the piece in which my bento are displayed appears to be about bento-makers in other countries besides japan; shirley wong of little miss onigiri (singapore) is featured, and so is cocyte from mon bento vegetarien (france).

the magazine is available for purchase from bento & co., and if you are in the states, you can probably find it at kinokuniya or one of the book-shops at mitsuwa.

as always, i’m delighted to have my work recognized!

earlier this year for a date night, the hubby and i walked over the williamsburg bridge (which is pretty close to our apartment) and headed into the lower east side for dinner at the meatball shop.  the concept of this restaurant is that you order whatever kind of meatballs you want (beef, pork, chicken, veggie, and a variety of often-kooky daily specials, like a reuben-sandwich-flavored ball), and then get to choose from a variety of “bases” (mashed potatoes, greens, etc.) and sauces (tomato, pesto, etc.) to build your own dish.  i had the “vegetable meatballs,” and at the time, i was doing the #plantPOWER challenge — so after a long discussion with my server, we agreed that my dish would be prepped without the standard shower of parmesan cheese that normally tops the balls, in order to keep it plant-based.  i should have realized, but did not at the time, that the mixture for the balls also had an animal-based ingredient: eggs.  oopsie.  my #plantPOWER intentions were good and i thought i was covered!  but then i found a new york times article publishing the recipe, and i realized i had gone astray.

last night, in the face of the unbelievably cold weather we’ve been having in NYC, i was in the mood for some plant-based comfort food, and i decided to modify the meatball shop recipe so that it would be completely plant-based.  click through for the modified recipe!

the meatball shop’s lentil-walnut meatballs, veganized – adapted from chef daniel holzman’s recipe, as published in the new york times – makes 12 golf-ball-sized pieces (serving size is 3-4 balls, depending on the meal!)

• 1/4 cup sprouted green lentils (i like truroots brand), plus 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus cooking spray
• about half of a medium sized onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 2 medium-sized celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. dried thyme, 2 tsp. garlic powder (plus any other spices you choose — oregano or marjoram would be lovely!)
• 8 oz. baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste (i like amore brand in the metal tube)
• 1/3 cup panko (i like edward & sons organic)
• 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. ener-g egg replacer, plus 4 tbsp. water (alternatively, you could make a flax or chia seed egg, using a 1:3/seed:H20 ratio)
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 cup tomato sauce (i love cucina antica’s tomato-basil cooking sauce — it’s has a great basic flavor that works well layered in other dishes)

1. in a small pot, bring the lentils and water to a boil, and then reduce to simmer.  cook with lid on for about 40 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed. it’s ok for the lentils here to get mushy, and we want to bulk them up as much as possible. when they are starting to fall apart (but not complete mush), turn the flame off, drain and cool.
2. in a sautee pan, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and salt, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent. add the tomato paste and mix until evenly distributed throughout the cooked vegetables; add the garlic and mushrooms, and continue cooking until the mushrooms have reduced in volume by about half, and the liquid they give off has been cooked away.  cool this mixture as well — it doesn’t have to be cold, but you need to be able to touch it with your hands to form the balls (omg i can’t believe how much this post talks about touching balls).
3. in a ramekin or small mixing bowl, add the 4 tablespoons of hot water to the 1 tablespoon of egg replacer and whisk with a fork until the powder is all combined.  let this mixture rest for a moment; it will form a gel-like substance.
4. in a large mixing bowl, add the drained lentils, the cooked vegetable/tomato paste mixture, the dried herbs/spices, the fresh parsley, the chopped walnuts, and the egg replacer gel.  mix once roughly, then add the remaining dry ingredients (panko and nutritional yeast) mix again.
5. using slightly wet hands (it helps to keep a small bowl of water to the side for this purpose), form the mixture into compact, golf-ball-sized balls. press them as firmly as you can, but the mixture has some give to it because of the squishy nature of the ingredients.  you should get 12 balls from this mixture.
6. lightly spray a 8×8″ or 9×9″ pyrex baking dish with cooking spray, and line the balls up in rows.  top each with about a tablespoon of the tomato sauce, and then pour the remaining sauce between the rows.
7. bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until the tops of the balls have browned slightly.

these balls (hehe) came out delicious… next time i will compress them a little bit more firmly before baking (they are a bit fragile, tending to break apart if you don’t transfer them delicately from the serving dish to the plate, but then again, i think that’s better than a tough ball that requires a knife to get it into bite-sized pieces), but the flavor was amazing: hearty, earthy, nuanced, and most of all, comforting. just what the doctor ordered for a freezing january night.

my pyrex baking dish has a plastic lid, so i am able to store this whole 3-to-4-serving batch in the fridge without even transferring to another container.  i may or may not have eaten one straight from the fridge this morning, but let’s just say i suspect they are just as good cold as they are hot.  i plan on crumbling over salad with still-warm roasted eggplant and root veggies, and crumbling into a bowl of quinoa pasta as well.

and, recalling the origin of this blog (which i started to document my bring-to-work lunches, lovingly prepared at home), i note that these are perfectly-sized/portioned for lunch bento as well — if i manage to make it through the weekend without devouring the whole batch, i’ll pack a meatball bento for monday’s lunch at work!

