No-Fail Granola

This granola recipe is perfect. 

Pretty hard to mess up and easy to switch up if you're craving a different flavor. Most Sundays, I make a big batch and store in a jar to enjoy throughout the week with almond milk or on top of yogurt or overnight oats. It's nut-free (hence, daycare approved!), actually nutritious and grandparent, spouse, baby and RELATIVE-approved too. I'd say that's good enough to make it a keeper.

No-Fail Granola (makes about 4 cups)

• 3 cups old fashioned oats (though quick cook work fine if you're in a pinch)

• 3/4 cup dried fruit (I generally use dried cranberries or chopped dates!)

• 1/4 pepitas

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

• 3 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/4 cup flaxseed

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Mix the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl

3. Mix the coconut oil, honey, salt and vanilla together until combined, and pour over the dry ingredients. Toss until well-coated (I recommend using your hands - it's the most effective way to get it really covered and increases your chances of those good granola clumps!)

4. Spread evenly on your baking sheet, criss-cross drizzle with a bit more honey (trust me on this one) and pop into the oven on the topmost rack.

5. Bake for five minutes, then remove from the oven and toss before putting it back in.

6. This is the critical part! Bake for another 5-10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. It should begin to brown, and my rule of thumb usually is: if I can smell it, it's done. Take it out before it burns.

7. Let it cool completely before crumbling (again, better for the clumps), and either devour immediately or store in an airtight container for a week. 

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It's been a long rainy week, and I'm excited to snuggle in for the weekend. 

• Loving the beautiful and theatrical album by Natalie Prass, especially "It Is You" and  "Reprise,"  which is so classic and beautiful that it sounds like the pace of a heartbeat while skipping through the Central Park on an autumn day.  
• Enjoying a big pot of this soup that I made last night -  a delicious recipe for using up the abundant carrots you might have this time of year. 
• Going deep into the archives of the Innovation Hub podcast, Kara Miller's investigation into thought leaders and thinkers. 
• And finally, a few words from Rebecca Solnit about how happiness might not be quite what we're looking for in this life.

"I know a woman who was lovingly married for seventy years. She has had a long, meaningful life that she has lived according to her principles. But I wouldn’t call her happy; her compassion for the vulnerable and concern for the future have given her a despondent worldview. What she has had instead of happiness requires better language to describe. There are entirely different criteria for a good life that might matter more to a person — honor, meaning, depth, engagement, hope."

Autumnal Collard Lasagna

Last week, we were coming off of a particularly indulgent birthday weekend filled with good friends, great weather and an abundance of delicious food. Not only was my love tank overflowing, but so was our refrigerator, with our weekly CSA bounty and what we purchased for a party on Sunday. 

Don't get me wrong - this is a great problem to have. And our late autumn harvest has been wonderful and chock full of hearty squash, funny looking carrots and dark leafy greens. But in an effort to use what we pay for, we end up eating a lot of roasted vegetable, grain and green bowls. While this is completely delicious a few days a week, I was craving something a bit lighter and more creative to balance out the birthday cake. 

Enter collard lasagna. 

I know what you're thinking. Replacing pasta sheets with raw vegetables can't possibly work. But I'm not looking to create a substitute for your mother's lasagna. Instead, I'm sharing a dish that is autumnal, comforting and wildly nutritious in a format that's just a bit more exciting than your typical weeknight meal. And it's also pretty easy and customizable too. 

We've enjoyed a steady flow of collard greens this CSA season, which has delighted the cruciferous-loving man in my house. They're used for wraps, salads and shakes, and impart great doses of folate, Vitamins A, C and K. The remaining layers of the lasagna are pretty foolproof. Keeping with the autumnal vegetable theme I roasted what was in the refrigerator: onions, butternut squash, heirloom carrots and a melange of wild mushrooms.

In order to hold the vegetables and leaves together, you need some sort of glue. My mind was wandering towards pesto and ricotta. Since I had neither of these things handy, I improvised and used up a few broccoli and collard stalks and raw nuts in the cabinet to whip up a pecan broccoli and collard pesto and a grainy lemon-garlic cashew cream. Depending on your preference, you could use regular ricotta, basil pesto...hell, you could even use hummus. Since this dish is raw, let your imagination run wild. 

When you're done whipping up the components, all you need to do is layer your bricks and mortar in a lasagna dish until you run out of ingredients or room. Then you just pop it in the fridge to set for an hour, use a good knife to cut squares, and voila!  You're ready to fill your body with a delicious and healthy fall meal. 

