Extra curricular activities can really thwart family dinners. On those days we have late practices and games, I try to come up with dinners that take minutes and require little clean up. This is one of our favorites.

I put a large pot of water to poach eggs. (I use this technique.) While the water comes up to temperature, I wash, destem, and chop the kale. Then I place it in a sauté pan drizzled with oil and let it cook over medium-low heat. While the kale sautés, I poach the eggs. The brown rice is the Brown Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s, and I just toss that in the microwave. One day I will buy a rice cooker and make large batches of rice to eat during the week. Until then, this works.

Everything cooks at once, taking 16 minutes or so for a total of four plates. I stagger the eggs, but if you are brave enough to poach multiple eggs at once, you reduce your active time considerably. We place generous slices of avocado on top if they are available, too, because once must always guild the lily when opportunity strikes. The boys like to eat this plain, but I shake some hot sauce on top.

Vegans, you can skip the eggs and saute a can of beans (I like garbanzo) in the same pan you used for the kale.

I would like to experiment with seasoning in my cooking. For years I clung to basil. More recently, oregano. I’m on a fast track to parsley at this rate. There was once an episode of Chopped where one of the contestants used herbs and spices the way most people use salt. His meals came out layered like onions. Every bite was a new, but complementary, experience. He won. No surprise there.

I joked on Facebook that if this week got any worse I would have to make up events for Friday’s Happy, Happy post. I’ll say one thing about Tuesday, it’s the day I discovered tarragon tastes fantastic on shiitake mushrooms sautéed in butter and a few tablespoons of zinfandel.

The above is an Instagram photo of the lunch where I found tarragon. You can find this and many more exciting images by following me at @pancakesfries. I hear droid users can now use it now, too. Try it out! I really have fun over there. The kind of fun where you take pictures of your lunch or shoes or pets, so, keep your expectations in check.

Mikey had a swim party at the YMCA over the weekend. As we were walking out, I noticed a missed call from my neighbor across the street. She’s retired and in her 60s, and while we are friendly and talk whenever we cross paths, we aren’t in the habit of calling each other Sunday evenings.

I envisioned all sorts of tragedy, but decided to focus on fires, burglaries, and something with the dogs. I shored up my spine, ready to accept whatever she had to tell me and listened to her preliminary greetings with baited breath until she got down to it.

“Jules, would you like some red leaf lettuce and spinach? My crop just came in and I thought I’d share the bounty with you.”

I said yes, of course, but forgot to ask her is she was also growing chamomile in that garden of hers. I could use some.

There was a large bag of greens on our doorstep when we got home. I had a bowl for lunch the next day, and I will have another today. This, along with all the gardening magazines on the newsstands, reminded me that one of my life list goals was to start a garden. I don’t even know where to begin.

I saw my neighbor the next day and went over to thank her for the greens and ask for gardening help. She claims to be an amateur, but agreed to help me get started. I’m really excited. I can’t wait to be outside, under the sun, doing whatever it is people who garden do.

The greens I ate for lunch inspired me to cook dinner, something I feel like I haven’t done in far too long. With the boys sick so often, and then me sick last week, lately all we eat are cobbled together meals without flavor or nutrition. I made white bean chicken chili and scratch cornbread. It tasted great and everyone had seconds, except me. I saved myself for dessert, which came in the form of esophageal flambé. Delicious!

I haven’t been abstaining from flour and sugar for months, and I have the heartburn to prove it. I fell off the wagon December 26th and haven’t been able to get my groove back due to resistance and petulance. I see so many wonderful recipes, eating philosophies, and life experiences surrounded and celebrated by food that I find it difficult to commit to one way of eating for the long haul. Every good diet faction is headed by an even better spokesperson. They are convincing, every last one of them.

To eat differently is to single yourself out from the crowd. I know many people who thrive on the attention and live to tell the world they are raw vegan fruitarians allergic to coconuts, but that’s not me. I’m the introvert in the corner who can’t eat a spoonful of oatmeal without my chest turning into a smithy, but will lick the bowl clean if you tell me you made a double batch of Quaker Oats just for me. Hurting your feelings bothers me more than heartburn? I am weird.

One day everything will fall into place for me. I know it, and I’m not worried about it. Until then, I’ll keep eating my neighbor’s organic lettuce.

p.s. As a reader already observed, the second to last paragraph of this post has a lot in common with this post. It’s all interconnected, and I actually wrote a great deal more last night but edited it out. It sounded gloomy and morose, the opposite of what I wanted.

