Tasty Tuesday

White Bean Chili with Jalapeno Bulgar

     I'm back baby! I have been so incredibly busy the past few months. So many great stories and adventures. Maybe I'll post a few photos of said adventures here in the next few months. I'm happy to say that I'm embarking on a new chapter in my life and I'm very excited (as well as a littler nervous). I look forward to sharing with all of you. In the meantime. Here is something I cooked up quite a while ago and just now got around to posting. This is a great recipe if you have a crowd or you don't mind a lot of leftovers. Enjoy it with beer. 

This recipe is adapted from Real Simple

• 1 cup of bulgar wheat
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 14 ounce cans of cannellini beans (or any white bean)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• green onions
• 2 jalapenos, chopped.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the bulgar wheat, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Be careful it cooks very quickly. 
2. Add oil to a large pot, over medium heat, add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender.
3. Add the garlic, all the spices, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic.
4. Add the tomatoes (including the liquid) along with 1 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Add the white beans and simmer until the chili is thick. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir the lemon juice, green onion, a little oil, and salt and pepper to the bulgar wheat.
6. Place a little bulgar wheat in a bowl and add the chili on top. 
7. Enjoy with beer.

Bulgar wheat with green onion

White bean chili

A delicious home brew!

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday! (Special Edition)

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

     Whoa...it has been a while. No excuses. It's just good to be back. I'm bringing you a special edition Tasty Tuesday post to celebrate my return to blogging. This is one of those recipes where I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand already and this was a perfect opportunity to use a tomato sauce I made from last year's tomato harvest. You can find the recipe for the tomato sauce here. Anyway, this is a vegan take on an old favorite, cobbled together from a couple of different recipes, and I was very surprised by how great it tasted. I hope you enjoy!

Modified from The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

• 1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• panko bread crumbs, or bread crumbs with Italian seasoning
• olive oil
• Tomato sauce (see recipe) or store bought will work
• Vegan cheese sauce (see recipe below)

1. In a shallow baking dish, salt the eggplant slices, and place them under a broiler for 3-4 minutes. This will remove any moisture from the eggplant.
2. Layer the eggplant, overlapping each piece. Sprinkle just a little more olive oil over the eggplant. Cover the first layer of eggplant with bread crumbs, ladle tomato sauce over the bread crumbs, and then add a layer of cheese sauce. 
3. Repeat the process until you are all out of eggplant.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

Vegan cheese sauce modified from Ohsheglows

1. 3/4 cup to 1 cup almond or soy milk
2. 1 tbsp of flour
3. 6 tbsp of nutritional yeast (you can find this in any natural food store or the health food aisle. 
4. pinch of onion powder
5. pinch of garlic powder
6. salt and pepper

• Pour milk into a sauce pan over low-medium heat, add the flour, and whisk until no clumps are left.
• Add the nutritional yeast, and whisk. If the sauce starts to become too thick, add a little more milk.
• Add the onion and garlic powder and stir.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Herbed Polenta with Beans and Bok Choy

     I haven't written a "Tasty Tuesday" post in a while. That doesn't mean that I haven't been preparing a lot of food lately. I have a nice back log of posts that will be appearing shortly. I've been spending most of my time finishing up various projects and training for my second half-marathon which will be coming up this Sunday, May 6th. I'll keep you posted on the outcome but in the meantime, enjoy this recipe I found over at Fat Free Vegan!

• 1 cup of Polenta (corn grits)
• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces of mushrooms (your choice), sliced
• 1/4 cup of vegetable broth
• baby bok choy (about 3-4), sliced
• 1 can of cannelloni beans
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• balsamic vinegar

1. Make the polenta according to the package directions. The usual ratio is 1 cup of polenta to 3 cups of water. While cooking the polenta, stir continuously until the water has evaporated and the mixture is thick. You may need to transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and place it under a broiler for a few minutes. Once the mixture is hardened, cut into cubes.
2. In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add the garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, and just a bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the vegetable broth, bok choy, beans, and basil. Stir to mix the ingredients and then cover. Cook until the bok choy is soft but still bright green. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on the polenta cubes. Serve the vegetable mixture on top of the polenta.

Baby Bok Choy and polenta

Let those vegetables cook

Transfer the polenta to a baking sheet and place under a broiler

Take care of yourself and each other...

Red Shoe Shuffle 5K (UPDATE)

     The first Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore "Red Shoe Shuffle" was held yesterday morning and it was a great success. A total of $105,000 was raised by participants and sponsors. Can you believe that??? Incredible! It was a real honor to take part.

     The day started very early for me. I woke up at 5:30 after a terrible night's sleep and had a bit of orange juice, toast, and peanut butter. I've been training for a half-marathon, coming up May 6th, so I wasn't worried about the length of the day's race. I just planned to go out, do my best, and have a good time.

