Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4208I’ve been meaning to tell you about this cheesy cauliflower pasta, but smoothie bowls keep getting in the way.

I made this for dinner last week my first night after working at a new French bakery in town called Un Je Ne Sais Quoi. I really miss speaking French and eating French pastries, so this seemed like the perfect part-time gig.

That day, the owners (who are French) let me eat one of the merveilleux cakes, which is two meringues, whipped cream in between and whipped cream on the outside. I wasn’t even hungry when I got home, but I decided to make this pasta anyway. It can be the savory to complement the sweet, I figured.

I wasn’t wrong. After I mixed the cheese, roasted cauliflower, toasted breadcrumbs and pine nuts into the noodles, I couldn’t resist. I also took a vat of pasta to the office the next day for lunch.

Even though this pasta is best the day you make it, the leftovers still taste pretty good. Enjoy this recipe before or after you eat a French pastry or other sweet delicacy. During is probably not a good idea, but also not frowned upon.

It’s been a Dr. Dog kind of week, so for a cheesy pasta-making tune, I bring you this song.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta (from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, chopped
6 garlic cloves, skin-on
Drizzle of olive oil
Pinch of salt, pepper and red chile flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan
Another pinch of salt
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
1 pound cavatelli or other short noodles
Parsley leaves for topping

Directions

On a sheet pan, drizzle a head of chopped cauliflower and six skin-on garlic cloves with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and red chile flakes. Roast at 425°, tossing occasionally, until the cauliflower is caramelized and crisp, about 30 minutes. Once cool, peel the roasted garlic cloves.

In a large bowl, combine a cup of grated Parmesan, three tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, and a quarter-cup of toasted breadcrumbs.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook a pound of short pasta (like cavatelli). Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid (I usually end up using around quarter-cup). Toss the hot pasta with the cauliflower, garlic cloves, Parmesan butter mixture, and enough pasta water to mix it all together. Garnish with a handful of torn parsley leaves.

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Black Bean Brownies

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4284Yesterday night, I got a text from my friend Carly right before I went to sleep. I knew it was serious because she started it with “Emily.” “Emily,” she said. “Make these right now.” And she sent me the recipe for black bean brownies.

When Carly tells me to make a recipe or to eat food, I listen. She knows how much I love food, and she also knows exactly what kind of recipes I get excited about.

One time, I got a text from her after I left yoga class on Saturday morning. She told me about a bagel sandwich with butternut squash, cardamom cream cheese and pomegranate molasses at a new coffee shop she was visiting. “You must eat this now,” she said.

So I dropped everything and walked halfway across D.C. to go eat it. And she was right; It was one of the best bagel sandwiches I’ve ever had and I’ll never forget it. I realize that this entire story makes me sound like a millennial plebe, but oh well.

ANYWAY. I wanted to make the brownies on the spot last night, but I didn’t have any black beans. So I went to the grocery store today and made them when I got off work.

Carly told me that the batter would be amazing and that I’d want to eat it all. She was right. I forced myself to spread most of it into the pan, and then I sprinkled some chocolate chips on top.

The very best thing about these brownies is how they’re like “real” brownies in every way. They are fudgy, chocolatey and rich. When they’re baking, they will flood your apartment/living space with a smell unlike any other you’ve experienced. I was basically drowning in chocolate love.

I would suggest, no, highly recommend that you make these brownies as soon as possible. I ended up eating most of them straight out of the pan like a savage–a plate and fork just seemed superfluous.

This song kept playing in my head when I was eating the brownies.

Black Bean Brownies (from Chocolate Covered Katie)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
2 tbsp cocoa powder (10g)
1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (See nutrition link below for substitutions)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (or honey, but not for strict vegans.) (75g)
pinch uncut stevia OR 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g) (See nutrition link for substitution notes)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
Optional: more chocolate chips, for presentation

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.)

Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.

Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up. Makes 9-12 brownies.