wishing you all a wonderful weekend… hope you are recovering from the holiday madness, and back on track with your commitments to healthy choices (that is, if you got off track, as i did with all the cookies and treats!).  here’s a picture from the meatball shop date night — walking to a restaurant is one of the easy opportunities for low-impact exercise that the hub and i will be doing together more often in 2013.  little changes add up!

xoxo

nutritional information (per 4-ball serving):

• 280 calories
• 10.3 g. fat (1 g. sat, 3 g. poly, 4.4 g. mono)
• 658.1 mg. sodium — a little high, but you could reduce by omitting the sea salt from the sauteed vegetable mixture, or by using a lower-sodium prepared tomato sauce — i just happen to really like the taste of this brand, and i watch my sodium intake in general so it’s OK to get all sally mcsalty once in a while
• 518.4 mg. potassium
• 33.3 g. carbs (8.7 g. fiber, 7.2 g. sugar)
• 13.7 g. protein
• 56.7% daily value of vitamin A, 40.4% vitamin C, 10.3% calcium, 16.2% iron

last night i had my friend jeannie over for dinner; we planned in advance to cook healthy recipes from some of the blogs i’ve been obsessed with lately.

the butternut & white bean patties are adapted from healthy happy life‘s “toasty pumpkin chickpea fritters” recipe, and the baked apple is pretty faithful to for the love of kale‘s version.  both recipes turned out AMAZING, and it was such a fun night!  (disclosure: two bottles of red wine were also involved.)

click-through for my cooking notes and the nutritional information…

butternut-white bean patties – makes eight patties, each approx. 2 1/2″ diameter

adapted from kathy patalsky’s “toasty pumpkin chickpea fritters” recipe at healthy happy life

• 1 cup of butternut squash puree (the recipe calls for pumpkin but jeannie is not a #pumpkinaddict like me so we substituted)
• 1 can of great northern white beans (the recipe calls for chickpeas but i wanted to change it up, since i use chickpeas so often in other dishes)
• 3.5 tablespoons shelled hemp seed (we used nutiva brand)
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 3/4 tsp. herbamare (or just plain sea salt)
• 3.2 oz. sourdough bread
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (we used red star brand)

1. preheat your oven to 375.  cube the bread and spread in one even layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.  we are just lightly toasting it/drying it out (check after five minutes and then every minute or so to be sure it doesn’t burn!) so that we can turn it into breadcrumbs. the original recipe calls for coating with panko and frying, but i wanted to bake my patties, so i needed a slightly fresher crumb.  NOTE: i started with 4.15oz. of bread, but didn’t use the volume of breadcrumbs i made and subtracted the weight of what i didn’t use in order to figure out the nutritional stats.  you may want to toast and grind additional bread as well, just so that your breadcrumb bowl is plentiful when you are coating the patties.
2. when the bread is toasty, use a food processor or magic bullet to grind it to a fine crumb.  in a shallow dish, add the nutritional yeast to the breadcrumbs.  mix and set aside coating your patties.
3. in a mixing bowl, mash the drained beans until they are mostly blended, with a few whole (or half) beans remaining.  the recipe calls for a potato masher, but we used a fork since the mixing bowl was kind of small.
4. add the squash puree, hemp seeds and spices and mix thoroughly.
5. press the mixture into the bottom of the bowl so that you have one uniformly thick layer.  using a butter knife or the back of a soup spoon, divide the mixture into eight “pie wedges” — this is just so that you have an idea of how much of the mixture to make into each patty so that the patties are pretty much the same size as each other.
6. with damp hands, spoon one pie wedge’s worth of the mixture into your palm and then (using both hands) lightly roll it into a ball as best as you can.  drop the ball into the breadcrumb dish and roll it around so that it’s covered completely.  then press it down into a disc and re-coat with the crumb mixture.
7. set the patty onto a lightly greased baking sheet (we used spectrum’s coconut oil spray) and repeat the process until you’ve used up all the patty mixture and formed eight patties.
8. bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the crumbs have browned up a bit.  you may want to flip them over for the last five minutes, and lightly spray the tops to ensure a golden coating.

we served these patties on top of a lovely kale salad.  first we created a dressing of juice from one fresh lemon, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. dijon mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and used it to massage the raw kale (160 g. raw).  then we topped the salad with home-pickled beets (2/3 cup chopped), raw yellow pepper chunks (100 g. chopped) and radish slices (1/2 cup sliced), and chopped dried montmorency cherries (1/4 cup).  finally we added the patties and sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped scallion.

this hearty salad was perfect for a chilly early-winter night; the warm patty was delicious chopped up and mixed in with the cold vegetable ingredients, and the tart acidity of the dressing was the perfect foil to its rich flavor and creamy/crunchy textures.  yet another variation on this squash-bean-pattie-on-top-of-kale-salad theme (um, yes, that’s a theme!) was featured on the inspiring sprouted kitchen.

i’d love to hear what type of salad you use your patties to top, or if you serve on the side of a soup or even use in a sandwich (bet they’d be great on some rustic bread, slathered with eggplant spread or aioli!).

for dessert, we feasted on these beauties:

i apologize for the picture quality here; i really hadn’t intended to blog about this night — hence my lack of preparation to style the photos, and the weird lighting. these photos are of the actual dishes we ate, and literally snapped in a frenzy between removing from the oven and stuffing my face!  but, truly, these dishes were too delicious not to share, so i hope you’ll forgive my photographic flaws and focus on the flavors.