I didn’t have it in me to cook dinner on Saturday, so I made una picada instead. Every time we eat like this for dinner we  mumble in between bites of cheese and prosciutto and crackers that we should do this more often. I don’t know why we don’t.

A picada (pee-káh-dah) is something to nibble on before dinner or a main meal. More often than not, the picada becomes the meal and the meal becomes what distends your stomach and gives you indigestion. For my mom, the picada is as important as the meal. She passed that neurosis on to me, so it’s not unusual for me to have 5 or 6 plates of finger foods–not including nuts or cheese–set out before a celebratory dinner.

A typical picada for us will have salami, ham, prosciutto, a plate of cheeses, my mom’s blue cheese spread, hearts of palm with dressing, chips, empanadas, sandwiches de miga, and one or two bowls of nuts because even gluttons need omega-3s, antioxidants, protein, and fiber.

As you can see, Saturday night wasn’t so extravagant. I didn’t even bother to remove the meats, cheeses, and dips from their store packaging and onto my extensive picada serving plates, something I will hear about on my mother’s deathbed if fate is cruel and she sees this picture.  I admit, this is hardly fair representation for Argentina’s version of tapas. I’ll have to redeem myself by hosting, and then posting, a true picada. This was a pale, pathetic excuse for a picada. It was more of a pic…, or as my mother would say, “A tiny little drop in my ocean.”

Abstaining from flour and sugar doesn’t mean I abstain from desserts. It means I am opening myself up to new flavors and, overtime, tasting food clearly. Never was this more apparent than when I first went sugar and flour free two years ago. Tomatoes were impossibly sweet. Roasted bell peppers tasted like candy. I’m hoping to cleanse my palate to that extent again. It takes time. About a month or two, if I remember.

This is my favorite dessert, my only dessert right now. It’s a Greek yogurt cup of clementines, dates, flax seed, unsweetened coconut, and oil. The boys and I can eat this up morning, noon, and night. The Mister isn’t as big a fan. He can’t get past the texture of yogurt. It disgusts him.

As with most of my recipes, this isn’t much of a recipe. I layered this dessert for the photos, but you know when I make it for myself I dump everything into a bowl and mix it up with a spoon, right? And that all mixed up, it looks like something curdled? I just wanted to make sure.

This yogurt cup, as unattractive it may be in its natural state, fills you up. And while I was joking about layering it to look pretty, I’ve done it twice since then. I forgot flax seeds can be thickeners and binders. I made this yogurt cup in the afternoon and put it in the refrigerator for after dinner. By the time I got to it, the yogurt was impossibly thick. It was almost like ice cream, which is a-okay in my book. So, two things to consider: it can be a meal and tastes even better when you make it ahead of time.

Clementine and Date Yogurt Cups

This recipe is flour free and sugar free, though you can certainly add agave or honey if you are accustomed to sweeter desserts. Try it once plain. Although yogurt can be sour for some, dates are impossibly sweet. If you get a bite of date in every spoonful, you shouldn’t need a sweetener. If 2-4 dates aren’t enough, try more.

1 cup non fat Greek yogurt
1 cup peeled and sectioned clementines, about three
2-4 Medjool dates, chopped
1 tablespoon flax seed, ground or whole
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon Udo’s Oil 3.6.9 Blend (optional, but if you don’t use the oil consider regular fat yogurt)

Dump everything in a bowl. Eat.

Or, if you’re feeling fancy, divide your ingredients by halves or thirds and layer it in pretty glass dishes. Store in refrigerator or eat.

I’m over the withdrawal symptoms. Hurray! Just like last time, the worst of it passed on day four. On Sunday night I passed on my own birthday cake with nary a wince. Last night didn’t go as well. The boys were eating Christmas candy from friends at school, and I wanted some even though I don’t like candy. There they were, making all sorts of noise working chocolate covered caramels and lollipops while I tried to focus on my book. After a few minutes I decided they didn’t need me to sit at the table and watch them eat. I didn’t need to sit at the table and watch them eat. I turned to the Mister and the boys and told them I was going to my reading chair. And that was that.

I know why I wanted candy. I wasn’t satisfied with my dinner. It was a haphazard affair constructed from leftovers and quickly sauteed vegetables that left me wanting more.

