Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

Apple Crisp Overnight Oats

October 7, 2014

Cinnamon and apples are pretty much right up there with pumpkins for evoking autumnal goodness. This time of year I can't get enough of apples and cinnamon--I find a way to use them for everything from cocktails to my breakfast, to a quick snack and even dinner!

The best part about this recipe here is that while it may conjure up the flavors of an apple pie--apples cooked in sugar and ghee, topped with nutty oats and spices--it is healthier for you. I sometimes use homemade granola to finish off this meal and give it the additional crunch that a crisp offers.

Ingredients:

1 cup multi-grain oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk

4 apples, chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon ghee

1/2 cup granola (optional)

In a saucepan, heat ghee until melted and then throw in chopped apples. Allow to cook on low until softened and lightly browned, about ten minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and all of the brown sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, until sugar has coated apples. Set aside to cool.

Mix all dry ingredients (including remaining cinnamon) except the granola together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. Then begin to add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly, until thoroughly mixed. Finally, stir in cooked apples. Divide mixture evenly between 4 mason jars and let sit overnight in fridge. Top each mason jar meal with 1/8 cup of granola before serving (optional). Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

October 5, 2014

Who doesn't love pumpkin everything this time of year? Okay, I actually know a (very) few people who don't, but that means there is more of this delectable squash for the rest of us! Now that the days are cooler, I relish waking up in the morning to these tasty pumpkin overnight oats. They chase away the chill of autumn and leave me feeling full and indulgent at the same time.

Ingredients:

1 cup multi-grain oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 can pumpkin puree

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. Then begin to add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly, until thoroughly mixed. Divide mixture evenly between 4 mason jars and let sit overnight in fridge. You can top with Greek yogurt and a dusting of cinnamon if desired. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Apple Cocktail

September 28, 2014

Fall is officially here! What better way to celebrate than to whip up an autumnal cocktail? You'll get to learn about my Apple Cider Margarita later this week, but perhaps you are looking for something a little more sophisticated for Saturday or Sunday night...sophisticated or bourbon-y. This cocktail tastes like autumn in a glass: spicy cinnamon, tart apples, caramel-like bourbon. Bliss!

The surprise ingredient in this drink is apple cider vinegar. I tiny splash of it adds brightness and contrast to the drink, preventing it from being overly sweet. But be careful: more than a hint of the vinegar and your drink will be too tart.

If you want to give it a little extra sparkle, you can garnish it with a cinnamon-sugar rim and a dried apple piece as pictured here. Simply mix together equal parts cinnamon and sugar (about 1/8 cup total) in a shallow bowl or plate; next dip the rim of your cup in water and then place it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Finally, slice a dried apple piece almost halfway through and perch on the side of your glass.

The drink, of course, tastes equally delicious without this fancy wrapping!

Ingredients:

dash of cinnamon

1.5 oz bourbon (I used Maker's Mark)

3 oz fresh apple cider

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

ice

Prepare garnish on glass, if you want to make your cocktail hour an event. Then place a dash of cinnamon at the bottom of your empty glass. Combine the remaining ingredients in a shaker and shake until combined. Strain shaker over cocktail glass until empty. Enjoy! Serves one--so double the batch and drink it with a special friend while enjoying the fading autumn light for the evening.

On the Apple

September 24, 2014

The original forbidden fruit, at home with Eve and wicked queens, Aphrodite, and writers looking to sink their teeth into something. It is the promise of knowledge, desires slaked, immortality, and a full belly. And yet so unassuming.

What is it about this small lumpy fruit like the one perched on a stack of books at your desk, streaked with gold and red stripes, a fat nub sticking out of its top, that makes the world run mad after it? It is sweet, yes, and pleasant to bite into, with the satisfying crunch and smack of the lips as you make your way to its core.

But even now, as you stare at its hour-glass form--its full body a faint memory of teeth marks along its edges--you wonder at its ability to tempt us, to seduce us into grasping for things beyond our private Edens. And wonder still if it is wise to submit to that temptation, to look beyond this oasis of books and words and a delicious view of a tree in its autumnal glory outside your window.

You realize it then, what power the apple holds: wonder. The ability to make us want and wonder and dream beyond our own havens, to taste a little bit of life just outside your doorstep.