baked apples with cinnamon oat crumble & peanut sauce – serves 2 piggies or 4 daintier eaters

adapted (only slightly) from heather waxman’s “baked apples with peanutty walnut crumble” recipe at for the love of kale

• 2 medium granny smith apples (approx. 380 g.)
• 3 tbsp. oats or multi-grain cereal (we used country choice organic multigrain from TJ’s)
• 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp. agave, divided (1 2/3 tbsp. for oatmeal mixture, 1 tsp. for each apple half)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp. powdered peanut butter (we used just great stuff, but PB2 would work exactly the same)
• 1/4 cup. unsweetened almond milk
• 5 drops vanilla creme stevia (we used sweetleaf brand)
• 2 2/3 tbsp. shredded coconut (i prefer the reduced fat version from let’s do organic)

1. preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. cut the apples in half and using a paring knife, carefully cut out the center portion of the core, creating a rounded-out hollow (this is where you’ll be putting the oatmeal mixture).  cut away any stems as well.
3. in a small mixing bowl, add the oats, walnuts, and 1 2/3 tbsp. (aka 1 tbsp. and 2 tsp.) of agave, as well as most of the cinnamon; mix to combine.
4. fill each apple core with an equal amount of the oat mixture.
5. drizzle the surface of the apple flesh with agave (1 tsp. for each apple half), and sprinkle with a touch more cinnamon.
6. place the filled apple halves on a lightly sprayed cooking sheet (we used spectrum’s coconut oil spray) and bake for 20 minutes or until the apple flesh is fork-tender.  you may notice some splitting or “foaming” at the sides of the apple halves… this is OK (in fact, it’s delicious).
7. while the apples are baking, add the powdered peanut butter, almond milk, and stevia to a small mixing bowl, and whisk with a small fork until thoroughly combined (the texture should be creamy, not grainy).
8. when the apples are finished baking and have cooled for a few minutes, drizzle the peanut sauce over each apple half and sprinkle with the shredded coconut.

YUM!  and who am i kidding, i obviously ate both apple halves.  but if i was splitting an apple with someone, i might bulk up my half with a scoop of coconut ice cream and i know i would be totally satisfied.

incidentally, both recipes are plant-based… but jeannie is by no means vegan, and didn’t even notice that we were eating a plant-based meal… there is simply no lack of flavor or substance here!

nutritional information

butternut & white bean patties (serving size = 2 patties)

• 250 calories
• 4.4 g. fat (0.3 g. sat.)
• 539 mg. sodium
• 316 mg. potassium
• 37 g. carbs (7.5 g. fiber, 3.3 g. sugar)
• 14.7 g. protein
• 23% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 2.5% calcium, 16% iron

kale salad (serving size = 1/2 of total recipe)

• 160 calories
• 1.2 g. fat (0.4 g. sat.)
• 0.7 mg. cholesterol
• 354 mg. sodium
• 622 mg. potassium
• 34.6 g. carbs (4.7 g. fiber, 13.4 g. sugar)
• 5 g. protein
• 265% vitamin A, 342% vitamin C, 12% calcium, 13% iron

baked apples with cinnamon oat crumble & peanut sauce (serving size = 2 apple halves)

• 300 calories
• 8.0 g. fat (2.0 g. sat., 1.0 g. poly, 0.4 g. mono)
• 80 mg. sodium
• 146 mg. potassium
• 62 g. carbs (6.7 g. fiber, 44.6 g. sugar)
• 5 g. protein
• 1% vitamin A, 11% vitamin C, 6% calcium, 6% iron

i wanted to share a recipe that i’ve been perfecting over the last few weeks… what a rough life i lead, having to make multiple batches of brownies to taste test! in all seriousness, though, i’ve finally got this recipe down, consistently producing the texture and flavor that i personally think is the ultimate in deliciousness.

i was inspired by chocolove’s “chilies & cherries in dark chocolate” bar, but wanted to create a protein-packed brownie that would be lower in calories and higher in beneficial nutrients. i tweaked a few of the black bean brownie recipes floating around on the web, and added my favorite protein powder, and after adjusting the ratios a couple of times, i’ve got these fudgy babies…

click through for recipe!

chili-cherry protein brownies - makes 12 brownies

• 1 can organic black beans, drained (i use westbrae organic brand)
• 2 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil (i use spectrum brand); does not need to be melted to liquid state
• 25 g. (5 tbsp.) organic unsweetened cocoa powder (i use rapunzel brand)
• 2 tsp. organic vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp. ground chipotle powder
• 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute (i use splenda essentials granulated baking sugar with extra fiber)
• 60 grams vanilla protein powder (i use perfect fit, which is an organic, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free brown rice-based vegan protein powder)
• 1/3 cup dried tart montmorency cherries
• 3/4 cup (12 tbsp.) sunspire chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips if you aren’t trying to keep this recipe vegan)
• 4 oz. (e.g. one individual serving-sized plastic cup with foil lid) applesauce (i used santa cruz brand)
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

