Pesto Making 101

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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Last night, I went over to my sister and her fiancé’s house for dinner. We decided to make farfalle with pesto. My sister’s fiancé asked me what recipe I use for the pesto, and I said that I don’t use one. He looked relieved. “Good,” he said. “Neither do I.”

The thing about making pesto is, you don’t really need a recipe. It’s all about eyeballing it and tasting the sauce as you go. I usually start with a couple cups of basil leaves, a handful of pine nuts, a generous helping of grated Parmesan, a few peeled garlic cloves, a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt, and a layer of olive oil. I blend everything in a food processor until it starts looking like sauce.

If it looks too chunky, I add more olive oil. If I taste it and it’s too garlicky, I add more basil and cheese. There’s not really a sweet spot with pesto because everyone’s tastes are different, but I like to err on the side of less garlic. I think two to three whole cloves is fine, but if you like garlic, go crazy and add more.

A word to the wise: Quality matters with pesto. If you use shitty olive oil and the pre-minced garlic that comes in a jar, your pesto probably won’t taste as good. It’s sad but true. Also, fresh basil makes a big difference. I bought some from Trader Joe’s last night and it tasted pretty good. But the best pesto I’ve ever made had leaves that I bought fresh from the farmers’ market. Everyone who tried it could taste the difference.

ANYWAY. That’s my two and a half cents on pesto making. Feel free to sub out different greens for basil if you can’t find any, or use other kinds of nuts. One of my favorite pesto pasta recipes calls for kale, walnuts, and soba noodles.

In semi-related news, here’s a song that we listened to after dinner. As my sister said, the song shows Drake’s thug side, not his whiny, emotional, I’m still hung up on Rihanna side. I love Drake unconditionally, though.

Pesto Recipe (from me, to you)

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of sea salt
squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, peeled

Directions

Blend the ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth. Add more basil, garlic, or olive oil depending on your pesto preferences. Enjoy!

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Aloo Gobi

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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Aloo gobi has never been my favorite Indian dish, partly because I’m not that into cauliflower and potatoes. I think that they taste good with lots of spice, but they’re bland by themselves.

There’s nothing bland about this recipe, though. I made it last night for dinner because my sister requested it. The turmeric and garam masala give the potatoes and cauliflower an earthy flavor and the peas and red onion add sweetness.

My two favorite things about this aloo gobi are the cauliflower and the onions. The onions cook down throughout the recipe, so by the end they’re caramelized and slightly crispy. The cauliflower also takes a while to cook but it’s worth it. It’s tender, fragrant, and warm, and it makes you forget that you’re eating cauliflower.

I served this aloo with some brown basmati rice, but feel free to eat it with naan. I also think some yogurt on the side would be a good addition; I just didn’t feel like going to the trouble.

I almost forgot my tiffin with leftovers this morning, but then I mentally checked myself. “Don’t forget the aloo gobi,” I said. I never thought I’d say those words.

Here’s a song that reminds me of this aloo. It’s humble and unassuming, and it also has a little kick. It’s good at reversing expectations.

Aloo Gobi (slightly adapted from Food52)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ghee
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala (you could go up to 1 teaspoon if you want a stronger flavor)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 cups quartered red potatoes
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
1 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp cilantro leaves, freshly chopped

Directions

Heat the ghee in a large wok or skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the ghee is hot, add the onions and sauté until they start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the garam masala and ground turmeric and stir to cook for another 30 seconds. Fold in the potatoes and stir to coat them with the spices. Cook for 2 minutes with occasional stirring. Add the cauliflower to the wok and stir to combine.

Cover with the lid and allow to cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat with occasional stirring, or until the cauliflower and potatoes are firm but just tender. Fold in the peas and salt and cover the wok with the lid and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the peas are tender.

Remove the pan from heat. Drizzle the fresh lime juice over the vegetables and garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serve hot with rice or an Indian flatbread such as roti or naan. Enjoy!

 

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Symmetrical Strawberry Mango Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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When I was little, my sister had a birthday party at a painted pottery shop near our house. I started to paint flowers on a ceramic jewelry box and then, I messed up. I was about to start all over again but the shop owner stopped me. She took my box and turned the smudge into a pretty flower.

“There are no mistakes in art,” she said.