Autumnal Collard Lasagna

To make this recipe, you'll need a 9 x 13-inch lasanga dish and a bunch of collard greens, rinsed and stems trimmed. You'll want to whip up all of the other lasagna ingredients, and then set them out on a clean counter to artfully build.

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Autumn Vegetable Melange

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 cup wild mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (I used oyster, maitake, and pioppino)

2 medium yellow onions, diced

6 large carrots, washed and diced

1. Set your oven to 400. On a large baking tray, arrange your chopped vegetables in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, and pop in the oven. 

2. Roast for 40 minutes, or until vegetables are soft when poked with a fork. Remove and let cool. 

Lemon-Garlic Cashew "Ricotta" 

1 cup cashews

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup water

1. Boil water and put cashews in a heat safe bowl. Pour boiling water over cashews until they're completely submerged and let sit for 1 hour. 

2. Drain cashews and put in the blender/food processor. Add garlic, lemon, salt and 1/4 cup water and blend until grainy or smooth, depending on your preference. I left mine grainy to have that "ricotta" feel. You might need to add a bit more water to get the consistency you prefer, but tread lightly.

Pecan, Collard and Broccoli Pesto

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup chopped broccoli stalk

1/4 cup collard stems (use from trimming this batch)

1/4 cup nutritiounal yeast

Pinch of sea salt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on the consistency you prefer, you may need to add more olive oil.

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To assemble the lasagna, layer collard leaves in your dish, making sure to cover any gaps (you can use smaller leaves to fill blank spaces). Add a layer of pesto, a layer of roasted vegetables, and then a layer of cashew ricotta, using a wide spatula. Don't worry if it's not perfect - this dish is rustic, and all you need is for some of the glue to be on both sides of the vegetables to hold it together. I sprinkled some fresh thyme on top, before adding another layer of collards. 

Continue layering, ensuring that all gaps between leaves are filled, until you get to the top layer. When you lay down the final layer of collards, use any remaining pesto or ricotta to "glue down" the edges of the leaves on top to each other, ensuring a smooth finish. Pop the lasagna into the refrigerator and let set for one hour. To serve, cut with a sharp knife and use a spatula. 

Golden Pumpkin Smoothie

A week before we left to get married, I found myself caught up in the excitement of the Super Blood Moon. As someone who has always been drawn to the moon, the whole thing had me enchanted. I immediately set up my camera and watched as the evening unfolded and we experienced not just an eclipse but that brilliant red moon emerge in the sky. It was emotional, likely because I was about to experience an awesome and momentous life event. But also because I remembered how quite often, our lives resemble the cycles of the moon.

Often times, after a change or a busy period, we find our skies are blank and we are ready to grow towards a new venture, hobby or path. We might reflect on previous experiences or feel anxiety for a new life moon. But as we let go of inertia, and the past, we begin rolling and putting our lives back in rotation. Much like a waxing moon, we build new ideas, opportunities and experiences, and more and more light shines on our life. We build confidence (which may can be peppered with a bit of fear or doubt) until we reach the full moon - the climax or pinnacle of our experience - where we shine brightly in the space of who we are. We then enter a period of exploring what just happened where we might feel a sense of loss, or bittersweet emotions, and perhaps start to relax as we wane. 

Well, I guess you could say that I've just been through a Super Blood Moon of my life. 

 In New England, we're currently in the peak "peak" season of autumn. The nights are cool, the sun sets before five o'clock and the light has that turning golden glow. Amidst my own waning moon, I'm more than ready to start fresh and get back to a schedule.  I'm happy to be in the office, re-adapting a more regular exercise routine and being invigorated by the fall markets as I get back in my kitchen. I'm curious about what these next months will hold.

This fall smoothie is one of my very favorites. It tastes like pure pumpkin pie goodness, and is full of anti-inflammatory magic - a much welcome thing after a month of wonderful wedding indulgence. It's packed with pumpkin, which is rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene and Vitamin A. It also includes apple, carrot, banana, as well as fresh ginger and turmeric, which as I've discussed before are literal adaptogenic gold. Thanks to their super antioxidant properties, they help decrease inflammation and supporting your immune system. This is a necessary boost as we enter flu season and they're sure to provide inner warmth as we enter cooler temperatures ahead. 

