Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Black Bean Enchiladas

I've gotta admit: I'm not that into guacamole anymore. I've just been burned too many times, you guys.

Here is Germany, ripe avocados aren't nearly as common or delicious as what I was used to growing up in Virginia. A lot of times you bring a few home excitedly only to find them totally rotten on the inside. Or you scoop up a few to ripen at home, only to find that they NEVER RIPEN.

I mean, I can't complain too hard. Its not exactly like I'm living in Barbados here and its somewhat to be expected that the less-than-tropical shores of 'Schland-land do not grow the world's best exotic produce. (And hey, just try to find such a variety of potatoes elsewhere.) I just bring it up to point out: when I do find an avocado, I don't think of making a big bowl of guac. I think: GARNISH. For ENCHILADAS.

This time, mixing it up from my usual combo of plantains, mushrooms and black beans, I went for a filling of sweet potatoes (cubed, sprinkled with cumin + cinnamon, baked), spinach (roughly chopped and sauteed with plenty of garlic until wilted) and black beans (rinsed, drained, and added to spinach.) Served with a drizzle of soy yogurt (its spicy, y'all!) and some creamy avocado, its enough to momentarily make me forget that Germany isn't a paradise.

Song of the Day: Aluna George- You know like it

Vegam Mofo: Enchiladas and Tacos

Potato Spinach Enchiladas with Chipotle Sauce

 One of the nice things about having a repetoire of dishes that you've made dozens of times is that , if the dish is flexible enough, you can tweak it to include just about anything. That's how I feel about Enchiladas. I've got this so down that so long as I have some diced tomatoes and tortillas, I can make an enchilada out of just about anything. This week? I used chipotle for spicing up the sauce, and potatoes and spinach for a filler. Topped with a bit of vegan yogurt for cooling and its pure comfort food.

The leftover tortillas I used as a vehicle for using up some of the other veggies hanging out in my kitchen. Acorn squash, baked with some thyme and olive oil makes a nice, mashable base for  a simple sofrito from extra onions and peppers. Garnished with some hot sauce and guacamole and you've got a very serviceable quick and easy Friday dinner after a week of cooking up a storm.

Song of the Day: Metric- Synthetica

Good luck with Bad luck

(Obligatory Brussels Photo: Grand Platz!)

I'm always amazed at how people can continue to latch on to the belief that people are inherently bad, selfish animals. Sure, you can find plenty of evil things that people do, but they so dim in comparison to the incredibly good things that people do, for no apparent benefit to themselves.

Take the other day. I'm on the bus, and this girl in the seat across from me leaves her cellphone without noticing. The girl sitting next to her, leaps off the bus, and runs down the street to return it to her. In the process, the bus doors close, leaving her to wait for the next bus 15-20 minutes later. Most remarkably, this girl just smiled and shrugged when the doors closed in her face! Just to be nice, she missed her stop and added another wait to her, no doubt, busy morning. I love people.

A similarly bizarre kind thing happened to me the other day, when I was approached by someone who recognized me from my drivers license photo and handed back my wallet! The money was gone, but the documents and identity cards were all intact! Its so amazing how the initial tragedy- losing the wallet, is completely out-shined by the random act of kindness that followed it.

My friend Kat said that I evidently have "good luck with bad luck", and I couldn't agree more! She also made me this amazing pumpkin soup that somehow, magically, lasted me a week when I was dying without my money access cards. There are more recipes for pumpkin soup out there than anything, but this one was basically pumpkin, potatoes, shallots, soy creamer, and veggie bouillon. It was, needless to say, simple and amazing!

When I finally got my money back, I got more good luck: I finally found some black beans! You wouldn't think this would be such a triumph, but I've really been dying for them and they are, evidently, very rare in these parts. I cooked them up with some hot sauce, onions and tomatoes, and served them in a tortilla with sauteed mushrooms and corn with some lime yogurt and avocados. I was literally in heaven. Certainly the first thing I will do upon return to the US is pig out on the freely-available Mexican food!