After a few minutes of reading/stewing in bitterness and resentment, I went to Trader Joe’s to buy ingredients for my favorite sugar free-flour free dessert. It’s nothing fancy, just a yogurt cup, but I love it more than a pile of candy. When the boys have dessert or candy from now on, I’ll be ready…and not so stabby. I’ll be sure to post the non-recipe.

I’m still feeling my way around what to eat, even though I have six months of eating this way two years ago under my belt. I’ve forgotten everything I used to eat! If I’m home, I stick to hearty salads made of kale for lunch. I love kale, cooked or raw. Some people find it too bitter, but it doesn’t bother me in the least. The best part about kale is that its composition is similar to steel or Plastic #7. It’s indestructible. I grab a big bunch of kale, enough for two salads, and dump it in a bowl after a quick rinse. Then I drizzle olive oil or my dressing of choice and a good pinch of salt over the top. Instead of tossing it, I use my hands and massage it as I go. Here’s a video of what I mean. Aarti is using my favorite Lacinato/Black kale.

The kale can stay in the refrigerator overnight fully dressed, unlike salad greens. Cook once, eat twice. I add the salad fixings as needed. The salad in the lead picture has mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions, raw pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing.

It was delicious, not that I was surprised. Every time I resume my healthy eating habits I remember how much I love to eat this way. I feel better. I look better. I’m more satisfied. It’s a win-win. What a shame that my broken brain always tries to pull me away from something that is so good for me.

It wasn’t until after I baked Digory’s plum cake that I remembered Jane Brocket’s Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer, a treasury of the desserts, confections, and treats found within the pages of classic children’s literature. I gasped when she first revealed her project on her blog. What an amazing endeavor to take on! One part intellectual, one part just plain fun. My favorite kind of project.

I never did buy the book. It’s impossible to find in the U.S. at a reasonable price, and most of the recipes reference classic literature best known to British children. After making the plum cake, I searched online to see if the book was available now, years later. Not for less than $100, it isn’t! Instead, I found an Americanized version called Turkish Delights and Treasure Hunts, a book in a similar vein that draws from classics I remember. Included, of course, is The Chronicles of Narnia. I haven’t seen the book, but I suspect a recipe for plum cake isn’t included. The reference to plum cake was a metaphor, and I believe Brocket only wrote recipes for foods that played a part in their originating stories. She had to draw a line somewhere. Like, maybe, I don’t know…Turkish Delight?

[update: Emily is psychic.]

I learned last week one should never post a picture of a carbohydrate without an accompanying recipe. Today my Food + Foto comes with a recipe. (One step forward!) The recipe is for pancakes from scratch. (Two steps back!)

Yes, many people are committed to their store bought pancake mixes, and I’ve heard on more than one occasion about mixes that come with wholesome, organic ingredients. But, I stand firm that those ingredients are the very same ingredients already residing in your cupboards. The only difference is that you are paying someone to mix them all together into more convenient packaging.

The recipe is an adaptation from one found in The Joy of Vegan Baking, my hands down favorite baking cookbook. I’ve baked from this cookbook too many times to mention and the basic, foolproof recipes of treasured classics never fail to deliver. I decided at the very last minute Sunday morning that I should make pancakes. I was halfway through the batch before I remembered that I was out of maple syrup. Then I noticed a little footnote directing readers to make the brown sugar syrup if they suddenly found themselves without maple syrup. Oh, The Joy of Vegan Baking, how I love you.

I’ll be spending the rest of the week cooking up a storm for my family. There will be no shortage of material for Food + Foto next week, that’s for sure. See you next Monday, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving in the meantime.

Homemade Pancakes with Peach Compote and Brown Sugar Syrup

Basic Pancakes
makes 16-20 pancakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups nondairy milk (I use almond)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (any other oil or butter would work fine)
6 tablespoons liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup, apple juice concentrate, orange juice, agave,

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, oil, and sweetener.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Do not over mix.

Heat a nonstick griddle or sauté pan over a medium high flame. You will not need to add oil to the griddle/pan (I used half the oil listed and had zero problems) but you can if you like your pancakes to have a crispy edge.

Pour batter onto the griddle by the ladle, which should give you pancakes of about 4-6 inches in diameter. Cook until you seem bubbles form and then flip. Cook on the other side for another 2 minutes, bringing the total cooking time to roughly 4 minutes.