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Chia Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

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My friend Rachel was asking me how I make smoothie bowls in the morning before work. I have to be there early in the morning (most days by 7:30), so it doesn’t leave me with a lot of time. Especially if I want to lie in bed until 6:45, which, let’s face it, I always do.

So, I’ll let you in on a couple of my smoothie hacks. If you make the smoothie the night before, you can pour it into a bowl and let it sit in the fridge covered overnight. In the morning, you can take it out and stir to make sure it still has the right color (sometimes it fades a little in the fridge).

Then, you can top it with whatever you want. I slice up a banana, throw on a handful of seeds or put any other toppings on that my heart desires.

Here’s a good get-out-of-bed motivational song.

Chia Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl (adapted from DetoxDIY)

Ingredients

1 cup mixed berries (I used blackberries and frozen raspberries) (save some to garnish the bowls)
1 ripe banana
½ cup almond milk
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (for thickness)
½ lemon, juice only
½ cup filtered water
2 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp hemp seeds
Shredded coconut for topping

Directions

Blend on the ingredients on high in a blender until smooth. Top with blackberries, shredded coconut, chia seeds and hemp seeds. Enjoy!

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Blood Orange Mango Lassi

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

bloodorangelassi
I love mango lassis as much as the next girl, but sometimes, you have to switch things up.

Case and point? This blood orange mango lassi. I’ve been on a blood orange kick lately, and so I decided to marry two of my food obsessions and create one delicious beverage. I also topped it with coconut because, why not? Toasted coconut flakes make most things better.

A key component to this recipe is the cardamom. It’s subtle enough to not overwhelm the citrus-y blood orange and tropical mango flavors, but noticeable enough to take the flavor profile to the next level. I also like how it tastes with the coconut milk.

The original recipe did not call for yogurt, but I added some Greek yogurt in at the last minute to thicken up the mixture a little. If you like your lassis on the lighter side, though, I’d leave that out.

I listened to this song on the way to work today and it got me ready for the week ahead. If you make this lassi, it will probably have the same effect.

Blood Orange Mango Lassi (adapted from The First Mess)

Ingredients

2 small-medium blood oranges, peeled + chopped
1 cup frozen mango chunks
2 pitted medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder/extract
1 cup cultured coconut milk/coconut yogurt
1/2 cup plant milk (I used almond)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
tiny pinch of sea salt
Toasted coconut shavings for topping

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in an upright blender and blitz on high until completely smooth. Garnish with a blood orange peel and the toasted coconut shavings.

Posted in Breakfast, Drinks, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lemon Artichoke Kale One Pot Pasta

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4250Oh hello, artichokes.

I’ve wanted to make one pot pasta for a while, and I always thought that my first attempt would be a Martha Stewart recipe that everyone keeps sending me. But then I saw this one and I changed my mind. Artichokes? Lemon? Kale? Yes, please.

There’s something so satisfying about cutting everything up and throwing it into one pot. It kind of feels like finding out that you don’t have to do a project at work, or that someone canceled plans and now you can do what you actually wanted to do in the first place (sit in bed, eat chocolate and drink tea). I guess the correct word for this would be relief. Bliss would also work.

After you get the chopping out of the way, this recipe comes together easily. True to its name, you throw all the ingredients in a pot and watch the pasta simmer. Then you stir in some yogurt and olive oil and season the pasta with some crushed red pepper.

The best part about this pasta is that it’s light but also filling. I probably could have eaten the whole pot by myself, but I decided to save some for leftovers tomorrow.

Also…I decided to use these wacky gluten-free artichoke noodles, partly because I’ve been having a nonstop carb party lately and I needed to bring down the noise. But I’m sure that this would be equally delicious with any spaghetti or linguine you choose.

Here is a good one pot pasta track.

