons I don't fully understand she sent me a book entitled, "The Cow in the Parking Lot: A Zen Approach to Overcoming Anger."

     Oh shit! Do I have an anger problem? Am I completely ignorant of this? And, is it so apparent to others that a very close friend decided that I needed a book on how to over come it? After my near existential melt down I just decided to chalk up my package to being just a very kind gift without any deeper meaning. But...I could be wrong.

     I will admit that I am known in certain small circles for my temper. But, I've always seen most of my angry outbursts as being justified. Yes, I get angry when people are rude. Yes, I get angry when my roommates are messy. Yes, I get angry when I am hassled by campus police when I am at work. Everyone gets angry! But...is anger ever justified? Enter....the book!

     I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book while on a recent trip to NYC. I don't consider myself a spiritual person by any means so I've never bothered to read a book about Buddhism or let alone Buddhist approaches to dealing with anger issues. However, besides a brief mention of Zen meditation in an early chapter there was very little "spirituality". Spiritual teachings weren't the purpose of the book! Instead, the "The Cow in the Parking Lot" was more of an exercise in finding the true cause of anger, the cost of either choosing to act out (with an explosion of expletives), or the benefits of trying to understand the many facets of anger itself.

     Think of it this way. The book begins with a scenario. You're rushed, you're trying to find a parking space in a busy lot, and then all of a sudden some jerk driving a type of car that you hate pulls in and takes the parking spot you were patiently waiting for. Are you angry? You bet you are! But, look at it this way. What if, instead of some jerk in a Hummer it was a wandering cow that walked into the parking spot and sat down. Are you mad now? Most likely not. Now you're just in a funny and absurd situation and will have a good story for later. 

     Now, of course this is a simplification of things. Cows most likely mean no harm which may be the exact opposite of the idiot that took your parking spot. But...was he/she truly being malicious? Were they really out to ruin your day? Did they even see you sitting there waiting patiently? How do you know what they were thinking? The point is...you don't. So why assume that the person was out to offend you? It isn't worth your time and, to make matters worse, the stress you are now feeling because of a lost parking spot damages your health. So, now you are allowing someone to actually harm you without making physical contact. Why bother?    

     Anger is simply having a current need going unfulfilled. That's really all it is. So, is losing a parking spot worth the angry outburst and high blood pressure. Probably not. 

Now, the book gives great advice as to how to deal with situations that may cause anger and I'm not going to go into them here. This post is long enough. But, I'll end here with a few notable quotes. True, they don't have much to do with anger but this book touched on a wide variety of subjects that all are rooted in finding true happiness and peace. 

We refuse to take the risk of changing jobs or relationships because we cling to these things when we are emotionally upset. By being unwilling to disturb the habitual order of our lives or to endure emotional pain, we allow ourselves to stay stuck in a situation where our demands are not met on an ongoing basis, leading to anger.

The fact that we "think" we know what will make us happy leaves us with a closed mind, pursuing our mythology rather than being content with where we are right now.

All things in the Universe are deeply interconnected in a complex we of cause and effect. This means that everything that has ever happened and is happening anywhere in the universe affects the present moment. Everything, extending from the big bang through the first amoeba dog-padding across the slime, the dinosaurs, the extintion of the dinosaurs, Columbus (or whoever) discovering America to what you did yesterday and in the last minute plus the butterfly's wings flapping in Brazil, the first drops of dew settling on Mars, and what your adversary's great great grandfather did centuries ago are all interacting to create the present moment. So, when we judge the hand we've been dealt as unfair or unacceptable, we are, in effect, taking on the whole Universe. The odds of our winning this battle are not good.  

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Tomato Soup with Basil and Farro

     I've missed you guys! I haven't posted in 2 weeks! I refuse to chalk up my lack of blog posts to laziness because I have been busier than ever trying to work through this Master's thesis. There is light at the end of the tunnel! I tried posting a new recipe last week but for some reason I could not load pictures and who wants a recipe with no pictures? No one! That's who. So, I apologize for my lack of posts but I have a lot of posts ready to go. Keep checking back in.
 
