Lemon-a-licious Spaghetti

In my quest to tighten the belt a bit and eat well on a budget, I have started planning my weekly meals in advance so I can simply buy what I need at the store. One of those meals this week was this lemon pasta dish. 

I have been obsessed with citrus ever since my trip to California and seeing my uncle's garden. Lemon just sings SUMMER to me! Brandon and I are actually planning to make our upstairs "half room" into a lemon and fig growing room during the winter. We'll just have to see how that one goes...

Anyway, LEMONS! This dish is very very lemony, so if you are not one for the yellow, tangy, citrusy goodness then scale back some of the zest you use, or some of the lemon juice. If you start with less juice and then add to taste you'll be able to take the lemon down a notch or two. The original recipe called for the use of about a cup of pasta water to the lemon sauce, but I didn't need to use any (probably why mine was SO lemony and delicious). I think adding the pasta water would have watered it down too much, to be honest. The sauce is pretty thin. 

BUT SO GOOD!! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. A perfect summery dinner. 

Lemon-a-licious Spaghetti
adapted from smitten kitchen
serves 2

ingredients

• ½ lb spaghetti (I used two servings of fresh made pasta from the farmer’s market)
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 lemons
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup almond milk
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• ground pepper
• small handful fresh picked basil leaves

directions

1. Cook the pasta al dente in salted water.
2. While the pasta cooks, zest the lemons until you have just about 1 tablespoon of zest then juice both lemons.
3. Drain the pasta, then dry out your pot to cook the sauce. Boil the oil, almond milk, and zest over high heat for a minute or so.
4. Return pasta to the pot and stir until well coated. Add the cheese and lemon juice and toss everything together.
5. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper
6. Serve immediately, topping with an extra drizzle of olive oil and some more parmesan.

What is your favorite summer dinner? Do you usually pair your dinners with red or white wine?

Blogger Interview + a Recipe!

Happy St. Patty's Day! I hope everyone is staying safe and green today (although, I know...it's not easy being green!)

Today I have a real treat for you guys...an interview with Lindsay from Happy Herbivore! Lindsay is doing a blog book tour to promote her new cookbook, so I decided to take the opportunity to have her answer a few questions for all the Peace, Love & Bagels readers out there!  I've been following Happy Herbivore since I was introduced to the blogosphere. I absolutely love her low-fat and fat-free, vegan recipes and have tried many of them myself (this is one of my favorites!)

Lindsay was also awesome enough to let you all in on a sneak peak recipe from her book! Don't forget to check out her Black Bean Burgers at the bottom of this post!!

But First, a little more about Lindsay...

Lindsay S. Nixon is a rising star in the culinary world, praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious. Lindsay's recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women's Health Magazine and on The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna, a luxury resort and four-star restaurant in the French West Indies. You can learn more about Lindsay and sample some of her recipes at happyherbivore.com

Now, onto the interview: 

Did you grow up in a family that practiced a plant-based, vegan or even a "healthy" lifestyle and how has it influenced you as an adult?
I grew up largely a vegetarian out of a love for animals, but it was against the wishes and desires of my entire family, who took great pride in feeding me meat (saying it was soy) or things with meat in it (like soup made from chicken broth) and not telling me.


Thankfully, they've all come around and are at least supportive. My parents even adopted meatless mondays, and my sister is vegan too now. It's been a long road, for sure.

What made you decide to eat a solely vegan diet?
Originally I went vegan because I'd heard it would clear my skin, help me lose weight, give me more energy and fix some digestive issues --- and it did! But the reasons I stay vegan run much deeper. I'm moved by the plight of farm animals, the environmental impact, the health benefits --- there are so many reasons why I continue to be vegan.

Having published a cookbook, I'm sure you know a thing or two about being very busy. What are your some tips you have for navigating a hectic day when you want to do it all?
Time management. I can't stress how crucial that is--- I really sit down and plan my day. I assign things like chores and exercise the way people schedule meetings or dates

What made you decide to publish The Happy Herbivore Cookbook? 
It's a story of being in the right place at the right time with the right experience. I wasn't sure I even wanted to write a cookbook, but then I (by pure luck) met a great publisher who happened to be looking for someone like me to write a cookbook -- and the rest is history. We were a match made in heaven.