So, go ahead, you tell yourself as you turn from your words for the day. Be tempted.

Dried Apples

September 23, 2014

I am sitting at my writing desk, crafting my next blog post, and enjoying the autumnal scent wafting from my kitchen: apples baking in my oven. Apple slices dusted with cinnamon drying in my oven, to be exact. I wish this scent could be bottled because if it was, I would wear it as perfume; it has the tangy sweetness of apple cider and rich earth, with the spicy heat of cinnamon. My mouth is watering with the knowledge that in just a few short hours, I will be able to pull these apples from my oven and enjoy these dried morsels resembling fruit chips as a mid-afternoon snack (naturally with a cup of autumn harvest tea).

When I was younger, my family had a dehydrator that we would use to make beef jerky and these dried apple slices. This time of year, I find myself longing for those dried apples; they are a perfect grab-n-go snack or an ingredient that can enhance everything from a tea blend to cocktails to salads. They are also a good way to preserve apples when you find yourself with more than you can eat. But alas, I have no dehydrator. This lack makes me get creative, and I've found I can get these same dried apples by using my oven. The crisper you want your apple slices, the longer you keep them in the oven.

Feel free to dry as many or as few apples as you would like for this recipe. As a general rule of thumb, I don't work with less than two apples at a time, but you can dry as many as six in the oven at a time. I don't skin or core my apples; the skin provides healthy nutrients and not coring the apples leaves a pretty star shaped center. It's best to make this recipe when you can spend several hours at home. The prep is under ten minutes but then you need to let the apples slow bake in the oven for a couple hours to dry out. The cinnamon here is optional, but a great addition if you want the full flavors of fall.

Ingredients:

2 large apples (at least)

cinnamon for dusting (optional)

Preheat over 200 degrees. Slice apples about 1/8 inch thick. Lay slices on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Dust with cinnamon if desired. Place pans in oven and let cook for at least two hours (the longer they are in the over, the crispier they get). Remove from heat and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Stores for one week on the kitchen counter or up to a month if in the fridge. Makes approximately one cup of dried apples. Enjoy!

Tuna-less Mason Jar Nicoise Salad Recipe

September 10, 2014

One of my favorite all time lunches is a well prepared Nicoise salad; it is elegant and well balanced, full of good-for-you fats, proteins, and veggies that leave you feeling light and energized. Naturally, I set about figuring out how to transfer this dish into a quick mason jar meal for when I'm on the go.

I made my version tuna-less because I often prefer vegetarian lunches. You can, however, feel free to add tuna if you so wish. After trial and error, I found that cherry tomatoes work best in this salad because they hold up better if you like to make your mason jar meals ahead of time like I do. But if you are making your salad the morning of, chopped tomatoes, pictured here, work just as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups boiled small potatoes, halved

2 cups chopped green beans

1 cup chopped radishes (about 8 big radishes)

1 cup kalamata olives

2 tomatoes, cut into chunks or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, left whole

4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine vinegar, oil, and mustard in a mason jar and shake until combined. Then divide this dressing between 4 mason jars. Starting with the potatoes, evenly layer ingredients into each jar in the order they appear on the ingredient list. Store in the fridge. To serve, simply shake the jar until dressing coats all layers and enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

A Celebration of Kitchen Magic in 5 Flash Essays!

September 8, 2014

There is something almost ephemeral about the magic that is conjured over a simmering pot of beans or a shallow pan slowly melting butter for ghee. Somewhere between rinsing and sifting the beans and the hours they spend cooking on a hot stove--or the brief moments it takes for your melted butter to separate its contents--magic occurs. It is in the way tinkering in the kitchen can sooth us and in how we nourish ourselves not just by the food we make but how we make it. A pinch of this. A dash of that. Food is intention, a pure embodiment of how we chose to live, heal, nourish, love.

In many ways, the kitchen is also the most intimate space in our home; it reveals everything about us, from what we consider essential to our everyday life to how we connect with family and those we love. In honor of this kitchen magic that keeps pulling me back to my stove, a new recipe, or a fresh kettle of hot water, I present to you five musing on the wonder and healing energy of the kitchen:

1. Under the Influence of M.F. K. Fisher

2. On Baking

3. On Grocery Lists

4. On Cooking and Onion

5. On Cooking Dinner

What do you love most about the kitchen?

