What to Do with a Young Thai Coconut?

I was recently given a young Thai coconut by my dear friend. She knew that I had been looking for this particular type of coconut and found one for me at a local asian market. I debated what I wanted to use it for…noodles in a raw pad thai? Additions to an overnight chia oatmeal? Maybe a variation on my Mango Monster Smoothie?

I finally consulted my "Gastro-Bliss"pin board and remembered this recipe I had been wanting to try. It called for regular coconut milk and also includes chickpeas and spinach. I decided to give it a try, making a number of changes based on my taste and substituted coconut milk made from my young Thai coconut and lentils and kale in place of the chickpeas and spinach. I added a bit of Indian flare with the addition of coriander and cumin.

This recipe brings together three of my favorite ingredients: sweet potatoes, lentils and KALE. (I'm still obsessed). I absolutely love the way the sun-dried tomatoes meld into this dish and mellowed as they cooked (you could easily substitute fresh tomatoes in their place). You can also easily modify this recipe for two. I usually bake 2 sweet potatoes and use half the lentil and kale mixture for dinner and have the leftovers for later to serve over cooked quinoa or couscous. 

To make this dish vegan is super easy, too! Just replace the ghee with olive or coconut oil and the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut-Braised Lentils and Kale

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp ghee, plus 1/2 tsp

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 large bunch of kale (about 4 mounded cups or half of a large bag)

Milk from 1 young Thai coconut- see directions below (or substitute 1/2 cup canned coconut milk)

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

1 tsp ground ginger

Hot pepper sauce

Salt 

Pepper

Water

Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke sweet potatoes with a knife and place on a foil-lined pan in preheated oven. (You can also place them directly on the rack with a piece of foil under them- to save the bottom of your oven). Roast for 1 hour, or longer…they only get better the longer you roast them.

While potatoes roast, prepare the lentils. Add 1/2 tsp of ghee to a small saucepan and toast the ground coriander and cumin over medium heat until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Pour in chicken broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender and absorbed most of the broth, stirring occasionally. 

In a large skillet, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they just start to brown. Add garlic, fresh ginger, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and add the cooked lentils to the pan. Stir to incorporate. 

Rinse kale and trim the large, central vein out of each leaf and rough chop. Add by the handful to the pan with lentils and stir to combine until wilted. Pour in coconut milk and lemon juice. Add the ground ginger and as much hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper that suites your taste. Reduce heat to meium-low and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender. Add water as needed if the mixture dries out. (I used about 1/4 cup).

Place one sweet potato on each plate and cut in half. Fill with lentil and kale mixture. Top with chopped cilantro and devour!

Young Thai Coconut Milk

(I followed the opening method shown in this informative tutorial video.)

First, getting into the coconut! Resist the urge to take the plastic wrap off of your coconut. Because these coconuts have had their outer green husks removed, they are treated with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and chlorine to prevent them from molding and turning brown. Don't panic though! None of these chemicals actually get into the coconut itself, so just use caution when handling the outside portion of them. 

Placing the coconut on it's side, use a sharp knife to cut off the top, pointy portion of the coconut. Let your knife follow the curve of the nut inside as you shave off large chunks of the white exterior. Once you reach the furry, light brown portion of the coconut, use the heel of your knife (the L-shaped point on your knife at the end of the blade closest to the handle) to strike the coconut at the base of the crown you have revealed. Watch your fingers! You should only have to strike the coconut once or twice in one place. Keep the heel of the knife embedded in the coconut and turn it gently. As you wiggle and twist the blade, a perfectly round piece should pop off the top of the coconut!

Pour the water into a bowl and scrape the meat from the inside. Place the meat in a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup of the coconut water. (mine was FULL of water when I opened it, so this was about half of the water.) Every coconut is going to have a different ratio of meat to water, so making this milk is not an exact science if you are using only one coconut. If you don't have 1/2 cup of water in your coconut, you can add as much plain water to it to make 1/2 cup. Blend until smooth and enjoy in smoothies, recipes, coffee, or in its pure, unadulterated glory!

