Get Natured: Recipes

, by Allison

Butternut squash (or pumpkin) chili

I have been having stomach and other issues related to the acid in some foods lately. One of the worst triggers for me has been cooked tomatoes, so I temporarily took a break from them and a few other things to get my stomach back on track. I was actually planning to add tomatoes to this chili but completely forgot and, you know what? We didn't miss them. It turned out great anyway!

My recipe calls for the chili to be simmered on the stove, but it could easily be cooked in a crockpot (slow cooker) instead.

If you're feeling especially festive and Octobery, you could use pumpkin in place of the butternut squash.

Butternut Squash Chili

Olive oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled* and finely chopped (a food processor makes finely chopping the squash quick and easy!)
1 large onion, chopped
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
1 cup chopped or sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups cooked beans (black, white, kidney, pinto, or a mix. I cooked black and white dry beans, but you can used canned to make this quick.)
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1-3 cups of water, if needed to reach desired thickness
3 tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

*Tip: To peel the squash, cut the bottom off so that it will stand up without tipping then peel it with a vegetable peeler.

If you are using dry beans, soak them overnight then thoroughly cook them before adding them to the chili. Tips for improving the digestibility of beans can be found here.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the squash, onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots, garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms. Saute until veggies begin to get tender, 10-15 minutes. If you plan to use a crockpot, saute the veggies in a skillet then add them with the ingredients in the steps below to the crockpot.
Add chili powder, cumin, beans, and broth (and water if you need to thin the chili). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until veggies are very tender. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

This chili makes a hearty meal when served over a grain like brown rice, quinoa, farro, bulgar, barley, etc.

1 comments

, by Allison

Breakfast

Post-half-marathon pumpkin cranberry "scuffins"

I am relieved to say that I finished my second half marathon on Sunday! I was so nervous before the race!

All geared-up and trying not to freak out:

The finisher's tee is so...YELLOW!

Finisher's necklace by Tiffany:

NWM = Nike Women's Marathon. The back of the necklace says "I run to be." with room for engraving so that we can add our own reason for running...

With 20,000 runners, this race is the largest marathon and half marathon in the country. The proceeds help to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This race has raised over $118 million over the past 8 years for the cause and I ran in memory of my father-in-law who passed away from complications related to lymphoma in 2008.

The weather was perfect but the course was even hillier than I remember and it was a hard run!

I completely earned my post-race cupcake and Blue Bottle latte by the bay:

Perfect, perfect weather (with the Bay Bridge in this shot)!

The physical exertion of this kind of event is challenging but, like many others before me, I definitely think that the mental race is the hardest part. I was struggling with stomach issues through the entire race (and a few hours afterwards) and my mind was all over the place.

The race was in San Francisco, which holds a special place marker in time for me. I worked in the city in the late 1990s and my life was quite different back then. My time visiting the city and running the race on Sunday gave me pause and brought about some much-needed reflection on "back in the day". A few of my favorite memories from working in SF:

Taking the ferry boat to and from the city. The sound of the fog horn, the smell of the engine, the splashy sound of the water while boarding...I even saw a whale from the boat one morning- what a great way to commute!
Flower venders selling spring flowers in little kiosks all over the place. The smell of the flowers (especially the Stargazer lilies) permeated even the stinkiest parts of the city. Amazing.
The little bakery across the street from my office building that had warm, freshly baked cinnamon rolls every morning.
Driving through the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge (on non-ferry days). Especially on winter nights near Christmas because I love to see the lights and trees in windows.

Though the race is over, my brain is still crunching through some of the meditative part of the experience. That aside, I am ready to get back to other things, like doing more weight training and yoga or just making pancakes on Saturday morning instead of getting up early to run long distances! I have been resting since the race and eating to recharge and refuel.

These "scuffins" (kind of a cross between a scone and a muffin) are disguised as a fall treat, but really they make a hearty and healthy breakfast. Not to mention, no blog would be complete with out a pumpkin recipe (or ten) in the fall, right??

Pumpkin Cranberry "Scuffins"
Makes 6-7 "scuffins"

1 cup ground oats (process 1 cup of rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they resemble a course flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tbsp flax meal
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
3 tbsp oil (canola, coconut, etc.- your choice)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC). In a large bowl, combine the first 12 ingredients (oats through salt). Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine without over-mixing. Let it rest for a minute before dropping in large spoonfuls (about 1/2 cup each) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 20-24 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for a 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

(This recipe was inspired by and adapted from Dreena Burton's Squirrelly "Scones" in her Vive le Vegan! cookbook (a favorite of mine!)).