Peaches & Cream Overnight Porridge

September 7, 2014

Right now I'm trying to make the most of peaches as their season is slowly winding towards its end. Especially come September, much of the peaches you can find at the markets are ripe and juicy--in some cases, verging on overripe. Not to fear! These almost overripe jewels are perfect for this Peaches & Cream Overnight Porridge because their juices mingle with the yogurt and milk creating a decadent treat for your breakfast. The chia seeds and almond meal add an extra vitamin boost. Like my Tropical Breakfast Quinoa or my Tulsi-rose Breakfast Quinoa, this dish translates well into a breakfast mason jar meal. In fact, I often prepare this porridge by serving it up in my mason jars straight from the fridge.

What makes this dish so simple--easier even than my quinoa recipes--is that you simply stir all the ingredients together and let them sit overnight in your fridge. Then the next morning, you have a perfect jar of oats ready and waiting for you. I especially love this meal when I find myself strapped for time come Sunday and can't linger in the kitchen as I prepare my weekly breakfast and lunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup multi-grain oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup Greek yogurt

4 peaches, chopped

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. Then begin to add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly, until thoroughly mixed. Finally, stir in peach chunks. Divide mixture evenly between 4 mason jars and let sit overnight in fridge. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Mason Jar Spinach Salad

September 5, 2014

Spinach is one of those leafy greens that I crave deep in my bones. More than kale or chard, I simply cannot have enough spinach! This mason jar salad is an ode to that and stuffed with other good-for you veggies and nuts. I added a little Dijon mustard to the dressing and its tang ties all the ingredients together--from the sweet, smokey tomatoes to the sugary peas to the peppery radishes. Don't worry if you feel like you are stuffing the spinach leaves into the jar at the end--they'll be fine; you just want to make sure to pack that jar with as many yummy veggies as you can.

Ingredients:

1 cup extra firm tofu, chopped

2 cups sundried tomatoes, diced

1 cup radishes, sliced

1 cup sugar snap peas, diced

4 cups spinach

1 cup pepitas

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin voile oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt to taste (optional)

Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and salt if desired in a small mason jar and shake until combined. Divide dressing between four mason jars evenly. Then proceed to layer each ingredient evenly between 4 mason jars, starting with the tofu and ending with the spinach. Store in the fridge. When you're ready for your mason jar meal, simply shake the jar to spread the dressing around. You can eat straight from the jar or pour it on a plate. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

September 2, 2014

The last time I talked about quinoa for breakfast was when I introduced you to my Rose-Tulsi Breakfast Quinoa in the spring. I love quinoa because it is so healthy for you and so versatile; I can apply any flavor to it and it works beautifully. Take, for instance, my new breakfast love, the tropical breakfast quinoa that features coconut milk and almond meal to give this grain extra richness and pineapple for a pop of color and sweetness. I finish it off with a dusting of coconut flakes. Best of all, this meal is easy to turn into a mason jar meal simply by layering the quinoa and the pineapple in a mason jar.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

3 tablespoons honey (to taste)

4 tablespoons almond meal

1 can coconut milk

2 cups pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup coconut flakes

Heat to cups of water in a pot until boiling. Add quinoa and cook on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until grains are soft. Remove from heat and stir in almond meal until combined. Then add honey and coconut milk, stirring until combined. Don't worry if the coconut milk doesn't completely absorb into the quinoa right away. You can serve this immediately by dividing it evenly between four bowls and topping it with pineapple chunks and coconut flakes. Or if you want to make a mason jar breakfast out of it, simply allow it to cool completely before dividing it evenly between 4 mason jars and topping it with your fruit and coconut flakes. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Mason Jar Greek Salad

August 28, 2014

What better way to fuel up during the day than with another mason jar salad? It's light, easy to fix, and super portable. One of my favorite salads that I whip up is my riff on the Greek salad, minus the feta, although you can feel free to add some of this salty cheese to it if you want to. The chickpeas give you plenty of protein while the olives have good-for-you fats and the veggies are chock-full of vitamins and minerals. Best of all, this meal isn't heavy so you won't find yourself with a case of the post-lunch sleepies at work!