But still, even with all the good luck, the food expenses here are killing me. I've been eating a lot of witch-sauce, rice, couscous, lentils... I need to get back into strategizing a healthy diet with a shoe-string budget. No more avacados and eggplant for me, its back to basics! But then, restrictions can be good for your creativity as well... Wish me more good luck!

More black beans: chipotle black beans and red quinoa
More pumpkin:Kabocha, Eggplant, and Mushroom Stir-Fry
More Mushrooms: Creamy Mushroom and Leek Risotto


Song of the Day: The Clash- Career Opportunities

A perfect avocado, Euro-Poor Lentils

After a traumatizing arrival in Brussels (mr. cab driver, how was I supposed to know I live on a "Rue" and not a "Boulevard?") and finding my studiously nouveau-bohemian sub-let in Ixelles, I immediately did the following:

-got lost for an hour looking for a simple grocery store in the neighborhood;
-almost cried when I saw how expensive mere essentials like bread and chocolate soymilk were;
-almost cried again when I saw the first perfectly ripe avocado I'd seen in Europe (this time, tears of joy);
-proceeded back to apartment with ungodly expensive essentials, to find that it was no use washing off veggies with brown chalky water from sputtering sink;
-just collapsed in a useless heap on the floor, stuffed food into my face for about two hours, stopping only to pour cheap red wine straight from the bottle down throat;
-prayed would wake up hungover in Berlin.

Ahem. So this was day one.

Day two was a little better. I found a knife. I fixed the sink. I put some food on a plate. This was to get my nerve up for an endeavor involving public transportation and meeting fellow students from my program. Notice the lovely avocado.

Although I still got lost, still speak nothing of French except some extremely un-useful anarchist quotes, and still almost had a panic attack trying to avoid insane Brussels motorists, I made it home in one piece and felt a good deal more civilized.

Day 3 I even ventured to cook something. Finding that the only things that are even *close* to reasonably priced are lentils and red wine, I decided to combine those two things for this simple and satisfying recipe.

Euro-Poor Lentil Stew - for the girl with no measuring cups or money

Simmer a diced shallot or a couple cloves of garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add in a half coffee cup of lentils along with a handful of diced carrots, red pepper, and mushrooms, or whatever is handy and doesn't cost and arm and a leg. Cook about five minutes, than add in a diced plum tomato and a palm-full of herbs de provence. Cook till tomato juices are simmering, than add in enough red wine to almost cover the lot of it. Cover and simmer until lentils are soft (10-15 minutes). Serve with crusty bread (and more wine.)


What will Day 4 bring? Lord knows... but hopefully more avocados...

Song of the Day: Pavement- Shady Lane

High Standards

Why is it that when I'm stressed, my reaction is to attempt an entire lifestyle makeover, rather than address the one source of anxiety with calm and focus? Maybe its the same impulse that causes you to clean your room when you have 24 hours until a big paper is due. Or start revising your resume and surfing Monster rather than work on the simple task your boss asked of you.

Well, for whatever reason I got on a real self-improvement kick this weekend, deciding that before the end of the semester, with its attendant heart-attack inducing bar exam stress, I need to accomplish the following adjustments:
- spend (waaay) less money
- lose weight and get exercise regimen back on track
- complete all of my outlines two weeks before finals so that exams will be a breeze
- simultaneously complete all bar exam legwork and applications
- learn german and french (for international law career, of course)
- dress professionally and wear make-up, rather than rolling around like old man in woolen blazer and checkered slip-on vans
- just generally be a successful, self-motivated, healthy individual, rather than sad-sack bed-confined walking-hangover with literally thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt.

Hmm. Well, I've accomplished one goal: spend less money! I've been exploring the concept of leftovers, as well as avoiding my weaknesses- the various delicious restaurants a stone's throw from my house. I even invented a few things, since I've also developed this bizarre laziness that won't let me open a recipe book.

Above we have the luscious Apple-Leek Salad I concocted with the leeks leftover from passover. So simple: Toss spinach and apples in (vegan) green goddess dressing, and top with leeks that have been sauteed in a little EB or olive oil. Ground pepper's nice on top too. I could eat this everyday for lunch...