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, by Allison

Dinner

Savory, sweet, and smoky veggie burger

I know, I know a veggie burger recipe on a vegetarian blog...boring, right? No! I'll admit that I don't really care for most commercial veggie burgers. Many of them have a paragraph of ingredients and only a few brands actually taste decent to me. I definitely prefer a homemade burger, especially if it is made with nuts. (Incidentally, if you find yourself anywhere near Fair Oaks, Ca you must try the nut burger at the Sunflower Drive-In- it is legendary and fantastical!)

Awhile back I had a veggie burger at another local restaurant (The Counter) that was really unique and delicious. The patty itself was great but I also loved that they gave me the option to have it served over salad greens instead of a bun. I was on a mission to recreate this burger at home and I think I did pretty well! The dried cranberries make these seem extra perfect for fall. Yum.

Savory, Sweet, and Smoky Veggie Burgers ala "The Counter"
Makes about 6-8 patties

Olive oil
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1/3 cup corn
1/4 tsp chili powder (I like red New Mexico chili powder)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup black beans
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300ºF (149ºC). Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Put the onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, and carrots in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Saute the veggie mixture for a few minutes (until beginning to soften). Add spinach, corn, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and salt and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Lightly toss the bread crumbs with a little olive oil. Spread the bread crumbs and walnuts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper in a thin layer. Bake until they begin to brown (about 10 minutes).
Put the brown rice in the food processor and process until it is beginning to clump together. Add the beans and process to chop them.
In a large bowl, combine the veggies, rice and beans, bread crumbs and walnuts, and cranberries. Form into patties and fry in a lightly oiled skillet until browned on both sides (flip once). Serve in a whole grain bun with avocado or on top of salad greens with your favorite dressing.

My favorite restaurant veggie burgers in the Sacramento area:

Sunflower Drive-In "Nut Burger"
Tower Cafe "Earth Burger"
The Counter veggie burger

4 comments

, by Allison

Dinner

Bulgar taco salad with cilantro lime dressing

8 comments

, by Allison

Dinner

Running fuel: Protein-rich tofu salad sandwiches

I have been doing a lot of running lately! I am running about four times a week and gradually ramping up the milage because I am training for a half marathon (13.1 miles) that I will run in October. Along with more miles, I am also increasing the amount of protein that I am eating to support the extra work that my muscles are doing.

Today I ran six miles then had a smoothie made with dates, raw cacao, bananas, raw protein powder, spinach, chia seeds, ice, and water to recover and refuel. By lunchtime, though, I was super hungry again and I was craving a savory and hearty sandwich. I came up with this tofu salad and it met this craving perfectly!

These sandwiches are simple and oh so good! I don't use a lot of tofu and I actually hesitate to call these "tofu salad" sandwiches because tofu is such a stereotypical vegetarian food and it sometimes scares people away. Don't be scared- these are yummy!

Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Serves about 2

1/2 block firm tofu (not silken), cut into very small squares
Olive oil
Seasoning of choice*
1-2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2-3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (I love grapeseed oil Vegenaise)
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped

Heat about 2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and saute until it is golden brown. Add the seasonings of choice*, saute for another minute or two. Reduce heat to low and add the nutritional yeast and tamari or soy sauce. Cook for about a minute or until soy sauce has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a small bowl, combine celery, green onion, vegan mayonnaise, and cooled tofu. Serve on toasted bread with a few leaves of lettuce and any other desired toppings.

*Seasoning of choice: I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute. You could also use Spike, Herbamare, Mrs. Dash, or your own combo of seasonings. (The Trader Joe's mix contains: onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato granules, lemon juice powder, oil of lemon, citric acid).

For more of my thoughts on fueling for exercise, see my post on My Layered Approach to Fueling for Exercise!

3 comments

, by Allison

Dinner

Pasta and veggies to go and a bear encounter!

Hello! I have been off the grid, so to speak, for a little while on a family camping trip. We went up to Lake Tahoe for a few days to enjoy cooler temps and fresh air. It is always so much work to prepare for a camping trip (and so much laundry when we get home), but it is always worth it.

Blue sky and wispy clouds:

Camping wouldn't be as fun if it was clean:

I love sleeping in a tent under the stars and waking up to the hushed voices and breakfast smells of a campground. Fellow campers are always so friendly- it is as if we have some unspoken bond because we are all "the kind of people who go camping". We can refer to things like "camp soap" or "deet" or a "rain fly" amongst ourselves knowing that there is no need for explanation.

