OATMEAL SOUFFLE

I am months behind on reading the food magazines but am working my way backwards. I love the content towards the beginning of the year because it's the lighter, vegetable focused stuff that is nowhere to be found in all the holiday issues. I was obsessed with this piece in the March issue of Food + Wine about the "new healthy" kinds of foods - which, surprise, is just real food. It was shot by a favorite food photographer and stylist and if you can grab an issue, it's worth it. I will likely try each of the recipes but this one struck me first as I desperately need some new life in my breakfast routine. With the whipped egg white situation and the 20ish minute baking time, this may be more of a weekend thing, but I love it. The original recipe is written with whole milk but I tried a coconut milk version to keep it dairy free (operation baby gas issues over here, you use what you prefer). The texture is lighter with the souffle element,  making it a perfect dish for a brunch or part of a buffet of other breakfast goods. I also felt like the bit of extra protein made this breakfast stay with me longer, if only in my head, and Curran liked it too, so there's that. Breakfast can become a "short order" meal and I'm not always up for that. In the Southern California area, fresh berries are available, not great ones, but available. You could use some sauteed apples or pears or pomegranate and persimmons if that is what tastes fresh near you. 

OATMEAL SOUFFLE // Serves 4-6

Recipe lightly adapted from Food + Wine magazine

I opted for a dairy free version here which while it works, tastes a little cloudy as coconut milk can. Replace the liquid with 3 cups whole milk if you'd rather. To get ahead, you could do the oat and milk cooking step in advance and loosen that up with a bit more milk when you are ready to complete the recipe. You'll want to enjoy it fairly soon after baking.

1 cup thick cut rolled oats
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 cup almond milk
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
seeds of half a vanilla bean
3 large eggs, separated
zest of one lemon
2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen, chopped
pure maple syrup, to finish
toasted coconut, hemp seeds, granola etc., for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350' and grease a 2 qt. baking dish (or comprable smaller dishes). 

In a large saucepan, combine the oats, coconut milk, almond milk, salt, sugar and vanilla bean. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the oats soften and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. 

Separate the eggs. Once the oats have cooled slightly, mix in the yolks completely. With a stand or electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites and lemon zest into the oat mixture until incorporated but not over mixed. Fold in a handful of the berries.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan(s) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is just puffed and golden. 

Pour a bit of maple on top (I liberally brushed some on) and garnish the top with fresh berries, toasted coconut or goodies of choice. 

MIXED MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE

[RECIPE UPDATED]

I know a new year is on the horizon and I should be thinking of goals and be excited for fresh beginnings, but to be honest, the discomfort of having a full grown baby in my mid section has slowed me down. The only new beginning I am interested in is having some semblance of my body back. We'll go from there. That is not a complaint, I know my words can get misinterrpreted in this space, but I'm ready to hold her in my arms instead of my hips and lower back. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We're ordering take out, playing blocks by the fire and keeping social plans light for now. I hope this season has included some rest for you between the crazy. I know giving ourselves a break is harder than it sounds.

The thing about writing recipes for work is that it pushes you to try things outside of your normal. Late-pregnancy-Sara is just trying to get through the day, so our meals are often routine. I like the nudge to change it up, even if I have to be forced by deadlines and a paycheck. We've been working with the Electrolux blog this past year along with Ashley and will be again in 2016. The following recipe is one we recently shared there. I make a basic turkey bolognese with tons of minced vegetables in it for an easy meal delivery to a friend or for Hugh and Curran to have something ready in the fridge. I used the same starter ingredients but replaced the protein with a mix of mushrooms to keep it vegetarian. Vegetables don't give the same depth of flavor or fat that meat does, but I find mushrooms are the closest stand in and they contribute great flavor. It's been extra chilly, so perhaps a warm pasta dinner and a big green salad should be on your menu soon too. 

Happy New Year, loves!

NOODLES WITH MIXED MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE // Serves 4

UPDATED Dec. ‘21 due to the Electrolux recipes being take down

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. salted butter
16 oz. mixed mushrooms (anything but shitake!), cleaned, stemmed and minced small
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/3 cup whole or oat milk
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup prepared marinara sauce (Rao’s or Victoria are our faves)
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1 tsp. fennel seeds, chopped
red pepper flakes, optional
3 Tbsp. creme fraiche, optional

3/4 lb. long pasta

grate parmesan cheese, for serving
fresh Italian parsley, for serving

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once hot, add the chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until tender
Add the butter, mushrooms and a few pinches of sea salt. Stir and cook the mushrooms down, stirring occasionally, until most of their water is cooked out. About 6-8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, milk and wine. Stir and cook again for another 15 minutes to reduce, stirring occasionally.

Add the marinara sauce, herbs, fennel and red pepper flakes, and taste for salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes. The texture should be saucy but not soupy, continue to cook if you’d like it thicker. Stir in the crème fraiche, if using.

Cook your pasta according to instructions. Drain out most of the water, leaving just enough to keep the pasta from drying out. Stir in a pat of butter, vegan or not.

Serve each bowl with a portion of pasta, sauce, parmesan and fresh herbs.

MIDDLE-EASTERN SPICED SQUASH + BEAN STEW

The news has me a bit emotional lately so all I have to give right now is a warm pot of soup. I have always been empathetic and emotional but being a mother has made me even more so. I can't help but hear stories about the shooting in Oregon or the refugees and personalize them. My family is not entitled to any sort of safety or protection, as cautious as I try to be, and that scares me to death. All I desire is for my people to be safe and healthy and happy; I'm sure that is what any parent hopes for; and when the story goes otherwise, it reminds you that you must hold onto things loosely. These sort of tragedies happen in an instant and my heart hurts for how fragile this life is.

It was fall around here for about two days. A little rain, I put on slippers, bought squash and made banana bread and soup. It's going to be 90' again by the weekend but I can feel the chill creeping in. It's coming and I am ready. So today, it's a simple and spiced bowl of soup for the comfort that food can give when there's not much else you can do. 

MIDDLE EASTERN-SPICED SQUASH + BEAN STEW // Serves 6

Adapted from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry

I changed a couple things here and only because I don't like to dirty a dish unless it's absolutely necessary. Diana recommends browning the squash before you put them into the stew to get a golden crust. I find that to be lost when it gets cooked further in a liquid so decided to skip that step. Mind you, I haven't tried it otherwise and surely she has good reason so brown that squash if you're up for it!

Chiles vary widely in heat level depending where you buy them so this is tough to predict. I removed all of the seeds from my chiles so got next to no heat in my finished soup as I knew I'd be sharing it with a toddler. Personal taste, I would leave a few in so do so if you want some spice. 

2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red chiles, seeded and chopped
5 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
3 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1 3/4 cups (1 14 oz. can) cooked garbanzo or cannellini beans
juice and zest of one lemon
whole milk yogurt, for garnish
fresh mint, for garnish
toasted sesame or nigella seeds, for garnish
cooked brown rice (and lentils if you wish) for serving

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. Add the onions, carrots and a pinch of salt and saute until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chiles and tomatoes and cook another five minutes. Stir in the cumin, tomato paste and a few pinches of salt and pepper.

Add the squash and the broth and stir to mix. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30-40 minutes until the squash is softened. Add in the cooked beans (rinsed and drained if using canned) and simmer, uncovered, another 10 minutes to warm through. This should be thick and stew like. Add the lemon zest and juice and taste for seasonings. 

Serve your bowls with a scoop of rice (or rice and lentils), the stew, a dollop of yogurt, mint and seeds. I liked a 2:1 ratio of stew to rice and generous with the toppings. Always :)