1. in a food processor, blend the beans, coconut oil, vanilla, and applesauce very well (e.g. until completely smooth).
2. add the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, protein powder, sugar substitute and chipotle) to the food processor and blend again until completely incorporated.
3. add the cherries and pulse a few times — you don’t want to blend them into a puree, but rather have them stay a bit chunky, adding some chewy texture to the brownies.
4. transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the chocolate chips, mixing gently.
5. grease/spray a 9 x 13 in. pyrex baking dish and add three strips of parchment paper (one the long way, two crossing over the first stip perpendicularly, e.g. the short way), grease/spray again (these will help you lift the brownies out of the pan to cut them without cracking them once they’re done baking).
6. carefully spread the batter over the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt.
7. bake at 340 degrees for 40 minutes or until the top looks dry and has some slight surface cracks — you will not be able to do a toothpick tester for this recipe because the center is still “gooey” even when they are totally cooked — also, because there are no eggs in this batter there is no safety issue with not cooking “completely.”
8. remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes; then, using the parchment strips, lift out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board (alternatively, flip the brownies out of the baking dish onto a cutting board so that the strips are on the top).
9. cool for at least 1 hour more in the refrigerator (or even overnight) before removing parchment strips and cutting. cut into 12 pieces and return to the baking dish for service, or store in a sealable container in the refrigerator.

these are wonderful with a glass of almond milk, and even better with a full-bodied red wine… the spicy/tart and deep chocolate flavors really hold their own against a big red. because they are flourless (making them a great option for our gluten-sensitive friends!), they don’t have the cake-y texture of a traditional brownie… they are really much denser and more fudge-like, and best served fresh from the refrigerator so that they stay firm.

i’ve tried to give you a good shot of the cross section so that you can see the texture… rich and studded with chips and chewy cherry bites. the sprinkling of sea salt on the top is the perfect counterbalance!

go ahead and indulge yourself healthily this holiday season. and while you’re at it, make an extra batch or two — these were a hit at the “friendsgiving” party i attended, and would make a lovely hostess gift. i brought one, prettily wrapped in a paper pastry bag with bakers’ string, to surprise a friend at a yoga date today…. who could say no to these fudge-y and fiber-ful wonders?

nutritional info, per brownie:

• calories: 130
  
• fat: 5.2 g. [3.5 g. saturated]
• sodium: 48 mg.
• potassium: 38.2 mg.
• carbs: 19.3 g. [7.8 g. fiber, 7.4 g. sugar]
  
• 6.3 g. protein
• 4% daily value vitamin A, 1.7% vitamin C, 1.2% calcium, 4% iron

tomorrow’s lunch is a holiday-themed, healthy twist on a few dishes i love: falafel balls and greek rice. for my falafel, i used a mix from earthly choice brand, and added some middle-eastern flavor (cumin spice and smoked paprika).  the balls are baked instead of fried.  for the “rice,” i used powercakes’ rice-free recipe, pulsing raw cauliflower in the food processor with other raw vegetables and kalamata olives for the briny zing. a cute carved jack-o-pepper with a spider pick gives some halloween flair to the lunch.  click through for details.

i recently discovered powercakes and i’m hooked — kasey’s blog is full of fitness tips, yummy and healthful recipes, and fun community-based challenges… and her positive attitude is irresistible.  when i saw this cauliflower “rice” recipe a few weeks back i knew i had to try it as a rice substitute in bento, for which i used to rely so heavily as a filler (both of physical space and of stomach space!).  i’ve adapted it only slightly.

greek cauliflower rice — makes four large side-dish servings

• one large head of raw cauliflower (mine weight about 22.5 oz.)
• one extra-large carrot, peeled (mine weighted about 5.2 oz.)
• 2 cups chopped kale greens (i like the glory foods bagged version)
• 18 kalamata olives (i used gaea brand)
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. himalayan sea salt
• 3/4 tsp. mrs. dash garlic & herb salt-free seasoning blend
• juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon

1. roughly chop your cauliflower and carrot.  add to the food processor and pulse until broken down to a rough, crumbly, rice-like consistency.
2. add the kale and olives and pulse a few more times until those ingredients are evenly distributed into the rest of the mix.
3. dump into a mixing bowl and add the oil, vinegar, and seasonings. toss until dressed.

for the falafel, i simply followed the package instructions (fork-whisking my extra spices into the dry blend) — this mix comes together quickly with water and creates very firm, compact balls.  in fact, although the flavor was quite good and the nutrition was on point, if i had to criticize this product it would be to say that the resulting falafel balls are too firm — you almost have to use a knife to cut them into pieces.  i would still buy this mix again (and maybe experiment with the length of time i let the “batter” sit before forming the balls and baking, or with using a different liquid than water) because of the ease of the procedure and the taste.  earthly choice makes several other flavors — this was the tomato basil, but i’d also like to try the roasted garlic, and there is of course an “original” as well.

the rest of this lunch is a few slices of oven-baked kabocha, about a tablespoon of chopped pickled japanese eggplant, and some steamed broccoli florets.  these are lovely, hearty fall flavors, and i’m looking forward to eating this at work tomorrow.

yesterday i ran a 5K in coney island in glorious weather —  blue skies and temperatures up into the mid-7os.  today, however, it feels like we’ve skipped a month ahead into mid-november.  it’s chilly, with a grey rainy sky that has me wanting to make soups and stews and cozy up with derrick and the dogs inside our apartment.  i hope you all had a wonderful fall weekend and are embracing the change of seasons with food, friends and family!