A Summer Story (really A Kale Love Story)

This story begins on a mild Georgia night. Not just any night. Sunday Supper night.

One of the traditions I've loved being a part of since meeting my husband, Alex, is the Sunday Supper. This tradition began with Alex's grandmother. She would have her children and grandchildren gather for dinner at her house each Sunday evening. What better way is there to keep connected with family than to gather around a table and share a home-cooked meal? I looked forward to each culinary and connecting experience on Sundays back when we were first dating and since her passing, this sweet tradition begun by Alex's grandmother is carried on by his mom and aunts. Most Sundays, dinner is planned and aunts, uncles, and cousins gather to share a meal and their lives with one another.

I love this family's passion for food. My mother in law, Laura, is the queen of gluten free and unprocessed eating and I have learned so much from her. I love the way she's challenged me to really think about what I'm eating and what food's effects are. His aunt, Anne, is also a nutrition and healthy living expert. She is a trained Health Coach and a wealth of information on holistic health and living (check out her website here!) This is where kale comes into the picture.

On the fateful Georgia summer Sunday Supper night, Anne was preparing the salad. Not just any salad, a kale salad. And not just any kale salad, THIS kale salad. Sure, I'd had kale salad before. Most of what I remember about it was getting a killer jaw workout and trying to mentally process the somewhat bitter, overtly leafy flavor as I chewed, and chewed…and chewed.

So THIS salad was prepared before my eyes and I was intrigued by it's ingredients. Avocado, ginger, lime juice, sunflower seeds. I watched as she tossed the ingredients together in the biggest salad bowl I'd ever seen. The results were amazing. The citrus worked it's magic and seemed to wilt the leaves slightly, leaving a more chewable, though still sturdy, green. The avocado added a creaminess that the cheese-lover in me relished. Sunflower seeds added a light crunch and ginger brought the perfect summer brightness to it.

I went back for seconds, then thirds, then fourths. I made it two days later, and then the following week. I was hooked.

So without further ado:

Anne's Summer Kale Salad
Ingredients
2 large bunches of kale (about 8 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1 avocado
1 purple onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Cut central stalk out of the kale and chop into bite size pieces.
In a medium size bowl, mash avocado and mix in the ginger and the lemon and lime juice.
In a large bowl mix kale with avocado mixture and add sunflower seeds and onion.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine and enjoy!

Summer's Peach Cherry Berry Pie

I am absolutely in love with the fruit of this summer and decided to combine some that I had around the kitchen, because, why not? Peaches, cherries and blueberries get together in this delicious pie and are topped off with a crispy, buttery crumble.  

Not having a cherry picker, I consulted this gallery and chose the chopstick method.

 All the cut fruits chill out with some sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and a dash of salt.

Use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the topping.

Squeezing gently makes the topping beautiful and crumbly.

I cheated and put a store bought crust in my pretty white pie dish.

Crumble-crowned pie. A parchment-lined pan will save the bottom of your oven.

75 minutes later- the hardest part is waiting an hour to cut into it!

Peach Cherry Berry Pie

INGREDIENTS
For the Filling:
3 ripe peaches
1 1/2 cups red cherries
1 cup blueberries
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c light brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
big pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon

For the Crumb Topping:
1 c flour
1 c light brown sugar
1/4 c cold butter

1 store bought pie crust


METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel peaches and cut in eighths- into wedges. Pit and halve cherries. Combine in a large bowl with blueberries, sugars, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Allow to macerate while preparing the crumb topping.

Combine flour and sugar in a bowl and using pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the cold butter until the butter is incorporated. The consistency should be that of wet sand.

Pour fruit filling and all the juices into the prepared pie crust. Using your hands to squeeze the topping into large clumps, drop crumble on top of the filling.

Place pie on parchment or foil lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes- until crumble is browned and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool for at least an hour before cutting, serving and devouring.

