ANCHO CHILE MUSHROOM TACOS

I came across this quote from Rob Bell via my friend Stacy's blog :

You and I were raised in a modern world that taught us how to work hard and be productive and show up on time and give it our best...
We learned lots of very valuable skills, but we weren't taught how to be here, how to be fully present in the moment, how to not be distracted or stressed or worried or anxious, but just be here, and nowhere else - wide awake to the infinite depth and dimension of this exact moment.

 As someone whose work and personal life come with an extreme amount of overlap, I have a tough time enjoying things for what they are. My husband is also my work and parenting partner. I feed my family, but testing and writing recipes is also my job. When I am with the kids, I feel like I should be working on something - often irritated because I know I have to hustle for my own living. Or if I am working, I feel like I am missing moments with my kids. I don't know any of us come equip with how to just be here - it's cultural, often generational, the extent of which indicative of ones' personality.  When I feel the most at ease, is when I am simply doing whatever it is I need to be doing. If it is working,  then I just live in that time, cooking or writing, going through the motions of something I understand how to do, being grateful that I have flexibility and generally enjoy what I am doing. Or if I'm corraling my kids at a park or building block towers, that I may see the "depth of that exact moment". How do you practice that in your own life? I have to make those decisions consciously, does it ever become a habit? Asking for a friend ;) 

I figured I would make obligatory tacos this Saturday for Cinco de Mayo. Maybe we'll have some friends come over, do bean and cheese burritos for the kids, make margaritas with fresh grapefruit juice. Having people over, sitting around a table in the backyard, may be the easiest place for me to just be in the moment. It is the place where my mind does not dart around between which bills I need to pay or how dusty the open shelving is or how I may grow my brand or researching Kindergarten options. Even if we can't be savoring every little thing, our angst pulling our brains to other places, I think there is always at least one place that it feels easy to just be there. For me, that is the table. Hope you can name where that is for you, and be in it or doing it, soon. I've found that recognizing it is the biggest step forward. 

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ANCHO CHILE MUSHROOM TACOS

Serves 2

I assume about 1 larger portobello per person, once sliced, it gives you two full tacos with all the garnishes. Multiply as needed for however many you are serving. If you do not stock these spices, your favorite taco seasoning is fine, just be mindful if it includes salt or not.

The Tacos

• 4 medium portobello mushrooms (about 1.5 lbs.)
• 2 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice (apple cider vinegar will do)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder


• 4 corn tortillas, warmed 

The Garnish

• pickled onions
• fresh lime
• avocado
• cilantro
• shredded cabbage, optional
• queso fresco (or soft goats cheese)

Directions

Stem the mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine the oil, maple, salt, cumin and ancho chile powder. Arrange the mushrooms on parchment and brush the spice mixture on both sides of the mushroom. This can be prepped a few hours in advance.

Preheat the oven to 375'. Roast the mushrooms for about 20 minutes or until they are browned and collapsed down (they should look wet and shrink in size). If the weather permits, you can grill the mushrooms over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side (or until they collapse a bit).

When cool to the touch, cut the mushrooms into slices on a diagonal. Arrange the tacos with some smashed avocado (lightly salted), a pile of mushrooms, pickled onions, cilantro, shredded cabbage (if using), cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enjoy. 

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THAI-ISH CAULIFLOWER RICE SALAD

I saw this recipe on pinterest recently and given I (ironically, it is a long list) had all of these ingredients, I could not stop thinking about it. I strayed really far from the original, but am happy with where I ended up. I could eat this all day long. I am aware it is not a truly authentic Thai list of ingredients, but it tastes delicious at the end so I'm not concerned. I don't like rambling on to sell you a recipe so instead, here are a few podcasts I listened to this past week that I really enjoyed. Not sure how you listen to podcasts, I trust you can search for them. 

Oprah Super Soul Conversations : Brene Brown and Shonda Rhimes
The Liturgists : Body Image
How I Built This : Howard Schultz/Starbucks and Gary Hirshberg/Stonyfield Yogurt

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THAI-ISH CAULIFLOWER RICE SALAD

Serves 4-6

Recipe inspired by The Awesome Green

It is a long list of ingredients, and quite a bit of chopping, but worth the time. I add some grilled chicken or tofu, both of which I marinate in sriracha, sesame oil and a bit of tamari. Salmon would be AMAZING here. Any leftovers will keep for a few days, covered in the fridge.

The Salad

• 1 bell pepper, small dice
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/2 a red onion, small dice
• 2 Persian cucumbers, small dice
• 1/2 a small head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 mango (or 2 ataulfo mangos, preferable if you can find them), small dice
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1 large lime
• sea salt and pepper


• nub of coconut oil
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, riced (about 1 1/2 cups prepared)
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
• 2 avocados, for garnish
• toasted cashews, for garnish

Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup creamy, salted peanut butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• juice of two large limes
• 2 inch nub of ginger, grated
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• dash of fish sauce, optional
• 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 2 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
• sea salt and pepper

Recipe Instructions

Put all the prepared produce in a large mixing bowl. Chop the cilantro and mint, add that too. Squeeze the lime over everything, add a pinch of salt and pepper and toss everything to mix. Set aside, room temperature or in the fridge.