this past saturday i went apple picking with some friends at stuart’s fruit farm… i get apples as part of my CSA share every other saturday, so even though i eat an apple almost every day for my mid-morning snack, they are starting to stockpile up in my fridge. i still wanted to take part in the apple picking fun, so i resolved to find a recipe that would use up most of my haul and keep for a while. apple butter is perfect — it’s kind of like a super-reduced apple sauce, so you get highly concentrated apple flavor, but without the volume of the apples you start with. stored properly, it keeps for over a year. this batch made 12 1/2-cup jelly jars’ worth, so i will be giving some out to friends and family, and storing some in the pantry. it’s great on toasted raisin bread, and i plan on using it to top pancakes and waffles as well. i could also see it being delicious in greek yogurt, or being a great dip for a banana, or even being incorporated into other baked goods (swirled in a cheesecake, maybe?). my super-simple recipe is below!

easy, low-sugar crockpot apple butter (makes approx. 6 cups; a serving is 1/4-cup)

• 4 pounds of fresh apples (i used about 1.5 pounds each of honeycrisp and macoun, plus about a half-pound each of fuji and cortland)
• 170 grams (1/2 package) of wholesome sweeteners “organic zero” (or you could try xylitol, or nunaturals baking sugar substitute with fiber, or any other granulated sugar substitute of your choice)
• 1/2 cup organic sucanat
• 1/4 cup organic grade B maple syrup
• 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 of a fresh nutmeg nut, grated with a microplane
• 2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
• 20-30 drops liquid stevia (i used vanilla creme flavor)

1. peel and core all your apples. i like to peel a ring around the top and bottom first, as i find it’s then much easier to quickly zip from top to bottom across the entire apple. then i cut the apple in quarters, removing the core in four pieces by slicing diagonally across the inside of each quarter.
2. roughly chop the peeled/cored apples. these don’t have to be totally uniform.
3. in a large bowl, toss the apples with your sweeteners and spices. allow to sit in the fridge for about 30 min., so that the apples start to give off some liquid. toss again so that everything is evenly coated.
4. set up your crockpot. i actually used a 6-cup korean ricemaker with a “multi-cook” (e.g. slow cooker) mode, so i had to do my apples in two batches. if you are using a traditional crockpot, you will likely be able to fit the entire batch in one go.
5. add the apples and juices (if you are doing two batches, be sure to save some of the liquid with the apples that aren’t fitting in the first round!) to the crockpot. if you are using a traditional crockpot, low and slow is the way to go — set it at the lowest temperature and set it for at least 6 hours. the apples will soften and reduce considerably, and the color will deepen to a rich brown. after 6 hours, check the taste and consistency, and if you wish, set the batch to cook longer.
6. if you are using a ricemaker like me, you are going to want to do 90-minute rounds of cooking. so: you will set the ricemaker to pressure cook the first half batch of uncooked apples for 90 minutes. then you’ll remove that partially-cooked batch from the ricemaker, and add the other half of the uncooked, chopped apples, cooking those for 90 minutes on the pressure setting. once the second half-batch has completed its 90-minute cycle, you’ll be able to combine both batches in the ricemaker together, since both will have reduced considerably. stir thoroughly and set to cook for another one (or two) 90-minute pressure cycles.
7. once your cooked mixture has reached the desired color and flavor concentration, you may choose (as i did) to use an immersion blender to smooth it out to a “buttery” texture.
8. carefully ladle the hot apple butter into 1/2-cup jelly jars. follow the jar manufacturer’s canning instructions to preserve long-term for pantry storage, or simply place in the fridge if you intend to use in the next few weeks. the apple butter will “set up” slightly in the fridge, reaching a great spread-able consistency.

;

soooooooo good on toasted cinnamon-raisin bread, with a cup of yogi’s caramel apple spice snack tea….

or tied up with a pretty ribbon as a sweet fall gift!

nutritional information (per 1/4-cup serving):

• 60 calories
• 0.1 g. saturated fat
• 0.5 mg. sodium
• 6.0 mg. potassium
• 21.7 g. carbs (1.4 g. fiber, 10.2 g. sugar)
• 2.8% vitamin A, 2.7% vitamin C, 1.1% calcium, 1.4% iron

my dear twitter friend lisa recently educated me about the japanese holiday o-tsukimi… as a fanatic for all things autumnal, i was eager to try my hand at a bento celebrating this lovely tradition.  but being a bit out of practice with kyaraben, i turned to the best for guidance on how to interpret the themes of this celebration (the harvest moon, bunny, mochi, and fall foods such as squash/pumpkin) into a bento.  hippomum is a bento-maker whose work i have admired ever since i started making my own bento boxes, and looking back through her archives, i found several o-tsukimi-themed bentos.  specifically, these examples from 2009 and 2010 were just the inspiration i needed.  i followed her model of a cheerful rabbit with a mochi pyramid atop a ceremonial stand, and a partially-clouded-over moon against a night sky, switching out only the ingredients.

my box uses a thin layer of black rice for the night sky, golden beet and radish for the moon and clouds, sweet potato (an appropriately “fall” vegetable from my CSA share) for the stand, egg white and golden beet for the mochi, and escarole and broccoli for the garden.  the bunny is made of a halved hard-boiled egg, with nori eyes/mouth and vegetarian “ham” ears and cheeks.

