All You Need . . .

to make the most delicious summer pasta (sauce) is this:

well and this:

Credit goes to my friend Anna for the development of this delicious sauce!

Steps:
*Get thyself to the farmers market.  Buy the sweetest, smallest, thinnest-skinned cherry "sunburst" tomatoes you can find (doesn't work with thick-skinned or unsweet tomatoes).

*Wash them and remove the pesky little stems (I used one pint for this sauce).

*Chop up a good bit of fresh garlic (your discretion--I use a lot!).

*Saute minced garlic in olive oil on low for a few mins.  Then add the darlin' little tomatoes.

*Patiently stir/watch 'em cook until the wee tomatoes start to burst.  Stir stir stir.  Sauce begins to develop (orangey in color with garlic flecks and some whole/partially whole tomatoes).

*Add salt & pepper to the pan.

*When done (takes at least 20 minutes, sometimes longer), pour over angel hair pasta, or in my case, fresh, handmade garlic-parsley pasta from the farmers market (though honestly, angel hair might be better).

*Top with parmesan.

Voila, your new favorite dinner:

Friday I'm in Love (and my own little tribute to Japan)

I know a  lot of bloggers are participating in the Day of Silence for Japan, but I thought a blog post + a link to an amazing donation deal would be just as productive!

Summergirl

You know, for the record, I love hearing about what y'all are loving, too.  And therefore I encourage you to participate in Friday, I'm in Love.  Isn't it great to discover new products/books/recipes, etc.?  Why yes I think so.

1. Bare Minerals

I never believed that this would actually work--that a strictly powder foundation would even my skin tone & provide solid coverage . . . but now I'm a total convert.  I tried it and I love it.  And since my go-to foundation is $60, I think I'm sticking with Bare Minerals from here on out!

Bare Minerals

2. My Impromptu Kale Recipe

The other night I was exhausted and wanted a quick dinner, so it was a whatever's-in-my-fridge sorta night.  Fortunately, I had some good !@#$ in my fridge, cause I threw together this kale & brown rice dish and it was so dang good.  

saute minced garlic in coconut oil

add washed kale

stir-fry kale & garlic with chili flakes, salt, & pepper

when it's mostly done, add slivered almonds & craisins

serve over brown rice

3. Emi-Jay Hair Ties

I bought mine at the Dailey Method when I arrived to workout and had no hair tie with me, but then realized I could order them online.  They're amazing--cute, sturdy, and hold your hair well without breaking it.  Try these!

images from Emi Jay website

4. Living Social's Matching Donations to Japan!

Y'all, Living Social has already raised almost 2 million dollars toward the relief efforts in Japan!  If you donate just $5, they'll match your donation and pledge $10 total.  I donated yesterday--it takes just a second and is so effective!  Click here to donate, and let me know if you do! :)

Happy Friday, & I hope it's prettier where you are than it is in San Francisco, where it's dreary, cold, and pouring down rain!

My Health Buddy

This was my lunch yesterday:

broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with Bragg's aminos

Quorn fake chicken cutlet

UNINTERESTING!  A far cry from my delicious homemade pasta the other day.  

Some of you read Summer's post yesterday about getting back on track health-wise.  Well, I am right on board with her!  Enough with waiting till late May to panic about bathing suit season . . . it's time to take the bull by the horns.

My general philosophy is that December is for baking.  And really just eating in general, what with all the holiday parties and festivities.  Which means I guess that January should be for cleansing, but I've had one experience with the Master Cleanse and while it was a worthwhile rendezvous, I'm pretty sure we'll never meet again.

And sooooooo, with my health buddy Summer, I'm committed to super healthy cooking and exercise.  I've even started hanging out with this freak again:

shudder

Summer is weighing herself but I am not because, well, I woke up the other morning feeling brave and ready to weigh myself . . . only to realize I don't have a scale.  But I guess the whole point of this thing is being really smart about what I eat and exercising as much as possible, and when you feel good & strong, you just feel it.  Without a scale.  

When my dear friend Amanda and I went on our date last week, she told me about one of her favorite recipes and emailed it to me that evening.  

Chickpea Potato Curry

from

(Ingredients)

*2.5 cups vegetable broth

*2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

*1 14-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes with chilis (Muir Glen has a good one)

*6 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

*1 medium onion, diced

*1 tbsp unsalted butter

*2 tsp minced ginger

*1-2 tsp salt

*1 tsp ground cumin

*1 tsp ground coriander

*1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

(Instructions)

1. In a large pot, combine all ingredients.  Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.  

2. Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat, and simmer for about 35 minutes (or until the potatoes are tender).  Serve the curry in bowls over jasmine rice.