Her words have stuck with me more than 20 years later. Whenever I’m designing something or writing and I start stressing out about it being *bad*, I remind myself that it can be transformed into something else. That’s the beauty of creating something from scratch: You have the power to make it whatever you want it to be.

Some of my best designs for smoothie bowls come from mistakes. I start with a plan but then I screw up the seeds on top or a strawberry sinks to the bottom of the bowl, and I end up improvising.

That didn’t happen in the case of this symmetrical strawberry mango smoothie bowl. Still, I replayed the shop owner’s words as I executed the design. Her words relaxed me and helped me concentrate. It’s easier to put the berries or seeds on top if you’re not worried about making a mistake.

A word to the wise: Consider putting chia seeds and flax seed into small, shallow bowls before you start laying your design on top. It’s annoying to keep reaching in a big bag and some of the seeds can stick to your fingers and end up scattering all over the bowl. If you’re going for precision, that gets irritating very quickly.

Don’t stress if you screw things up. Like I said before, the symmetrical smoothie bowl of your dreams is still attainable, even if it doesn’t look exactly like what you’d imagined. I know this sounds like a metaphor for life…maybe because it is.

Here’s a song that I’ve been jamming out to this morning. It’s also good for making and enjoying symmetrical smoothie bowls.

Symmetrical Strawberry Mango Smoothie Bowl (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
chia seeds, sliced strawberries, and Trader Joe’s seed mix for topping

Directions

Blend the mango, strawberries, banana, yogurt, and almond milk in a blender on high until smooth. Top with the chia seeds, sliced strawberries, and seed mix. Don’t stress the mistakes. Enjoy!

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Tiffin Desk Lunch

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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A few weeks ago, I was reading one of my favorite food blogs and I saw a post about pre-packing lunches. I usually don’t pre-pack my lunch because I like to flee my office during lunchtime. But then I realized that I could still escape, as long as I eat at my desk, first.

Enter: The tiffin. In the blog post, Heidi Swanson talks about packing a lunch in an Indian lunchbox. Maybe you’ve seen them before. My colleague told me that her grandfather, who was a coal miner, used to bring one everyday for lunch.

Tiffins are multi-tiered cylinders with removable layers, so you can put different things in each compartment. The one I ordered has latches on both sides, so it’s very sturdy and it prevents spills.

My favorite part about tiffins is how many different things you can pack in one, seemingly small container. Tiffins are practical, but they’re also fun. It’s sort of like having a babushka doll, but even better because there’s food inside.

A word to the wise: Pack tiffins carefully. I made the mistake of putting the chana masala from last night in the middle compartment, so it flooded over a little when I closed the three layers together. If you put the messiest food item on top (the one with the most liquid, etc.), you can avoid that problem.

I’m excited for my next tiffin lunch. If you want to buy one, here’s where I found mine. And here’s a link to one of my favorite movies, in which tiffins have a starring role. The movie also has one of my favorite quotes: “The wrong train can take you to the right station.”

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Blueberry Cardamom Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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Last night after I ate my body weight in chana masala, I started craving kheer. I berated myself for not having the foresight to make it for dessert. I thought about trying to whip up a batch, but that seemed ill-advised. Indian rice pudding needs a second to simmer.

So I waited until this morning and made a smoothie bowl with cardamom. It wasn’t the same as kheer, but it came close.

Cardamom and blueberries are a magic pairing. The tartness of the berries pairs well with the spicy, aromatic flavors in the cardamom. It’s refreshing and comforting, exactly the combination I need on a Monday morning when my alarm goes off and I don’t want to get out of bed.

I topped this smoothie bowl with pistachios and blueberry hemp granola. I also cut bananas into pac mans (pac men?), or, chevrons, depending on how you look at it. Sometimes I get tired of the same old bananas.

Here is a song to play when you make this smoothie bowl. It’s also good for rainy mornings when you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and you have an impromptu karaoke hour.

Blueberry Cardamom Smoothie Bowl (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
strawberries, banana slices, blueberry hemp granola, pistachio, blueberries for topping

Directions

Blend the banana, frozen blueberries, almond milk, Greek yogurt, and cardamom in blender on high until smooth. Top with the sliced strawberries, bananas, granola, pistachio, and blueberries. Enjoy!