Lemon Artichoke Kale One Pot Pasta (slightly tweaked from A Cozy Kitchen)

Ingredients

16 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine (I used a gluten-free spaghetti)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 shallot, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups frozen or canned or jarred (and drained) artichokes
1 cup kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup creme fraiche or Greek yogurt (you don’t want the yogurt to be too runny)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
Parmesan for topping

Directions

Add the pasta, water, chicken broth, minced shallot, garlic, artichokes, kale, salt and crushed red pepper to a large pot or dutch oven. Note: if the pasta can’t lay completely flat in your pot, feel free to break the noodles in half. The water should cover most, but not all of the noodles.

Turn the heat to high and leave it uncovered. When the water comes to a boil, set your timer to 7 minutes. While it’s cooking, stir it with a pair of tongs often. This will ensure even cooking with the noodles.

At the 7 minute mark, taste the pasta. If it needs a bit more time, set a timer for a minute or so more. Then turn the heat off. Stir in the creme fraiche or yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice and zest. Allow it to rest for about a minute. This allows the pasta to soak up any of the residual liquid. Add the parmesan and more crushed red pepper (if you like) and give it one last toss. Divide among bowls or plates and serve.

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Indian Feast

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4239 copyBring on the Indian feast.

This weekend, some friends and I decided to eat Indian food for almost 48 hours straight. Needless to say, it was a delicious journey.

We started last night at Curry & Pie in Georgetown. I discovered the restaurant a couple weeks ago when I was reading D.C. food news, and when I saw the menu, I had to hold myself back from running there on the spot. It has traditional Indian dishes, but the restaurant’s specialty is Indian-themed pizzas.

My friend Sapna and I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala pizza and all I can say is, whoa. The tikka masala sauce was the perfect base: tomato-y, spicy and flavorful. And the cheese on top actually went really well with the sauce.

We couldn’t finish the whole pizza so we took some home. I can vouch for how good it is on day two; I ate a couple slices cold today and it was delicious. IMG_4228 copyToday, we all made an Indian dish and ate them for lunch. My friend Tracy made cucumber raita, which is basically cucumber yogurt sauce. It goes well with everything. Carly made my all-time favorite Indian dish, bhindi masala, or okra in tomatoes. Rachel made chana masala, or chickpeas and tomatoes. Sapna made matar paneer, a fried cheese and tomato dish. And I made my second favorite Indian dish, baingan bharta, or tomatoes and eggplant.

This baingan bharta was BANGIN. I sort of improvised because I used the kitchen last, and I didn’t have the patience to wait for the eggplant to completely blacken in the oven. But it all turned out well. I mashed up the eggplant and added it to some onions, garlic, tomatoes and spices in a frying pan. Then I kept mashing everything together with a wooden spoon to get it to the right consistency (it should resemble a puree).

I’m lucky that I have good friends who love Indian food as much as I do. This feast will go down as one for the record books.

IMG_4236 copy

On a side note, I’ve been jamming out to this song a lot this weekend. It’s great for long stretches of time when you have to wait for the bus and want to tune out weekend traffic.

Baingan Bharta (slightly adapted from The New York Times)

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplant
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 fresh hot green chile like a jalapeño, or more to taste, thinly sliced (discard seeds for less heat)
1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
½ cup chopped cilantro, thin stems included
2 teaspoons garam masala

Directions

Prick the eggplant with a thin-blade knife. Grill over or next to very high heat, turning as necessary until the skin is blackened and the eggplant collapses. Or broil, or roast on a heated cast-iron pan in the hottest possible oven (I set mine to 500 degrees F). It will take about 20 minutes.

When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel (this will be easy) and trim away the hard stem. Chop or mash in a bowl, with lime juice.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for another minute. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato is soft, 5 minutes or so.

Stir in the eggplant purée and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala and turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm chapati bread or pita, or over rice.

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Grapefruit Quinoa Salad with Roasted Almonds

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4220It’s been a carb-heavy week filled with cheesy pasta, French meringue cakes and cookies. So last night, I decided to switch things up and make a salad.

