Toast Obsession

Yep, it's official... I. AM. OBSESSED. WITH. TOAST. There aren't enough places around this town with good ol' toast.  I'm going to change that and you can quote me on that.  But, in the meantime, while you're waiting, I'll just be making it at home, for myself and for anyone else who wants to sit down with me and indulge in the many possible creations for this brilliant and simple idea we call toast.  Did you know that toast was created to make stale bread more palatable, and at one point, Streetband/Q-Tip even had a song named 'Toast' where they used toast as an instrument and the sound of toast being scraped later in the track...ummm....yeah, that happened. 

While living in Venice, I frequently (when I say "frequently", I mean "daily") walked down with Chloe to the little local joint GTA (Gjelina Take-Away) and it was almost a certainty that I'd order a toast. Sometimes the granola, sometimes the spicy breakfast sandwich with kale, but most likely...toast...and a cortado.  God, I miss that place. And with that nostalgia and longing for a good local spot where everyone knows my name and the toast that I want, I have to settle for toast at home.

Above, my favorite, salmon toast (wild alaskan smoked salmon, cream cheese, pickled cucumber, capers, radish, dill) and pear toast (winter red pear, whipped cream cheese and yogurt, maldon sea salt, thyme).

Salmon Toast

INGREDIENTS:

• Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)

• 4oz Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon

• 2 oz Organic Cream Cheese

• 1 Pickled Cucumber, thinly sliced/shaved

• 1 Tbsp Capers

• 1 Radish, thinly sliced

• 2 sprigs fresh dill

• Maldon sea salt

• fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.

2. Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.

3. Layer with salmon, cucumber and capers. Top with radish and dill sprigs and a pinch of maldon sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Voila!

Winter Pear Toast

INGREDIENTS:

• Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)

• 2 oz cream cheese

• 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

• 1 red or asian pear, thinly sliced

• maldon sea salt

• 1 sprig thyme

• optional: drizzle of honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whip together cream cheese and yogurt. Adjust amount of yogurt for desired taste and consistency. Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.

3. Layer pear on top of cream cheese/yogurt and top with maldon sea salt, a sprig of thyme and optional honey drizzle for added sweetness. Done!

Juice Up!

I forgot to put this one up yesterday, pre-wonton exploration, but I had a few requests for this bright little guy of inspiration.  I recommend getting super creative and inspired with what's in your refrigerator (if you keep seasonal veggies on hand that is). No worries if you don't have a juicer!  A strong blender and a sieve will do the trick here!

A few things to think about when making a good green juice:

• add variety - try and use a few different vegetables or herbs that are green (kale, swiss chard, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, mint, etc)

• add a bit of sweetness if desired - I used pear and golden beets for this one (try an apple or a carrot or a red beet, but note that color might turn a bit brownish)

• add an acid to cut the bitterness of the greens (half a lemon will do the trick, but you can get creative

• optional to add fat, but i like to add a little finisher of flax oil or fish oil for some healthy omegas

GREEN JUICE

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 c swiss chard, roughly chopped

• 1 handful of parsley, leaves and stems

• 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

• 1 small golden beet, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1/2 a pear, cored and roughly chopped

• 1/2 a lemon, *juice only

• 1 tsp flax oil or fish oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Vitamix or strong blender, add chard, parsley, celery, beet and pear and a splash of water. Blend on high, using vitamin accelerator tool to assist in blending, until a smooth puree consistency. (add more water if too thick)

2. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain juice into a bowl, leaving pulp behind, and pour into your favorite glass. (save the pulp and add it to your pup's food! Chloe loves her greens!) Enjoy!

It was a wonton afternoon

The weather man declared the sun was going to shine on our faces every day this week...he disappointed me.  It rained all day. Without a single beam resting on my cheeks.  But that's alright, Roald Dahl put it nicely, "...if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely". And after leaving LA and living in this beautifully rainy city, I've learned to find my own sunbeams in times like this. I took those words and chose to take the rain as the perfect opportunity to shelter myself in my kitchen, get my hands dirty and play with the wontons I've been craving ALL week long. 