this box is fully TIU approved for lunch — the only carbs are about 1/2 cup of rice here (and the black rice is more nutritious than white) plus a few slices of sweet potato.  the hard-boiled egg plus the marinated tempeh i’ve arranged in the bento’s lower tier provide a protein punch; and the steamed broccoli, fresh escarole, farmer’s market baby tomatoes and purple radish add vitamins and other veggie-power nutrients.  rounding out the box is a paper cup of pickled japanese eggplant, which provides nice color and a nice brine-y flavor.

nutritional info below; i hope you all had a lovely fall weekend, celebrating this tradition or taking part in your own favorite start-of-fall activities!  i also had a fun apple-picking trip, so check back later this week for a yummy and easy low-sugar crockpot apple butter post.

nutritional info:

• black & mahogany rice (i used lundberg brand), 1/4 cup dry - 150 calories (1.5 g. fat, 33 g. carbs [3 g. fiber], 4 g. protein, 4% iron)
• homemade smoky marinated tofu (i used lightlife’s flax variety and marinated in chipotle, apple cider vinegar, grade B organic maple syrup, minced garlic and other seasoning) - 145 calories (4 g. fat [0.6 g. sat.], 204 mg. sodium, 220 mg. potassium, 17 g. carbs [6.4 g. fiber, 7.3 g. sugar], 10.3 g. protein, 6.1% vitamin A, 6.8% calcium, 11.5% iron)
• hard-boiled egg - 70 calories (4.5 g. fat [1.5 g. sat.], 215 mg. cholesterol, 65 mg. sodium, 1 g. carbs, 6 g. protein, 6% vitamin A, 2% calcium, 4% iron)
• 1/2 of a smallish-medium sweet potato, steamed - 50 calories (20 mg. sodium, 262 mg. potassium, 11.6 g. carbs [1.9 g. fiber, 3.4 g. sugar], 1 g. protein, 212% vitamin A, 18% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 2% iron)
• approx. 1/3 slice yves meatless “canadian bacon” - 10 calories (0.1 g. fat, 61 mg. sodium, 13.2 mg. potassium, 2 g. protein, 3% iron)
• veggie garnishes: about 1/4 cup steamed broccoli florets, 3 grape tomatoes, 30 g. raw escarole, 1/8 cup raw golden beet and 1/4 cup raw radish – collectively, 30 calories (27 mg. sodium, 162 mg. potassium, 7 g. carbs [4 g. fiber, 2 g. sugar], 3 g. protein, 28% vitamin A, 29% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 6% iron)
• shibazuke (pickled eggplant): 10 calories (500 mg. sodium, 2 carbs [0.5 g. fiber])

total: 470 calories… a little more than i usually eat for lunch, but well-balanced and so seasonally appropriate that i am more than willing to plan for lighter morning and afternoon snack to accommodate.

as some of you may know, i’ve been attempting to shift to a more plant-based diet.  i’m not ready to commit to being vegan (and not sure if i ever will be!), but i had already pretty much limited my animal-based food intake to fish and dairy, and have now found that further reducing the amount of dairy in my diet gives me less digestive issues and higher energy.  exploring vegan pantry staples has been a fun exercise for me — for example, nutritional yeast (nicknamed “nooch”) is a go-to product, but was totally new to me.  this simple dinner satisfied my craving for earthy, umami flavors and hearty (almost “meaty”) textures, but was entirely plant-based… filling, but surprisingly light.  cooking method after the jump.

so, i had seen the word “nooch” thrown around on twitter, and after doing some digging on tofu swag and for the love of kale, the new-to-me blogs of two fabulous girls i’ve met through tweeting, i learned that “nooch” is just short for nutritional yeast, a rare plant-based source of B-12, folic acid, protein, fiber, and amino acids.  it has a nutty, almost cheese-y taste to it — which is great if you are a cheese-lover like me, looking to satisfy that flavor crave without adding dairy to your meal.

for my first attempt at incorporating nooch, i wanted to go with an italian-ish flavor profile — hoping the nooch would stand-in for a sprinkle of parmesan.  this eggplant and kale bowl really hit the mark, and the nutritional stats are amazing!

eggplant and kale nooch bowl

• 1/2 a large eggplant
• 1/2 cup jarred tomato sauce (i like cucina antica because their sauces have very few ingredients and a strong tomato flavor that provides a great base for layering)
• 2 cups chopped kale (i like the pre-bagged version by glory)
• 1 tsp. each of mrs. dash/spike and regular garlic powder
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1 original boca meatless vegan patty (or another veggie burger of your choice — stick with something “beef”-y, not bean-y!)
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast (mine is red star brand)
• cooking spray; 1 tsp. coconut oil (you don’t really want a coconut flavor here, so refined is best for this dish)
• about 2 tbsp. chopped scallion; juice of a lemon wedge

