CREAMY BAKED BRUSSELS

He made me cry the first day I got there. I had been on crowded planes with long layovers, crossed time changes and spent the night in some run down hostel with way too much luggage to be schlepping between all modes of public transportation that take you between small Italian towns. I was tired and emotional and I run shy-ish/self-conscious in meeting new people so when George was yelling at me over how stupid it was to be a vegetarian, I cried right there at the table. 

After I graduated college, I made up my own internship of sorts to work at a Bed and Breakfast in Italy. It was run by a couple who used to own an Italian restaurant in my hometown. Lucy, the wife, had a full Italian mother but she lived most of her life in America. Lucy and George owned the place. She was a super friendly, petite, hard working, full of energy, warm and spunky woman. George was there for her. He was along for her golden years dream project and drug his feet and rolled his eyes often along the way. He was a retired surgeon; very smart and attracted to controversial conversations. He hated waste, he hated it before it was part of the green movement to hate waste, and although he scared me most of the time I lived there, I am a more careful consumer because of his staunch stance on the issue. A solid fellow, a great cook, he grew up in Argentina and must have told me three dozen times that his mother was in her late 90's and very healthy from a diet of mostly meat and potatoes. 

For some perspective to the story, I was in my early 20's, fresh off a new definition of what "healthy" meant. I had transitioned from years of eating fat free and sugar free this and that and got really into cooking and produce and working on a farm and now believed my very vegetable centered life was the answer to all things health.

So, Hugh (my super cute then-boyfriend who came with me for a month and worked mostly as a gardener) and I show up for the first time to this completely new place with all new people, super exhausted and jet-lagged and nervous. They were just sitting down to a lunch to welcome us and it was platters of cured meats, grilled bistecca, oven roasted potatoes and arugula drenched in olive oil. It didn't take long for George to notice that I wasn't eating much and he asked me why, at which point I told him I was a vegetarian. Might as well be honest if I was going to be eating all of my meals with this guy for the next 6 months. He then proceeded to berate me - intensely, angrily, loudly - on why I'd made that choice, asked me to cite my research of why it was healthy, asked if I'd spoken to doctors, listed all the nutritional values of the meal he'd prepared and I'm pretty certain he was standing up and pacing by the time I couldn't hold it in anymore and the tears started coming. I had said nothing in response. Hugh was squeezing my leg but he was in no place to defend me because I'm not sure I honestly had answers to his questions. I came to learn this was par for his course, but couldn't help how personally I took it seeing it was the first time I met the guy. Poor first impressions on both ends I suppose. We had a few more chats about it, he eventually added a few meals to the rotation without meat and let me make the salads. I grew a soft spot for George over time, more clearly seeing how he still craved the authority and leadership he had as a doctor and now was in a circumstance he didn't exactly care for. I think they call that displaced anger. That memory was from a decade ago now, but it popped back in my mind amidst the reel of New Years diets having their spotlight season. Vegan, keto, whole 30, non-dairy, paleo... so many perspectives and so many people looking for the answer with a capital "A." I've come to think healthy can mean different things for different people and it's absolutely ok for those definitions to change over time.
 
If I kept in touch with George, I'd tell him I don't really have a name for how I eat and I'm super ok with that. It's mostly from scratch, heavy on the vegetables. I eat eggs, a small amount of animal protein when I need it or want it. I try to limit dairy because I have finicky skin and it's supposed to help overall inflammation and also because I actually like almond milks and coconut coffee creamers. I make most of our baked goods with almond flour or other whole grain flours but we eat classic pizza dough in between so I figure I've got to be breaking even. And yes! I do consult doctors, my blood work is near perfect. I'm loosing a ton of hair but hey, can't win them all. If I was at your lunch table today, I'd eat whatever you were making because I understand how as the host and cook, you just want people to enjoy what you worked hard to serve them. Sorry I didn't understand that then. I won't forget your hospitality, spicy as it was. Big hugs. 

It's a new year, hooray, resolve to take good care of yourself. Eat more food from plants than packages and I think you'll be heading in the right direction. Long term changes over short-lived diets, and if cream fits into your January plan, these brussels are so easy and Hugh made you a sweet little video for a visual this week for a change of pace. 

CREAMY BAKED BRUSSELS // Serves 4

These work as a warm side, smashed into toast or tossed with your favorite noodles with a splash of pasta water and a bit of fresh citrus juice to make an easy meal of it. 

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. dijon mustard
dollop of creme fraiche (optional)
1/2 tsp. sea salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350' and grease a shallow, ovenproof baking dish. Steam the brussels for 4 minutes, drain and let them cool to the touch. While the brussels steam, mix together the cream, dijon, creme fraiche if using, salt and pepper. 
Chop up the sprouts, use a food processor if you prefer but I'd rather not clean another appliance. Tip them into the prepared dish and pour the cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top and bake them for 15 minutes, turning the broiler on for an extra minute or two at the end to brown the top. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy warm.

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BUTTERNUT + RED LENTIL SOUP

I'm currently on my third double chocolate cookie despite having all sorts of  recipe testing leftovers in the fridge I could cobble into a more nutritious lunch. Can cookies be lunch? I could swipe almond butter on top for protein. Why didn't I give these away like I said I would? 'Tis the season I suppose; always makes me feel like baking, it's getting the baked goods out the door that appears to be the challenge. So in between, there are easy dinners. I have been asked three times for a butternut squash soup recipe by different friends or readers and I realize we only have this stew to reference. I generally prefer my soups chunky, but let's add a pureed one to the archives for good measure. I saw this one while flipping through Melissa Clarks' recent book and it sounded too perfectly simple and spiced not to try. Plus, I had all the ingredients. I swapped in a little curry powder for some of the cumin, added ginger at the end and garnished it with a bit of cilantro and toasted coconut. Optional changes, of course. Cheers to easy dinners, and cookies too, of course. 