As with all mason jar meals, it's best to put the dressing on the bottom of the jar and then put the most durable item on top of the dressing, keeping the most fragile items away from the dressing until you shake it up. This prevents mush salads or the need to store your dressing separately from your ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 cup calamata olives

1 cup chopped cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber)

1 cup chopped bell peppers

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (optional)

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and salt if desired in a small mason jar and shake until combined. Divide dressing between four mason jars evenly. Then place 1/4 cup chickpeas in each mason jar, followed by 1/8 cup bell peppers. After that, add approximately 1/8 cup calamata olives and then 1/8 cup cucumbers on top of that. Finally, add 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes. Repeat the layering until ingredients are gone or jar is full. Store in the fridge. When you're ready for your mason jar meal, simply shake the jar to spread the dressing around. You can eat straight from the jar or pour it on a plate. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Mason Jar Farmers' Market Salad

August 26, 2014

It goes without saying that I am addicted to the farmers' market this time of year. I almost feel like it's a sin to get my produce anywhere else; I mean, where would I find tomatoes that taste like sun-kissed heaven or little cucumbers just begging to be pickled? Out of this love, stems my mason jar farmers market salad, perfect only this time of year when the produce speaks for itself and needs no more than a wash and a chop to be a divine meal.

I find it an extra treat during the school year to have this salad for lunch because it reminds me of the lovely time I had gathering the ingredients the Saturday before and the wonderful time I will have the coming weekend gathering more ingredients to play with. The trick to this salad--and most of my mason jar meals--is to get as many different colors as possible into one jar--more colors equal more nutritional value in your meal. You'll notice that I included the beet greens here--you can do the same for the radish leaves as well. Just make sure that your greens are firm and unblemished, not mushy or wilted. This salad is also pretty versatile--just mix together whatever veggies you were able to get from the farmers' market that week. But below is my basic salad, the one I keep going back to rain or shine.

Ingredients:

2 cup chopped green or purple beans

1 cup sliced radishes

2 cup fresh corn

1 cup sliced beets

1 cup sliced beet greens

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (optional)

Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt if desired in a small mason jar and shake until combined. Divide dressing between four mason jars evenly. Then proceed to layer each ingredient evenly between 4 mason jars. I like to start with the green beans or beets and then layer a different colored veggie and ending with my greens on top. Store in the fridge. When you're ready for your mason jar meal, simply shake the jar to spread the dressing around. You can eat straight from the jar or pour it on a plate. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Grilled Artichokes

August 24, 2014

Artichokes are one of those wondrous garden plants that make both beautiful purple flowers when in bloom and if you are willing to forgo the pleasures of that bright blossom, a delicious appetizer. These vegetables seem finicky to people who have never cooked them but don't be thrown off by their prickly tips and thistled center. They are actually very easy to cook!

Typically, when we think of an artichoke appetizer, we think of a veggie that had been boiled until soft and then dipped in butter or another sauce. In the summer, I love to grill these veggies as a nice alternative to this dipping appetizer because, after being marinated and grilled, the need for a sauce is eliminated and grilling gives the artichoke a nice smokey flavor. This is also a great make-ahead recipe. I like to boil and marinate my artichokes, then bring them ready to grill tofamily Sunday dinner. This may seem like a high-maintenance recipe (Trim? Boil? Marinate? THEN grill?), but you only really spend about 20 minutes work time and the rest is in the waiting for the veggie to boil and marinate.

An easy way to trim artichokes is to simply slice 1-2 inches off the top of the artichoke. This will take care of most of the thorny parts. Then, using scissors, clip any of the remaining thorns. You'll notice I used smaller artichokes for this recipe--not quite the super tiny ones, but the size of a tennis ball. You can feel free to adapt this recipe for a larger artichoke or several extra-small ones, just make sure to adjust the boiling time accordingly (the bigger the artichoke, the longer the boiling time). The marinade quantity stays the same.

Ingredients:

4 small artichokes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary

salt to taste

Trim artichokes and place in a pot of boiling water. Boil for approximately 40 minutes or until the leaves of artichokes pull off easily; I use a pair of tongs to test their readiness. Remove artichokes from water and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Then slice artichokes in half and remove the inedible inner thistle.

