Recipe: A simple lunch.

Sometimes all you need is a few simple ingredients to feel completely satisfied.  I made this lunch a couple of weeks ago with inspiration from Sunday Suppers.  It was super simple, super delicious and super satisfying.  I'm craving it right now, for my lunch that's about to happen, and decided that I should share it. Simple and easy.  Go for it. 

Apple - Celery Root - Prosciutto - Parsley - Lemon - Maldon - Peppercorn

Prep time:  10 mins   | Assembly time:  5 mins   | Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 apple, cored and julienned

• 1 small celeriac, peeled and julienned

• 5 pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto, torn

• 1 small handful parsley, leaves only, torn

• 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• juice of 1 small lemon

• sea salt, to taste

• fresh cracked pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• maldon sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, lemon, chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil. Adjust to taste.

2. In a medium bowl, combine apple, celeriac, parsley, half of the prosciutto and toss with dressing. Top with the remaining torn prosciutto and fresh cracked peppercorns and of course, maldon sea salt.

Toast Obsession

Yep, it's official... I. AM. OBSESSED. WITH. TOAST. There aren't enough places around this town with good ol' toast.  I'm going to change that and you can quote me on that.  But, in the meantime, while you're waiting, I'll just be making it at home, for myself and for anyone else who wants to sit down with me and indulge in the many possible creations for this brilliant and simple idea we call toast.  Did you know that toast was created to make stale bread more palatable, and at one point, Streetband/Q-Tip even had a song named 'Toast' where they used toast as an instrument and the sound of toast being scraped later in the track...ummm....yeah, that happened. 

While living in Venice, I frequently (when I say "frequently", I mean "daily") walked down with Chloe to the little local joint GTA (Gjelina Take-Away) and it was almost a certainty that I'd order a toast. Sometimes the granola, sometimes the spicy breakfast sandwich with kale, but most likely...toast...and a cortado.  God, I miss that place. And with that nostalgia and longing for a good local spot where everyone knows my name and the toast that I want, I have to settle for toast at home.

Above, my favorite, salmon toast (wild alaskan smoked salmon, cream cheese, pickled cucumber, capers, radish, dill) and pear toast (winter red pear, whipped cream cheese and yogurt, maldon sea salt, thyme).

Salmon Toast

INGREDIENTS:

• Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)

• 4oz Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon

• 2 oz Organic Cream Cheese

• 1 Pickled Cucumber, thinly sliced/shaved

• 1 Tbsp Capers

• 1 Radish, thinly sliced

• 2 sprigs fresh dill

• Maldon sea salt

• fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.

2. Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.

3. Layer with salmon, cucumber and capers. Top with radish and dill sprigs and a pinch of maldon sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Voila!

Winter Pear Toast

INGREDIENTS:

• Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)

• 2 oz cream cheese

• 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

• 1 red or asian pear, thinly sliced

• maldon sea salt

• 1 sprig thyme

• optional: drizzle of honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whip together cream cheese and yogurt. Adjust amount of yogurt for desired taste and consistency. Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.

3. Layer pear on top of cream cheese/yogurt and top with maldon sea salt, a sprig of thyme and optional honey drizzle for added sweetness. Done!

Leading With Soul/Love Your Body

I had the privilege of sitting down with the the ever-inspiring Sarah Kaler, founder of Soul Powered, for the Women Who Lead initiative to share my story of self-love and leading with soul. For the month of February, Soul Powered is sharing the personal stories of six females in the Pacific Northwest, their visions for the future and their unconditional self-love. Head on over to the blog to read the inspiring profiles of 5 more health and well-being advocates and what they love most about their bodies. 

Juice Up!

I forgot to put this one up yesterday, pre-wonton exploration, but I had a few requests for this bright little guy of inspiration.  I recommend getting super creative and inspired with what's in your refrigerator (if you keep seasonal veggies on hand that is). No worries if you don't have a juicer!  A strong blender and a sieve will do the trick here!

A few things to think about when making a good green juice:

• add variety - try and use a few different vegetables or herbs that are green (kale, swiss chard, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, mint, etc)

• add a bit of sweetness if desired - I used pear and golden beets for this one (try an apple or a carrot or a red beet, but note that color might turn a bit brownish)

• add an acid to cut the bitterness of the greens (half a lemon will do the trick, but you can get creative

• optional to add fat, but i like to add a little finisher of flax oil or fish oil for some healthy omegas

GREEN JUICE

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 c swiss chard, roughly chopped

• 1 handful of parsley, leaves and stems

• 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

• 1 small golden beet, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1/2 a pear, cored and roughly chopped

• 1/2 a lemon, *juice only

• 1 tsp flax oil or fish oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Vitamix or strong blender, add chard, parsley, celery, beet and pear and a splash of water. Blend on high, using vitamin accelerator tool to assist in blending, until a smooth puree consistency. (add more water if too thick)

2. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain juice into a bowl, leaving pulp behind, and pour into your favorite glass. (save the pulp and add it to your pup's food! Chloe loves her greens!) Enjoy!

It was a wonton afternoon

The weather man declared the sun was going to shine on our faces every day this week...he disappointed me.  It rained all day. Without a single beam resting on my cheeks.  But that's alright, Roald Dahl put it nicely, "...if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely". And after leaving LA and living in this beautifully rainy city, I've learned to find my own sunbeams in times like this. I took those words and chose to take the rain as the perfect opportunity to shelter myself in my kitchen, get my hands dirty and play with the wontons I've been craving ALL week long. 

This recipe is light, comforting and incredibly easy.  I used a portion of the wontons for the soup, a portion as potstickers and a portion is hiding in the freezer to come back to enjoy in a week or so! And feel free to explore with different proteins and vegetables! You might surprise yourself when you look down at the tray filled with delicate little packages that YOU created.  Meditation in motion.  That's what cooking and creating is for me. 

HOMEMADE WONTON SOUP

A deliciously warming soup made with little homemade pork wontons simmering in a light chicken stock with Chinese vegetables.

Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 6 (with leftover wontons)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 1/2 tsp siracha

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 c shiitake mushrooms, diced (~3oz)

• 1 c cabbage, finely chopped

• 1 lb ground pork

• few grind of fresh cracked pepper

• 30 2-inch wonton sheets

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 4 small garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated

• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (you can use fish or vegetable stock as well)

• 4 cups water

• 3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, 2-3 tbsp white miso paste, or more to taste

• 6 tsp sambal oelek, divided between bowls *optional

• 6 tsp tamari, divided between bowls *optional

• garnish with green onions and radish, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine garlic, ginger, green onions, oyster sauce, siracha, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, pork and pepper. Using your hands, fold the ingredients into each other and until well combined.

2. Assembly of wontons: Place wonton sheets on a work surface with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tbsp of the pork mixture into the center of each sheet. Using your finger, line the edges of the sheet with water. Fold the dough into the center from each corner to create a little package, pinching the edges to seal. (if you are using circular wrappers, fold the sheet in half to create a half-moon/crescent shape). *

3. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 1-2 minutes.

4. Slowly pour in chicken stock and water, increase heat and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and bok choy, reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add green onions and miso paste, stirring until dissolved, about 2 minutes, and adjusting miso for desired taste.

5. Increase heat and bring to a slow boil. Carefully drop in 12-18 wontons, depending on desired wontons per bowl and cook until wrappers are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

6. At the bottom of each bowl, add 1 tsp sambal oelek and 1 tsp tamari, if desired, and ladle soup into bowls.

7. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and thinly sliced radishes. Enjoy!

*if freezing some of the wontons, place uncooked wontons in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight in the freezer and transfer to freezer bags or airtight storage.