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the riced cauliflower, pinch of salt and pepper and saute until it begins to soften. Add the coconut milk and saute another 2-3 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool down.

When the cauliflower cools, make your sauce. In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, water, rice vinegar, juice of both limes, grated ginger, garlic, fish sauce if using, honey or agave and tamari. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk everything together until smooth. Taste for seasoning, if you like some heat, add a dash of sriracha or cayenne. Add water or lime juice to thin if needed. Keep it mind it will firm up in the fridge.

Add the cooled cauliflower to the bowl of vegetables and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the salad with the peanut sauce, avocado and toasted cashews on top.

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MEXI CAULIFLOWER RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

I'm doing what I swore I would never do and cooking three versions of one meal. Hugh has been doing a super zero sugar/carb/happiness diet and my kids already require limitations because, well, they're toddlery, so cooking has not been that fun lately. I don't have a big enough ego to keep from you that I've actually been angry about it at times. Angry because the three of them have made this task complicated and also because I've been jealous of Hugh's self control. I have pretty good eating habits, but have never been one to stick to a diet, so WHO was going to eat ice cream on the couch with me after the kids went to bed?! I was mad that now I'd be accountable for my late night sweet tooth. Collectively, they had morphed cooking into a chore, something I had to do as opposed to the way I get to nourish and serve them. I know a lot of people who are really burdened by the task of cooking and I had never quite felt that, until recently. 
And yet, the kids are kids and Hugh is a grown man who can decide to eat whatever he'd like despite my paradigms about health, so as I tell Curran when he is whining or getting frustrated, "problem solve!" I can dig my heels in and complain, or I can come up with a solution. Or maybe there isn't a solution, but perhaps there is another way through.

I pulled this recipe from Dana over at Minimalist Baker after seeing it on a friends' Instagram. I was bored of the salads I was making for one (because God forbid there was a fresh peach or strawberry in there! The sugar! I'm mostly kidding, Hugh, I get the science). I started off making these stuffed peppers for me, as warm food sounded good, and then realized I could make this meal work for everyone. The kids ate the filling wrapped into a tortilla with some avocado and a little more cheese. For Hugh, I skipped the beans and added shredded, pre-made carnitas. There we were, eating together at the same time, which I think is what I was missing the most. I may have had to do an extra step or two but really, no big deal. Deep breaths, just be flexible. It sounds silly when I read this over, trite even, given the state of the country, but I think many of our larger lessons can be taught within the scale of our small reality. I suppose with time and grace, our guards come down and we realize that as easy as it is to blame other people and get mad, we have the power to be part of the movement forward. What a responsibility we have to our own families - to people we love, and to those we don't know. What a refining process it is to care for them well, even if it doesn't look like our way. Now, for more of that, on a bigger scale. 

Speaking of, I am including a few links for giving towards those affected by the storms in Texas, the Carribean and Florida. These are organizations that have a good Charity Watch rating. This isn't an easy season for me to leave the roost, but I wish I could be there with boots on the ground, holding babies and feeding people. I'm inspired by those giving so much of their time and resources. Unfortunately, I know there will be another time I can do this in the future. I know there are many more, so go ahead and tell us about them in the comments if they are something you've looked into.

Houston Food Bank
Preemptive Love Coalition
The Texas Diaper Bank needs diapers, obv
UNICEF
Save the Children

MEXI CAULIFLOWER RICE STUFFED PEPPERS // Serves 4
Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Dana's original version is vegan, but I see that you can take this recipe any direction towards what your family eats. I added a small amount of sour cream and goat cheese to keep the insides creamy and the whole thing not overly dietetic, but you could leave those out to keep it dairy free. You could go with no cheese, or use goat, cheddar or queso fresco (I am sounding ambivalent about the cheese choice, but I think all work here). I have added chopped grilled chicken or prepared carnitas for company. This way you can do a few vegetarian peppers and then add meat for those that prefer it. It's pretty flexible. 
The times given below will leave your peppers with some texture. If you prefer yours really soft, add 5 minutes to both roasting times. 

3 bell peppers, ribs removed
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (coconut or avocado work too!)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. riced cauliflower (store-bought or from one, medium cauliflower)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/3 cup prepared salsa
5 green onions, chopped
1.5 cups cooked black beans (roughly a can, drained and rinsed)
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup (about 6 ounces) goat cheese, white cheddar, queso fresco, plus more for serving

avocado, green onion, limes, sour cream, hot sauce, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400'. Grease a large baking dish with coconut oil or whatever you use. Put the halved peppers in the dish and rub them all over with said oil. Roast for 15 minutes for them to just soften. Turn the heat up to 425'. 
While the peppers roast, make your filling. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic, cauliflower rice and salt and stir to mix. Let it cook for a minute or two. Add 1/4 cup of water (this will help the cauliflower soften) and stir again. Add the chili powder, cumin, prepared salsa, green onions and stir. Cook another 5-10 minutes until the mixture is softened but not soggy. Set it aside to cool slightly. Stir in the black beans, sour cream, cheese and mix. If you are adding any other cooked protein, add it now. 
Stuff the mixture into the peppers - be generous. Pop it all back in the oven for 15-20 more minutes to warm through. For serving, garnish with sour cream, avocado, green onion, hot sauce, go crazy!