     This week I am posting yet another soup recipe. Tired of soup? Well you shouldn't be. Soup is pretty boss especially during this recent cold snap. I don't remember the last time (if ever) I experienced snow in October but last week we got a fresh dusting. Growing up in the south, cold weather was my sworn enemy. To me, anything below 50 degree was unfit for human beings but over the past few years I have learned to embrace cold weather. I really love waking up early and going for a walk when the air is cold and crisp. Then, when the weather is really cold and there is enough snow on the ground I trek around and pretend that I am "Jeremiah Johnson".

     But...I'll never be as badass as Jeremiah (or Robert Redford for that matter). I could make soup for him though! I've got that going for me....which is nice. This week I wanted to work through the last of my tomatoes and I found a recipe using an ingredient I had never heard of before called farro. If you aren't familiar with farro it is essentially wheat left in whole grain form. Farro is usually ground to make wheat flour but it is excellent to cook with when left whole. So, if you can find farro in your area (look for Bob's Red Mill brand or any place that sells bulk food) give this recipe a try. If you can't find farro, leave it out. This recipe makes a great tomato soup that can stand on its own. I hope you dig it.

• 1 1/2 cups of farro
• 3 large springs of basil, leaves and stems separated
• Olive oil
• Garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)
• 1 large leek, trimmed, cut in half length-wise, and diced. The white and light green part only.
• 4-6 large tomatoes, cored, and cut into wedges. I'm guessing I used about 3 pounds worth
• Black pepper

1. Bring 8 cups of water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Lower to medium heat, add the farro and basil stems. Cook until the farro is tender but still has a fair bit of bite. Drain, but reserve some of the liquid.
2. Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic. Add the leek and allow all items to cook until soft.
3. Add the tomatoes, a little more salt (to taste), and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes have fallen apart. (about half an hour).
4. Ladle the tomato mixture into a blender and puree. Add about half the farro to the blender and lightly pulse until the grans have broken down and the soup is chunky. Add the tomato mixture back to the pot and then add the remaining whole farro.
5. If the soup seems too thick add a little more of the reserved cooking liquid to obtain your desired consistency.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Farro!

The trimmed leek and minced garlic

The last of my tomatoes...I'm sad to see them go.

After adding the tomatoes wedges, allow the mixture to cook.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Tomato and Escarole Soup

   I had to do something with all the tomatoes taking up space in my refrigerator, on my counter tops, and a table in my dining room. Tomatoes will continue to produce until the first frost of the year so even though the weather is getting colder, the tomato vines are still producing and I'm always trying to find new ways to use them. I'll be talking more about food preservation in the coming weeks but this week I bring you a great soup recipe. This soup uses escarole, a leafy green similar to kale, which I have never used before so I was curious to try a new ingredient. Escarole, like most leafy greens, is really good for you and also very cheap (which is nice). This recipe also produces quite a bit of soup so make it for a small group of people or you'll be having leftovers for a while.

If you are curious as to what my house looks like overrun by tomatoes it looks a little like this.

• 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (I used about 6 medium sized)
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium bunch of escarole (chopped into bite sized pieces)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

1. You have to remove the skin from the tomatoes so bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Using a knife, cut and "x" into the bottom of each tomato (not too deep). When the water begins to boil, gently place the tomatoes into the water until the skin becomes loose and easy to remove.
2. Once the tomatoes are cool, cut them in half and gently squeeze out any excess water and seeds (you don't have to be incredibly thorough).
3. You can place the tomatoes into a blender and puree if you like but I just finely chopped the tomatoes to create a chunkier consistency.
4. In a clean pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the chopped escarole and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. The vegetable broth will usually have salt in it so be careful. Stir the escarole once in a while and allow it to wilt and become tender.
6. Add the tomatoes, and the remaining vegetable broth. Cover and cook over low heat until all the flavors have blended.

