a delicata situation

My sister has accused me of having a strong personality.  Actually, she meant it as a compliment and that's exactly how I took it.  It came as a bit of a surprise to me, though, after what felt like a lifetime of being "the girl with."

The girl with?

You know, the girl with Kara, the girl with Mandy, the girl with Mindy.  The girl with.  I wasn't Natalie or anyone really - I was Michael's girlfriend, Scott's girlfriend, Annie's friend, and occasionally, when I was lucky, That Girl Who Sings.  My personality was smothered by my friends' bigger personas, prettier faces, or just my own personal weaknesses and fears.  So when my sister told me I have a strong personality, I loved her more than ever before, and I loved me, too.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to having a strong, confident personality - people who are still who I used to be: uncertain of themselves, lacking confidence, thin-skinned.  So, I have recently found myself pussy-footing around the insecurities of entirely too many people for my own comfort. 

When I was younger, I was the target of many pickings-on at school.  I wouldn't ever say I was bullied, but I was definitely terrorized a little by my classmates.  I used to come home and cry to my mother and beg her to intervene somehow that wouldn't make people laugh at me or to send me to a different school where I could start over.  She almost relented and I know it hurt her to see me so sad, but she said something to me that helped me to become who I am, who I love now.  She told me I was too sensitive and needed a thicker skin.

She was right.  If she hadn't said that to me (and believe me, I didn't appreciate it at the time), I might have become one of the people I'm busy trying not to offend now and I wouldn't have liked me nearly as much as I do.  Now, if only someone would tell my colleagues/"subordinates" to toughen up a little.

As long as we're talking about delicate situations, let's talk about my new Wednesday Night Adventure:

Broccoli, Delicata Squash, and a sweet potato, all scrubbed and ready for roasting.  I've never had delicata squash before, but there was a whole basket of little, pretty delicatas at Essene the other day, and I thought they were pretty when I read this post, so I thought I'd give them a try.  On a Wednesday.  Because Mister hates squash.
 
I came up with a new recipe when I picked up the squash, because I was also craving tempeh, so I figured I'd really do it up this week on One-Serving Wednesday since I slacked off last week and shoved vegan pizza in my face instead of cooking (one plain cheese and one with sausage and avocados).

 

Tamari Tempeh with Roasted Vegetables

2 large or 4 small servings

8 oz tempeh

1 small winter squash (I used Delicata)

1 small jewel yam or 2 medium carrots

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 Tbsp tamari

1/4 cup water

olive oil

sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the yam and squash into generously bite-sized pieces (remember, they'll compress a little while roasting), toss with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired.  Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes.  Add the broccoli florets and more oil in the last ten minutes, stirring to combine. 

Meanwhile, cut the tempeh into four equal pieces and place in a large skillet with sloped sides.  Combine tamari and water, then sprinkle liquid over tempeh.  Heat over medium heat until liquid has been absorbed by the tempeh, flipping once or twice with tongs.

   

I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from the train tonight because I was one breakfast away from running out of fruit.  After selecting one of each variety of apple (because I live to make life difficult for the cashier), a bunch of almost-ripe bananas, and a couple of kiwis, I also picked up a new-to-the-shelves jar of apple butter.  I spread some on a slice of bread while the veggies were roasting and realized that I probably would have been perfectly happy to make a meal out of that, so it was a good thing I'd already set the wheels in motion for my roasted dinner.  

 

Happy October!  (again)

special wednesday hummus

Tonight I learned two things:

First, it is much easier to devote your brain power to "what am I having for dinner?" when you don't have to bother with pesky side-thoughts like safely operating a motor vehicle.

Second, regardless of the privilege of devoting my whole brain to filling my stomach, I still didn't know too much about what I would eat by the time I arrived home.  I can't say I wasn't closer, but I still didn't have a definite plan beyond this: It would involve the sweet potato that has slowly been trying to sprout legs and run away.

I purchased the sweet potato at least a week ago and it has been sitting on my counter next to the recipe for which I originally bought it.  Sometime between buying the sweet potato and tonight, I lost my zeal for the recipe, kindly shared with me by a colleague.  She and I were swapping oatmeal strategies today while she was surreptitiously eating instant oatmeal from a coffee cup at her desk, and it might have sparked a renewed interest in the other recipe.



I have no pretty pictures, but Martha does. 


Tonight's dinner was Sweet Potato Hummus with pita wedges.  I was going to slice some celery sticks as well, but I was quite full by the time my pita got me through about a cup of this stuff.

It is a charming shade of pumpkin orange and covers a pleasant range of tastes from the exciting bite of raw garlic to the steam-enhanced sweetness of the yam.  It is a very simple recipe and I had everything I needed on hand.  I doubled the amount of garlic, as I commonly have to do with dear Martha's recipes and I added a total of 6 Tbsp of water to get everything full incorporated and to the right consistency.