     I arrived very early to the event (perhaps too early) but I had to find parking, pick up my race packet, and warm up so I wanted to give myself enough time. In the race packet I received a great free race shirt made by Under Armour, some red shoe laces, a bracelet, and all kinds of coupons. The day started off a little overcast but quickly cleared up and became perfect running weather. As the race began I found myself close to the front and I tried to have a slightly faster pace than I use in my distance running. I have to admit that it was a great site to see so many people running through the streets of Baltimore and when we got the opportunity to run past Camden Yards it made the experience even better. Oh, and seeing the Raven's Cheerleaders cheering for us was a nice touch as well.

     Honestly, I began to hit the wall somewhere after the 2 mile mark. This was a true sign that I was running out of my comfort zone and I even thought about stopping and walking. But then I said, "Quiet brain or I'll stab you with a Q-tip!" And, I kept running.

     I came across the finish line at 25:27 which is about the same time as the first 5K I ever competed in. At least I'm maintaining. All in all I had a great time and it was such an honor to give money to a great cause. Volunteering or donating to charity can be such a valuable use of time or money and I recommend it to anyone, especially to those who feel too inwardly focused. Help others and you will help yourself. I promise.

I would like to give a special shout-out to my new shoes. Brooks PureFlow!

Take care of yourself and each other...

What's Brad Drinking Today?

     After a much needed break from a very stressful week I'm sitting on my front porch and having a Rogue Scotch Ale and I'm enjoying it in my Lexington Avenue Brewery glass. This is a great Scotch Ale but not my favorite. That title belongs to Dark Horse Brewing Company's Scotty Karate Scotch Ale. Sitting on my front porch, looking at my blooming Weeping Cherry Tree, and drinking a good beer...not a bad way to start a Friday evening.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Red Shoe Shuffle 5K

     I've signed up for another race this year, bringing the total to three. This is a charity 5K for the Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore and all proceeds will go to the house and the families that live there. I've volunteered at the Ronald McDonald house several times over the past couple of years and I can easily say that this is a very worthy cause.

     The course is a flat course that will circle Camden Yards here in Baltimore so it should be nice. The race is April 15th so this will be about 3 weeks before my half-marathon and it will fit nicely into my training schedule. There are still several spots available so if you are from the Baltimore area feel free to sign up at RedShoeShuffle.org!

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Sun Dried Tomato Soup with White Beans and Swiss Chard

     My soup intake this winter was far less than last year. I think that's because we didn't have much of a winter at all here in Maryland. There was little to no snow accumulation this winter which is quite the opposite from year's past. I must admit, I missed seeing snow. I always enjoyed watching the snow fall or going for the occasional hike but one thing I don't miss is the shoveling. Trying to dig my way out of my own house, clearing my drive way and the neighbor's, and clearing falling branches off my car got really old after a while. 

     This was probably the most unusual winter in recent memory. I didn't even make one dish featuring root vegetables for crying out loud! Anyway, here is one soup recipe that I came to enjoy over the past few months. Try it out. Enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 15 ounce can of white beans or cannellini beans, drained
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, plus 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar.
• 1/2 bunch of swiss chard.
• 1/2 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 cup of basil, torn or roughly chopped

1. Heal oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute. Then add the onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, and cook until the onion are soft.
2. Add the 2 cups of broth, both cans of tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of oil from jar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
3. Add the swiss chard and thyme and simmer for another few minutes or until chard has wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in basil.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Vegetarian Times Magazine
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11176 

Take care of yourself and each other...

Training Season is Here!

     It's that time of year again! It's time to dust off your running shoes and hit the ground running...literally. I was lazy over the winter when it came to running. It's just too hard for me to find the motivation to run outside when I'd much rather be in a warm environment. I didn't slack off completely though. I was weight training in the gym 3-4 days a week so luckily I haven't felt too out of shape when I restarted my daily runs. 

     Over the next few months I'll be posting about my running progress and I will also keep you updated on the races I plan to run this year. I've already signed up for the Warrior Dash and the 2012 Lead Strong Half-Marathon will be held in May. Speaking of Lead Strong, guess who was chosen to be featured on this year's promotional flyer. Yours truly! I was really honored by this especially since the photo on the flyer was taken during last year's race and my first ever half-marathon. I'm really looking forward to a great year and I really hope to complete my first ever full length marathon by year's end. Until then....

Take care of yourself and each other...

     

Tasty Tuesday!

"Real Winner" Vegan Super Bowl Chili

     I have very few traditions in my life. I don't really celebrate the holidays, I don't go on family summer vacations to a house by the lake, and I never like discussing the topic of my arranged marriage with my closest confidant, Semmi, during our morning workout. Is that joke too inside? It's from the movie "Coming to America" if you didn't get it.