I was craving grapefruit and I also wanted quinoa, because I haven’t had that in a while. I googled the two and landed on this recipe.

The best part about this salad (besides how delicious it is) is how easily it comes together. The only labor intensive step is roasting and salting the nuts, but you can get that out of the way at the beginning before you make the quinoa and slice the grapefruit.

Once you prepare all the parts, you toss it together on a plate et voila: You have a colorful, vibrant salad that is the perfect antidote to a week-long carb fest.

My friend Carly recently recommended this artist, Black Violin, and I’ve been jamming out to them lately on my walk to and from work. Here’s one of my favorite songs.

Grapefruit Quinoa Salad with Roasted Almonds (slightly tweaked from A House in the Hills)

Ingredients

For almonds:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup almonds
Salt to taste

For salad:
1 medium ruby red grapefruit peeled, pith removed and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 cup tri color quinoa
2 cups sunflower greens
1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey (preferably raw)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Maldon salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the almonds with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet. Let roast in the oven for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and slightly brown. Keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool. Once they’re cool, roughly chop them.

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer for 2-3 minutes. Place in a medium heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium, stirring frequently, until water is gone and quinoa is toasted.
Add two cups of water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest possible, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.
Fluff quinoa with a fork (if water remains, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until water is gone).

Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

To make dressing combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and honey. Mix well.
To assemble salad, scoop quinoa onto a larger serving plate (or individual plates). Pile on sunflower greens, almonds, grapefruit. Top with Maldon salt and heaps of fresh cracked pepper. Drizzle with dressing, to taste. Enjoy!

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Raspberry Almond Butter Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

smoothiebowlSometimes I get a vision for what I want my food to look like when it’s done before I start making it. I look at picture of a recipe someone else has made for inspiration, but then all these ideas come flooding into my head. What if I ditched the granola and added toasted almonds? What if instead of strawberries, I went with blueberries? The options seem endless.

This morning, I went with a vision I had for a raspberry almond butter smoothie. I found the original recipe on BuzzFeed, but then I made some adjustments. I kept most of the base the same, but instead of granola and strawberries, I put blueberries, toasted almond and shredded coconut on top.

It ended up turning out just the way that I wanted it to. I tried to drink all the smoothie out of the bowl first with a straw, but I gave up halfway through because the blueberries and almonds were calling my name. Resistance is futile when it comes to this bowl.

Here is a great smoothie-making song that will also drown out the sound of the blender.

Raspberry Almond Butter Smoothie Bowl (slightly adapted from BuzzFeed)

Ingredients

1 large banana
1 ½ cups frozen raspberries
½ cup almond milk
2 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. honey, plus additional for drizzling
1/4 cup blueberries
¼ cup toasted almonds
2 Tbsp. shredded coconut

Directions

Blend the banana, 1 1/2 cup of the raspberries, almond milk, almond butter, and 1 tablespoon of the honey until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and top with the blueberries, toasted almonds, coconut and coconut. Enjoy!

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Strawberry Pineapple Banana Smoothie Bowl

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4184I’ve been waking up earlier in the morning to make breakfast before work. Usually, I don’t have time for anything too fancy. But if I make a smoothie or smoothie bowl at night, I can slice up some fruit and decorate it in the morning.

This morning I decided to make a strawberry pineapple banana smoothie bowl with chia seeds. I added some coconut yogurt (because why not) and a splash of almond milk. For the toppings, I decided to go with what I had in my fridge. I sprinkled on some hemp seeds, put a couple pieces of sliced grapefruit and a scoop of granola. I also put some sliced bananas and blueberries on top to liven things up.

And now, I bring you horses.

IMG_4190It’s finally starting to feel like spring in D.C., and no one is more excited about that than me. We had a couple fake outs last month that I pretended were real. But this 75 degree weather is legit.