Holed up:

Our tent has a view of the sky:

Thursday night, we had quite an adventure! Sometime around 3am, we were awoken by the sound of a cooler being tossed around and bear locker doors being rattled. We listened for a little while before my husband looked out the tent window. He turned on his flashlight and scanned the area in the direction of the ruckus until, just one campsite over, he saw a GIANT black bear! The bear's eyes were glowing in the flashlight beam and he did not appear to enjoy the bright light in his face. We quickly shut the light off and looked at each other with wide eyes that silently said, "holy crap!" We sat for a moment before my son, not knowing that there was a humungous bear outside, woke up and said, "I have to go potty." Really? Now? Really?!

We waited until the bear lumbered off into the trees and it quieted down outside to take our bathroom trip. But, a little while later, the bear was back! He found something in another site and was making a bunch of noise again. One by one, the people around us began waking up and emerging from their tents to see what was going on. They whispered and pointed flashlights saying, "see him, over there?"

I know I'm crazy, but I LOVED seeing this big ol' bear! I so wish I had a picture of him! I also love the solidarity that this sort of encounter draws out. People who have never spoken before are suddenly sharing stories and flashlights and time.

A full moon rising behind the trees:

Fortunately our food was stored safely away from the bear in our bear locker! Our camping menu was similar to last year. I also brought along some homemade soft pretzels and a container of Hickory-Smoked Cheddar-Style We Can't Say It's Cheese Spread, my quick and easy granola bars, instant oatmeal with Justin's Nut Butter packets, and a couple more things from my picnic food recipe round up.

Camping snacks:

My favorite meal on this trip was pasta with veggies and "meatballs" (I used Nate's Meatless Meatballs but Trader Joe's carries them under their label too). This is a meal that is easy to prepare and travels well. I plan to prep a bunch of veggies and freeze them in freezer bags for a quick at-home version of this that I can pull out on busy nights.

Pasta and Veggies To Go
Serves about 4

1 small eggplant, chopped
1 medium zucchini or other summer squash, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4-6 cups of raw spinach
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jar of marinara or other red sauce
1 package of whole wheat penne pasta
Sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, to taste
1 package vegetarian "meatballs"
Olive oil

Place all of the chopped veggies in a zip top bag with the spinach at the bottom (i.e. put the spinach in first). You can add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the bag as well or bring those along to season the veggies while you are cooking.
To prepare this meal, boil water and cook the pasta per the package directions. In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the bag of veggies. If you're feeling fancy, you can add everything but the spinach and add the spinach later once the harder veggies have cooked a bit. If not, it will still turn out fine! Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning while cooking. Once the veggies have softened and are cooked through, add 1/2 to 1 whole jar of marinara and as many "meatballs" as you would like. Bring to a simmer and cook for another minute or two. Leftovers can be stored in the zip top bag that the veggies were in but, please, use the bear locker if you're camping! ;-)

3 comments

, by Allison

Muffins

Peach muffins with chia and hemp seeds

3 comments

, by Allison

Lunch

Picnic food recipe roundup

I realize that it has been a little while since I posted a recipe. It isn't that I'm holding out on you guys! It is simply that I'm in somewhat of an uninspired patch with food at the moment. I'm spending my mental cycles on clearing out my chattery brain by means of nature hikes and yoga instead of daydreaming about cookie dough and sun-dried tomatoes (separately, of course). I've been eating simply, getting take-out, and still working on using up what I have in the pantry when I can.

That being said, though, some thoughts of take-along foods have been swirling around in my head because I have been day-tripping and picnic-ing as often as possible lately. We brought a picnic lunch along for our Big Tree hike and, just today, I packed yet another for a day trip to Donner Lake in Truckee, CA.

Usually a picnic for us includes a rather uninspired combo of PB&J sandwiches, sliced apples, cookies, and snack bars. I am totally crushing on the idea of picnic foods in jars, though, and that has me thinking about some more exciting portable foods. Here are some of my favorite ideas (not all of these are vegan, however they can be vegan-ized):

Sliced apples or pears with nut butter dips (using variations of this recipe from OSG)
Apple chips (here or here)
Nut or seed butter protein balls (here or here)
Homemade fruit rolls, here
A "vegan-ized" sandwich, here
Dreena Burton's Super-Charge Me! cookies, here or my breakfast cookies (a breakfast picnic, by the way, sounds like fun!), here
Homemade soft pretzels (this recipe looks like a good start- I would make a few tweaks) with vegan cheese sauce (something like this or this or this)
Homemade potato chips with avocado ranch dip, here
Homemade crackers (here or here) with my roasted red pepper dip, here
Anything baked in a jar: pie, cobbler, oatmeal...
Gilled sweet potato salad (minus the feta), here
Any kind of grain salad would be good too- like this or this or this or this
Any of these high protein salads from OSG

*Book recommendation: Speaking of the great outdoors and packing food along for a hike, I just finished reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I loved this book. LOVED it! Bill Bryson is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious and this book is now one of my all-time favorites!

