Leek Soup

Red Velvet cake.
That was how I was supposed to spend my birthday.
Then I got really sick and spent the day in bed.  I ordered this big, beautiful vegan/gluten-free red velvet birthday cake, then drove my sick butt 20 minutes across town to get it.  I took it home, set it on the kitchen counter, and just looked at it mournfully before putting it in the fridge downstairs.

I think I got sick because of the perfect storm:

+ Went to chic bars two days before moving. (Side note: I'm mostly mentioning this not because I think it made me sick, but because I want to brag on the internet about how I went to a New York City speakeasy with leather couches.  Yeah, it had a mahogany bar.)
+ Dug through the attic moving boxes
+ Seasonal pollen

I woke up on my birthday feeling rotten, so I decided to make a slow-simmer dish to justify laying on the couch watching Law & Order for five hours.

- + leek soup + -

My guide to stocks will be helpful before making this dish.  Don't just buy veggie stock boxes.  I promise it will taste much better homemade.  If you do use a box stock, make sure it doesn't have tomatoes or sugar.  That will alter the flavor significantly.

+ 2 leeks

+ 1 gallon spring water

- stock -

+ 2 carrots

+ 1/2 onion

+ shiitake stems

+ scallions
+ 1/4 cup rough-chopped parsley
+ 1/4 cup rough-chopped cabbage
+ 1/4 cup napa cabbage
+ 2 bay leaves
note:  The above ingredients are what went into my stock.  Yours can have anything.  Again, see my guide to stocks link above for details.
- stock seasoning -
+ 2 tbsp. mirin
+ 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
+ dash ume vinegar
+ sea salt and tamari to taste

Bring gallon of water to boil in a large soup pot.  Add stock ingredients, lower heat, and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.  After 45 minutes, check on the water level in your pot (it should have descended between 1-2 inches) and add your stock seasonings.  Simmer another 15 minutes or as necessary.

In a separate soup pot, stir-fry chopped leeks until bright green.  If you're going oil-free, you can water-saute them.  I used olive oil.

Pour soup stock through strainer into your leek pot, covering your leeks and oil with soup stock.  Throw away or compost stock veggies.  Simmer soup another 10-15 minutes, taste for seasoning, and serve!

This was one of my favorite recipes I've ever made.

Healthy Desserts 102: Mochi Puffs!

Two nights ago I went to a super-famous Boston desserterie: finale... yum!  I LOVE finale, but with desserts like Molten Chocolate Cake, Creme Brulée, and Tiramisu, I knew there was no WAY I could find a "macro dessert."

I'm pretty proud of myself.  I tasted everything I wanted to taste (gluten-free, of course.  There are some lines I can't cross without an early birthday trip to the hospital) without over-indulging.  I had a bite of this, a bite of that, and as much fresh fruit as I wanted.

Today I'm sneezing, wheezing, and my system is unhappy with me.  "DAIRY AND SUGAR AND EGGS?" I can hear it yelling.  But I walked out of that restaurant having only eaten about 1/4 cup of American style dessert, so I'm calling it a win.

These "seasonal allergies" that I didn't have before Tuesday are pretty much on me for eating the desserts.  I'm just going to treat my body right this week... some nishime, some greens, some brown rice, some soup.

I want to thank it for letting me have my cake and eat it too!

To cut back on my post finale sugar cravings, I've been supplementing with fresh fruit and macro sweets.  These cloud-like confections were done in about 10 minutes, required NO work, and really hit the spot!

.: mochi puffs :.

1 inch squares cut mochi

2 tbsp. brown rice syrup

1 tsp. cold water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  combine brown rice syrup, cinnamon, and water in a small bowl until blended.  toast mochi 10-15 minutes until it pops and puffs and breaks the cube-shape.

dip mochi in sauce and serve hot :)

Healthy Desserts 101: Not Your Mom's Rice Crispy Treats

School bake sales, church potlucks, summer afternoon...  Who can forget the sweet and salty lighter-than-air crunch of these delectable snacks?


Wedding season is nearly upon us, and I don't know about y'all, but I've been wiggling and squeezing and praying my way into party dresses that I bought in lighter times.  I've kissed my Starbucks indulgence goodbye.  Farewell, Grande Soy Mocha Latte.  Perhaps we'll meet again someday.


I'd be going crazy right now, BUT I've got an arsenal of healthy desserts that have way more taste than guilt!


Rice Crispy Treats are well-suited for wherever you're at in the healthy eating spectrum, because they can be as sweet or as natural as you'd like.  Low on calories and a great source of protein, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, these treats can be tailored to meet your dietary goals.


A great Rice Crispy Treat has three things:

base  --  binders  --  ingredients

Your base is always rice crispies.  This is the foundation of the treat.  My favorite brand of rice crispies is Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Gluten-Free), because it has no cane sugar or corn syrup.  Arrowhead Mills has a Puffed Rice cereal that comes in a bag, but this brand doesn't have a very good crunch.


Your binders are the liquids.  They're the "marshmallow" and "butter."  They make your treat stick together!  You'll need something sweet, and something with fat, like a nut or seed butter.  This is also the place you add your salt.  You can handle this one of three ways:
-pinch of salt
-teaspoon of sweet or mellow white miso
-salted nut/seed butters


Your ingredients are the jazz that make the treat uniquely yours.  They're the fun part that takes this treat from after-school snack to grown-up dessert!

--sweet--

brown rice syrup

maple syrup (just a little, mixed with BRS or it's too sweet)

carob chips (make sure these are vegan and/or gluten-free, they often have add-ins)

note  These chips are from tropical climates and are considered quite yin.  Make sure you find a brand that doesn't use cane sugar, evaporated milk, or malted barley sweetener if you're sensitive to gluten.  If you're serious about trimming up, skip this guy in favor of the brown rice syrup.

--buttery--

almond butter

cashew butter

sunflower seed butter

tahini

dried apricots

raisins

dried apples

dried cherries

note  I chop all dried-fruit finely so it's easier to chew!

roasted sesame seeds

roasted almonds

roasted chopped pecans

note  If you want the flavor of chocolate with less of a calorie boost, melt a handful of unsweetened vegan carob chips and drizzle it on top of the treats when they're done!  You'll use 1/8th the carob but still get the flavor!

Measure 4 cups crispy brown rice cereal and set aside.  Roast any nuts or seeds that need to be roasted.  I add about 1/2 cup of roasted nuts/seeds, total.  Combine nuts/dried fruit with brown rice cereal and set aside.


Measure approximately 1 c. sweet ingredient.  If using carob chips, use a little closer to  1 1/2 cups and be ready to cut smaller portion sizes, about 1" x 1".  This will make a dense treat.  If you're using brown rice syrup, add another 1/2 cup brown rice cereal.  This will make a light treat.


Measure 1/2 c. buttery ingredient.  Use 1 pinch salt if buttery ingredient is unsalted, or 1 tsp miso.


Combine sweet, butter, and salty ingredients in a saucepan and warm over low heat.  If heating carob chips, use a double-boiler to prevent burning.  Liquid ingredients should be steaming and easy to stir.


Grease a casserole pan and spread your brown rice cereal and nuts/dried fruit evenly across the pan.


Pour your liquid ingredients over the brown rice cereal, mixing vigorously with a spoon until pan is evenly coated.


Freeze for at least 2 hours.


Enjoy in moderation!