     Anyway, I have only but one real tradition, an annual Super Bowl Chili Cook Off. It's a tradition that I have kept alive for 5 or 6 years now and it's a great excuse to stuff your face while watching the Super Bowl, which I have never found that interesting.

     Unfortunately, I have yet to win a single chili cook off! I've been snubbed each year by voters with discriminating tastes. I felt that this was going to be my year. This was a new chili recipe and arguably my best. But, alas, that wasn't enough to sway voter opinion and I lost yet again. It's all politics I guess. The system is corrupt! I call Shenanigans! Sure, my chili didn't win the title of Best in Show this year but I'm pretty confident that I had the better chili. People like winners. AND THAT'S WHAT I AM, MAN. A WINNER!

     The recipe is as follows. Make it yourself. Let me know what you think. It's easy and super fast. You don't need to let the chili simmer all day nor do you need a slow cooker to make it. I hope you like it.

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 28 ounce cans of beans, drained. I used pinto, pink, and black beans.
• 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid
• 1 16 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 7 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped. (or substitute 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced)
• 1 tablespoon of Mexican style chili power (but any chili powder will do)
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, then cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

This recipe was adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas

Take care of yourself and each other...

I Ate Pavement....and I Liked It!

New Year's Resolution #1: Take up a new hobby.

     I decided that this new hobby would be longboarding. Longboarding is a perfectly reasonable thing for a 28 year old to take up, right? I got really tired of seeing people fly by me on really cool looking skateboards and seemingly having the times of their lives. Longboarding looked so cool! I had to buy one!

     About 3 weeks ago, I did just that. I have to admit, longboarding was a lot easier than I imagined. True, I wasn't doing any sweet tricks but I was immediately balancing myself and moving at a reasonable speed. I felt great! Longboarding was as much fun as I imagined. I even used my longboard as an effective means of getting around the hallways of my University (see below). So, day to day, I would skate around the neighborhood, sticking to side streets, stumbling occasionally but never going fast enough to actually fall. Until two days ago.....

     I was exploring a new area of my neighborhood. The roads were relatively flat and were in much better condition than the streets closer to my home. One side street was a moderate slope that didn't seem too bad and I was feeling brave. "I'm doing this", I said to myself. So off I went, picking up speed, faster, faster. "This is no problem", I said. "This is GREA........."

     Next thing I know, the board is way in front of me, I'm running but can't keep my balance, my arms are above my head, about 1 second before I lost my balance I notice a dime in the street. "Oh, there's a dime", BAM! SMACK!


     I was on the pavement face down and my longboard was still hauling ass towards a neighborhood intersection. In a split second I was up and running after my board. I eventually I caught up to it, picked it up, and started walking back up the hill. That's when I looked down at my right hand and noticed an area of skin that was missing. I looked over at my left elbow and I had a bad scrape. My left leg was a little sore and I had a small hole in my jeans. I hurt a little but not too bad. I began the slow walk back home but after walking back to the top of the hill, I decided to skate back instead. I wasn't being brave, I just didn't want to be seen carrying a skateboard. It looks weird. And, I never did find that stupid dime.

      As I was going back home I started to wonder. When was the last time I scraped my elbow? It's probably been more than a decade. Maybe 15 years. I had to of been in my early teens. I began to laugh. I was actually doing something that could result in a scraped elbow. I felt that I was actually living. I felt that I was finally doing something moderately reckless and I haven't felt that way in a really long time. I felt really good. 


     Still, the "responsible" adult side of me kicked in when I got home and put antibiotic ointment and bandages on my wounds. I had a good story and very rarely are my days "story worthy". So, New Year's Resolution #2: Do something story worthy every day. 


     After I cleaned my scrapes I went back outside and rode my longboard some more. For the time being I'm staying away from that hill but after a little more practice I'll be back.

Have you taken up any new hobbies? Got anything story worthy you would like to share. Let's hear it.


Take care of yourself and each other...

My Lifelong Battle with Sleep (UPDATE)

     Over the past few weeks I've had quite a few successes and just a handful of failures when it came to getting my sleep schedule on track. I did quite a bit of research and found a myriad of suggestions regarding healthy sleep habits, sleeping more soundly, and getting out of bed at a reasonable time in the morning. Most of those suggestions were quite helpful but some were just bizarre such as placing a coffee maker next to your bed so you can reach over first thing in the morning and grab a steaming cup of Joe. I'm sure that scenario would actually work but with my luck and incredibly dexterity I would just end up with severe burns on my face and terrible coffee stains on my sheets. Plus, how would I explain the weirdness of having a coffee maker next to the bed?