It makes a ton, so I have about two cups in GladWare in the fridge, and I put some into a small to-go container for Spunky - she loves hummus and has admitted to eating an entired tub by herself in a night.  At least this one is a little lower fat.

amy lee looks just like me

What a funny week this is becoming! It has thus far been chock-full of memories, but also of hopeful looking-aheads. I don't know if I'm waxing philosophical because everyone else seems to be so focused on the approach of the second decade of the 21st century or what, but I will admit I'm buying into the hype at least a little.

For nostalgia, though, I mentioned earlier a memory of my mother making chicken cacciatore when I was growing up. I'm thrilled to say that my recent undertaking of making Seitan Cacciatore from The Accidental Vegan was an absolute success. I feel much more comfortable making weird, avant-garde dishes than I do when I try to replicate a traditional meal within the confines of vegan/vegetarian cooking. I guess there's always the reminder, poking my brain, that my husband's mother and father are both phenomenal cooks and he is used to eating very tasty things. I guess I'm a little worried that my seitan/tofu/tofurky version won't measure up to his childhood memories of the same foods.

Nothing to fear! I was very pleased with the way it came out, and Mister couldn't have been too disappointed - he went back for thirds! It also tasted nothing like my memory, but I equate seitan more with beef than with chicken.
True to form, tonight was One-Serving Wednesday. I think it needs a new name. I've given up on making small portions and have turned my focus to just eating everything Mister hates. My sweet potato fetish is becoming a weekly event - tonight I scrubbed and cubed another garnet yam and then tossed it with broccoli, olive oil, garlic, and a touch of salt. I wasn't really paying attention to how long it baked because I was preparing my tempeh. I haven't had tempeh since sometime this summer when Mister and I went to Horizons and I was really craving it. I was going to follow one of Isa's recipes for scrambled tempeh, but in the end here's what I did (perhaps it will find its way into recipe form at some point in the future):

Heated 2 Tbsp peanut oil and 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil in a large skillet. Added about a tsp of good curry powder (I favor Frontier brand), a tsp of dried cilantro and about 1/4 tsp dried thyme and sauteed it all for about a minute. I splashed in about a Tbsp of tamari, then added 8 oz tempeh cubes and stirred to coat. I covered the skillet and wandered around my kitchen for a few minutes, checking on the tempeh and the roasting vegetables. About three-four minutes into the tempeh cooking time, I added 1/4 c water, then cooked more or less until that evaporated/was absorbed into the tempeh. Then I took the roasted broccoli and yam out of the oven and added the tempeh, stirring to combine. Quite easy, actually.
The funniest thing happened today. We are currently working with some "outside consultants" to ensure we are completely prepared for what we hope will be an onslaught of business in the new year. I presented my part of the training today and later on, the leader of the pack said to my supervisor, "That Natalie...she looks a lot like the lead singer of Evanescence, doesn't she?"

I LOVE Amy Lee. There are not too many things you can say to compliment me more, aside from the time a new trainee was being seated with one of our veterans for some mentoring. Upon reaching his cubicle, she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, you have a picture of Natalie on your cubicle? That's so awesome!" The picture was actually Megan Fox. I was flying high for the rest of the day.

Keep an open mind - I take my own crappy pictures ;)

Anyway, I remember waaaaayyy back in 2003 when Fallen came out. I took the CD to a bar my friend tended to show it to him. From about 10-15 feet distance he looked at the CD and then at me in surprise:
"You recorded a CD??"
To be completely honest, I had not noticed until that moment that in that moment we did indeed bear a striking resemblance to one another.

So, that was my happy moment today.

wednesday is my favorite holiday

Well, okay, Wednesdays aren't actually holidays in the traditional sense of the word. I am just thoroughly enjoying my reconstructed One-Serving Wednesdays. I kind of messed up tonight and made two servings, but it will be a nice addition to the leftover Tomato-Spelt soup for lunch tomorrow.
Due to an amazing line of cars passing through a 5-mile-long construction zone on my drive home tonight, I actually only got home shortly before Mister. I scrubbed the two veggies that would become my dinner and set about chopping them and Mister walked in during the transition from jewel yam to brussels sprouts and asked cautiously (and little incredulously), "What are you doing?" To which I replied "Roasting some vegetables." That was pretty much the end of the conversation.

I knew Mister doesn't like yams/sweet potatoes, but apparently he hates brussels sprouts "more than anything else in the world," to use his words. I feel a little guilty that our home reeks of them right now, but it's way too cold to open a window. I had never had them before - I think my mother knew better than to try to convince my sister and I that they were worth eating. Or perhaps she joins my husband in anti-fandom, but either way, tonight was my first experience with them. I decided to try to appreciate them in their purest form (short of being raw) so I just tossed them and the yam bits with some olive oil and kosher salt and roasted them for about 20 minutes at 425 F.