What goes into publishing a cookbook?
Oh gosh, there is so much work involved. First you need to write the book -- the recipes, the table of contents, index, glossary -- then there is the layout, and taking pictures, then there are several edits of the book, then there is trying to decide on the cover and title (hardest part) and double-checking and cross checking to get page numbers... it takes about a year all in all.

What tips do you have for PL&B readers who might be thinking about putting their recipe collection in print?
Don't romanticize it too much. Writing a book is a lot of hard work and it's not particularly lucrative... you have to do it because you love it. Also keep in mind that there are a lot of vegan cookbooks out there now, so the market is very competitive. Most publishers are looking for a "new idea" and someone with a lot of notoriety-- a strong fan base.

What is your favorite recipe in The Happy Herbivore Cookbook?
I have a lot of favorites that I kind of go between. Lately I can't seem to get enough of the nachos, though a week ago I was gaga for cornbread and the week before that portobello steaks.

Any closing thoughts for the PL&B readers?
Thank you for this opportunity -- and my favorite bagel is a whole wheat everything with tofu cream cheese and olives!

Black Bean Burgers (makes 3) - I love a good and quick meal, and this burger fits the bill perfectly. 

15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
whole-wheat breadcrumbs or instant oats
whole-wheat buns

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. Pulse beans in a food processor until mashed well or alternatively, mash with a fork. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with cilantro and spices. Add breadcrumbs or oats as necessary until the mixture can be handled and isn't terribly sticky, about 1/4 c. If after 1/4 c. it's still too sticky, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Shape mixture into 3 patties. Lightly spray with cooking spray (optional) and bake 7 minutes. Flip and re-spray (optional) and bake another 7 to 10 minutes until thoroughly warm and crisp on the outside. Serve immediately. Because there is no oil, these patties dry out if you let them sit.

Thanks Lindsay! Keep up the great work and best of luck with your lovely cookbook!!

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Reflecting on 2010 and a vegan cookie recipe

Merry Christmas!


25 December 2010: Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

Brad Paisley Concert. July 23rd 2010. @ Blossom.


Started my day without going to work (woo!) taking a yoga class, spending time with my friends by the pool. It probably hit about 90 degrees that day. There was tailgating, jello shots galore, lots of pickup trucks and confederate flags were flying. 


As with most country concerts, there were about 7 different people performing, we made it in to the venue in time to see Darius Rucker, someone who I don't know, and then Brad came out. Not three minutes into his set, black, ominous clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. I think three of us (Brandon, Tanja and I) attempted to stay dry underneath a poncho for about 5 minutes before we decided that it just wasn't worth it. Maybe we could make it through one more song? Nope.


It was coming down so hard it wasn't even worth trying to stay dry. We just needed to make it out of Blossom before the parking lot became a swimming pool and no one could leave. This picture was taking on the mile-long hike back to the parking lot. 


In this moment, I was absolutely free of any care, worry, doubt...I was just in it. Completely in the moment. In the zone. There was absolutely nothing we could do about all that rain, so we just went with it. 






Now, onto the cookie recipe. I got home and realized that we didn't have any butter or eggs so I veganized it with some pumpkin and "chia eggs". I also didn't have the oats I though were in the pantry, so I subbed some crushed nuts. The pumpkin gives it a bit of a different taste, but they're just as delicious as the original. The mesquite flour is definitely the ticket for these cookies, it gives them a flavor that nothing else in the world (that I can possibly imagine) would give. You can find mesquite flour on amazon, as I found it impossible to find in ANY store.

Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

About 45 cookies

Adapted from Super Natural Cooking (Ten Speed) by Heidi Swanson

2½ cups (330 g) flour
1 cup (160 g) mesquite flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
8 ounces (220 g) pumpkin puree
1 cup (400 g) natural cane sugar
3 chia eggs (1 chia egg = 1tbsp chia seeds + 3tbsp warm water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (230 g) various crushed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
2 cups (360 g) chocolate chips

Two baking sheets covered with parchment paper or lined with silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. With an electric mixer, beat pumpkin puree and sugar until creamy. 