     My biggest problem with sleeping has been "turning off my brain" at night. It is hard to go to sleep with a million things running through your head. Usually, I will lay in bed, relaxed, trying to get some sleep, when my brain will suddenly say:
                          "Hey, let's contemplate all the vastness and inner workings of the Universe!"
This is common for a lot of people but points to a much larger problem. I find that I thrive on simplicity. I find that I thrive when I have less "stuff". I find that when I de-clutter my life so follows my mind and thus, I sleep better.  

     After doing a little research and some experimentation I have found what works for me and I will list those below. All of these suggestions may not work for you but I'm sure some of them will.

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. - Have a set bed time every night and conversely have a set time you wake up every morning. Starting a routine is key to long term success in pretty much everything you do.
• Wake up and stretch. - When your alarm clock goes off in the morning instead of quickly hitting the snooze and getting back under the covers (which is so tempting) take a moment to stretch, do a few side twists, and start the day. You are not a bear....don't continue to hibernate. 
• Turn off ALL electronic devices 1 hour before your bed time.  - The television, and in my case my laptop, is the single biggest reason people are getting less and less sleep these days. Turn them all off and read a book. Or, use the time to get rid of clutter in your house. Studies show that having a less cluttered home is a good way to clear your mind at night.  
• Lay off the caffeine throughout the day. -But that goes without saying.
• Drink plenty of water. - Staying hydrated throughout the day, with water not soft drinks, is great for all around health in general but you are at your most dehydrated state as soon as you wake up in the morning. You have just gone 8 hours without drinking any liquid and you are respiring the whole night. Keep a Nalgene of water next to your bed and drink a cup or two when you wake up.
• Let technology help you. - I found a lot of computer software and phone apps that are designed to help you with sleep. I didn't try many of these because they just seemed to be more trouble than they are worth but I can recommend one. I had read about a computer program that is designed to change the color and hues of your computer screen throughout the day to reduce eye strain. It is called F.lux software and I can honestly say that it has worked for me. It's FREE and a very quick download. Check it out and read more here.
• Melatonin  - I've done a lot of reading on the hormone Melatonin. It is found naturally in all mammals and plays a role in regulating circadian rhythm. I am always wary of any substance that is used to regulate sleep (i.e. sleeping pills) but after my own research and listening to others who use it, I knew I had to try it myself. I can easily say that it works for me. I don't take a Melatonin tablet every night but I do take them on nights that I know I will have trouble sleeping or I will have trouble calming my mind. Talk to your doctor (if you're lucky enough to have one) if you have any questions. I found that you can find Melatonin pretty much anywhere that sells vitamins but Trader Joe's has the most reasonably priced bottle I could find. 

   
That's really about it. Simplicity! Just the way I like it. I'll be exploring sleep a lot more in the future so I may add to the list and more posts are sure to come. Do you have any suggestions? Let me know.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Egg White Frittata with Fresh Broccoli and Mixed Greens

     My favorite meal of the day BY FAR is breakfast. At heart I know everyone else agrees with me. Breakfast is so great that it is very common for people to have "Breakfast for Dinner". Honestly it's just an excuse to eat pancakes at night but this practice is proof that breakfast foods are the most preferred type of food. You don't often hear people having "Dinner for Breakfast". No one wants to have "Late Night Dinner that You Made With Leftover Obscure Condiments You had in the Refrigerator Because You Didn't Have Time to Go To the Grocery Store Earlier That Day for Breakfast". But, we've all been there and nothing reeks more of failure.

     But, my typical breakfast usually consists of a bowl of oatmeal. I don't have much time to eat breakfast in the morning due to certain work schedules and I find that is true for most people. That's why on weekends I try to make it a point to spend the entire morning making a nice breakfast for myself, usually consisting of coffee, eggs, toast, jam, and whatever blogs, books, or news stories I've been meaning to catch up on. 

     I haven't featured many breakfast recipes here in the past (check out: Blueberry Scones and Vegan Breakfast Burritos) but I'll try to make it a point to due so in the future. Also, all the photos I took in this post used natural light from my kitchen window. It was a bit of an experiment but I'm pleased with the outcome. Hope you like the recipe. 

Tasty Tuesday!

Vegan Braised Chinese Mushrooms and Bok Choy

     First post of the new year!!! Happy 2012 everybody. So after all the holiday eating I thought I would post a simple and light recipe from the NY Times for everyone to enjoy. This recipe calls for Chinese dried mushrooms but you can substitute fresh mushrooms if you like but this may be a good opportunity for you to go exploring that Asian market you've been meaning to check out. You would be surprised how cheap and plentiful dried mushrooms are. 

     I've talked a lot about how inexpensive ethnic grocery stores can be in previous "Tasty Tuesday" posts (see: Baba ghanoush, Thai Red Curry Eggplant and Mustard Greens, Hummus) and after exploring yet another local store recently, that statement still holds true. Also, they're usually family owned so you can feel good about spending your money there. Anyway, enjoy this easy recipe and I know all of you will have great accomplishments this year!

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...