I'll admit that when they were sizzling away in the oven, I was growing a little concerned about the less-than-appetizing smell emanating from the kitchen. It was with more than just a touch of trepidation that I bit into my first little sprout. Fortunately, from my reading about these tiny little cabbages, I was fully expecting the green, cabbagey taste that quickly filled my mouth. I think that because I was prepared, so to speak, my experience was better than it might have been otherwise. I like them! Especially the crispy bits where they tried to forge a forever-friendship with the roasting pan.
To my surprise and delight, I discovered that I am not the only person celebrating these little fellas this week! Jess, of Get Sconed! devoted her blog to raving about them and bragging about her $2.49 stalk from the farmers market. Her preferred cooking method is also roasting, but she prefers to squeeze citrus over the sprouts... I think I'm a more savory gal and will stick to my simple but perfect adornment of salt. Next time, though, I think I will add a clove or two of garlic for fun.

unpeeled and an appeal

This will be a quick post, since it was No-Cook Wednesday. Actually, that is becoming a misnomer. Last Wednesday I didn't want to eat leftovers, like I've eaten every Wednesday for about a year, so I made my funny little pear-inspired dish. Tonight, I decided to roast my garnet yam because I knew Mister wouldn't want to share and I also knew I wouldn't be motivated to do anything with it when I was already preparing a meal. My dinner ended up being an interesting progression of "courses." While the yam was roasting away (cubed, tossed with olive oil, 30 minutes at 450, stirring once at 15 minutes), I ate the last three bites of Monday's Broccoli with Beef and had a slice of bread with Earth Balance. Then, after waiting only long enough to prevent blistering the roof of my mouth, I went for my roasted yam bits. So good!

I didn't take a picture because they really weren't that attractive. I cubed the yam too small and kind of burnt the hell out of half the pieces. But I believe my future holds many more of these happy little tubers, so maybe next time they'll be prettier. That leads me back to where I was going when I started writing - No-Cook Wednesdays are undergoing a little renovation. I have decided to devote them to all the foods I like but Mister won't eat (tempeh, eggplant, yams, squash) and all the foods I want to try that I don't think Mister will eat (primarily squash). Along the way, perhaps I will come up with some fun cooking-for-one recipes that I can make into a separate section in my imaginary cookbook and give me inspiration for any future out-of-town engagements Mister has, rather than eating cereal for dinner like I used to. I believe a new name is in order - unless anyone can suggest something better, I think we'll go with One-Serving Wednesdays.

Finally, the appeal. This wool thing is really tearing at me. I still have not decided if I think wool is "too cruel" to be worn, but I don't want to go ahead and buy a wool coat just to decide halfway through winter that I DO think it's wrong and then be stuck with a wool coat for another half-decade. Currently in my possession (between me and Mister) are two wool coats and 3 leather jackets and more than a few pairs of leather shoes. If I end up "taking the plunge" and making a lifestyle out of this October Experiment, I will not get rid of those things because I already own them. By now, I have done a decent amount of research about vegan clothing and various alternatives. I am definitely of the school of thought that there is no harm in "using up" what I have and then replacing those items with cruelty-free items when the time comes.

I did a lot of digging for wool alternatives in particular, since I did not get any follow up responses to my post yesterday and I need to resolve this for myself sooner than later. I think the time is drawing near for me to write my "reasons I am not [yet] vegan" post, because a lot of those reason are already coming out (and because October is nearly over). In any case, today's research leads me to these conclusions:

1. The reason only vegans buy vegan shoes and clothes is because they are ugly. If they are not ugly, they are far too expensive to be a realistic choice for most of us.
2. The only wool alternative mentioned by any of the dozens of sites I visited was polar fleece. Like I said yesterday, you would just about have to set the rest of my clothes on fire to convince me to wear that. It's just not my style.
3. If I see the word Hemp one more time, I might give up.

As with any paradigm/belief system, those who follow want to attract other followers and help them to see the truth they have found. Unfortunately, it's normally easier to preach to the choir than the detention hall inhabitants. I have gone to countless vegan "fashion" websites, as well as general cruelty-free lifestyle websites and discussion boards, but I see the same thing everywhere: some regurgitation of what I read on PETA's graphic Save The Sheep site. If I can't get on board with them, you won't win me to your way of thinking by telling me the same things in a different order (and not even changing the words - F for plagiarism). The other thing I see everywhere is the Gospel of Polar Fleece and Cotton. Despite all the great things about both of these materials, even the people promoting them as vegan-friendly alternatives to wool will admit that polar fleece is only really warm if you layer it with other materials and it's only wind-proof if you put a shell over it, and that most cotton garments have at some point passed through the hands of sweatshop labor...which does NOT equal cruelty-free in my book.