3. Add the chia eggs until completely incorporated, then the vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture in three batches, incorporating it as you go.

5. Mix in the nuts and chocolate chips. The dough is quite stiff at this point and if you’re not using a powerful standing electric mixer, you may wish to roll up your sleeves and use your hands, like I did.

6. Drop mounds, about two tablespoons of dough each, evenly-spaced onto the baking sheet.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just beginning to set. Err on the underbaked side, I usually go for 10 minutes.

Here’s a tip to help keep chocolate chip cookies moist when they cool: When you pull the cookies out of the oven, take a spatula and tap the top of each cookie once, very lightly, to flatten any peaks and level them.

Then let them cool as usual for the moistest, chewiest chocolate chip cookies imaginable!

and a few more pictures from my wonderful Christmas staycation:

I'm a Freegetarian.

 I have been a vegetarian for the past 11 months. Ask me why and I'll tell you "well...it started out because I just got too lazy to cook meat." In exploring my thoughts and feelings on the subject more in depth, and reading many article, blog posts and books...my reasons for not eating meat have shifted.

They shifted the day I watched an episode of Dirty Jobs that was about inseminating turkeys. Aside from inseminating in bulk, instead of letting it happen as nature intended...the whole reason a human had to inseminate the turkeys was because they breed them too big for the turkeys to reproduce naturally! That grossed me out for several reasons:
a) I don't want to be eating genetically modified anything. I have my own capricious hormones to deal with, thank you very much.
b) It's unsettling to me how food science, and the food industry in general, is toying with the delicate balance of life cycles that have existed harmoniously for billions of years.

Alright, let me get off my soap box.

So, I don't eat meat. What do I do when I go to someone's house for dinner though? I have always felt a bit rude asking them to prepare a dish without meat. I don't want to inconvenience them, I don't want to seem disrespectful. Brandon brought up a point that really resonates with me; eating is a way of ingesting karma. By not eating what is being served to me, I'm denying that karma. He says he was taught to always take a "nothankyou" serving. Always try a little bit...it's his way of saying "thanks but no thanks" without denying good karma. Interesting, right?

Brandon also challenged me with another thought (he's so good at that! I'm inspired by him everyday) "ok, so the meat industry is miserable. We're thoroughly unimpressed by it...but if I went out and hunted a turkey for us to eat, would you eat it?" Hmm. Would I? On first impulse, no. I'm a vegetarian right? But that turkey gave its life so it could nourish me. It would be disrespectful of me not to eat it.


[Side note: the other night, we pulled medicine cards. I got the contrary Antelope. Antelope said "if you are cold, kill me and wear my skin to keep warm. If you are hungry, kill me and eat my flesh so you don't starve." The book said that Antelope in the contrary is telling me that a "decision to start now is necessary."]

At the time, I couldn't answer the question of whether I'd eat Brandon's turkey.

So, I've been feeling very wishy-washy on the subject of vegetarianism. Why did I feel weird about making an exception for meat that I know the very source of where it came from? Why do I feel bad requesting meatless dishes at dinner parties?

Today, I read something that put it all in perspective for me. Something that helped me make a decision to act. By act, I mean, to define my values. Decide exactly how I feel about eating a meat-free diet. What I read was an incredibly poignant post by Mark Scarborough over at Real Food Has Curves. When you have the chance, please take a minute to read it. It's beautifully powerful and moving.

Here's where I am: I'm a freegetarian. (Brandon's word...not mine). When it is within my control (control the controllables, right?) I will not eat generic, industrialized, food-sciencetized meat that's pumped chock-full of hormones and chemicals to make it bigger, meatier and more palatable. If I choose to eat meat, I will only eat meat from animals that I know are raised and killed humanely. I want to be in touch with my food source. But I will not impose my beliefs on my friends and my family. If I am in someone else's home and am served meat that is a product of our industrialized food industry, I will eat it with wholehearted gratitude. After all, that animal had to die to feed me too, and my friends went through the trouble to prepare it. I would be denying its karma by not eating it.