On Growing Up

Centered on the lawn between the maple that no one could climb regardless of effort expended and the honey suckle covered fence that gave every kid in the neighborhood devil splinters at least once, stood a short little apricot tree.

It had only one perfect branch so we took turns: two in the grass, one perched in the childish seat.

The latter designated the picker, dedicated to eyeing each fruit, squeezing it between index and thumb in search of the perfect ripeness, as breeze played through their grubby little hands under sun filtered through the greenest leaves.

Although these California gems set a standard hard to beat, apricots are to this day one of my standard treats, stuffed into cookies, smeared as jam onto peanut butter toast, or tossed into a salad like this.

Stone Salad

Inspired by last years version

Ingredients

• 1/2 c wheatberries
• 1/2 c edamame
• 1/4 c fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 T oil
• 2 T vinegar
• Salt, as desired
• Pepper, as desired
• 2-3 c kale, washed and chopped
• 2 apricots, sliced
• 2 radish, slivered
• Almonds, chopped
• Feta, crumbled

Combine

1. Add the wheatberries to a small pot, cover with 1-2 inches of water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to medium and cover the pot.  Cook for another 30 minutes until the wheatberries are translucent (adding more water if necessary) then add the edamame on top, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes until the edamame is steamed through.
3. Drain and excess water from the pot.
4. Toss the mint, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in large bowl.  Add the kale and gently toss until the leaves are well covered.
5. Gently toss in the wheatberry-edamame mixture, top with apricots, radish, almonds, and feta.
6. Enjoy!

Two Pea Pasta with Basil Mint Pesto

So technically edamame isn't a pea, which means this is truly a one pea pasta, but our focus isn't on the technicalities here people.

Our focus is on a little lean, green protein that was strong enough to help a dream dish be realized.

A dream dish that is cool and simple enough for a hot evening, complex enough to fuel a soul with enough energy for whatever it may need, and delicious enough to eat again the next day because not even the most dedicated kitchen enthusiast looks forward to turning on their stove twice in the summer.

A dream dish that is different, light, and successful... successful in disguising pasta that is.

What kind of person goes around disguising pasta?  The kind who wants pasta to be more than just a carb, who wants to elevate it to a whole new level, who wants to use it like it's bread aka the god of all carbs, as a pure vehicle for the deliciousness that it carries with it.

After my first attempt at this dish, I found myself staring down at my bowl.  It was good, all the ingredients I dreamed of were in it, and yet something was not quite right.  I had made the basil mint pesto as one normally would but it seemed like a dull comparison to my dream version, the shallots felt out of place, the peas looked like an afterthought since the shells didn't pick them up exactly how envisioned. Staring down at the pieces of edamame trapped beneath the pasta in a pesto bath, I realized my mistakes.

The olive oil in the pesto was too strong for the delicate basil-mint flavor combo but wasn't strong enough to hold the ingredients together in the way I imagined.

It had to go, so in stepped avocado and out came this dream dish!

Two Pea Pasta with Basil-Mint Avocado Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 large shallot
• Red wine vinegar
• 1 small bunch of mint (1 tightly packed cup)
• 1 small bunch of basil (1 loosely packed cup)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 1 avocado, ripe
• 4 servings of linguine
• 1/2 c edamame, shelled, frozen
• 1/2 c peas, frozen
• 2 small zucchini, cut into match sticks
• Feta as desired
• Crushed red pepper, for garnish
• Salt and pepper as needed

Combine

1. Mince the shallot, place in a small bowl with a pinch of salt, cover the pieces with the red wine vinegar and set aside.
2. Rinse the mint and basil, remove the leaves from the stems, and add to the bowl of your food processor with the lemon juice.
3. Puree the leaves for two or three minutes until they are minced, then add the garlic and puree again.
4. Add the avocado to the bowl with a pinch of salt and black pepper, puree until smooth, then set aside.
5. Fill a large pot halfway with water, add a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
6. Add in the linguine and cook for 5 minutes, then add the edamame and cook for 5 more minutes, then add the peas and cook just until the water starts to boil again.
7. Dump the pasta and peas into a large colander and rinse with cold water - note, not everyone likes to do this but I do.
8. Make sure all the water is drained off the pasta then transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
9. Add the avocado pesto to the bowl and use two forks to toss the pasta until it is thoroughly coated.
10. Toss in the zucchini then use the forks to twirl servings of pasta into bowls or onto plates.
11. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, pickled shallots, and crushed red pepper and enjoy!

I know, We know

I know, I know; we know meat is not so great for you and we're all tired of hearing about it.

As part of that we, I'm tired of hearing about it too.  As an ex-veg-head I'm especially tired of it, of constantly re-discovering that fact and feeling a pang of guilt over my decision to cross back over to the omnivore life.  It's not that I regret the decision, re-discovering meat has opened so many doors in my kitchen and made a noticeably physical difference in how I recover from my workouts, it's just that, when it comes down to it meat is bad for you.

The worst part is, it's so delicious, it's such a common part of American life, it's literally everywhere: so you forget about this reality of it.

Then it happens, your Seamless-ed company lunches have all become meat, for once you're finding yourself craving a giant bowl of green because it's been that long since you've had just that, and you hear yourself asking out loud "is meat bad for you?" right before turning bright red because yes, of course it is.