Place halved artichokes in a container and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, and salt. Let sit for at least an hour. For best results, let sit overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before grilling.

Heat grill (either indoor or outdoor). Place artichoke halves face down and grill for approximately 5 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. Flip and cook rounded side for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Serves 4-8.

Riceless Veggie Sushi

August 21, 2014

One of the best ways to end the week is with a little something different on your dinner plate. Enter sushi. Homemade sushi. Wait! Before you panic, know that making your own sushi is actually super easy (another reason this makes a great end-of-the-week meal) and doesn't require raw fish or anything fancier than some veggies and seaweed sheets, which you can find at your local health food store.

I like to nix the rice in my sushi rolls, mostly because I think the best part of sushi is the veggies (and fish, if I'm ordering from a restaurant). I also don't like a lot of carbs in my diet, and the rice part of sushi always makes this a heavier meal than I like it to be. So, no rice for me which means easier prep. If I want a little extra protein boost, I throw in extra-firm tofu strips I marinate in soy sauce and chile paste, but they aren't necessary to enjoying this healthy, quick meal.

The only real trick to this light meal is learning how to properly fold your roll so that it doesn't fall apart when you slice it--we all remember how my first attempts went, right? When I tried to make sushi for the first time, I overloaded my roll and didn't make it tight enough. Now, I use less of each ingredient and leave empty space at either end of my seaweed sheet so that I can properly bind it with no mess. It may take you some time to get the hang of it, but know that even if your first attempts end up a little messy, the meal is still tasty!

Ingredients:

2 sushi nori seaweed sheets

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

2 radishes, thinly sliced

4 dandelion or radish leaves

4 green beans (optional)

2 thin slices tofu, cut into strips (optional)

1 teaspoon chile paste (optional, as tofu flavoring)

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce (optional, as tofu flavoring)

Wasabi and low sodium soy sauce for dipping

Drizzle tofu slices with soy sauce and chile paste and set aside. Place one seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat. Line it with half of the avocado slices, starting 1/2 inch of the way in and leave at least 2 inches at the opposite end. Then line the avocados with half of the radish slices and then half of the carrot shreds. Place two leaves of the greens in the center of that mix and two green beans across them if you are using them. Finally, add the tofu in strips across the center.

Then, slowly roll the sushi sheet, making sure that it is tight and holding all the veggies together as you go. When you have reached the last 1-inch strip, rub a little water over this lip and press it against the rest of the rolled sushi sheet to bind your roll. Cut into even slices. Repeat, using the last of the ingredients to make a second roll. Serves 2. Enjoy!

Spicy Okra Fries

August 19, 2014

Okra is one of those fruits that I only ever eat when I can get it at the farmers market. I love gathering rich purple and green spears to use in stir fries, to pickle, and to make into fries that are juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside. They taste all the more magical because their season is so short. Now is the time to stock up on the delectable treats and enjoy them any way you can.

This year, I dabbled in a new recipe, eager to put together my New Mexican love of red chile and blue corn with these okra spears, a nice blend of crisp outsides and gooey insides. Thus, my spicy okra fries were born. They pair well with my aioli and work beautifully as a side dish or appetizer.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound okra

1/8 cup flour

1/8 blue corn flour

1/8 breadcrumbs

1/8 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon red chile powder

salt to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Slice okra spears in half. Combine dried ingredients in a shallow bowl. Place beaten eggs in another shallow bowl. Working a few spear halves at a time, dip halves into eggs and then into the flour mix. Line battered halves on an unlined baking sheet. Cook okra spears 25 minutes at 400 degrees, making sure to turn them once halfway through. Serves 2-4. Enjoy!

Under the Influence of M.F.K. Fisher

August 18, 2014

It started with reading M.F. K. Fisher in the bubble bath. About her time in France and her search for the perfect martini there, of all things. She never found it but happily made do with a glass of rose for aperitif. Before that you were enjoying another unassuming Monday night, looking forward to a simple salad and turning in early to read and drink tea.

But then you found yourself under the influence of M.F.K. Fisher.

