Shroom bowls

In the last few days multiple people have asked me about what good things I've been cooking lately, but instead of wowing the crowd with a description of something delicious I've only been able to respond with a feeling of deep sadness because lately, life has been quite a trip.

I'll save you all the sob story but after wading through a swamp of school work and crawling out from under the ever growing pile of work work only to be sucked into the media swirl of the election all while turning a whole year older, there hasn't been much time (read: energy) to spend in the kitchen.

But instead of spending time longingly dreaming about all of the recipes I wished I had made time to make lately, I dug deep and thought about all the meals I had been making lately - because it's never the complete truth when I say I haven't been up to anything.

So here I share with you the non-cooking list.

If you're also up to your eyes in to-do lists or just have some Post-Trump Depression, take notes and cook what you can:

1.  The best way to non-cook is to make one item that you can use multiple ways.  I'll roast sweet potatoes, fennel, or beets at the beginning of the week then use them to fancify meals throughout the week.  Of course tossing some into a salad is a given, but try roasted fennel on toast with persimmon or lox, or place roasted potatoes on a plate, top with an egg, and microwave for 1-3 minutes to enjoy in the morning.

2.  Easy soups.  You might think all soup is easy to make but that's a lie.  Some soup recipes are a lot of work because they have tons of ingredients with different cook times or require multiple prep methods (puree, roast, etc.) that really just turn out to be a nuisance... the list of traits goes on but I think you know what I mean: grab ingredients for simple lentil soups, chili, or anything made in a slow-cooker so you can enjoy your day and your dinner too!

3.  Lastly, we have the lazy salad in disguise as seen here.

For those of you who don't already know, I like to think of sautes as lazy salads in disguise.

If I took all these ingredients and ate them cold, I would be sad.  By taking all these ingredients and giving them a little saute I not only save myself the effort it takes to make a dijon vinaigrette, but also get to trick my brain into thinking it's eating some sort of masterpiece.

The taste buds ain't mad, so catch the recipe below to get non-cooking!

Mushroom Bowls

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c brown rice
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 2 c mushrooms, chopped (I used cremini)
• 1 t red pepper
• 1-2 t thyme or rosemary
• 4 c kale, chopped
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Garnish: Gruyere, grated

Combine:

1. Cook the brown rice according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers.  Then add in the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for another 2.
4. Add in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to deglaze the pan, then push the onions to the edges and add the mushrooms.  Continue to cook these until the juices come out and they are starting to brown.  Add in the rest of the vinegar and give the pan a good stir.  Toss in the chickpeas, kale, and rice until well mixed.
5. Top with gruyere and enjoy!

Sick Soup

The day's assignment: a simple loop run at training pace; longer but not exceptionally fast.

Along with the regular group I set out for the run.

After each step, I found myself sliding my tongue over my teeth.  After each mile, I noticed.   After each half way mark, I questioned myself: your breathing is good, your muscle's are fine, are you hungry?

As each stride became a fight, I struggle to form the logic behind the excuse: my face hurts.

It was my first sinus infection and to me it made no sense, but hundreds of tooth-achey steps later I've developed a punch packed all natural team:  ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, ACV, and (of course) netti pot.

Oh, and soup, lots and lots of soup.

Like this one that helped me survive my first cold of the season.  A turmeric and ginger boosted base that will help raise your immune system while fighting inflammation, the warming cayenne in the broth will help melt your nose off your face, and the silken tofu will help keep you full while giving you an energy boost - so you can lace up your shoes a little tighter and keep striding!

Silk Soup with Ginger and Turmeric

Ingredients

• 3 c veggie broth
• 2 T grated ginger
• 2 t turmeric
• 3 cl garlic, minced
• 1/2 t cayenne powder
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 T rice vinegar
• 1 block silken tofu
• 2 servings rice noodles
• 2 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 c parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 c scallions
• 1-2 limes, juiced and zested

Combine

1. Bring the broth, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cayenne, and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Crumble the tofu into the pot and continue to boil for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, carrot, and rice noodles and boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley, scallions, and lime.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Apricot Arugula Salad

It's great if you went out and bought all the ingredients to make my Apricot and Cream scones, but now I'm sure you have a bits of left-over ingredients that you don't know what to do with!