Let the tomatoes cool after you remove the skins.

The escarole ready to be chopped

The soup is almost ready.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday! Late Edition

Spaghetti Sauce

     When life gives you tomatoes make spaghetti sauce. And recently, life has been giving me tons of tomatoes! I've made spaghetti sauce several times over the past few months and I have ended up canning all of it. I'll have plenty of tomato sauce to get me through the winter. So, this got me thinking. Why not for this week's Tasty Tuesday I make spaghetti sauce and then have a short tutorial on how to can and preserve food. If you are using fresh tomatoes like me you may want to drain some of the excess water from them (see below) so your sauce won't be too runny.

     Once colder weather comes and subsequently ends my role in the garden I planned to start blogging about food preservation anyway but I might as well start now. So, if you are looking for an easy spaghetti sauce recipe or looking for a short tutorial on canning use this recipe. Feel free to ask questions too. There is a lot to learn. Look for more posts about food preservation in the coming weeks!

1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot
About 10 tomatoes (skin removed and crushed) You can also substitute canned tomatoes.
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of fresh oregano (or 2 tablespoons of fresh)

To remove skin from tomatoes:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop tomatoes in a few at a time. Once the tomato skin starts to crack and loosen, remove the tomatoes and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove skin and place the now skinless tomatoes in a bowl. Over time, water will collect in the bottom of the bowl. Drain the water before you add the tomatoes to the sauce.

To make the sauce:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until soft (about 10 minutes). Add the carrot, salt and pepper, and let cook for another 5 minutes. 
2. Add the crushed tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), bay leaves, and all the spices. Simmer for about an hour until the sauce has thickened. If you want your sauce to be a little less chunky, blend the sauce (in small batches) until you reach the desired consistency. 
3. You can eat immediately or store in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
4. If you choose to can and preserve your sauce read below.

The canning process:

1. Canning takes a little time to master but it is really easy once you learn the basics. Keeping everything clean is the key to successful canning. Do not touch any part of the jar, lids, or jar rings during the process. You may want to invest in a quality pair of kitchen tongs for this. 
2. Fill a large pot (at leaste a 5 gallon pot) with water and bring to a boil. You will need enough water to cover the jars completely. Once the water begins to boil, add your jars and lid rings to the boiling water (using tongs) and allow them to sterilize for no less than 10 minutes. Your jar lids can be placed in the boiling water too but some resources advise against this as it may affect the seal of the jar. So, instead, place the jar lids in a small pot of water that is heated on low heat if you desire.
3. After the jars have been sterilized, carefully remove them form the water, and set aside. Pour the spaghetti sauce into the jars leaving about an inch of headspace, clean any excess that may have spilled onto the threads of the jar, place the lids on the jars, followed by the jar rings, and place the jars back into the water bath to process for 40 minutes. It is recommended that you process tomatoes for no less than 40 minutes but canning other items usually takes less than 10 minutes.
4. Once the jars have been process for 40 minutes, remove them from the water bath and allow them to cool over night. The jars should have a tight seal by this point.

Placing tomatoes in a pot of boiling water will allow you to remove the skin easily.

Skinless tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes

Saute the onions and carrots.

The sauce after it has simmered for 1 hour

The water bath for canning and sterilizing

Take care of yourself and each other...

Ben and Jerry's Stands with Occupy Wall Street Protesters

     I know I said I wouldn't talk about my political beliefs here but I consider this a grey area. If you are a regular visitor to "A Beer with Brad" you may remember my blog post about my short conversation with Jerry Greenfield (co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream) regarding the current and future states of business ethics (link). Today, the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Board of Directors released a statement lending their support to the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York and around the country. I'll let you read it here if you would like.

     Their post echos the very tenets and company mission statement that Jerry Greenfield spoke of that night so it is no surprise that they chose to release this statement.