Custom Pie Shop Chalk Menu

What a joy to get to work with a local businesswoman in coming up with a beautiful menu design for her pie shop! Crave Pie is an a-mazing eatery in my stomping grounds (historic downtown Duluth, Ga) where the owner, Briana, comes up with amazing specialty pies daily.

Many thanks to Brianna for allowing me to help put on display all of her delicious offerings!

Incorporating the company's logo as well as arranging menu information in an easy to read format were all design considerations for this project. Pulling inspiration from a lovely typewriter-looking typeface that Brianna had chosen for her pie labels, I laid out and hand-lettered Crave Pie's menu and am thrilled with the results!

The original menu board, completed and hung.

Some updates, including social media info and the moving of the beverage menu onto an additional smaller board- showcasing Crave Pie's new espresso and coffee offerings!

Be Here Now

I have the pleasure of being a part of a community of young adults here in Johns Creek and had so much fun joining with some amazingly gifted people in planning a retreat in beautiful Destin, Florida.

The theme was "Be Here Now"- simply put, the concept was to realize and discuss the challenge of being fully present in life where you are RIGHT NOW. So with this in mind, the design question presented itself of how to be harmonious with the concept- fitting the decor into where we were actually having the retreat while also alluding to some challenges of the call to "be here now."

My role was to come up with a design for our look/feel and ambiance for the session space. Below are some photos of the finished product.

Raw Mango Monster Smoothie

The raw adventure continues this morning with my satisfying Mango Monster Smoothie. Why is it a "monster smoothie" you ask? It's green, that's why...and green makes me think of monsters.

And beside my weird color associations, this smoothie is a beast because of all the nutritional goodness packed into it. Flax is one of the key ingredients, providing me with my full daily value of Omega-3s, as well as being a great source of fiber AND as I learned in this extensive article, they have this fancy feature called "Mucilage", which actually help prevent your stomach from sending things on to your small intestine too quickly, thus improving the absorption of all the other goodies this smoothie contains...more info than you were looking for? Perhaps. But my food nerd IQ just went up two points in the research of flax seed alone, so wasn't it worth it? I think so.

Back to the smoothie! Other players in this monstrous concoction are raw pumpkin seeds, kale, mango and bananas. Here's the recipe- enjoy!

Raw Mango Monster Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 tbs flax seeds
2 tbs pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
1 ripe mango, cubed
1 frozen banana*, quartered
2-3 kale leaves
1/3 cup water
3 ice cubes

Preparation:
First, blend flax seeds on puree (it's is the second highest setting on my blender) and once ground, add pepitas and grind those up as well.

Stop blender, add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth and uniform in color (no distinct kale pieces). Add more water or ice as needed to reach the consistency you'd like. I like adding ice to my smoothies so that they're nice and cold.

This smoothie is so yummy and you can feel great drinking it because of how good it is for you!

*Do you suffer from the guilt of watching your bunch of bananas turn freckly and brown before you get a chance to eat them (or whip up a batch of banana pancakes/bread/muffins/etc)? Well, here's the solution! Peel and freeze the bananas whole. I just have a dedicated gallon freezer bag that I toss mine into. They make awesome smoothie and shake additions and are good in the freezer for 2-3 months! 

Deceptively Easy Popovers

One of our family's Christmas traditions is eating a left-over lunch from our big Christmas Eve dinner with my mom's family (after spending all morning in our pj's playing with our new "toys"). The menu includes things like shrimp cocktail, spinach dip, and stuffed mushrooms, but new this year were these beauts: amazingly easy popovers, made in muffin tins (not requiring fancy popover pans,) full of tender, eggy, steaming goodness.

Side note: Did I mention that I gave up veganism over the holidays? I decided that a Christmas with my family as a vegan, would be quite depressing (for me and them) and that I would ease up to more vegetarian standards of eating.

The preparation of these puffed wonders couldn't be any easier, with only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time. Just be sure not to open the oven door or go stomping through the kitchen while they are baking, unless you want pancakes instead of popovers.