Golden Pumpkin Smoothie

1 small banana, sliced

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 apple chopped

1/2 cup organic pureed pumpkin 

1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated

1-inch knob of turmeric, peeled and grated (you can also use 1 tsp. ground turmeric)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 packet of raw protein powder (I prefer this kind)

1 tablespoon Maca powder

1 tsp hemp seed

1 tsp chia seed

Combine first seven ingredients in blender, and top with water or preferred nut milk and 3-4 ice cubes. Blend until combined. Add in protein powders, Maca, hemp and chia seed, and pulse until combined. Drink immediately, or if storing, reserve seed mixture until serving, as they will absorb much of the liquid and thicken the smoothie.

Happy weekend...

It's been a weird week back here in Boston, and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend of staying local and really enjoying that extra hour of sleep. I'm also working on getting back to sharing some posts about our time away in Peru, thoughts on self-care routines for the fall and a few of the delicious recipes that we've been cooking since returning home. In the meantime, here are a few things that are on my radar:

• Taking in the most glorious sounds with Spotify's playlist "The Most Beautiful Songs in the World." They're the perfect tunes for a quiet candlelit evening or a moment in solitude.
• Making my way through Voracious, Cara Nicoletti's awesome set of recipes inspired by life and literary stories.
• Shedding my summer skin and embracing fall thanks to SunPotion's Wildcrafted Shea Butter. It's a thick concoction, but after warming the butter between your hands and giving a good massage, it's truly nourishing and has helped me steer clear of any fall itchies. 
• And finally, two parts of wonderful poems on grief from Mary Oliver that, when juxtaposed, have been greatly on my mind this week:

“Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand

that this, too, was a gift.”

— ("The Uses of Sorrow")

“And I say to my body: grow thinner still.
And I say to my fingers, type me a pretty song.
And I say to my heart: rave on.”

— ("A Pretty Song")

Blueberry and Peach Breakfast Pie

He rolled over, eyes blinking in the morning light, and said that he wanted blueberry pie for breakfast. Even though he might have been kidding, blueberry pie isn't really a laughing matter in my book.  So as the coffee brewed, I pulled out my new and already overused food processor, opened the cabinet, and got to grinding. 

Over the past months, I've been working to understand how to stock a pantry, truly, for moments like this - when you're dying to whip up something delicious, yet healthy, and need the fixings. Through trial and error, the key players look like this: whole grains (millet, quinoa, steel cut oats, popcorn, and rolled oats), dried fruits (dates), nuts (cashews, walnuts, and peanut butter in the fridge) and seeds (chia, ground flaxseed and hemp).  Even though basic or seemingly obvious, when paired with rotations of local and seasonal produce, the possibilities are endless.

Friends, this may have been the moment when the stockpiling paid off.  

Blueberry and peach breakfast pie - a cashew-date crust topped with cashew cream and fruit and drizzled with a salted peanut butter drizzle. So easy, so delicious, and also good for you - and only a little bit in that way where you could say having an oatmeal raisin cookie is kind of like having raisins in a hot bowl of morning oatmeal. To make you'll just need some of the key pantry players, like cashews, dates, and peanut butter, and good late summer fruit. I picked up the most succulent blueberries and tiny peaches at the farmers' market because they were practically calling to me, but you could use any seasonal stone fruit or berry you get your hands on.  

When compared to sugar, dates are a relatively low glycemic sweetener - which means that you get a nice taste without riding a blood sugar rollercoaster. Both the nuts and fruits are also a good source of dietary fiber.  I'm not kidding when I say that the peanut butter drizzle tastes a lot like salted caramel. It's decadent, and as a girl who once made foie gras cupcakes, you can trust me on that. 

Just a word on timing. Because it's essentially a raw vegan concoction, the pie requires some time to chill. My recommendation? Make it early, and take it out when the coffee brews. Or better yet, make it the night before and refrigerate, so you're not waiting on a slice of pie. 