Take care of yourself and each other... 

Tasty Tuesday!

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

     Breakfast, the best meal of the day. I have always loved breakfast for as long as I can remember. I think my love of breakfast can be attributed to it being the first meal of the day and the "anything goes" attitude of most breakfast menus. There is nothing better than going out for a large breakfast with a few friends on a Saturday morning. There is no better hangover cure than a giant, greasy breakfast platter with gallons of black coffee. In my less health conscious days I wouldn't hesitate to polish off an entire plate of runny eggs, hash browns, toast, and a country fried steak (breaded and deep fried steak, an "anything goes" breakfast item), but things have changed. I've given up fatty foods for a healthier diet but that doesn't mean my love of all things breakfast had to change as well.

     Even today I will make it a point to travel great distances in search of a terrific breakfast. I'll scour food blogs and ratings guides just to find a new place where I can gorge myself. I'll call up friends who live near and far and ask for their opinions on the best places to find breakfast. It really is an obsession.  But, I don't need help....I can stop anytime I want.....I'm fine....no big deal.

     So, this week, I give you breakfast burritos but not just any kind of breakfast burritos. Vegan breakfast burritos. I know, I know. I can almost sense the hatred radiating from across the interwebs. Trust me. I wouldn't post anything that tasted like bland garbage. I've had this recipe kicking around for quite a while so I had to give it a try. The texture was just like scrambled eggs and I honestly wasn't expecting that. I didn't know what I was expecting really but in the end I became a fan. I would be happy to serve this dish to a few of my breakfast fanatic friends. I added a little kale, beet greens, and chopped tomato to my version for color and extra nutrition. You don't have to though because the possibilities for this dish are almost limitless. So, in the mean time, have an open mind and enjoy.

Let me hear from you guys. Any breakfast junkies out there? What are your favorite places and why?

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• garlic (I used 3 cloves)
• 1 jalapeno (optional)
• 1 handful of kale, chopped
• 1 handful of beet greens, chopped
• 1 package of firm or extra firm tofu (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (optional)
• tortillas (burrito size)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and peppers and saute until soft (about 8-10 minutes). Add the garlic, jalapeno, chopped kale, and chopped beet greens. Cover until the greens are wilted and soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Once the greens have wilted, add the tofu. I chose to cube my tofu but you can break the tofu up into the pan using your hands if you desire. Add the turmeric, mix well, and cover again for a few more minutes until all the ingredients are warm and tofu has broken down a little. At this point you can add a little vinegar if you choose to use it. Add the chopped tomato last.
3. Warm burritos in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat, spoon ingredients into the center of the tortilla (as mush as you want) and wrap.
4. Don't forget the Sriracha. 

So green! So good for you!

The greens after they have wilted

Almost ready to eat!

Take care of yourself and each other...

The Towson University Urban Farm Farmer's Market

Check out my recent post over at the T.U.U.F. blog regarding the first Towson University Urban Farm Farmer's Market.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday! Late Edition

Habanero Chili Sauce

     I know...I know...I'm a day late. I have a good excuse though. I was catching up on the latest episode of "Breaking Bad" last night and completely lost track of time. If you don't watch "Breaking Bad" then you don't have your priorities straight. Stop whatever lame nonsense you are doing in your life and wrap yourself in the warming glow of television perfection. "Breaking Bad" is what da Vinci would be crafting right now if he knew how to create interesting dialogue, cliff-hanger endings, and absolute mind blowing episodic brutality. Well, he'd being doing that if he wasn't dead of course.

     I seriously think that all television writers, producers, and actors should probably retire or find a new line of work. "Breaking Bad" is the pinnacle of television. It is almost sad really. We should all fall down and weep that "Breaking Bad" has destroyed television as we know it. There will never be a show greater. But, then again people probably said the same thing about "Gilligan's Island" or "Family Matters" (remember Urkel O's?).