While tossing some chopped apricots on your granola or oatmeal is always a great way to utilize them, if you are looking for a more creative way to incorporate them into another meal this salad is an ever greater way to utilize them.

One of my fall favorites, this salad is full of warm, strong flavors that welcome a little sweetness.  It's a perfect meal for these weird, warm fall days we are having in NY but still savory enough to enjoy in colder weather.

Of course, as with most meals I make, this salad can be served two ways:

1. For dinner, served with a nice, big glass of red wine to make you feel fancy and sophisticated.
2. Packed for lunch starting with a base layer of balsamic, then chicken, then mushrooms and onions, apricots, blue cheese, and arugula to make you feel like you totally have your life together.

So many wins here, so get cooking!

Apricot Arugula and Balsamic Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb chicken
• 1-2 T Olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1-2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• large handfuls of arugula
• balsamic vinaigrette
• 6 apricots, chopped
• blue cheese crumbles, as desired
• Salt and pepper

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim the fat off the chicken, let marinate in balsamic vinegar for ~20 minutes, then lightly oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, then cut into slices.
4. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large skillet, then saute the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are juicy and the onions are golden.
5. Toss arugula with a little balsamic vinaigrette then top with onions, mushrooms, chopped apricots, chicken, and blue cheese crumbles.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Drunken Pasta

Adding veggies to booze covered pasta totally makes it okay to eat the booze covered pasta.


At least that's my mentality when I feast on this and although I don't eat pasta often, this is absolutely my most-made pasta dish.  Not only does it taste delicious while enjoyed on the couch in your pjs, but it tastes equally delicious when consumed at a dinner table with candles and wine and fancy stuff.


A lazy dinner that can double as a man-approved date night, what more can a girl ask for?

As mentioned above, each time I make this meal it's slightly different than the time before because this dinner is extremely adaptive and also is great for emptying out the odds and ends from of the fridge.  Here are some suggested changes:

• Sub red peppers for the mushrooms - this is best if you also sub two slightly spicy sausages for the chicken
• Use any green you like, just make sure there is lots of it.  My favs are kale, baby spinach, or swiss chard.
• Booze that works: white wine, summer beers, lagers.  I was drinking a Sam Summer while making this particular meal so in it went - lemoney and delicious!
• Any herbs will complement this dish, I usually try to keep it to one or two.  My favs are basil, oregano, or parsley.
• Bacon is also a great substitute or addition to the chicken (try to refrain from adding a whole pound, two slices per person works)

Some notes:  I usually leave my spices and oil right next to the stove so they are on hand when I need them.  Start by setting your water to boil, then prep your veggies followed by the chicken - this way everything is ready to toss together so you will have less running around to do.  It's also extremely helpful to keep a strainer handy so you can avoid over-cooking your pasta.

Drunken Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 servings of dry pasta of choice
• 1 small onion chopped (I use vidalia or sweet)
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 - 1 1/2 t crushed red pepper (if you don't like heat start small)
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4-5 T olive oil
• 8 mushrooms, sliced (or half a red pepper chopped)
• 1/2 c booze of choice
• 3-4 cups of greens roughly chopped (I used 3-4 large leaves of kale)

Optional

• 2-3 lemon slices or a squeeze of juice from half a lemon at the end
• cheese to garnish

Combine

1.  Fill a tall-sided pot 3/4 of the way with water and dump in a teaspoon/pinch of salt.  Place over a burner on high heat, once the water is at a rolling boil dump in the pasta and set a timer for the appropriate cook time.  Drain when ready and set aside.
2. While you wait for the water to boil prep all your veggies then set aside.
3. Cut any excess fat off your chicken then cut into 2-bite-sized pieces.  Rub with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or a large bottomed pot.
5. Cook the onion for 5-7 minutes until it starts turning clear.  Throw in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, keep your eye on it and stir often so the garlic doesn't brown.
6. Push the onions and garlic to the edges of the pan then place the pieces of chicken in the center and sprinkle with the herbs, red pepper, and optional lemon. When there is approximately one or two centimeters of "white" wrapping around the sides of the chicken you can flip each piece.
7. Dump in the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes until they start looking juicy, then pour in the booze and let cook for 1-2 more minutes until the alcohol has cooked off.
8. Toss in the cooked pasta and mix in the greens until they are just starting to soften.
9. Plate, garnish, and enjoy!