BUTTERNUT + RED LENTIL SOUP // Serves 4-6

Adapted from Dinner by Melissa Clark

I find soup thickness to be a matter of taste. You can always add more broth at the end to thin it, but it's tough to go the other way. Start with the yields below, and you can thin it out after if need be. 

3 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
pinch of cayenne
3/4 tsp. sea salt
fresh black pepper
1 cup red lentils
12 ounces peeled and chopped butternut squash (about one medium squash)
1 qt. low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
13.5 ounce can of coconut milk
fresh ginger, to taste
fresh lime juice, to taste

cilantro and toasted coconut, for garnish

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, warm the ghee or coconut oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Cook another minute. Add the lentils, squash, broth and bring it up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes until the squash is tender. Stir in the coconut milk to warm through and add grated ginger and fresh lime juice to taste (I used about a 2" nub of ginger and 1 whole lime). Use a blender or immersion blender to make a chunky puree. Season to taste. It probably needs a bit more salt but that is to your discretion. 

Garnish to fresh cilantro and toasted coconut. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for a week. 

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SPICED CAULIFLOWER SALAD

I don't always love cooking. I have my moments; usually when it's quiet or late at night, but some days I just have to get people nourished and it doesn't need to be beautiful. I've started working as a personal chef for a family, am teaching a few private cooking classes and picked up a couple recipe development jobs this month so there has just been a lot of food. I'm on the brink of too much of a good thing. Prior to my babies there was more free time, more quiet, no picky eaters, a looser grocery budget, fewer interruptions. We had to eat, I was still always around food for work and I'd use all the white space of my thoughts thinking of something different I could create. Cooking as a passion was approached differently because it wasn't sharing the space with my beloved wee people. I am not the same person or cook I was 3, 4 or 5 years ago when I started our first book for a plethora of reasons, but I see glimpses of the catalyst that brought me to what I am doing now. I love to feed other people. 

Hugh and I hosted a fundraising dinner with Aran Goyoaga in Seattle last weekend and it couldn't have gone better. At least as far as I was concerned. We sold all 20 seats quickly and the guests were lovely people, all of whom I wanted to pack in my bag and take home to be my friends. Aran's studio is calm and magical and she drafted a menu that was absolutely delicious. Both her and her husband make sourdough at home, so we had loaves of that. She made Heidi Swansons' red lentil hummus and we cobbled together a cheese platter with the necessary accoutrements. There was a salad of beets and roasted fennel with fresh mixed citrus, radicchio and avocado whose colors were striking. Neither Aran or I are the measuring type, so we seasoned and sprinkled and chopped as we went. It was the most enjoyable time I have had cooking in a long time. Perhaps because my wee people weren't underfoot ;) I remembered that I actually really love it as opposed to it feeling like the chore it has been lately. We roasted cauliflower with sumac and dried thyme and coriander and put it on a platter with a swipe of whole greek yogurt with some greens, pine nuts and a drizzle of tahini on top. I am making a guess at the recipe below as a guideline for you but you'll have to use your intuition on seasonings and timing too. There was a cozy vegetarian tagine with apricot couscous. The first time I've ever made it but not the last - a great and affordable dinner option. We finished with Aran's perfect meringues with fresh passion fruit and a creamy lemon curd. In the end we fed and were fed, and donated a few thousand dollars to the IRC who is doing great work. My heart is full.

Thank you for provision donations: Chef Steps, California Olive Ranch, Citrus from Farming Villa Vista and Zozo Bakery. 

Spiced Cauliflower Salad // Serves 4 as a side

We served this room temperature. Warm would be nice while not necessary, though the greens will wilt under the heat, but I wouldn't suggest cold. This recipe is loose, you'll have to tailor it to taste. I listed za'atar, which is a blend of a few spices, but you could use sumac, dried thyme and some sesame seeds individually if that is what you have. 
You could double this easily if you like leftovers or are feeding more than four. You will not need to double the yogurt and will probably need a little more oil to coat the cauliflower. If you need this to be vegan, simply eliminate the yogurt.

1 large head cauliflower
2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 Tbsp. za'atar
dried or fresh thyme
dash or two of cayenne

1/4 cup tahini
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
zest of one lemon
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

scant 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt
handful or tender greens
1/4 cup+ toasted pinenuts
pomegranate seeds, if in season

Preheat the oven to 400'. Break up the cauliflower florets, discarding the core. Pieces should be about half dollar size. Pile them on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, coriander, za'atar, thyme, cayenne and toss everything together well to combine. Use a little more olive oil if needed, everything should be well coated. Spread it in an even layer on the sheet pan and roast in the upper third of the oven for about 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender and browned in parts. Set aside. 

In a bowl, whisk together the tahini and water. Then whisk in the olive oil, honey, vinegar, lemon zest, pepper flakes and a few pinches of salt and pepper.

To assemble your dish, put a generous swipe of greek yogurt along the bottom and top with a few handfuls of the greens. Top with the roasted cauliflower and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Top with toasted pinenuts and pomegranate seeds if you can find them. Some golden raisins would be a nice alternative.