Blueberry and Peace Breakfast Pie

(Makes a 9' round pie)

For the crust:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 7-8 pitted Medjool dates

For the cashew cream:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (we use Celtic sea salt)

For the peanut butter drizzle:

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon filtered water
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Measure 1 cup of cashews and place them in a bowl. Set aside 7-8 dates in a separate bowl. Boil water and pour over cashews and dates so that they're completely submerged. Let sit for 1 hour, covered. 
2. To make crust, cut a parchment round to fit to your cake or pie pan. Place unsoaked raw cashews and oats in food processor and grind until a meal is created. Add in soaked dates, one at a time.
3. Once you add in 6-7 dates, a ball of dough should begin in form on one side of the food processor. Remove ball of dough.
4. Press dough ball into cake or pie pan. To easily spread out, I find it easiest to place another sheet of parchment paper over the dough and press down using the base of a cup.  When flat, cover crust and place in the refrigerator for 30 min - 1 hour.
5.  To make cashew cream, drain and rinse cashews and place in food processor. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup and 1/8 cup of filtered water and blend until smooth.  Add more water as needed to achieve a whipped thick consistency.  
6. Remove crust from refrigerator, and using a spoon or spatula, evenly spread the cashew cream over it, leaving a 1/2 inch border of crust along the sides. Cover again, and put into the freezer for 30 minutes.
7. To make drizzle, whisk peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, sea salt and water in a small bowl. Mixture should easily drizzle from whisk, so you might need to add more water (in 1/2 teaspoon increments) until desired consistency is achieved. 
8. o assemble, remove pie from freezer. Cover with fruit that has been pat completely dry if just washed. Drizzle peanut butter syrup on top, and sprinkle with a pinch of extra sea salt. Enjoy!

Cashew Cream of Broccoli Soup and a Love Letter

One of the most important love languages in our relationship is food, and it contains a sacred lexicon that dictates the kitchen dance performed nightly in our kitchen. 

The countertop my fiance and I share is a space of conscious co-creativity - a haven where the desire to eat simple, beautiful and delicious food that heals and fuels your body is revered, and there's always a table for two. This started when we moved in together, and our collective cooking game was instantly maximized as we began to build the lifestyle we desired - a long-lasting partnership focused on health, awareness, love and growth. But it was taken to a whole new level when I began to learn about just how much he appreciated and desired home-cooked rocket fuel, and how kitchen sorcery could fulfill important pillars in both of our lives.

Now I'm sure you've heard the archaic adage about the quickest way to a man's heart being through his stomach.  But chances are, this probably wasn't referring to a dish of cruciferous vegetables as capable of bringing a man to his knees. The truth is, it's not tenderloins or pies that really stops my man in his tracks.

It's broccoli. 

I'm pretty sure that his love of broccoli, and all members of the family Brassicaceae began after learning about it's health-touting and cancer-fighting benefits during a very brief vegan stint. But whenever it started, it then moved fast. This is a man who will eat a plate of raw greens for breakfast or use broccoli as a general garnish just to make sure he gets his daily dose.  A man who creates powerpoint presentations and shares them with his family to let them know just how important these vegetables really are. And a man who then receives a head of broccoli on every trip to visit relatives, and proceeds to share it with others because he wants them to experience the health benefits too. 

So nothing excites me more than when he comes home and I've whipped up some double or triple cruciferous delight. Without fail, he walks in the door, makes himself a bowl and stops short - blown away by the "crucif topped crucif" presented before him. This cashew cream of broccoli soup was no different, and between the creamy base and the garnish that holds all the good flavors of late summer, I think we've found a new recipe in the cookbook of our love. 

I always tell friends that while it might be nerdy, it sure beats being with someone who is addicted to sugar or booze.  Whether it's brussels sprouts or cauliflower, bok choy or kale, these vegetables have an lasting place on our table and in his heart.  While there might just be less sulfur-rich vegetables that are a bit more romantic to the eye, to him, this type of thing is the epitome of love. And for this, good health, and the life that we're building together, I'm always happy to oblige.

Cashew Cream of Broccoli Soup

For the soup:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 small to medium heads of broccoli, chopped
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
   

For cashew cream:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• ½ cup water
• Good pinch of Celtic sea salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

For garnish:

• 2 ears of sweet corn, cut off cob
• 1 English cucumber
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ cup broccoli, finely diced
• ¼ cup basil, chopped
• 2 cups of cooked millet, quinoa or other grain (optional)

Directions:

1.  Bring a few cups of water to a boil, and set the cashews in a large jar. Pour water over cashews and set aside for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse. 
2. If including millet or quinoa, set it on the stove to slow cook while you finish the other parts of the soup.
3. In a large pot, heat several glugs of olive oil and add onions until softened, but not burnt - about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and a hefty pinch of sea salt and cook for a few more minutes until vegetables are sweat out.
4. Add the vegetable broth and filtered water, and bring to a boil.
5. Lower to medium heat and add the broccoli florets, cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until broccoli is al dente. Remove from heat.
6. Make the cashew cream by the drained cashews and other ingredients in a blender, and mixing. You can add a little more lemon juice for a creamy consistency as needed. Cream should be whipped and smooth. Take half of the cashew cream out of the blender and set aside. 
7. In batches, add the contents of the pot to the blender, add the basil, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice, and mix until smooth.
8. Add soup back to the pot and simmer for another 15-20 minutes on low heat, and season with sea salt to desired taste.
9. For the garnish, roast the corn (topped with sea salt and olive oil) on parchment in the over at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Chop the basil, broccoli, and dice the cucumber while it's cooking. Remove corn from the oven, and let cool.
10. Mix cucumber, basil, corn, broccoli, sea salt and lemon juice in a separate bowl.
11. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Add a heaping spoonful of millet or quinoa, a 1/4 cup of the cucumber, corn and broccoli garnish, a drizzle of cashew cream, and a few basil leaves. 

Steel Cut Oats with Grilled Stone Fruit & Banana Cashew Cream

I've always been a big believer in the phrase "everything in moderation." So in our home, we don't really limit our diets to one category.  On the average night, however, you can finds us whipping up a vegetarian or vegan meal because they tend to be easy and make our bodies feel vibrant and healthy. We still enjoy our weekly libations, and the occasional summer barbecue fare. But through exploration, and the elimination diet, we try to bring a sense of consciousness to the way we eat in order to make ourselves operate well. 

One of the most interesting parts of our cooking journey as a couple has been exploring the realm of just how much you can do with good produce, hearty grains, and a little bit of seasoning. This weekend's Sunday brunch was a great example of that exact kitchen manifesto: a warm bowl of steel cut oats topped with grilled stone fruits and banana cashew cream.

I first wandered into the world of steel cut oats a few years ago when my parents began making them regularly, and my father reported the emergence of his abs, which seemed as good a reason as any to add it to the repertoire. They take a little bit longer than your average oat to cook, but that's because they're more whole and less processed, meaning they tend to keep you satiated for a longer period of time. This is a trade-off I'm willing to make. 

Slow cooking oats gives you time to come up with a whole slew of delicious toppings. Because it's stone fruit season, I chose to sprinkle apricots and plums with Celtic sea salt and grill them up alongside fresh figs on my cast iron skillet, which renders the flesh succulent and decadent. I then whipped up a batch of cashew cream mixed with bananas, which is so painfully easy that the end result leaves you wondering why you don't always have a jar full of this stuff handy. 

The end result is a comforting and nutritious bowl, drizzled with flaxseed oil and sprinkled with hemp seeds for an extra Omega boost. It was a great way to plant-power a day spent at the beach, and kept us nice and full until an al fresco lobster roll beckoned in the late afternoon.

Steel Cut Oats with Grilled Stone Fruit & Banana Cashew Cream

(Serves two, generously)

1 cup steel cut oats

1 cup raw cashews

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon maple syrup 

1/4 cup filtered water

1 teaspoon sea salt (we use Celtic sea salt)

1/2 banana

Seasonal fruit (I chose apricots, plums, and figs)

Flaxseed oil

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

For cashew cream:

1. Measure 1 cup of cashews and place them in a bowl. Boil water and pour over cashews so that they're completely submerged. Let sit for 1-2 hours, covered. 
2. Drain and rinse cashews and place in food processor. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup and 1/8 cup of filtered water and blend until smooth.
3.  Add more water as needed to achieve your desired consistency (I like my cashew cream on the thicker more creamy side for this dish).
4. Add banana and give one final whirl in the processor until mixture is combined and whipped.

For steel cut oats: 

1. Measure 1 cup of steel cut oats and place them in a large saucepot. Cover them with 3 cups of filtered water. 
2. Cook over low to medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Oats should be creamy, so if they appear dry, add 1/2 cup more water and cook for another 10 minutes. 

For grilled fruit: 

1. Set grill or cast iron grill pan to a low-medium heat. 
2. Halve each piece of fruit, and sprinkle with remaining sea salt. Place fruit flesh side down on grill for 3-5 minutes, and flip when grill marks have appeared. 
3. Grill for another 3-5 minutes and remove, letting fruit cool on a plate. 

To assemble bowls, add cooked oats first, top with the fruit, and scoop in cashew cream.  Drizzle with flaxseed oil, top with hemp seeds, and enjoy!