Posted in Breakfast, Gluten-Free, Smoothie Bowls, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tagged | 3 Comments

Chana Masala

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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This chana masala will make you reevaluate your life. Okay, maybe not. But it raises some important questions, such as: “How can something be this delicious?” and “How can I stop myself from eating the entire pot in one sitting?”

I made this chana masala partly because I’ve been craving it, and partly because I bought a 3-tier stainless steel tiffin and I wanted to use it. Granted, I could put anything inside. But the inaugural lunch didn’t seem complete without chana.

My favorite part about this dish (besides the way it tastes) is that it comes together in one pot. I’m a fan of recipes that minimize dirty cookware because I hate doing dishes.

My least favorite part about this dish is mincing onion and garlic, but today I found it therapeutic. Maybe it’s because I sensed how delicious the end result would be. Maybe it’s because it’s Sunday and anything seems better than going to work the next day. For whatever reason, it was a less painful experience tonight.

I would recommend making this chana masala as soon as possible. I paired mine with basmati rice and store bought naan, but it would taste delicious on top of almost anything. Why does chana masala ice cream sound good right now?

Before I get too carried away, here is a song that reminds me of this chana masala. It’s spicy and not afraid to make a statement.

Chana Masala (adapted from Minimalist Baker)

Ingredients

3 Tbsp ghee
1 red onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 fresh green chilies, sliced with seeds
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 28-oz can pureed or finely diced tomatoes
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, slightly drained
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp lime juice, plus more to taste

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add ghee, onion, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Pulse garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chilies in a small food processor until they form a paste. Then, add the paste to the pan with the onions.

Next add ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to coat. Add a little more ghee at this point if the pan is looking dry.

Next add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. If the mixture looks a little too thick, add up to 1 cup water (I added ~1/2 cup (120 ml)). You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
Increase heat to medium high until it reaches a rolling simmer, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and maintain a simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, or until thick and stew-like. Stir occasionally.

When the chana masala is thickened and bubbly, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, chili powder for heat, or a bit of sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.

Remove from heat and add lime juice and garam masala. Stir to mix, then let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

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Tahini Date Smoothie Bowl with Banana

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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This is one of the best smoothie bowls I’ve ever made. I know I say that all the time, but in this case, I really mean it. I was skeptical about how it would turn out, because sometimes dates make a smoothie too sweet. I shouldn’t have worried.

The key to this bowl is tahini. Without it, the rest of the ingredients would make the smoothie too sticky sweet, like Mediterranean bubble gum.

ANYWAY. The tahini adds a smoky, subtle nutty flavor that balances out the bananas and the dates. A splash of vanilla extract and cinnamon adds to the flavor profile and provides some spice. I’d highly recommend putting some blueberries on top, because they add some much-needed tartness. A sprinkle of granola gives the bowl texture. I’ve said it once, and I’ll probably say it 1,000,000 more times: Texture in food is everything.

In other news, I just saw that it’s Aretha Franklin’s birthday. There are few performers I admire more than Aretha. Her range is astounding and she’s still going strong. I’ve listened to her songs over the years and they’ve always appealed to me on a personal level. This is one of my favorites. It was in the movie Moonlight, which I watched a few weeks ago and I’m obsessed with.

Tahini Date Smoothie Bowl (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1 banana
4 dates, pits removed and sliced into halves
2 tbsp tahini
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
banana slices, blueberries, granola, hemp hearts, and chia seeds for topping

Directions

Blend the banana, dates, tahini, and almond milk in a blender on high until smooth. Top with banana slices, blueberries, granola, hemp hearts, and chia seeds. Enjoy!

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Comet Coffee and Croissanterie

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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Sometimes in life, a pain au chocolat comes calling. When it does, always answer.

That’s what happened to me this morning. I woke up after a weird night’s sleep and I thought about making a smoothie bowl for breakfast. My head told me to eat fruit, but my heart told me to eat a pain au chocolat. I got in the car at 6:30 a.m. and stopped at Comet Coffee and Croissanterie on the way to work.

What makes Comet’s pain au chocolat better than the rest in St. Louis? One word: Authenticity. You won’t find another pain au chocolat like this in the St. Louis area, except maybe at La Patisserie Chouquette in Tower Grove.