This recipe is light, comforting and incredibly easy.  I used a portion of the wontons for the soup, a portion as potstickers and a portion is hiding in the freezer to come back to enjoy in a week or so! And feel free to explore with different proteins and vegetables! You might surprise yourself when you look down at the tray filled with delicate little packages that YOU created.  Meditation in motion.  That's what cooking and creating is for me. 

HOMEMADE WONTON SOUP

A deliciously warming soup made with little homemade pork wontons simmering in a light chicken stock with Chinese vegetables.

Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 6 (with leftover wontons)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 1/2 tsp siracha

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 c shiitake mushrooms, diced (~3oz)

• 1 c cabbage, finely chopped

• 1 lb ground pork

• few grind of fresh cracked pepper

• 30 2-inch wonton sheets

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 4 small garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated

• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (you can use fish or vegetable stock as well)

• 4 cups water

• 3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, 2-3 tbsp white miso paste, or more to taste

• 6 tsp sambal oelek, divided between bowls *optional

• 6 tsp tamari, divided between bowls *optional

• garnish with green onions and radish, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine garlic, ginger, green onions, oyster sauce, siracha, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, pork and pepper. Using your hands, fold the ingredients into each other and until well combined.

2. Assembly of wontons: Place wonton sheets on a work surface with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tbsp of the pork mixture into the center of each sheet. Using your finger, line the edges of the sheet with water. Fold the dough into the center from each corner to create a little package, pinching the edges to seal. (if you are using circular wrappers, fold the sheet in half to create a half-moon/crescent shape). *

3. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 1-2 minutes.

4. Slowly pour in chicken stock and water, increase heat and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and bok choy, reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add green onions and miso paste, stirring until dissolved, about 2 minutes, and adjusting miso for desired taste.

5. Increase heat and bring to a slow boil. Carefully drop in 12-18 wontons, depending on desired wontons per bowl and cook until wrappers are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

6. At the bottom of each bowl, add 1 tsp sambal oelek and 1 tsp tamari, if desired, and ladle soup into bowls.

7. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and thinly sliced radishes. Enjoy!

*if freezing some of the wontons, place uncooked wontons in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight in the freezer and transfer to freezer bags or airtight storage.

Simple Morning Oats

Oats.  So simple.  So hearty.  So delicious.  And absolutely perfect for cold winter gray mornings like today. To be honest, I rarely gravitate towards making it for myself, but I've had lots of oatmeal requests as of late and...well, I guess all the conversation centered around the tiny little grain stirred something up within me.  I woke up this morning and nothing seemed more satisfying than a warm bowl of oats, perfectly layered with fruit and nuts.

Not only is this recipe simple and quick - requiring 10 minutes or less from start to finish - its incredibly easy to customize to whatever you have on hand in your kitchen. If pears and goji berries don't do it for you, give apples and goldenberries a try.  Maybe you're like me and you don't crave oatmeal in the morning, so all it takes is swapping rolled oats out for steel cut oats or possibly another grain altogether like quinoa or millet.  (note: cooking time will be a bit longer with another grain).  Play with this bowl, make it your own and enjoy it on these cold winter mornings. 

SIMPLE MORNING OATS WITH WALNUTS, PEARS AND GOJI BERRIES

Warm rolled oats cooked with pears, goji berries, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. A simple and healthy vegan breakfast loaded with protein, fiber and fruit.

Prep time: 3 mins | Cook time: 7 mins | Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole rolled oats, dry

• 2 cups water

• inch of maldon sea salt

• 1 tbsp goji berries

• 1 tbsp golden raisins

• 1 small Bosc pear, chopped

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp walnuts, chopped

• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Additional toppings: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, bee pollen, almond milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole rolled oats, pinch of maldon sea salt, goji berries, golden raisins, chopped pear, cinnamon, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, stir to combine and reduce heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed and oats are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in maple syrup.

2. Divide the oats between two bowls and top with additional walnuts, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and a sprinkle of bee pollen.

3. Just before serving, add a splash of almond milk. Enjoy!