Here's the recipe (courtesy of Real Simple Magazine):

Secretly Easy Popovers

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-[urposr flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 400° F. Brush the cups of a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, butter, and salt until only a few lumps remain (do not over-mix).

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until puffed and a deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not open oven door before 30 minutes or the popovers will collapse. Remove 1 popover to check that the underside is browned.) Serve immediately.

I served these babies hot out of the oven with lemon curd and apricot-raspberry preserves. Every one was waiting intently at the table at the ready to dive in, each little puffed wonder billowing out steam as it was pulled apart and slathered with fruity goodness. They were a hit. I want to try a savory version in the future, incorporating fresh herbs (perhaps a lemon-thyme and black pepper popover?)

A New Year and Christmas Past

Hello 2012.

Much of what's happened in the last year has been joyful, exciting, and new, while other parts seemed uncertain, painful and sometimes monotonous. I am so excited for a new year- for new beginnings, new commitments and a fresh start.

I've heard before that man is a creature of cycles. We take comfort in the certainty and recurrence of things (weeks, seasons, years, etc). There's something about coming full circle to a time of reflection on the year past and the one to come. There's closure and there's expectancy and even though it's just another year, I am happy to have the reminder and reason to think about the future (and move forward from the past).

One of the last happenings of the year was Christmas celebrations with my family. Somewhere along the way I adopted a hand-made theme for my gift giving. For weeks leading up to Christmas, my room was strictly off limits to any outsider as it was transformed into what I liked to call Santa's Workshop. Card table was set up, sewing machine threaded, ironing board tripped over multiple times, and wrappings strewn haphazardly- it was a pretty awesome (though festive) disaster.

The result? A collection of work that was well received and so joyfully given. I loved the time contemplating and figuring out what I would make for each recipient.

I gathered the supplies for the gift for my brother and sister-in law a couple of weeks before Christmas. The crucial element was picked up from an abandoned, dilapidated barn down the street. I found the idea from this wonderfully creative blog and loved the concept of using the ampersand to convey the unity and love of marriage.

Finished product:

I want to adapt this idea in the future and try out different techniques, letters, shapes and materials. Mine is quite a bit smaller than my inspiration- about 17"x8". I used kite string found at my neighborhood hardware store and silver nails.

"Christmas is not a time or a season but a sate of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." Calvin Coolidge.

Garden Fresh

Add another reason to the list of why I love what I do: Fresh produce.

On tonight's menu was Stuffed 8 Ball Squash (adapted from a recipe on the FatFreeVegan.com blog)

My wonderful sister, Susan, decided to join in my vegan-ness (at least for one meal) and she said she really liked it! The filling was simple and scrumptious: brown rice, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, almonds, and basil.

Susan wasn't just a guinea pig here, she presented something new for me to try as well. I've seen so many recipes for kale (especially since embarking on my vegan journey), but had yet to try it. She made a simple kale salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. It was very green and fresh tasting. I'm looking forward to trying it some other ways as well, like this Cosmic Cashew Kale and Chickpeas!

Blackberry Bliss

Ok, so I'm realizing that a lot of my recent posts have been food related, but things have been kinda crazy between work, freelance projects and theology homework, so pretty much the only medium I have time to be creative with right now (outside of work) is food- I mean, I have to eat, right?

That said, I had a rush of excitement the other day when driving home from work. As I rounded a bend in my neighborhood, I saw three girls off to the side with baskets, picking things off of bushes. I immediately began scanning the growth on either side of the road and to my surprise I saw patch after patch of wild blackberries! I got home, grabbed a bag and walked right back outside. It ends up we have numerous bushes right in front of the house and I got to picking! I only gathered a handful then, but I went back out yesterday to further investigate (just about roasted in the heat) and found that there are far more berries than I could even pick! I navigated the thorny limbs and came back in with a couple of cups of berries. I decided that I was in the mood for preserves, so I got to it.