The layers in Comet’s pain au chocolat are buttery and flaky, and the outside is baked to a nice, caramelized brown color, the same way it is in France. When you bite into the pastry, you’re not only tasting butter. You get multiple flavors including sweet, smoky, eggy and caramel. I read an interview recently with the woman who makes the pain au chocolat, and she said that a little kid said that the croissant tastes like cheese. I can see why; the flavors are more complex than in a cookie or piece of cake.

I paired my pain au chocolat this morning with a cappuccino. The baristas are talented at Comet and I haven’t had a bad cup of coffee yet. There’s table service so I got started on my pain au chocolat and then a barista brought out my drink. It was the perfect, relaxing start to my Friday.

Here’s a song that reminds me of this pain au chocolat. It popped into my head this morning when I was trying to decide between making a smoothie and getting a croissant.

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Banana Tahini Cacao Bowl with Dark Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

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I keep seeing tahini everywhere on Instagram and food blogs. It’s a *trendy* ingredient that I liked before it was trendy, kind of like avocados and poached eggs. I used to put it on pita for sandwiches or in salad dressing. Now, I put it in smoothies.

Tahini is the spread equivalent of a magician. It has a very distinct flavor but it’s more subtle than nut spreads such as peanut butter. It pairs well with sweet and savory food, and just about any kind of nut. It can disappear and then pop back up again, even when it’s mixed with other ingredients.

For this smoothie bowl, I blended tahini with unsweetened cacao powder, banana, cinnamon, and almond milk. I chopped up some dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and coconut, and put it on top for taste and texture. I like to have a lot of texture in a smoothie bowl.

I’m thinking about making another version of this bowl with tahini and dates soon. The slightly smoky taste of the tahini and the sweet dates would go well together.

Here’s a song that I’ve been jamming out to this morning. It’s good mid-week motivation, and it’s gearing me up for my lunchtime excursion to the all-you-can-eat Indian buffet.

Banana Tahini Cacao Smoothie Bowl with Dark Chocolate and Hazelnuts (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1 banana, frozen
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder (I used Guittard)
chopped dark chocolate for topping
chopped hazelnuts, shredded coconut, sliced banana for topping

Directions

Blend the frozen banana, tahini, almond milk, and cacao powder in a blender on high until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with the dark chocolate, hazelnuts, shredded coconut, and sliced banana. Drizzle some tahini over the bananas. Enjoy!

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Another Symmetrical Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Emily Wasserman

Screen Shot 2017-03-21 at 8.15.52 AMMy sister told me yesterday that when she saw a picture of this smoothie bowl on Instagram, it made her feel good. “I feel like it cleaned my insides out,” were her exact words, which I guess is a high compliment. Not many pictures of food do that to a person.

I don’t know why symmetrical smoothie bowls are cathartic, but they are. There’s probably a study somewhere that speaks to symmetry and why it relaxes a person and “cleans them out” inside. All I know is, when I make a mini Japanese garden in my smoothie bowl, and look at it afterward, it soothes me. Something about the pattern and clean lines takes away my anxiety. It’s very zen.

What wasn’t zen was forgetting to set my alarm last night and oversleeping this morning. But it’s all good, because I learned from this experience that I can shower and get ready in less than 15 minutes, and still have time to make a smoothie bowl.

Here’s a song that I listened to in the car on the way to work this morning. It’s good for long commutes and times when you need to sing. Morning car karaoke is one of my favorite times of the day.

And here’s a series that I just started watching. I’ve only seen one episode but I already love it. It’s about documentary filmmakers who travel the world and interview subjects about food and farming. In the episode I just watched, a family starts a restaurant in a centuries-old mansion in Ireland. I love their accents and their attitude. The husband had a huge smile on his face, even when it was less than 24 hours until opening and he was trying to find people to help him move furniture.

Another Symmetrical Smoothie Bowl (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, stems and leaves removed
1 frozen banana
1/2 kiwi
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk
sliced kiwi, chia seeds, and hemp hearts for topping

Directions

Combine the blueberries, strawberries, banana, kiwi, Greek yogurt, and almond milk on a blender on high until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with the sliced kiwi, chia seeds, and hemp hearts. A trick to getting the pattern neat is to roll the chia seeds off your fingertips, as close to the smoothie as you can without actually touching it. Enjoy!

 

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