(Modifications I made cause I can't for the life of me leave a recipe untouched)

*I eliminated ginger cause I don't like it

*I added 1 tsp curry powder

*I boiled veg broth first (I used water & 2 cubes Knorr vegetable bouillon) and then added other ingredients, and I cooked it covered

*I didn't use butter cause I'm trying to be healthy and frankly, I see no use for unsalted butter (bring on the salt!)

*I ate it sans rice, and it was so good.

So here is my plea for more healthy recipes from y'all!  What do you make when you're trying to be super health-conscious?  I have about three restrictions:

1. I'm vegetarian

2. I hate mushrooms

3. I HATE mayonnaise

Otherwise, bring it on!  

My Attempt at Noodle-Makin'

So, in brave determination to broaden my culinary horizons, I had my first experience with handmade pasta last night! I won't say it was an incredible success, but it was a valiant first effort.  Here's how it went down:

I went to several different websites (and even watched one video) on how to make pasta dough.  I didn't have the recommended 00 (very very fine) Italian flour, but most sites said that regular flour would work.  I mixed 2 cups of flour with 3 eggs and a splash of olive oil, then kneaded it together.

There was one step I didn't take a picture of, and I think it was a crucial one.  As per the instructions at Smitten Kitchen, I cut the dough into halves and rolled each half into a long tube-like thing and wrapped it tight in aluminum foil, then put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.  This made the dough much more manageable.

After I took it out, I rolled it as thin as I could (but not thin enough) with a rolling pin, then rolled the dough up like you'd roll up . . . wrapping paper or something. :)

Like that.  Can you see that it's rolled up?  Then, with the sharpest knife I have (not sharp enough--I have pretty shitty knives), I cut centimeter-wide slices like this:

See those cute little spirals?  When you unroll them, they make linguini!  (well kind of).  After I'd done this with both rolls, I unrolled all the adorable spirals and dried the pasta for about 15 minutes on the counter (I dried it for as long as it took me to chop the veggies).  My counter looked like this:

Funny, right??  It was pretty exciting, I gotta say, seeing them lookin' all pasta-like up in there.  Then, I chopped up some onion, garlic, red pepper, and rainbow chard, mixed in some sweet grape tomatoes, and sauteed (admittedly, I added a little butter.  And salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings).

Yum.  Then, I made a mistake.  I was going back and forth between just adding the uncooked noodles to the wok with all the veggies, boiling the noodles for a couple minutes, and sauteing them in a separate pan.  I went with the latter, although I think I should have flash boiled them, at least, and maybe thrown them right in with the veggies.  Instead I cooked them separately in a pan, which resulted in them browning too much and ending up a little . . . wonton-like:

But we live and learn.  And I'm super determined, so you better believe I'm trying this again pronto (I'm thinking meyer lemon and cracked pepper pasta), and I'll know what to do better.  After my little noodle wontons were done, I added them to the wok and tossed them with the veggies:

I added a little more salt & pepper, some grated parmesan, and squeezed some delicious meyer lemon on top (this lemon was so sweet that I literally ate a piece of it).

Anna was my guinea pig and she was a good sport about it. :)  I loved the flavor of the whole thing, but the texture of the noodles left something to be desired.  I'm gonna have to consult some more pasta making sites (and my daddy) to get some good tips, but I'm still pretty excited by this--fresh pasta!  Fun!

Have any of you ever made pasta?  If so, throw me some knowledge!

Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints?!

It was already a good week starting Sunday, which I got to spend with some of my favorite boys (big and small).  But then came Monday, and since I'm a

my happiness quadrupled!  You see, the Saints/49ers was a big game out here in the Bay . . . it was not only the 49ers' home opener, but they played against the defending Superbowl champs (aka my favorite team).  And what a freakin' game it was!  22-22 in the last five seconds . . . but the Saints managed a win at the end, even without Reggie Bush.  I can't believe he's gonna be out for up to six weeks!  Speaking of Reggie, I have become mesmerized with this picture of him and his ex, Kim Kardashian, that I recently stumbled upon:

hotttttt x 2

Also:

1. Lots of travel coming up!  More deets later, but it's looking like 4 trips in the next two months (including one to my beloved New Orleans)!

2. I made veggie black bean chili & jalapeno cheddar bread for din last night, and it was a-mazing.  I suddenly remembered that my friend & former roommate, Brenna, used to make this delicious chili from her South Beach cookbook, so I went on the hunt for the recipe.  Posted below!