Next, I used up the rest of the spinach along with a trusty can of chickpeas in a super-quick Curry, with coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, and fresh ginger and garlic. This one needs some work so I'll post the recipe when its sufficiently improved. But it satisfied my need for mango and coconut (who needs chutney when you have fresh mango?!) so it certainly worked for me.

Still obsessing about mango, and finding myself with half an avocado on hand, I concocted this feast, which, while freakishly bright in the photo, was just about the BEST THING I'VE EVER EATEN. It was so good that I had a fit of existential angst while eating it, knowing that no matter what, I could never duplicate such simple deliciousness for anyone else. *Sob*
At any rate, here's what it was: a can of black beans, sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and cumin, over saffron rice. On the side, fresh mango and (here's one killer) fresh corn off the cob tossed in lime, salt and pepper. And now here's the other killer: Coconut lime cream Guacamole. You will want to try this one. I combined half an avocado and juice from half a lime, along with 2 tablespoons of coconut yogurt (the kind that's entirely coconut milk.) Oh my godfathers was this good. I definitely didn't regret the decision to avoid El Rinconcito for once.

Of course, all of my penny-pinching was thrown in my face as a hideous cosmic joke when I received a $100 parking ticket from the District of Columbia for not removing my borrowed car from the street by 4:01pm. F*ck it. I'm going back to shoveling take-out food into my mouth while lying in bed watching Arrested Development until the sun comes out and stays out, for good.

Song of the Day: Liz Phair- Polyester Bride

New Years Resolutions

Me and S. in Budapest, NYE with an awesome old Trabbi in the Jewish Quarter

I find that most people fall into one of two camps on the topic of New Years Resolutions. You are either of the sort that makes a list, fully (and foolishly) intends to follow through, tells everybody, lalala... or the type that loudly proclaims that if you want to accomplish something, you simply do it, without waiting for some bullshit holiday to push you along.

Well, I'm sorry all-year-long achievers, but that is simply obnoxious. Play along with the rest of us, won't you? I mean, you really just like to pick some random day in April to, say, start going to the gym or quit smoking or leave your dead-end job/ town/ relationship... and then you, like, just DO IT?

Well, not being a Nike ad myself, I need that little push. In fact, I would like if there was a New Years Eve at the beginning of every month, as I seem to pick up new (and unique!) bad habits on a weekly basis. At any rate, I like the fact that the whole country is pulling along with me to stop the annoying and self-destructive things we did last year, and pick up all new cancer causing habits/ relationships. Let's do it, America!

And further, like the Washington Post, I like to do an In/ Out list, rather than a plain old list. For comparison sake.

So, food-related resolutions for 2009!!!!

In: Saving money by sticking to a weekly food budget and making lists before I get to the grocery store.
Out: Just wandering aimlessly around the grocery store like "Lalala, I think I'll have chocolate soymilk, potato chips, and ginger snaps for dinner tonight..."

IN: Cooking one recipe a week from my massive cookbook collection.
OUT: Merely reading my cookbooks, like novels, from cover to cover.

IN: Making my own fabulous lunch, composed of nifty ideas from Vegan Lunch Box!
OUT: Stealing free soup-crackers from cafeteria, if I remember to, then almost passing out from starvation on route home.

IN: Cleaning my house with safe, non-toxic, DIY housekeeping methods (baking soda and vinegar and the like.)
OUT: Er... just, not cleaning at all.....

IN: Making cheap and fabulous dinners in two batches so I can successfully utilize that whole "leftovers" phenomenon. (Like, for example, the simple corn tortilla stacks from the other night, with spiced black beans, chipotle salsa, cheddar Teese, sour cream and avocados.)
OUT: Making expensive single-person dinners that take a ton of effort and do not produce leftovers.


(Yum! These beauties lasted me two days instead of one! Economizing!)

Hm, so I guess the bottom line is that I'm going to try to save money without sacrificing my fabulous vegan lifestyle. Sounds achievable... right?

Happy (belated) New Years!

Song of the Day: The New Year- Death Cab for Cutie

Cupcakes and Heartbreak Salad

When your relationship ends, the whole world comes to a stop. Minutes seem like days and its hard to believe that you will ever want to listen to music, read a book, or eat anything that doesn't come out of a box again. However, if you can drag yourself out of bed and away from the Jameson's, its possible that some sifting, chopping, and mixing could cheer you a little.

