Tag: cooking

rainy days. moroccan chicken lentil stew, which, as we learn form the image above, turns out to be not very photogenic. glad we have something in common.

whimsy:

A Yeezy for All Seasons – “The most labor-intensive, compulsive, and scientific way to determine the Greatest Kanye West Song of All-Time. (And, in the process, hopefully figure out why he means this much to me).”

My sister posted this article on Dr. Bill Thomas’s revolutionary experiment, and I found it very moving. I may have to sneak in a few sessions of hiding at Barnes and Noble and reading Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal.

Up until I graduated, I would get anxious if I didn’t have a watch on. I haven’t worn one in years now, but… seriously… how can you NOT covet an Apple Watch?!

And oh my goodness, while online-stalking a certain Longreads editor, I found his reference to this article about couples combining bookshelves. I adored it, because I quite ardently follow John Waters’s advice.

Fine. I still shamelessly follow Lululemon’s blog, and I found this entry on uni-tasking interesting. For the first time in my life, I have a pretty flexible work schedule and I find that I actually work best in the evening. While I’ve been following lifehacking tips and tricks for most of my internet life, I recently enjoyed reading this article on The Complete Guide to Productivity and Unclutterer’s time-blocking technique compilation.

Meaghan writes here:

“I am 30. I have not achieved everything I want to achieve in my life. I am still reeling with ambition and urgency, often without direction. I still haven’t figured out lipstick or my hair color or whether I look better with bangs or without. I keep forgetting how important it is to me to run, to cook, to write. In other words, I have not mastered my life yet, but I have also figured enough of it out to know I am not ready to forget it. I am clinging to this notion of my self, and fearing that everything about motherhood is a mandate toward selflessness.”

bangers and mash. (also, sausages and poached pear desserts)

We stared out the window and sucked in our breath. It was snowing. Again. Not the nice fluffy snow. Icy snow.

So, instead of the aforementioned mochi-making in pajamas while watching Birdman party, we embarked on a sausage/chorizo-making in sweatpants before watching Birdman party. Sausages are apt in almost any situation, I would say. Especially when it’s cold and icy outside- I can safely say that putting sausage inside me ensures a considerable increase in pleasure. Basically, if you hadn’t guessed, a full night of raunchy innuendo opportunities. Can’t get better than that. Yeah, f* you, February! March is here.

“Trust me, even 25 minutes of gently rolling them back and forth, jostling their plumply greased little bodies against each other, is not too long.”

Quotes of the night: “I think it’s too thick, it’s not gonna fit.” and “This one’s a big boy, no?”

Yes, and matcha-flavored Kit Kat served as appetizer. Don’t judge, it was amazing.


Final menu- bangers and mash, pan roasted leeks. Dessert was poached pears with a sherry wine reduction, nut brittle, new orleans praline ice cream (dairy-free for me, thanks DF Mavens), and glazed walnuts.

And to be honest, Birdman didn’t do the dinner justice.

Finally, a lovely pacharán to take the edge off the night.

Cheers, y’all. It’s above freezing and the ice is melting.  Damn, spring, you look fine, don’t you?

butternut squash and green chile enchiladas recipe (gluten-free and vegan)

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some random experimentation that night. i brought the food, and watched him try to be mr. bartender. the real test was having someone extremely carnivorous try a vegan dish.

i’ve been trying to make more things and cook more things, and all i’m missing is a really good chef’s knife.

it’s messy, but it’s about damn time. homemade food and homemade cocktails, it’s really too cold not to.

butternut squash and green chile enchiladas (gluten-free and vegan)

filling

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp chili powder (i was liberal with this)
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • water or broth as needed to thin
  • 1 ½ cups/ 15 oz. can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup/ 4oz. can mild, fire roasted green chiles
  • ½ cup jalapeño peppers diced, fresh or pickled
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 12 oz. salsa verde
  • cilantro and lime, for topping

cilantro cream topping (optional)

  • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (4 hours minimum)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 cup cilantro (leaves only, loosely packed)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey (or agave)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • pinch cayenne, if desired
  • ½ small clove garlic, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cube the squash. Line a baking tray with parchment. On the baking tray, toss the squash with the oil, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until nice and soft. Turn the oven down to 350′.

Put squash in mixing bowl. Make sure it’s a large bowl! I added a bit of veggie stock and water to make it slightly thinner, but I kind of liked it chunky.

Mix the black beans, jalapeños, and green chiles together. Char the tortillas over the stove (good time to use chopsticks or tongs to turn them over, don’t burn yourself). Gather an assembly line with the tortillas, beans, and squash mash. In a baking dish (I used a Pyrex one), spread 1/3 cup of the salsa verde sauce to cover the bottom. Into the tortillas, spread about a heaping 1/4 cup of the squash mash and a few spoonfuls of the beans on top. Roll the tortilla and put it in your dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining tortillas for as many will fit in your dish. Spread remaining sauce on top.

Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350′ for 20 minutes to warm through. Take off the foil and broil another 5 minutes to char the tops.

While they bake, make your topping! Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Season to taste.

When the enchiladas are done, pour more salsa verde on the top if desired and drizzle with the cilantro cream. I topped mine with fresh sprigs of cilantro and squeezed some lime on it.

(recipe adapted from the amazing sprouted kitchen)