You simply couldn't shake the description of the pink-glassed aperitif, of the rich musing of her first meals in France, the way food and wine served to punctuate the passionate episodes of her life. As the bubbles faded in your bath and your thoughts turned toward dinner, your simple weeknight meal suddenly became an opportunity for more.

A quick scan of the fridge told you that there was still a half bottle of rose chilling and a few small wedges of nice cheese, not to mention the mountain of farmers' market vegetables. You must make aioli, you decided, to dip your perfect radishes in. And there is nothing to throwing together a small cheese plate of deep veined blue and ripe tilsiter cheeses, fat castelventrano and bella di cerignola olives. And why not put on some old jazz tunes so that the whispers of French love songs float through the air in time to your gentle whisking of eggs and olive oil? Soon your apartment was transported to Provence and full of M.F.K. Fisher's joie de vivre.

The rose was dry and mineral-y on your lips, tasting only faintly of tart cherries and ripe strawberries. You savored the ritual of whisking together your aioli, that perfect blend of garlic, egg yolks, and olive oil, as well as lining your plate with purple beans and radishes and tomatoes to dip in your sauce. All at once your dinner was ready, your Monday night turned into a vibrant celebration, a feast for the senses.

Like M.F. K. Fisher, you forgot about the world for a moment, about everything but this sensuous meal, simply prepared and enjoyed to the fullest.

Peppery Radish Salad

August 17, 2014

If there was one root vegetable I hold in esteem above all others, it would be the humble radish. It looks unassuming, often a spout of slightly spiky leaves and a little red and white body covered in dirt. But the taste! Don't get me started on the taste of a good radish. It's surprisingly peppery with a bright bite that is balanced out by the not-unpleasant undertones of dirt and earth. My fridge is never without a bunch of radishes, nor is my garden.

As a radish lover then, I like to keep my radish recipes as simple as possible. Nothing is worse than a radish that's been coated in too much sauce or butter that its flavor gets lost. The only exception to my sauce rule is aioli because a light aioli's lemony taste brings out the bright, crispy texture of this root veggie. Still, it's best not to over-think it when it comes to eating this veggie, which is why I offer you this simple dish--ideal as a side or light meal--that uses only lemon to flush out the sunshine taste of the radishes and a little pepper to emphasize their bite. You'll notice I also include the radish leaves in this recipe. They are spicy and edible just like the root part of the plant. Just make sure to buy organic and only use leaves that look crisp and full, not mushy or crumpled.

Ingredients:

1 bunch radishes, washed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

Separate the radish bottoms from the tops. Thinly slice red radish bottoms and set aside. Line four plates or shallow bowls evenly with radish leaves, then line those leaves with your radish slices. Mix pepper, salt, olive oil and lemon juice in a mason jar and shake until combined. Drizzle the dressing over each of your four salads. Enjoy! Serves 4.

On Peaches

August 15, 2014

You were lured out of your home today with the promise of perfectly ripe peaches from your farmers' market. They are like August, lush and full of summer sunlight, almost overripe after a season of sunbathing.

It is the soft fuzz on their skin that you first enjoy. You roll your thumb over it as you grip a firm peach in your hand, the white fuzz a gentle contrast to the red and yellow blush of its skin. You feel for firmness first, that tricky balance of ripe but not too ripe, a hefty weight in your hand that promises sweet juiciness without bruising or mush. You look for a saturation of rose and mustard in their coloring, not the anemic green-butter wash and faded berry stains of a fruit plucked too soon from its tree. No, you want your peach full of life and juice.

You add perhaps too many peaches to your basket at the market, telling yourself you can always make a cobbler or pie, knowing full well your edible jewels won't last that long. You pile them carefully on top of one another so as to prevent bruising. When you get home you just look at them for a bit, as if to take one out of the pile and sink your teeth into it would somehow break the spell, making you forever hungry for this fleshy fruit even after your happy pile dwindles to nothing under your voracious appetite.

But the feeling doesn't last long; that mound of ripe fruit is too tempting to resist. Eat one you must. You take the peach on the top, the one with its green leaves still attached to it and, without any attempt to control yourself any longer, sink your teeth into it, feeling the fuzzy soft skin break under the weight of your bite. Your mouth is flooded with the tangy sweet taste of its juices, your tongue rolling over the velvety softness of its flesh. You don't really pause long enough to enjoy that first bite or any of the others, but simply keep taking one bite after another of the peach as juice dribbles down your chin and hand, until there is nothing left but the pit with only a few bits of yellow flesh sticking to it.