     So, anyway, that has nothing to do with today's recipe. I decided to make this recipe when my garden started producing a ton of habanero peppers and I had no clue what to do with them. Habaneros were the hottest pepper in the world at one time but that title has since been usurped. I found this recipe for a habanero chili sauce with lots of garlic. I gave it a try and it is fantastic! It isn't as spicy as you may think. I've been using it on just about everything (as a Sriracha replacement) and I even started eating it with tortilla chips.

     Wait a second.....I suppose you could throw the habanero sauce into the eyes of a belligerent meth addict who was trying to steal your duffel bag of cash that you made cooking up a truck load of the purest and highest quality methamphetamines. You see...everything really does begin and end with "Breaking Bad". Their new tagline should be, "Breaking Bad", the alpha and omega. Enjoy!

• 4 habanero peppers, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or sea salt)

1. Roughly chop the habaneros (you may want to use gloves) and red bell pepper. Combine all the ingredients into a pot and bring to medium heat. Once the mixture starts to simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend thoroughly. Pour into jars (or some other storage container) and allow to cool uncovered. Cover the jars and keep in the refrigerator. The sauce should keep for at least a few months.

Make sure to wash your hands after...

While simmering in the pot this become an effective tear gas

Take care of yourself and each other...

Current Projections are Low but the Future Looks More Optimistic.

     I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I've been going through an unusual time in my life. Since then I've been debating what details of my life I wanted to share with you and everyone else here on the interwebs. I find myself mentally debating how much of my personal life I want to include in each blog post. The purpose of starting this thing was to share my personal experiences in hopes that others could somehow identify, learn a few things, create a discussion, and grow. And, in turn, I could grow as well. But, at what point does sharing my personal hardships go from an attempt at catharsis to plain whining. Of course I hope for the former and I absolutely hate the latter.

     The past couple of months have been hard. I'll tell you that at least. I've had to do a few things that I never thought I would have to do at my age. Things that made me feel a little bit like a failure. Things that made me feel that the path my life is on has been a mistake. Of course, those thoughts are fleeting. They last but for a moment and then I'm back to my old self. I hoped this blog would be a chance to leave all my past cynicism behind and always look on the bright side of life. Occasionally, it creeps back up on me but at least now I can identify the creeper before it starts.

     Besides personal hardships, world events are getting me down as well. I've always been heavily involved in politics since my late teens. I made it a rule that I wouldn't discuss any of my political beliefs on this blog and I will continue to abide by that rule (I use other outlets to gripe about politics anyway). With the 2012 election, current presidential debates, arguments about debt ceilings, government shut downs, and infinity, I find myself just feeling depressed and over burdened. Most people around me remain apathetic and uncaring and I find that to be even more infuriating! I guess I will just never understand most people and I will never understand why my mood is so affected by the current political climate.

     How does one write about personal hardships without revealing too many personal details? You already know I like to cook, I really want to be a farmer, I'm trying to better myself, and the color of my kitchen is the same color used to decorate French whore houses from the 1870's. Luckily for me, however, Mark Bittman, food blogger and occasional NY Times opinion piece writer summed things up perfectly in an article last week. If you have a moment, please read it. I think the article will make your day.

"Relax, we're doing pretty well; only a couple of things are going in the wrong direction."  

And remember, no matter what, try to look on the bright side of life.

Take care of yourself and each other...

I Get Visitors...

A Beer With Brad has been gaining quite the International Audience lately. The country with the most visits besides the United States is Russia. I don't know anyone from Russia and I don't really see why my site is so popular there. But, I would like to say:


Здравствуйте и добро пожаловать


This is from Google Translate. It is supposed to be a salutation but with my luck it is actually something very offensive about your grandmother. If it is the former, I really mean it. If it is the latter, I apologize. In the meantime, I have included a picture of one of your land's finest countrymen. Ivan Drago.






Take care of yourself and each other...
Берегите себя и друг друга

Tasty Tuesday!

