It's Christmas Time! Bring Forth the Mexican Wedding Cookies

These little cookies are delicious and loved by nearly everyone! They are rich, delicate, and totally addictive.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine:

2 sticks softened butter

2 T. sugar

1 T. vanilla

Whip with electric mixer. Add in:

2 cups flour (with mixer)

2 cups chopped pecans (use wooden spoon to mix in)

Then, roll small balls and put close together on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let cool on newspaper. Then, toss in powered sugar. Let cool more, then roll again (2x in the powdered sugar).

ENJOY!!

Roasted Veggies...Jazz Them Up!

I just made my millionth tray of roasted veggies, and I was BORED. So, I mixed a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with some Dijon mustard, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, ET VOILA! A lovely new take on a fall favorite: Roasted Veggies. Enjoy!

Amazing Veggie Chili

This is my all-time favorite veggie chili recipe, and in the photograph it is served with avocado and sirracha sauce (my fav!!). It tastes so good, it seems like it would be unhealthy and yet...it's all veggies essentially! Perfect for cold weather, this recipe makes a huge batch, so plan on freezing or giving half the pot to a friend!

Please note the Jopen Koyt beer as well (in a Chimay glass). This is our all-time favorite beer. Impossible to find, unbelievable to drink.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, sliced into thin coins

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 each small zucchini and small yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 1/4 ounces) corn, with liquid (I use fresh corn if possible!)

6 ounces tomato paste

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, with liquid

6 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons sugar (I use 1 tablespoon agave nectar)

1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup prepared TVP

Tofu sour cream (for garnish), optional

Grated Cheddar cheese (for garnish), optional

preparation

1. Place the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions,

carrots, and bell pepper and cook about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and

squash; continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 8

minutes more.

2. Add remaining ingredients, except the garnishes; combine well. Bring to a

boil, reduce heat; simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve in

bowls with a dollop of sour cream and grated Cheddar, if desired.

I hate NYC! (but...)

I hate NYC, it's true. After 12 years in this City, I am D-O-N-E. However, just because I'm done doesn't mean we're done -- my husband has more work to do before he can move, we have to sell our apartment, get new jobs somewhere else, and....there is a lot to do.

I've been reflecting on my move to NYC in 1998: it seemed so much simpler coming to NYC than leaving it -- we grabbed a UHAUL, loaded up my thrift store furniture, two good friends -- choosing our music in the uhaul and who was buying the cigarettes was the biggest points of contention back then. It was hard but it was easy. Leaving, however, feels seriously hard, and utterly adult. We've woven a very intricate web of friends, work, contacts, home, volunteer groups, committees -- it seems near impossible to just leave...

Last night, I was chatting with dear ole Johnny Brilliant, who is named "Brilliant" because of his sparkle, but also, he's quite brilliant. Johnny Brilliant assured me that hating NYC was absolutely key to understanding and appreciating this City fully -- you must love it, OR you must hate it. People that have hoe hum feelings about NYC don't get it at all. The key is to recognize with the hate, there is the flip: there is the love that has made me stay here for so much longer than I intended...

With the recognition that I hate NYC (and it's only serving to make me miserable) I've woken up with a resolution to remind myself about the reasons that, for so long, I loved this City: the small neighborhood shops, my bike, my hip hop dance class, my CSA, cooking, visiting friends, the events, the culture, the diversity -- while I've cursed some things of late (like the eternal rain that keeps me from biking, my number one love and transportation through the City...), I need to suck it up and simply be grateful for what I do have in this insane City: a home, a husband, clients, and amazing friends. I'm here for a bit longer, and I have the choice to love NYC or to hate NYC. Both of those feelings are alive and well right now, but for the sake of getting through this time, I need a little more I LOVE NYC in my life. Starting NOW.

Cooking for Mom

This week my mom had surgery in Asheville, and I came home to take care of her following the procedure. This, of course, involves cooking. Mom wanted comfort food -- mashed potatoes and butternut squash soup. Daddy wanted kale black bean soup, and is in love with pad thai. So, I made all four dishes, for freezing and enjoying now....

Everything was delicious, especially this delicate yet satisfying butternut squash recipe, which I just found on-line....Don't forget the cilantro, which takes the soup to the next level!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into about ½ inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 TBS chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
2 3/4 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth (vegan)
6 oz canned coconut milk
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
salt & white pepper to taste
Directions:

Peel squash and cut into pieces.

Heat 1 TBS broth in medium soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and continue to sauté for another minute. Add turmeric, curry powder, and mix well. Add squash and broth, and mix. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

Place in blender and blend with coconut milk. Make sure you blend in batches filling blender only half full. Start on low speed, so hot soup does not erupt and burn you. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Thin with a little broth if needed. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Reheat, and add cilantro.

The Maine Diner

We had a beautiful (and tasty!) weekend in Wells, Maine. While I forgot to take photos of my favorite meal (a cup of clam chowder, steamers and mussels, and a steamed lobster for$30 at Fisherman's Catch), another great meal was a seafood breakfast at the famous MAINE DINNER.

I had a Maine Crab Benedict, and hubby has a Lobster Roll with coffee (one of my FAVORITE breakfasts). Overall, delicious, and strolling on the seaside way later was beautiful and simply perfect. Maine is not to be missed in the fall!

The Secret of Salad

Salads are so good when made properly. This does NOT mean iceberg lettuce with fat-free dressing drizzled over it -- yuck!

A good salad takes work, but can be a complete, satisfying meal. Here are some of my secrets to making salad delicious and filling.

1. ALWAYS TOSS THE SALAD IN DRESSING -- If you go to a restaurant, you will have your salad coated evenly in dressing, making each bite delicious. Dieters often try to lower dressing, but you'll end up hungry and unsatisfied. Use a delicous full fat dressing. Just use a little bit (the serving size) and toss the salad until every leaf is coated.
2. ARUGULA -- This little tasty green adds a real punch to salad, and is my all-time favorite base for salad.
3. ROASTED VEGGIES -- Take all your leftover veggies and roast them, let them cool and toss them in. The more stuff, the better. Make your salad lively and interesting!
4. PROTEIN -- Always add a protein to a salad. Whether nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), seeds (soy beans, sunflower seeds, flax) or meat (I often use shrimp), a salad will never satisfy as a full meal without protein.

My salad today is so incredibly delicious. I took all my aging CSA veggies (corn, red peppers, onions, yellow string beans), cut, washed, and roasted them. The last five minutes, I threw some chopped garlic on them to roast. Then, I combined green lettuce and organic arugula. Finally, I added steamed shrimp, and toasted in a Caesar Dressing. No, it wasn't fat-free, but it shouldn't be! It's my lunch, and it not only will tide me over until dinner, but it tastes AMAZING....

Bon Appetit!