I'll spare you the bowl of raw-kale detox because even your meat-overload recovery should be delicious.

Like this bowl filled with super deliciousness in the forms of steamed bok choy and edamame, pickled shallots, zested rice, baked pressed tofu, and of course some avocado, which comes in perfectly handy when you need an enjoyable distraction from meat!

BK Buri Bowls

Ingredients

For the tofu:

• 1/4 c rice vinegar or ACV
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 clementine, juiced
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t chili
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T chili oil or hot sauce of choice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 block firm tofu, pressed and sliced into 4-6 pieces

For the bowls:

• 1 c short or medium grain rice
• 2 t lime zest
• 2 T coconut oil
• water as needed
• 1-2 shallots
• vinegar
• salt
• 1 c edamame
• 3 bunches of baby bok choy or 1 very large full bunch
• lime wedges
• avocado
• sesame seeds
• 1-2 sheets of nori, chopped

Combine
Prep the tofu:

1. Place the block of tofu between to dinner plates and place something heavy (like your largest cookbook) on top of it.  After 10-15 minutes water should be collecting on the bottom plate - dump this out.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.  Cut the tofu into 4-6 pieces, place in the bowl, cover completely with marinade, and let sit for 20 minutes.

Prep the other ingredients:

1. While you wait for the tofu to soak, wash the bok choy, zest the lime, chop your shallots, avocado, and nori.
2. In a small bowl, cover the shallots with vinegar and a pinch of salt and set aside.

Cook the tofu, rice, and veggies:

1. Stir the rice, lime zest, coconut oil, and 2 cups of water into a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the rice boils, reduce the heat to low and cover it with a lid.
2. As the rice boils, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the marinated tofu on the baking sheet and put in the center of the hottest rack of your oven.  This will need about 20 minutes total, I usually flip the pieces over after 10 minutes.
3. While you wait cook the edamame and bok choy.  For the edamame you can do this in several ways: follow directions for microwaving the edamame, or bring water to a boil in a pot and add the edamame for 5 minutes, or add to the steamer with the bok choy.
4. For the bok choy: add 1 inch of water to a large pot, place a steamer over the water, add the bok choy, and cover the pot with a lid.  Bring the water a boil over medium heat for 2-5 minutes - you may need to rotate the bok choy with tongs half way through the cook time.

Bowl it:

1. Use tongs to transfer the bok choy to a bowl and sprinkle with lots of fresh lime juice.  Spoon rice onto and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nori.  Top with tofu, shallots, edamame, and avocado.
2. Enjoy!

Sweetening the Savory

Cooked fruit is surely summer's best kept secret.

Grill it, bake it, roast it  -  whatever the method chosen it will dramatize the flavors your favorite fruit has to offer, turning a once sweet snack into a now sweeter, juicier, caramelized version.

Can't think of a way to use these extra delicious treats?

Although they are usually incorporated in desserts I'm a huge fan of adding sweet to a savory dish.  Think roasted grapes over brie on your next cheese platter, grilled pineapple, mango, or peach for a chutney spooned over meat, or roasted grapes tossed into a savory salad like this one.

Inspired by the restaurant I work at, this salad is a winner that features some of the best summer complements: crisp kale with tangy balsamic, sweet and nutty almonds and edamame, salty feta topped with caramelized, red grapes.

If you want the grapes to retain a little of their crunch simply bake them for a shorter period of time.  If you want them to be extra caramely use grapes that are at peak ripeness, like the grape versions of a freckled banana.

B.V. Roasted Grapes with Feta, Edamame, Almonds, Kale

Ingredients (2-4 s)

• 2 c grapes, washed and dried
• 2 T balsamic
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4-6 leaves kale, de-ribbed and chopped
• 1-2 T balsamic reduction
• 1 c edamame, cooked
• 2 T almonds, chopped
• 2 T feta, crumbled

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so that it overlaps the sides a little.
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the grapes, balsamic, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper together until well coated.
3. Scatter the grapes on the baking sheet and roast for 15-30 minutes until the grapes are caramelized.
4. While you wait, wash and chop the kale and toss it with any balsamic remaining from the grapes and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
5. Toss the grapes, edamame, almonds, and feta with the kale until well mixed.  Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!

Minted Persimmon and Almond Salad

Nothing like waking up on the Monday after a long weekend filled with burgers and s'mores to make you need a recovery salad.

This one in particular is one of my summer favorites.  Peppery arugula is complemented by salty feta and tangy balsamic.  Edamame serves as a light, nutty protein that won't put you to sleep.  Almonds lend a sweet crunch, while mint cools it all down.  If you've never had a persimmon, feel for one that is less firm than an apple but still firmer than a soft peach: peel it, slice it, then let it's cinnamon-esque sweetness top all your summer salads.

Minted Persimmon and Almond Salad

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 1 cup cooked edamame
• 1 persimmon, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3-4 T raw almonds, chopped
• 3-4 T feta, crumbled
• 2 T mint, chiffonade
• 3 big handfuls of arugula
• Dressing: 2 T balsamic vinegar + 2 T olive oil + Salt + Pepper

Combine

1. Whisk the balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper together until well combined then toss with the arugula until well-coated.
2. Sprinkle with edamame, almonds, and feta.
3. Garnish with persimmon and fresh mint.
4. Enjoy!