Sweet Potato Chili

     This week's recipe is insanely easy. How easy you ask? So easy that I didn't even bother taking step by step photos. Instead, I just included a picture of me drinking beer in my kitchen which is what I was doing during the majority of the cooking process (not to mention eating process).

     I have a love of different chili recipes. I think it may be a guy thing, I don't know. But, I tend to collect chili recipes like most people collect stamps, coins, or sea shells. I started attending annual chili cookoffs many years ago and I've even hosted a few myself. I guess I just like the simplicity and the ability to take a few ingredients and feed a lot of people. This week, I give you sweet potato chili! This recipe is super easy because you just chop all the vegetables, add the spices, and set your slow cooker on low. It takes about 8 hours to cook however (I said it was easy, not fast!). But, I promise you that you will enjoy it. Oh, and by the way, this chili is.....dare I say it....gasp....vegan. Well, it's vegan unless you add a little sour cream, which is what I did. Start the slow cooker in the morning before you go to work and you'll have a nice dinner waiting for you. Or, do what I did and start the slow cooker before you go to sleep and you'll have the intoxicating aroma of chili to wake up to, not to mention an extremely nice meal to eat during your lunch break. So, enjoy this recipe. Let me know what you think.

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, or however many you think is necessary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 2  14 ounce cans of fire roasted tomatoes (including the liquid)
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained
• 1 sweet potato, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup of water
• green onions to garnish

1. In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients along with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender and liquid has thickened. Typically this will be 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
3. Serve with green onions, radishes, sour cream, whatever you like.

This is my favorite part of cooking!

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Barbecue Tempeh Sandwiches

     When people hear that I am a vegetarian (I take every opportunity to tell everyone as soon as I meet them that I am one...just kidding) they often say to me, "I would miss burgers and sandwiches". I agree that sometimes you just want something on a bun or between two slices of bread and with a side of fries. There are thousands of vegetarian burger dishes out there and  the ever ubiquitous portobello mushroom burger can even be found on the menu at most chain restaurants nowadays. I still think the most unhealthy burger I have ever eaten was a veggie burger at the Dogwood Tavern in Fall's Church Virginia. I'm still trying to run that one off.

     A few days ago a friend of mine was telling me about barbecue tempeh and I decided to give it a try. I've only used tempeh once before and it was just ok. If I was a picky eater I may not have given it another try. But, it's super cheap and extremely versatile so I had to give it another shot. This week's recipe is super fast as well so it is a great meal to cook when you don't feel like spending time in the kitchen. A hamburger bun or kaiser roll would work much better but I only had pumpernickel bread on hand so deal with it. Also, I made broccoli and cheese as a side dish instead of fries so you can deal with that too, haters! Enjoy!    

1 cup barbecue sauce, your choice 1 (8 ounce) package tempeh, crumbled 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped. I used an orange and a green 1 medium onion, chopped Bread Pour barbecue sauce into a bowl, crumble the tempeh into the sauce and let it marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the bell pepper and onions. Cook until tender. Stir in tempeh and barbecue sauce and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the bread It's the flag of Ireland! This week's recipe is modified from Allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/barbeque-tempeh-sandwiches/detail.aspx Take care of yourself and each other...

Garden Update!

     As much as I don't want to think about it the gardening season is coming to a close. True, most vegetables will keep producing until the first frost but the days are getting a little cooler and a little shorter. Soon, winter will be upon us and so will a steady diet of root vegetables. Last year I experimented a little with hoop house gardening which allowed me to grow spinach during the coldest of weather and deep snow. I want to expand the variety of vegetables I grow this year of course. 

    

     But, all this talk of cold weather is a bit premature. Let's enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer while we can. Fall begins...September 23rd!!! Bring on the turnips!

Until then, enjoy these pictures I took in my garden yesterday. It isn't too late to talk about gardening. Feel free to ask questions!

Take care of yourself and each other...