This--this feeling of ripe sunshine in your mouth and sticky hands: this is summer.

Aioli

August 14, 2014

It's been all about the farmers' market for me lately. My meals revolve around the perfection of summer produce. During this time of year, I find that I don't like heavy duty meals, especially at night. For me, a heavy duty meal is anything that involves too much time over the stove, rich foods like meat, or any ingredients that require more than a quick wash and sauté or slice to be ready. So naturally I am always looking for ways to enjoy my farmers market produce as simply as possible.

Which is where this aioli recipe comes in. It is the perfect pairing to crisp radishes and green beans from the markets, or any other fresh veggie you can lay your hands on. It requires very little prep time and absolutely no stove time. It's like a fancy mayonnaise but much better for you. Made up primarily of eggs and olive oil, this condiment is rich with good for you fats and can also be used as a spread for sandwiches or a base for salad dressing. But honesty I don't usually have enough left over after pairing it with radishes to make it to the sandwich spread phase of aioli use.

Mmmmmm...a perfect appetizer or light dinner of aioli, radishes, purple beans, cherry tomatoes, and okra chips.

You can blend these ingredients whisking by hand or in a blender or food processor. I've even seen recipes for making it using a mortar and pestle! The benefit of whisking by hand is that you get to build your upper body strength, but your aioli might be a little thinner. If you want a thicker consistency, go with the blender.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup olive oil

1 juiced lemon

Salt to taste

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, and salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil to allow it to blend into mixture and thicken. Once all the olive oil is mixed in, whisk for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens even more and develops a pale yellow color. Add lemon juice and whisk thoroughly for another 1-2 minutes. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Store in mason jar in fridge for up to one week. Makes about 1 cup.

Ghee

August 12, 2014

Ghee, that magical clarified butter, is one of those foods that is good for you body and soul--and a cinch to make! Basically, making ghee is all about separating the milk solids and impurities from the butter itself so that you are left with good-for-you fats, vitamins A, C, and E, anti-inflammatory properties, and a host of digestive benefits. On top of that, Ayurvedic wisdom tells us that ghee is one of the purest and energetically replenishing foods we can eat to nourish our spirit.

According to them, ghee is infused with the energy we put into it, helping us to replenish our natural life force. And it makes sense if you think about it. Like with anything you cook, you put your own energy and love into whatever it is you are making. It's kind of like a proverbial spell or kitchen magic that gets conjured every time we fire up the stove and prepare a meal for ourselves and loved ones. However you like to think of it, when you make this ghee--or anything else--it's a good idea to infuse your food with nourishing, happy thoughts. Who would want to eat food that's made with anything else?

My sister taught me how to make this over the weekend because I have long loved the depth of flavor ghee gives to the dishes she cooks. It has all the richness of butter, without the bad fats. You can also play around with the depth of butter browning. I like my butter to get a little toasty because it deepens the flavor to a smokey caramel. If you don't like that taste, you can always pull the butter off the stove sooner. Make sure to use unsalted butter because it is a higher quality than its salted cousin. Ghee's high smoking point makes it ideal for a stir fry and other high-temp cooking. It also elevates a simple piece of toast to something akin to the divine. This recipe is for a smaller batch so feel free to double (or triple!) it if you know you will be using a lot of ghee.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter

Place butter in a small saucepan and let melt on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until butter melts. You will begin to see the top get opaque. This is how you know the clear fats (below) are separating from the dairy fats (on the top).

Once you see that, continue cooking butter until it begins to bubble. Allow to keep cooking for about 5-10 minutes, or until butter browns and the bubbles begin to get smaller. Then remove from heat an strain through cheesecloth or a metal strainer into a mason jar for storage. Your strainer will have some gunk in it--the dairy fat and other junk--which you can just throw out.

Allow to cool completely before using. Store in pantry (no refrigeration necessary!) for up to three months (although really, you will gobble this all up before then). Makes 1/2 cup.