Mama said there'd be days like these...

Sometimes, I question my sanity. Especially on days where I work 10 hours with no break, come home, and keep working.

When you come home, and you're working three screens...

That's when you know you need an intervention.

Mine was simple. Fresh sourdough bread from Panera.

And thank goodness I made tons of soup this summer and stashed it in the freezer. All I had to do was reheat, and I had homemade farmer's market butternut squash soup.

Recharged! Now, back to those screens!

Easy lemon-hummus salad dressing

I'm going to let you in on one of my secrets. The easiest way for me to make sure that I'm eating right throughout a busy week is to take an hour on Sunday to clean, chop, and cook different ingredients for salads. I then throw them into containers, and assemble my salads the night before work. It's a great way to ensure that you're eating your veggies and reduces brown bag lunches to an assembly line.

I like to make my own dressings at the same time, too. I tend to like things spicier/lemonier/pepperier than jarred dressings, so it's just easier that way.

This is one of my favorites.

A heaping tablespoon of hummus.

Another of nonfat Greek yogurt...

Juice of half a lemon.

Smoked sweet paprika from my favorite spice shop...

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Mix!

Remember, this is YOUR dressing. Make it any way you want. Add more lemon. Less paprika. Pump up the hummus. No matter what, sneaking in the Greek yogurt will pump up the protein a bit!

Happy salad-eating!

Sweet potato, mushroom, and black bean pot pies

Yesterday, my good friend Beth and I (somewhat on a whim) drove to La Crosse, Wisconsin, to run the YMCA's Resolution 5k. Granted, there was no snow on the ground, but it was still pretty chilly!

(Thanks to Beth for the photo!)

Despite the cold and the wind, however, we both ran personal records! (In fact, I ran so close to my goal time for a 5k for 2012 that I may have to reset that goal!).

Oh, and we got to meet super-ripped SubMan. For the win.

Again, thanks, Beth!

So, when I got home, all I wanted was something warm, hearty, and indulgent to celebrate.

Enter the vegetarian pot pie.

Sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes...

Soy sauce, black beans, celebratory glass of moscato (with ice in it-- don't judge).

Sage, thyme, salt, and flour (to thicken the filling).

Super-simple: cook down the veggies (minus the sun dried tomatoes)...

Add beans, some broth, and let simmer. Divide among pot pie containers.

And now... Gouda!

Seriously-- get the good stuff. It's worth it.

Gouda... Marshall Erickson would be proud.

Make the biscuits (I took a shortcut and used a baking mix, since I was starving!), put them on top of the filling, and bake until golden brown.

This should be illegal. Seriously.

Note that these also freeze well, so you can make a whole batch, freeze a few, and have dinner in minutes on another night!

Sweet potato, mushroom, and black bean pot pie

Inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit

Filling

• 1 can black beans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Topping

1 cup multigrain baking mix (I like the one from Trader Joe's)

1/3 cup skim milk

3 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gouda cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add fresh mushrooms, onions, and carrots. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the rest of the oil, sage, and thyme. Sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. 

Reduce heat and mix flour into vegetables; cook 1 minute. 

Add vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, and soy sauce. Cover; simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, 13 to 15 minutes. 

Add black beans and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Divide filling among six ovenproof bowls.

Prepare the biscuits according to the directions on the box, adding in the gouda to the dough. Divide dough into biscuits and place on top of filling in bowls. Bake at 400F until golden brown. Serve warm!

Vegan Ragout with Chickpeas

Fennel is one of the few foods that I don't care for.

It confuses me.

It smells like licorice. It cuts like an onion-celery hybrid. You have to core it like a pineapple. I just can't place it. And the flavor... enigma.

So imagine my shock when I found myself picking up fennel at the store to make this ragout. Apparently, when you combine it with the right ingredients, it works! I've just been cooking it wrong.

This ragout is simple, hearty, and comes together in a heartbeat. It'll fill you up... and you won't even miss the meat.

It starts off like many soups. Chop the garlic, onion, and fennel. Cook until tender in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Add white wine, and cook it all down.

Add the rest of your veggies, broth, and let 'er go!

While you let it simmer, take excessive numbers of photos of your puppy/kitty/child/fish to pass the time.

Serve with red pepper flakes and toast points.... but don't burn them like I did!

Vegan ragout with chickpeas


Adapted from Shape magazine


1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
1 large red onion
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1/2 cup white wine
1 15-oz can of chickpeas
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp each dried oregano, thyme, sage

Roast the butternut squash for 20 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a 400F oven.

Heat oil in the bottom of a stockpot. Add onions, fennel, salt, and pepper; cook until tender. Add the garlic, red pepper, fennel seeds, and cook for an additional minute. Pour in wine and cook until pan is nearly dry.

Add beans and veggie broth; simmer for 15 minutes. Add the squash and sun dried tomatoes, and cook for an additional 10 minutes, adding additional water or broth if needed. Stir in the rest of the herbs and serve immediately.

With not-burnt toast-points.

How to end a bad date...

...Or not.

from "Date Night" via Google Images

[Outside of restaurant after dinner]

Guy: I had a great time tonight.

Me: Oh... That's nice.

[Guy leans in for... something.]


Me: Oh, okay. Awkward hug time. Got it.

[Guy stops, stares]


Guy: Well, have a good night.*

[I run away to my car]


Yup... I actually ended a bad date with "Awkward hug time." For the win.


*Note that said guy then repeatedly texted me as though it had gone well. 

Raspberry Pecan Oatmeal

There is no snow on the ground.

Correction: There is a light dusting of snow on the ground. But not enough to make it feel like winter... until you walk outside and feel the chills in the air.

Still, let's cozy up and pretend like we're snowed in. Let's start 2012 with a hearty, healthy, warm breakfast.

Five ingredients. Super-simple. Super-satisfying. Quick oats, chopped pecans, maple syrup, saigon cinnamon... and raspberries!

These were raspberries I picked at Firefly Berries during the fall fruiting. Dean and Tonya Sanner, the owners of the farm, are absolutely darling. Eating these brings me back to picking raspberries and grapes on a warm September morning, and stopping by the berry shack to buy some of their adorable little boys' lemonade. It's summer/autumn... in food form.

Puppy wanted to get in on the action... Probably because the oatmeal got the house smelling soooo good!

5 minutes. 5 ingredients. 5 ways to eat like a champion.

Let's start off 2012 right!

Raspberry Pecan Oatmeal

Serves 1

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp chopped pecans

Combine oats, milk, water, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until thickened (should only take a few minutes). Once almost at desired consistency, stir in raspberries and pecans. Serve warm, topped with more raspberries!

Happy 2012!

Boom.

A terrifying way to kick off the New Year!