Brown Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup nondairy milk (I used almond)
3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter

Combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer vigorously until thickened to a syrupy consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Peach Compote

1 10 ounce bag frozen organic peaches

Here’s the thing with the peaches. I forgot to double the recipe for the Brown Sugar Syrup and was afraid the pancakes would be too dry or tasteless. (I should not have worried.) So, at the last minute I found this bag in the freezer and defrosted it, in a bowl,  in the microwave. So, it’s not a real or traditional compote of stewed fruit. Sue me.

All Together Now

pancakes + syrup + peaches.

{chocolate cake, The Joy of Vegan Baking}

I tried to hide the Halloween candy from The Mister. Truly, I did. Actually, I was hiding it from The Mister’s notorious, insatiable, unrelenting sweet tooth and a certain 2.5 year old scamp with a nut allergy. I picked out a few favorites for Mikey and put it in my little salt and do-dads cabinet to the right of the stove. I was doing a fine job doling them out piece by piece in Mikey’s lunch box, until this Tuesday I opened my cabinet and found it devoid of candy. Not a Snickers in sight. Clearly, The Mister found my stash.

The apple cake I made on Monday? Gone by Tuesday night. Two boys, a husband, and roughly 86 sweet teeth champing at the bit* to eat dessert will do that to Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.

Today I made the Chocolate Cake from The Joy of Vegan Baking. We’ll see how long it lasts.

*yep, it’s champing. Geeky word trivia from your friendly neighborhood word nerd.

**I normally don’t reprint recipes from cookbooks without the express permission from the author, but since Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has this recipe available on her site, I’m going to go ahead and reprint it here.

Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake might be the easiest cake in the world to prepare, and it’s incredibly versatile, lending itself to a layer cake, bundt cake, or cupcakes. Though this is a pretty common recipe, I want to give credit to Jennifer Raymond, for it was in her cookbook The Peaceful Palate that I first saw it.

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 cups (188 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup (80 ml) canola oil
* 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
* 1 cup (235 ml) cold water

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C or gas mark 4). Lightly oil a Bundt pan, 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, or muffin tins.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients, and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Mix until just combined. Pour into your prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If making cupcakes, check for doneness after 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool completely before frosting with Chocolate Frosting (see below) or with Buttercream Frosting (page 231). You may also dust with sifted confectioner’s sugar and top with fresh raspberries.

Yield: One 9-inch cake (23-cm) or 8 cupcakes. Double the recipe for a layer cake or a bundt cake.

Serving Suggestions and Variations: Add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a teaspoon of chili powder for a ‘Mexican Chocolate Cake.’

Chocolate Frosting

A chocolate lover’s dream! Though many of the commercial brands of frosting are ‘vegan,’ they’re also made with unsavory ingredients, such as partially hydrogenated oil or high-fructose corn syrup. This recipe is as easy as it is delicious.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup (112 g) non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened
* 3 cups (300 g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
* 1/3 (42 g) cup cocoa, sifted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
* 3-4 tablespoons (45 to 60) water or nondairy milk

With an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar, and cream for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn the mixer to high speed once all the ingredients are relatively well-combined. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add l or 2 tablespoons more milk if it’s too dry. Cover the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

Yield: Enough for one 9-inch (23-cm) cake or 8 cupcakes

Yesterday Mikey announced he had created a recipe in his head that he would like to make for dinner and “I want you to take pictures of it and put it on your website, okay, mom?  Then I want you to tell me what the people say.”

So that’s exactly what we did.  This isn’t the first recipe Mikey’s come up with and not the first time he has expressed an interest in cooking.  Last week he developed a tomato and carrot salad that he instructed me to roast for exactly one minute.  I have to say, it tasted great! (But I did roast it for longer than one minute.)

Last night we ate pasta tossed with olive oil, sauteed mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, spinach, and carrots.  We added many seasonings and decided as a team to leave out the dried mustard and garlic chili powder.  It needed a little more flavor, so we ended up drizzling it all with balsamic vinegar.

It wasn’t until he was looking at the pictures I took (he printed one out for show and tell today) that it occurred to him you would be reviewing his work in the kitchen.  I could tell that he suddenly wasn’t so sure of his idea to share with everyone his creation.

“Are the people going to give me a grade, mama?”

“I’m sure they will just tell you that your recipe looks delicious.”

And it was.  I had the leftovers for lunch.