Well, it did for me. Just a little.

The cupcakes I made for a friend's birthday party which she conveniently held at my bar. They're both from VCTOTW. On the left we have the gingerbread cupcakes topped with lemon cream-cheese icing, and on the right the strawberry tallcakes (a variation on my favorite chocolate cherry cream cupcakes. While the tallcakes were good and very pretty, the gingerbread cupcakes were INSANE. Kind of spicy and slightly salty, topped with the most fabulous icing I have ever had, vegan or not. My roomate was furious with me when I polished off the last of those two babies.

Seriously, try them. Its always nice to be the one bringing cupcakes to the party. :)

After the rush of the weekend, I was still (understandably, I think) pretty miserable. On a whim I stopped into Wholefoods, vaguely planning to get something from the to-go section. But walking through the produce aisle, inspiration struck. Some bright and ripened mangos caught my eye, reminding me of all the mango trees in Cuba and what a wonderful thing it is to reach up and grab a juicy piece of fruit when its hot outside. Some avacado and fresh corn got tossed in, reminding me of a delicious guacamole they have at a restaurant in Atlanta that I commonly frequented when I was single. Some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes so red they made me smile. And finally, some wasabi dressing- to wake me up and work magic with the avacado.



So I chopped up all the veggie, sliced off the corn kernals, cubed the mango and avacado, and tossed it all the with dressing. (Actually, I made enough for two servings and squeezed some lemon on one so it would keep for the next day.) Maybe its not the prettiest picture, but believe me. This salad is magic. The entire time I ate it, the sun was shining in the window and all my favorite food memories were popping in my head. I couldn't think about the break-up for even one bite. Now that's a good salad. I highly recommend it next time you find yourself eyeing the boxed mashed potatoes and cookie crisp.

Bagels from Heaven

Like I was rhapsodizing about last week, there's nothing better for a weekend breakfast than one sweet and one savory bagel. And since everything must be topped with avacados for me lately, the everything bagel was really super-fabulous. Why oh why is soy cream cheese so awesome?!

Meanwhile, I'm having a bit of a dillemma today about what to make at my parents's house for Easter dinner. I've been focusing much more on Passover (the planning of which has been helped tremendously since I purchased Isa's Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook) so I'm kind of at a loss, and I need to shop today! Here's what I have so far:

-raw crudites stuffed w/ herbed soy-cream cheese dip
-brussels sprouts w/ pistachios and lemon
-Coconut Macadamia Carrot Cake (from aforementioned VWaW)

But what for the main course? I want something spring-y but rich. Like asparagus risotto, or maybe pasta primavera. My folks kind of just want grilled portobellas and mashed potatos since they loved them so much on Valentines day, but I want to mix things up. I'll let you know what I came up with!

Veggie Tacos and Mango-Avacado Salsa

Before I had a blog, nay, before I was even fully aware of the wonder of food-blogging from any angle, I used to simply email myself recipes when I came across them and title them things like "idea for passover" or "yummmm". Little did I know that I would soon base almost my entire diet off of recipes gleaned from the vegan and veg-friendly blogosphere...

This recipe from the Fresh Approach cooking blog, which I labeled simply "delish sweet potato thingie" has become a standby now for nights when I have a few veggies on hand and a sweet potato. The idea is simple- but oh my, is it heavenly. (That Rachael is a goddess!) I altered it a bit this time, what with my black beans and salsa, but I believe thats sort of the idea. Now, for the salsa:

Mango Avacado Salsa
-1 ripe mango, diced (if you don't know how to do this properly, here's a fun little walk-thru)
-1 avacado, peeled, cored and diced
-1 red onion, diced
-1-2 cloves garlic finely diced
-Juice from one lime
-Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients, tossing in the lime juice, and s&p, and cover with plastic wrap. For best results, refrigerate for about a hour until you are ready to eat.

This salsa is good enough to eat straight from the bowl, but I usually top it on tacos or burritos that are a little spicy. (The avacado cools things down a bit.) I like it with spicy flaxseed chips too.