1. preheat your oven to 375 and line a baking/cookie sheet with foil. lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray.
2. cut your eggplant into cubes, 1″ or smaller.
3. spread your eggplant cubes out on the baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with mrs. dash, spike, or another salt-free seasoning blend.
4. bake the eggplant cubes for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to flip them around a bit so different sides can brown. bake for another 20 minutes or longer, until the cubes have “withered” a bit (as the water evaporates, they lose some volume and become “meatier”) and look nice and dry and golden on some sides.  NOTE: this can be done in advance (i usually cube and bake two large eggplants on sundays so that i have add-ins for salads and other dishes for the week); if you prep your roasted eggplant in advance, the rest of this dish takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!
5. lightly spray a large sautée pan or wok with cooking spray.  add the kale and arugula, sprinkle with garlic powder, and move the greens around in the pan until they are wilted but still retain their bright color.  set aside.
6. in the same pan that the greens just came out of, add the 1 tsp. of coconut oil. chop your veggie burger (if it was frozen, nuke for 45 seconds or until thawed) into small cubes.  brown the veggie burger cubes slightly, and then add the nutritional yeast — shake the cubes around so that they get coated in this umami goodness.
7. heat the tomato sauce in a ramekin or small saucepan.
8. add the eggplant, greens, nooch-covered burger bits, and tomato sauce to a bowl.  squeeze lemon over the greens, and garnish with chopped scallions.  so simple… but sooooooo tasty!

and here are the impressive stats… one bowl of this savory, substantial creation gives you:

• 285 calories
• 8.6 g. fat [3.9 g. sat., 1.o g. mono]
• 581 mg. sodium (more than half of this is coming from the boca burger, so you could easily reduce sodium in this dish by using a different, lower-sodium meat-substitute product)
• 624 mg. potassium
• 34.4 g. carbs [15.5 g. fiber, 7.4 g. sugar]
• 25.2 g. protein
• 285% daily value of vitamin A, 231% daily value of vitamin C, 24.7% daily value of calcium, and 30% daily value of iron!!

if you are as impressed by the benefits of nooch as i am, why not give it a try and see if you like its unique taste?  here are a couple of great recipes that are on my “to-do” list:

• for the love of kale’s baked tofu & sweet potatoes with curried hummus-nooch sauce
• tofu swag’s roasted chickpea salad

this week i’m participating in tone it up’s “beach week” — a week of scheduled workouts and slim-down meals designed to make the most of the last few days of summer.  karena and katrina have teamed up with ZICO to host an exciting contest; the best recipe incorporating chocolate ZICO and perfect fit protein powder wins a 3-month supply of both of those products!

i legitemately use perfect fit almost every day, and ZICO is one of my favorite special treats… so, needless to say, i got really excited about this contest.  the result of my frantic brainstorming was these “coco-butter monkey cups” — they are dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.  recipe and details below!

one of my favorite things about both of these products is the fact that they taste decadent but are much more healthful than typical sweets.

• perfect fit can be used in baking (i’ve had great success with muffins and cupcakes!) and smoothies, but this was the first time i tried it in a frozen dessert.  it worked perfectly (no pun intended), giving a great firm texture to the monkey cups.
• and ZICO, what more can i say?  it tastes like a rich man’s yoohoo — that chocolatey flavor you remember from your childhood, in a refreshing (not heavy!) liquid form, with all the health benefits of coconut.  also great in smoothies, and freezes nicely to create a creamy frozen non-dairy dessert.

neither product is chalky, and mixed together they are sublime.  but these monkey cups take it to the next level!!!

i originally got the idea from one of my favorite vegan dessert blogs, chocolate covered katie — her “peanut butter monkey cups” looked fab and i had been meaning to try them.  for the ZICO/perfect fit contest, i wanted to make them more aggressively coconut-y, and i also specifically wanted a frozen dessert.  i think katie would approve!

the process of making them involves creating two separate liquid mixtures, which are then distributed evenly into molds (i used little silicone baking cups, but you could also use paper mini-cupcake liners) in two layers and frozen.  you want the double-chocolate (darker) layer to be more liquidy, so that it creates a relatively smooth/lump-free top bottom surface for each cup, ensuring that they can sit flat and level rather than wobble around.  ready?  here goes!

coco-butter monkey cups – makes approx. 22 mini-cups (or 20, if you eat 2 cups’ worth of each batter while you are preparing them, like i did!)

choco-banana-nut layer (this is the lighter-colored layer that you put in the molds first; it’s the top layer once you unmold!)

• 1.5 tbsp. raw coconut butter (i used artisana brand)
• 1/4 cup of raw cashews, soaked in very hot water for 30 min.
• 1.5 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil
• 1/4 cup chocolate zico
• 1 scoop/packet perfect fit protein powder
• 3 tbsp. PB2 (or other brand powdered peanut butter)
• 1/2 large banana
• 10-20 drops of liquid stevia (i used sweet leaf’s vanilla creme flavor)

double-chocolate layer (this is the darker-colored layer that you put in the molds second; it’s the bottom layer once you unmold!)