3. I got a very out-of-the-blue message from an old friend (read: exboyfriend) Sunday night announcing that he was on a road trip across the country and happened to be sitting in a bar in San Francisco.  WILD, right?  We met for lunch the next day at Luna Park, and it was fun/spontaneous/nostalgic catching up.  (Also, felt very mature to talk and laugh with an ex without being emotional or dramatic).

4. Strangely, my 2nd period hellions have been on their best behavior!  I don't know what's in the water they're drinkin but I'm lovin it.

5. I've finally been working out again which always makes me feel better.

Hope your week has been just as good as mine, and if not, then make this chili (but word to the wise: double the black beans and add fresh corn):

Serves 6

Ingredients

Avocado salsa:
1 medium California avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 large lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetarian chili:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 can (14 to 19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes (with juice)
3/4 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
1 can (4 ounces) green chili peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 lime, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
12 whole-wheat pita crisps (Phase 2 or 3)

Instructions
To make the avocado salsa: In a large bowl, combine the avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and pepper. Lightly toss. Let stand for 30 minutes.

To make the vegetarian chili: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes (with juice), broth, chili peppers, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with the avocado salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve the pita crisps on the side, if using.

Nutritional information
Per serving:
181 calories
17 g fat (1 g sat)
25 g carbohydrate
7 g protein
15 g dietary fiber
665 mg sodium
0 mg cholesterol

Beer bread

First, Micaela posted about it.  Then, Jessie posted about it.  And now I'm here to spread the news.

summergirl!

It's Friday and I'm in love with one thing only:

BEER BREAD.

This is what you do.  In a big bowl, mix:

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 bottle of beer

mixmixmix

transfer dough to a loaf pan

pour 1/2 stick melted butter on top

bake 50 mins at 375

take bread out, pour another 1/2 stick melted butter on top

bake 10 more mins

Voila.  The easiest and most delicious bread you've ever tasted.  Don't have self-rising flour?  No problem.  Neither did I.  So instead of 3 cups of self-rising flour, I used:

3 cups regular flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons salt

Mix those three things + the sugar well (a fork works wonderfully), add the beer, mix it all together, and it will be perfect.

I made it two nights in a row, using Blue Moon both times (well, the first time I used Blue Moon's seasonal pumpkin ale, Harvest Moon, which I bought as a tribute to the Neil Young album).  Both times it was incredibly delicious.  Here are my two suggestions:

1. Use less sugar.  The first time I used 1/2 cup, the second time I used 1/3 cup.  I liked it better with a little less sugar.

2. Use salted butter.  Tastes way better.  In general. ;)  

SO GOOD.  I'm going to get fat and it is going to be seriously worth it.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Farmers' Market Sunday

What a lovely weekend it's been! On Friday night I got to hang out with four of my favorite people, the Freitags--Cari and I talked about girly stuff and American Idol and hot actors while JJ cooked us a delicious dinner; how awesome is that? Saturday, after a loooooong and exhausting week, I literally slept most of the day, which is kind of ridiculous/incredible, but I think my body was demanding it. Later that night, eight of us congregated in North Beach for dinner & drinks to celebrate our friend Mike's birthday (happy birthday Mike Lee!). I wore my go-to little gray dress & patent leather peep toes, and it was so nice to get dressy and pretty after a lazy day in my bed.

Meagan and I took the train home, which meant that I was home at a reasonable hour (last train is at 12:15). After a delicious night of sleep, I woke up this morning and headed to my neighborhood farmers' market, which is one of my favorite places on earth. Check out my loot!

1. I almost always buy the same things, every week!

2. fava beans

3. does it make me a stalker if I snuck a pic of my Afghan food stand crush?

4. I actually feel sorry for people who don't live near Blue Bottle Coffee

5. just PART of the line for Blue Bottle . . . the coffee really is that good

6. my farmers' market breakfast: strong coffee, apple turnover, organic cherries

1. Can you believe all that business? I've never seen prettier swiss chard (which I eat a lot of), organic broccoli and carrots, fresh spring salad mix with edible flowers, fava beans, best coffee in the world, and my favorite . . . organic, fresh, homemade pasta. Seriously, the best pasta I've had in my entire life. In the past, I've had meyer lemon chili (spicy and so delish!) and meyer lemon linguini, but today I opted for the black pepper rosemary linguini. Usually, I do this:

Crazy Good Veggie Pasta

*In a wok, saute two heads of swiss chard, broccoli (or even better: broccolini), thinly sliced onions, garlic, red pepper, and carrot shavings in olive oil

*(I add the onions first, then garlic, and once the onions are semi-transparent, add everything else)

*Add chili flakes, s&p, maybe some oregano

*while this is cooking, flash cook the fresh pasta in boiling water (it literally takes 60 seconds)

*drain pasta

*add pasta to the wok, mix everything together, shave feta cheese & mix it in

OMG. Seriously.