Today, some coworkers and I went on a picnic by the White House. I saw a man eating frozen yogurt and lamented my earlier choice not to get any. My one coworker suggested that I go take it from him, but I didn’t want to be tasered on the White House lawn.

During our picnic, two D.C. park officers came riding up on their horses. The super cute one above is named Doc. He had soulful brown eyes and a very gentle demeanor.

At the very end of the picnic, a third horse and park officer came riding up and then a crowd started gathering. “Ain’t no party like a horse party!” the third officer said.

Here’s a good smoothie-making, spring picnic, horse-greeting song.

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Strawberry Pineapple Banana Smoothie (from me)

Ingredients

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup coconut yogurt (or more to thicken it up)
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 banana, 1/2 tsp hemp seeds, 1/4 cup blueberries, grapefruit and 1/4 cup granola for topping

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Top with sliced banana, hemp seeds, granola, blueberries and slices of grapefruit.

Posted in Smoothie Bowls, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Easy Curry Laksa

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4178There’s a really good Malaysian restaurant by my work called Banana Leaves. My coworker introduced me to it and they have the best curry laksa in town. For those who are not familiar with curry laksa, it’s essentially curry coconut milk soup.

As much as I like spending half of my weekly paycheck at Banana Leaves (trust me, it’s possible), I also like keeping some money in the bank if I can. So I decided to make a version of curry laksa at home that I found on a blog called Salt N Pepper Here.

I was sold on the recipe when I saw the words: “easy fake-out laksa.” I was already intimidated to make the soup at home, so the fact that Salt N Pepper said that it wouldn’t be difficult was reassuring. Also, even though I’m not a big proponent of cutting corners, if you can do it without sacrificing quality, I say go for it.

Well, cut away because this recipe is easy and creates laksa on par with the one I tried at Banana Leaves. It’s fresh, colorful, spicy and comforting the way that good laksa should be.

The only difficult part of the recipe is the multiple steps. You have to make the noodles, cook the shrimp, then make the soup and the soft boiled egg. But if you plan ahead of time, everything falls into place. You can cook the noodles first and let them sit and cool, then cook the shrimp. You use the same pot for the shrimp for the soup, and that part is easy. You can make the soft boiled egg while the soup is simmering.

I subbed in pea shoots for bean sprouts because I’ve never used them before and I’ve always wanted to. Feel free to use bean sprouts if you want, though. I’m sure that it would be equally delicious.

Here’s a recommended laksa eating track.

Easy Curry Laksa (slightly adapted from Salt N Pepper Here)

Ingredients

Soup
3 tbsp grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
3 tbsp mild or spicy red curry paste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, bashed a few times with a wooden spoon to release the oils
1 398ml can coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 lb rice vermicelli noodles (16oz package)
16 large shrimp, deshelled keeping the tail on and deveined
Salt to taste, depending on salt content already in your broth

Toppings
4 large eggs, soft-boiled (or hard boiled if you don’t like the yolk runny) and sliced into 2 halves
2 handfuls pea shoots
1 handful cilantro or parsley leaves, washed
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Directions

Soak and cook vermicelli rice noodles according to package directions. Set aside. You may want to keep it in some tepid water to prevent sticking – and drain right before you need it. Alternatively leave it soaking longer and cook it in a separate pot of boiling water right before serving.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium to medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of the oil and brown the shrimp on each side until they just turn opaque and slightly browned on the edges. Do not overcook. Set aside.

In the same pot, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and saute the curry paste in it for a minute until aromatic. Add the turmeric and the lemongrass stalks, allowing the spice to bloom for a minute.

Add the can of coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil while you assemble the noodle bowls. Remember to season the broth with salt once it comes to a boil.

Divide the cooked noodles among four bowls. Top each bowl of noodles with 4 shrimp, 2 egg halves, pea shoots, cilantro leaves or parsley leaves and a wedge of lime for squeezing. Ladle the hot broth over top and serve immediately.

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