• 2 tbsp. chocolate coconut butter (i used artisana’s “cacao bliss”)
• 5 medjool dates, pitted and chopped roughly
• 3 tbsp. organic cocoa powder (i used rapunzel brand)
• 1 cup chocolate zico
• 1 scoop/packet perfect fit protein powder
• 4 tbsp. unsweetened carob chips
• 10-20 drops liquid stevia (i used nunaturals alcohol-free version)

1. place all ingredients for the choco-banana-nut layer in a food processor or magic bullet and process on high until fully blended.  this mixture will be close in color to that of peanut butter, but the peanut flavor is really just a hint in the background — it’s the coconut and banana that dominate.  dump the batter into a bowl but don’t bother cleaning the food processor/bullet container — it’s fine for the remnants of this mixture to get blended into the next batter!
2. make the second liquid mixture — same deal, all ingredients into the processor of choice, and whiz until smooth.  again, you want this top layer batter to be runnier than the first batter — so add water, 2 tbsp. at a time, if it’s too thick.
3. place your molds into a large, flat container and clear a space in the freezer that will fit that container. the idea is that you want to be able to move all the molds in and out at one time, without jostling them too much.
4. add the bottom layer mixture to the molds one at a time, smoothing out with the back of a spoon as best you can.  for the molds i used, this ended up being about 2 teaspoons per mold.
5. add the top layer mixture to the molds one at a time.  you won’t need to smooth this layer as it will “settle” by itself due to its thinner consistency.
6. carefully transfer the container holding your molds into the freezer.  freeze for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight… if you can wait that long!  serve chilled but not completely frozen (best to thaw partially in the fridge for about 15 minutes).

be sure to check out the other delicious entries by searching #TIUZico on instagram!

and in case you are interested…

nutritional info per 2-cup serving:

• 7.1 g. fat [4.7 g. saturated, 0.1 g. mono]
• 41.3 mg. sodium
• 111.7 mg. potassium
• 15.8 g. carbs [3.3 g. fiber, 10.6 g. sugar]
• 5.2 g. protein — not bad for two tiny cups!  thank you, perfect fit!
• 1% daily value of vitamin C, 2.7% of calcium, and 4% of iron
• 140 calories

another day, another quinoa salad, right?!  lately i feel like i have been obsessed with quinoa… but in all seriousness, it’s so tasty, and so good for you compared to other rice-y/grain-y options!

a while back, i received a few bottles of chile olive oil because of my participation in an HGEats twitter chat.  although i have significantly reduced the amount of oils i use in my cooking, there is always room for some good “healthy” fat, and i knew i wanted to save these samples for something special.  this past weekend, my parents came over for a combined birthday brunch (my mom’s birthday and mine are just five days apart!), and i whipped up this salad with veg from my CSA share.  it’s TIU-approved and is actually quite versatile — delicious with the veggies still warm from the grill, still delicious chilled in the fridge the next day.  click through for the recipe and olive oil review.

the chile olive oil i received came in two limited edition varieties: “smooth” and “bold”.  for this recipe, i used the bold flavor. i found it to have just enough of a “bite” to be interesting — a peppery, slightly bitter flavor that asserted itself in a good “i am olive oil, hear me roar” way, but didn’t overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.  the oil is a beautiful green color, silky smooth, and quite viscous (when you pour it in a measuring spoon, it really coats the spoon, so that the full measured amount doesn’t come out unless you hang the spoon upside down for a while!).  since cracking the bottle open for the [uncooked] dressing for this quinoa salad, i have also used the oil in two cooked applications (kale chips and brussels sprouts), and the flavor has withstood both low and moderate oven temperatures well.  overall, i really like this olive oil and would definitely consider buying it when i run out, provided it’s comparable in price to the other oils i regularly buy.

quinoa salad with grilled eggplant and fresh tomatoes — makes 6 side-serving-sized portions

• 1 scant cup of dry quinoa (i love tru roots “sprouted trio” blend)
• approx. 6 baby eggplants (the thin, pale-ish purple ones — mine weighed 410 grams total)
• 3 1/2 cups arugula, roughly torn (about 1/2 of the large bunch of mature leaves i received in my CSA share)
• 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
• approx. 400 grams (2 cups-ish) of tomatoes of your choice — i used a mix of small (Roma-shaped) yellow tomatoes and tiny red ones
• for the dressing: 4 tbsp. limited edition bold chile olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 tsp. himalayan pink salt, 1/2 tsp. coarsely-ground black bepper, and 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1. boil 1 cup of water and add the quinoa, covering and reducing to a low simmer.  cook the quinoa for about 12 minutes (until water is absorbed), and then turn the heat off and allow it to continue to steam with the lid on.  after about 10 more minutes, fluff with a fork, and transfer to a wide plate or dish to allow to cool.
2. halve the baby eggplants and spray lightly with cooking oil spray.  on a piping hot grill pan, lay eggplant halves cut-side down, and grill for about 4 minutes.  turn clockwise 90 degrees and grill for 1-2 more minutes to achieve “cross-hatched” grill marks.  turn the eggplant over to grill the purple sides in the same manner.  transfer cooked eggplants to a baking sheet to cool slightly.
3. halve or chunk the tomatoes.
4. in a large bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. you do not need to emulsify; the dressing will be mostly absorbed by the quinoa and this won’t be a particularly “wet” salad.
5. add the tomatoes and grilled eggplant to the dressing and coat evenly.  add the cooled quinoa and stir to incorporate.
6. finally, add the arugula and basil (we do this last so that they don’t wilt too badly) and lightly toss.

the leftovers have so many possibilities… how about baking into a frittata?  would be a great bento filler side dish on its own, or wrapped in a collard leaf (tone it up “bikini wrap” style!) like i’ve done below.  or how about using this mixture to stuff a portobello and then baking?  YUM!  thanks to chile olive oil for the opportunity to taste!