2. One of the things JJ made us on Friday night was fava beans. I can't remember exactly how he did it, but I think it was along the lines of: toss in olive oil, s&p, maybe a little garlic and lemon??, then cook on high (450) until brown on top. SO GOOD.

3. My crush on this dude is long-standing. Isn't he a hottie? I've been seeing him at the farmer's market for over a year, but there are always pesky customers wanting samples from him, so it's hard to get a word in. I don't even know his name, but I do know that he's fiiiiiiiine! Of course, snapping a picture of him on the low is probably not the smoothest thing in the world.

4. This coffee is locally roasted and organic and really just SO good. It's expensive--a half pound runs anywhere from $7 at the cheapest up to about $40 . . . for a half pound! Although I've never made the crazy splurge, I buy the $7-$8 half pounds just about weekly, and they're worth every penny (and all the minutes waiting in that epic line!).

How was your weekend??

Progress!

So the Progress! playlist has at last been finalized . . . and here it is (Lane, it will be in the mail tomorrow!):

Dancin' with Myself--Billy Idol

Pursuit of Happiness (feat. MGMT and Ratatat)--KiD CuDi (thanks Miss!)

Hold Your Head Up High--Miri Ben Ari (feat. Lil Mo)

Fear and Love--Morcheeba

I'll Work for Your Love--Bruce Springsteen

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow--Amy Winehouse

The Way I Am--Ingrid Michaelson

Love, Come Save Me--Right Away, Great Captain!

To Start Anew--The Perishers

Woman Be Strong--Will Hoge

The Heart of the Matter--India.Arie

Love Will Come Through--Travis

Stronger--Britney Spears

Stronger Woman--Jewel

You Can Have it All--Yo La Tengo

So Happy I Could Die--Lady Gaga

You Move Me--Pierce Pettis

Hot Like Fire--the XX

Here Comes Your Man--the Pixies

I'm finally satisfied with its progression, and super excited to have a physical (and musical) manifestation of 2010's commitment to forward-motion and progress!!! Except that I fully intend to drink wine and watch the Bachelor tonight, which doesn't seem to be very progressive, huh? Whatever, after managing my 5th period hellions today, I deserve some time-wasteful indulgence. ;) Anyone else watching the Bachelor? This guy is such a Goody Two Shoes, gosh.

Another thing I did today: Make some pretty fantastic vegetable soup. I made it for my posse in Russian River last weekend, but I think that performance anxiety + cooking in a place other than my own kitchen yielded less than optimal results. I made it again today, however, and it's back to its delicious essence:

Speaking of my kitchen, that's another thing--it's so luxurious! For those of you who live in SF or another big city, you know how precious a spacious kitchen is. Ours is even bigger than it looks in this picture, cause it's L-shaped and juts out around the fridge. And we even have a separate dining room, so this bistro table is just extra! Here it is:

So this is how I make my yummy veggie minestrone for anyone else trying to endure this gross, chilly, rainy, wet weather:

Dice a large onion, red pepper, and yellow pepper, and saute in olive oil (in a BIG pot) until pretty well cooked

Add a little minced garlic to the mix

Add various spices . . . I use basil, oregano, parsley, Tony Chachere's, chili flakes, s&p

After all this is well sauteed, add a jumbo can of diced tomatoes (either just one, or a jumbo one and a regular one. sometimes I add a little tomato paste as well)

Fill the rest of the pot (minus a couple inches) up with water and 4 Knorr vegetable bouillon cubes . . .

(Meanwhile, cut a large potato into chunks)

Bring to a boil & add the potato

Let the potato cook for a bit, then add a small pasta (I usually use orzo)

Add a can of kidney beans and a can of corn

And that's about it! I usually check the seasoning & add from there. YUM!

I finally finished Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch (lent to me by my awesome friend Josh Klipp) and let me just say I LOVED IT. And highly recommend it. Imagine that . . . I loved a book about a southern girl in the big city who can't seem to find the right man. How funny! ;) In any case, it's well-written, engaging, relatable, multi-dimensional, quirky, and honest. I'll definitely look out for whatever's coming next from Katie Crouch.

I'm so grateful to have had long conversations with my sis and Lesley (my semi-sis) today . . . I miss my Georgia girls so much. I love California but it's so far away! Oh and speaking of Lesley, check out her ridiculously cute Etsy shop. OMG. Prettiest little girl clothes and accessories and toys you can imagine. And every single one is hand-made! Too bad all my little rascals are baby boys.

And now onto my favorite part of the evening: cheap red wine!