A Day of Amazing Eats!

Hi There!

I hope you are all well on this chilly Thursday morning! I admittedly haven't been outside yet, but judging by the bitter cold week we have been having, I think it's safe to say that things have not changed much! Nothing out of the ordinary happened yesterday aside from having some pretty awesome home- cooked meals! Oh, and on a side note, I also realized that being engaged is going to cost me a lot of money as I feel the need to have my nails perfectly painted at all times :). I would try and cut down on the manicures and paint my own nails, but every time I try it looks like a five year old got a hold of my hands. I guess we can't be good at everything, right?  C'est la vie, manicures it is!

Ok, back to the food. On Tuesday evening, PJ found a pamphlet that came with a running jacket he received for Christmas. He was flipping through and realized that there were some interesting and healthy recipes geared towards runners. Now, PJ is not typically a fan of Quinoa despite my desperate attempt to sneak it into many of our meals, but his eyes were drawn to a hot Quinoa breakfast cereal detailed in the book. He read the recipe, and I decided right there that I would whip a batch up in the am. Well, the verdict is in, and we both loved it! With the mornings having been so chilly, it was the perfect warm and filling breakfast to kick off the day!



PJ's Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

(adapted from Marni McDowell)

Ingredients

1 cup cooked Quinoa

3/4 cup almond milk

Splash of vanilla extract

1 tbp shredded coconut

1 tbsp dried cherries

1 tbsp organic maple syrup drizzled before serving (optional!)

Directions: Combine cooked quinoa, almond milk, vanilla, coconut, and cherries in a saucepan. Simmer until warm and thickened. Serve!



Lunch was also delish yesterday, but it wasn't very pretty so I refrained from taking a pic. I made a sandwich using rotisserie chicken, avocado, salt, pepper, and a little plop of chobani on a whole wheat pita. It was awesome, I tell ya!



I also made a green (or red!) juice to enjoy as an early evening snack. I used kale, spinach, 2 celery stalks, a beet, parsley, ginger, and half a lemon. I don't usually measure ingredients when I juice. I instead just stuff handfuls of veggies into the juicer until I like the color or flavor :).



Dinner was the star of the show. I made a Carrot Chickpea Soup with a Lemon Tahini Dollop. My mom had sent me this Smitten Kitchen recipe a few weeks back, and yesterday's chilly temps made it a perfect night for a warm and comforting soup. The tahini dollop and roasted chickpeas really make this soup unique! I didn't have tahini, so I just used a plop of  pine nut hummus that I mixed with a little extra lemon juice, and it worked perfectly.  I would highly recommend making this delish dish!

Carrot Soup with Lemon, Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

(adapted from smitten kitchen)

My soup vice is because I’ve already confessed to finding it a little dull, that I overcompensate with add-ins. Here, there’s a dollop (lemon-tahini), a crouton (cumin-crisped chickpeas, which might sound familiar as they’re also here), wedges of toasted pitas (brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with za’atar) and a garnish (parsley). If you’re not me, this might seem like overkill, in which case you should definitely just use the ones you find the most interesting.

Serves 4, generously or 6, petitely

Soup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas
1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Pita wedges, garnish
A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil, to brush pitas
Za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice-herb blend) or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.

Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.

Spread pita wedges on a second baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with za’atar or a combination of sea salt and sesame seeds and toast in oven with chickpeas until brown at edges, about 5 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita wedges. Forget January, you’d eat this anytime. Right?

OK, time to get on with it! The quote above is going to be my little mantra for the day; maybe it can be yours too :) !

xo

Sarah