Wild Blackberry Preserves

Mash 2 cups of berries with a potato masher and place in small pot with 2/3 cups sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until thickened and jelly-like. (I used my splatter screen over the pot to keep things from getting stickier than they already were). Pour into a glass jar and keep refrigerated. These will last for a few days in the fridge, or preserves can be frozen in jars for delayed gratification.

Going Veg

Here begins a story that really began 4 weeks ago when my BFF decided to go vegan. She dove in head-first and hollered back the proverbial "come on in, the water's fine!" and here I am, three weeks into a six week journey as a vegan.

I must say that these last weeks have been a culinary joy and I haven't particularly missed eating animal products. It's been an adjustment, of course (reading every nutrition label and asking what's in stuff at restaurants), but really I feel that this experiment has made me a much more conscious eater. During this time I've also felt very inspired to try new things and be more creative in my cooking.

Some of the dishes that I've really enjoyed are listed and pictured below. Even if I go back to meat, cheese, and egg eating after these weeks are up, I know that I've found (and have yet to find) many new ingredients and recipes to add to my repertoire!

Pan seared polenta cakes on a bed of garlicky spinach and cherry tomatoes was a real summer treat.

Slow-roasting eggplant delivers silky smooth results. Placing the vegetables cut-side down over a sprig of fresh thyme adds brightness.

This Asian-inspired udon noodle bowl with snow peas, tofu and shiitake mushrooms was so delicious and satisfying!! A creamy, ginger and coconut milk base is spiced up with some chili sauce.

One of my favorites is taco night! Guacamole salad and black beans leave no room for meat and sour cream on these bad boys.

P(r)esto!

This story begins with the convenient appropriation of a rather large bunch of fresh basil (one of the major perks of working at a plant nursery).

What better to do with a bunch of basil than whip up some classy pesto? I actually bought an ice cube tray last week specifically in the hopes that I would have a batch of pesto to freeze in 'em! (I'm a nerd, yes I am). I washed the basil as soon as I got home and put the bunch in a glass with water to keep it fresh while I ran to the grocery store for the fixin's for my newest creation.

Springtime Sausage Pasta

______________

(Yield: 1 Serving)

Ingredients

One sweet italian sausage

1/2 cup sliced bell pepper (I used half red and half yellow)

2 oz fettucini pasta (I used enriched vegetable pasta)

1 1/2 tablespoons Classy Pesto (recipe below)

1 1/2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon flour

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon pine nuts

Instructions

Bring pasta water to boil and cook pasta according to box directions.

In a medium saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Remove sausage from casing and brown- breaking up into bite-sized pieces- about 4 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan and cook with sausage until tender and slightly translucent- about 3 minutes.

Once sausage and peppers are cooked, remove from pan and hold in a bowl to the side. Returning pan to medium heat, add flour and stir constantly until all the juices in the pan are absorbed and the four is a medium brown color (we're creating a rue here, in case you're wondering). Add milk to the pan, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps form forming. Bring to a simmer and cook until bubbling and thickened.

Add pesto and parmesan cheese to the milk/flour mixture and stir to combine. Return sausage and peppers to the pan and toss with cooked pasta.

Garnish with pine nuts.

Classy Pesto

______________

(Yield: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

One huge bunch fresh basil (about 3 cups of leaves)

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Place basil, garlic, pine nuts and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times. Turn food processor on and pour in olive oil through the pour spout of processor in a slow stream. Voila- I mean- Presto!!

As mentioned above, I spooned my pesto into an ice cube tray to freeze. Once the pesto is frozen, I'll put all of the cubes in a ziplock bag and back into the freezer- at the ready for endless culinary possibilities!

I'd like to mention as a footnote that you should be very mindful, once you have removed your basil bunch from it's fresh-keeping glass of water, to not mistake said glass of water as one intended for human consumption. Not that I know from experience...

Further Pinhole Experimentation

Well, good or bad, here are the results of my D-SLR pinhole experimentation (so far). Though the photos do not have the same razor-like focus that a normal pinhole would produce, I like the dreamy quality of it. The results include interesting flares, shadows, vignetting and distortions.