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, by Allison

Dinner

Simplicity and soft homemade vegan sandwich bread

I have been craving simplicity lately. More than usual, really. For me, this is a very predictable part of my life's rhythm. It is a cycle in which I pile way too many things onto the shoulders of my days. There are so many things that I want to read and write and photograph and see. New music to hear, new trails to hike, new exploring, new creating. When this mountain of wants and shoulds gets too heavy, I collapse. Onto the couch, out of my responsibilities, out of my smooth groove. I shirk. I hide. And then I start it all over again. It is what I do. It is the way that I know myself as someone who does things and who is passionate about staying hungry.

Sworn tightly to backing off on using my goals and lists to prod myself into an anxious state of "NOT ENOUGH TIME!", I am putting a little extra effort into nurturing my soul. Sitting at my favorite coffee shop in a cozy corner and drinking a deliciously fragrant jasmine green tea, it occurred to me that simplicity doesn't mean boring and slow. This moment is so simple- sitting in a coffee shop. The layers of what is happening here, though, are what make this time worthy of being deposited into my bank of rejuvenation. Like doing shoulder presses and squats at the same time, this time is complex and multi-beneficial.

Love this cozy little corner of the coffee shop:

Yesterday I realized mid-day that I was out of bread. I had sandwiches planned for dinner and didn't want to drag the kids to the store before we headed to the pool for swimming lessons. I tossed a few ingredients into the bread machine and, a few hours later, ended up with a fantastically soft loaf of sandwich bread. No weird ingredients. No trip to the store. Perfect!

Now I realize that making bread from scratch doesn't sound, on the surface, to be an act of simplicity. It is, though, quite nurturing in more than one way. There is a feeling of success and of everything being in its place when the dough rises as it should. Homemade bread smells amazing and it seems so special despite its being ordinary.

Vegan Sandwich Bread
For a 1 lb. bread machine (or 1 loaf in the oven)

2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup lukewarm apple juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Put all of the ingredients into your machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Program the machine for whole wheat bread and press Start.*

*My bread machine is a 1 1/2 - 2 pound machine and this is a 1 pound loaf. Rather than let it bake into a loaf that wasn't quite the right shape in the machine, I pulled the dough out right before the last rise period and placed it in an oiled loaf pan. I covered it with a tea towel and let it rise in the sun for 70 minutes. I baked it in my oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

I used this bread to make barbecued tempeh sandwiches with my favorite barbecue sauce. Served with sweet potatoes cooked on the barbecue. The sandwiches were made with lots of avocado tucked away inside- yum!

3 comments

, by Allison

Dinner

Summer bucket-listing and a grilled veggie meal

This morning I dropped my kids off at preschool and slowly made my way into my morning. I made the trek across town to my favorite hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. A place where people gather and lounge. Where the music is just a little bit cooler than me and where the coffee is French-pressed and the tea is loose-leaf and served in cast iron pots (love!). There are grapes growing on lattice and people chatting on a patio that is covered but already too hot on this June day.

What am I doing here? Catching up on blogging, I tell myself. Really? I am daydreaming about all things summery and the concept that I have seen floating around online over the past few weeks- the "summer bucket list". It is a bit of a misnomer as, I'm sure, none of these list-makers plan to "kick the bucket" at the end of summer. Whatever, though, I love this idea!

Being the obsessive list-maker that I am, I have collected ideas at the end of summer in the past for what I would like to do the following year. I do this for the holiday season as well. I do pretty well at following up on those lists and planning ahead for the next year too. At least at the beginning of the season. When summer is still just a feeling in the air and has not yet landed with its full weight. The intensity of my fervor tends to dissipate as the weather turns to 100+ degree days of unrelenting heat and the bright spring green of the leaves on the trees begins to fade and give way under the blaze. The late days of spring, when summer still feels carefree and romantic, is the time to do my daydreaming.