So my appeal is this: Can someone point me to a non-PETA referenced/based discussion on wool and alternatives to wool that won't make me look like a hippie?

The Amazing Vegan Casserole (part 1)

That's what a vegan casserole looks like. No eggs, no milk, no butter - just amazing "fruit of the earth" goodness. The same way that vegan cookies and cupcakes fascinate me, so does this casserole, though it also inspires me.

Tonight's dinner was Chickpea Broccoli Casserole from VwaV. There are three things I remember about the first two times I made this:

1. How bizarre I thought it was, but how good Isa made it sound
2. How revolting my mother found it when I told her about it on the phone
3. How good it was the first time and how much better it was the second time

I mentioned when I provided my weekly menu that I had a few tricks up my sleeve for this third time. In addition to the delightful discovery that my food processor is much better at mashing chickpeas than I am, I found that this trick would really only be possible with Mr. CuisinArt's help. The recipe calls for 3 cans of chickpeas - this time, I subbed a can of cannellini beans for one can of chickpeas and it resulted in an even creamier, butterier taste. I didn't use nearly as much broth as the recipe called for, which resulted in this one being a little drier than last time. Even still, it was as tasty as ever and smelled so good!
Mine kind of fell apart in my zeal to get it out of the casserole and into my belly.
Mister's fared a little better than mine.

When I was at Whole Foods today, I did something I have never done before: I picked up a garnet yam. When I was little, I fell into the same trap I imagine most little girls fall into - if my daddy liked it, it must be good. So, until I grew some tastebuds, I followed my father in his love for canned candied yams and eggnog from a carton. I have since realized that eggnog is disgusting (probably more in thought than taste - just knowing what it's made of makes my stomach turn) and that there are probably better ways to eat a yam/sweet potato than soaked in brown sugar and out of a can.

I realize that yams and sweet potatoes are not actually the same thing, or even close, for that matter. Nevertheless, they are used interchangeably in most recipes which resulted in my ponderings. I don't know why, but I have recently developed an impressive desire to eat a yam or a sweet potato. A real one, one that I hand-selected at a market, took home, and cooked without sugar of any kind. I want to eat it as food, not dessert. The problem, however, is Mister's unadulterated hatred for this tuber, which without exception has caused me to substituted carrots where recipes called for sweet potatoes. So my plan is to roast it and let Mister decide if he wants to share with me. If not, I figure I can probably eat the whole thing by myself - it's not that big.

I have recently felt more adventurous than usual - I'm pretty sure I can blame it on VeganMoFo because all the other blogs I've been reading have really gotten my mind working. Also, my father sent me an email with a bunch of "famous" blogs about food, some vegan (VeganYumYum and some others were on there) and some decidedly not. I have come up with a list of things with which I am currently unacquainted (for the most part) but wish to know better:

1. Sweet Potatoes/Yams - I'll let you know how that goes.

2. Squash (specifically acorn or butternut) - My sister asked me for some butternut squash recipes because she participates in a CSA out in Arizona (Tucson) and she got a ton of butternut and doesn't know what to do with it. Neither do I. I made a butternut soup once and it wasn't terrible, but once again, Mister hates squash so we don't eat it, aside from the occasional zucchini.

3. Avocado - that Pasta della California recipe got me thinking...since I can't actually think of anything else to do with avocado, besides turn it into guacamole, and we're really not dip people, I'll probably just make that pasta again, but get a ripe avocado this time.

4. Brussels Sprouts - if anyone EVER told me I would eat these on purpose, I would have laughed my way to 6-pack abs. However, I've seen a ton of recipes sprouting up (yes, that was intentional) in magazines and my cookbooks, and when I stood in front of their bin today at WF, I had to admit, they are actually kind of pretty. Once again, it appears to be Isa winning me over to the dark side with awesome recipes for these little baby cabbages. Also, I remember my cousin going through a phase where she absolutely could not get enough of them, and she and I have very similar taste in food/diet. Besides, since I recently discovered that I enjoy big cabbages, I figure it's probably not all that different.

5. This weird-ass chocolate hummus spread - I have no idea why this is so appealing, but I really want to try it. Thanks, Dad.

6. Instant Coffee - not to drink, thank you very much. Anyone who knows me knows it's even a struggle for me to find happiness in pre-ground packages of coffee which is why I have a coffeemaker that not only can be programmed to wake me with my coffee, but also has the ability to grind big ol' beans immediately before brewing the coffee. Anyway, I want to bake with it. I've seen dozens of cookie, (cup)cake, and bread recipes calling for instant coffee, and I've never made them because I don't stock instant coffee because I think it's gross. Well, I did the best I could today and picked up International Coffee Suisse Mocha instant coffee. I really just couldn't bring myself to get regular - I have horrible memorymares about my dear mother drinking that Folgers crap when I was a kid.

Anyway, I'll let you know how the sweet potato/yam thing goes...