I shared a few items from the top of my mind here. But I'm still brainstorming my full list. Right now it is a notebook page full of scribbled idea beginnings.

Keeping my house cool by cooking outside and eating cold foods is on the top of my mind, though, and I'd also like to experiment with grilling all kinds of veggies this summer (like fava beans). With that in mind, I created a yummy meal last night that was centered around grilled veggies that came in my CSA box. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the food (I was starving and didn't want to pause for photos!) but it was a great summer feast!

The menu:

Grilled veggies (turnips, zucchini, carrots, gypsy peppers, carrots, portobello mushrooms)
Simple homemade hummus
Whole grain flatbread
Indian spiced lentils (from the farmers' market) over brown rice

Grilled veggies
Mix together:

Olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup or so)
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (or minced fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme)
1/2 - 1 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice veggies to about 1/4 inch thick and generously brush the olive oil mixture over them before grilling.

Simple Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed butter)
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 -1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Water (optional, use if needed to thin hummus)

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika, pine nuts, or minced fresh herbs, if desired.

What are you planning to make your summer special?

2 comments

, by Allison

Crockpot

June-uary crockpot polenta lasagna

The weather here has been looking more like January than June. In the spirit of comfort food, I came up with this crockpot version of a vegan polenta lasagna. It is healthy and delicious and I think that trying this recipe with different veggies would be good too. This recipe was inspired by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

Polenta*
4 cups water
1 cup polenta
1 tbsp margarine (I used Earth Balance)

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Slowly add polenta. Add margarine and stir continuously until very thick.
Pour polenta onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly to about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside to cool.
When cooled, cut into rectangles.

*You may use pre-made polenta to make this even quicker.

Vegan Polenta Lasagna
Olive oil
1 large portobello mushroom, cut into thin 1 inch slices
1/2 bunch of kale, washed and chopped
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
Cheese sauce (see below)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or in a jar)

Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and saute until mushrooms start to get juicy. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and cook until kale is bright green and starting to soften. Add cheese sauce and cook until it has thickened a bit and is no longer runny. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Cover the bottom of the crockpot with a layer of marinara sauce. Cover marinara sauce with a single layer of polenta slices (homemade or pre-made). Top with a layer of the kale mixture. Repeat layers: marinara sauce, polenta, kale; finishing with a layer of polenta then marinara.
Cover and cook on high heat for about 3-4 hours. Uncover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Cheese Sauce
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp corn starch or arrowroot
1/2 tsp white pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth.

3 comments

, by Allison

Breakfast

Strawberry banana mini muffins

7 comments

, by Allison

Dinner

Spicy noodles with asparagus and broccoli

It really feels like spring this week. It is in the 70s here (80s tomorrow!). The kids are playing in the backyard without shirts or shoes. The birds are happily tweeting away in the freshly-greened trees. There is a breeze blowing that softly reminds me that winter still has a tiny hold, but the air smells like summer. While I should be gathering laundry and dusting tables, I feel more inclined to sit and soak up the sun. "The dishes can wait," says the slacker in me, "go get your Kindle!"

I have been keeping a close eye on the roadside strawberry stands near my house. They should be open really soon and I can't wait! It is also the beginning of asparagus season. I've been known to eat an entire pound of asparagus myself. It is just that good.

I usually roast it in the oven with a little olive oil and sea salt.

Last night, though, I was ravenous when I got home from triathlon training. Instead of asparagus alone, I wanted something more substantial. These spicy noodles come together really quickly and the recipe makes a ton so you'll have leftovers for another night or for lunches throughout the week. This dish is intended to be eaten cold, like a salad, but it would be fine warm as well.

Spicy Noodles With Asparagus and Broccoli

~15 ounces of soba noodles or whole wheat pasta*
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 bunch of asparagus, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (lightly toast them in a dry skillet or buy toasted seeds)
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 low sodium soy sauce*
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (or other hot sauce or chili flakes, adjust amount based on desired spice level)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp aji-mirin (rice wine), optional

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli and asparagus to the pot. When finished cooking, drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking and rinse away the starch that makes the noodles stick together.
In a large bowl, toss the noodle mixture with the carrots, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Make the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and aji-mirin. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

*Gluten free: This dish can be made gluten free by substituting rice or other gluten free noodles and using a gluten free tamari (soy sauce). If using full-sodium soy sauce, reduce the amount by 1/4 to 1/2 (down to 2-3 tablespoons).

7 comments

, by Allison

Dinner