Happy End of 2013+One More Goal

Today I was looking through my blog for recipes to use at a class I'm teaching next weekend. It's hard to believe that I have been blogging for almost a year, and I was really happy to see what a great collection of recipes I've compiled in that time. I  realized that I've never included a search feature on my blog, so I'm going to look into that and see if I can add one- that would make it a lot easier to look for specific recipes. Blogging about cooking is definitely the thing I've enjoyed most about my experiment here, and I plan to keep using my blog for that purpose even though my year of goal making has come to an end.
For my last goal of the year- #52, I'm going to try eliminating cow's milk, cow's milk yogurt (which I eat a lot of), and cow's milk ice cream from my diet for a month. I'm going to leave cheese made from cow's milk in there, as I don't eat a lot of it, and when I do, I really enjoy it.  As I've probably said to many of you in the past, unless a food allergy is life-threatening, I'm not likely to pay too much attention to it. In this case, I've had  digestive problems a few times that seem like they may coincide with eating cow's milk (and associated products), so I'm going to cut them out for a month and see if it makes a difference. It may be one of those things (like bell peppers) which have an annoying side-effect (skin flushing) that I have to accept if I choose to eat them (with peppers I do because they are so delicious!). At any rate, I've already tried giving up a couple of other things this year for a month, and honestly, it's not that hard.
 I've looked over the other goals I made this year, and I'm pretty pleased with how I've done. With the ongoing goals, I didn't do every goal every time, but I did these things A LOT more than I ever did before. I think writing them down was key- there were many days, for example, when I felt like having an unhealthy snack, but I ate an apple instead since I had committed to doing that every day. I also didn't have any artificial sweetener this year- that was huge, as I was previously chewing 3-4 sticks of sugarless gum a day! Other highlights include going snorkeling even though I was totally scared (this came out of goal#30, which was to try at least one new activity before the end of the year), visiting a dermatologist and finding out that a mole I was worried about wasn't cancerous, and reading way,way more books than I have in years. All of my goals were fun to come up with, and most of them helped health and wellness goals that have been rattling around in my head for years come to fruition.
Thanks to everyone who has read my blog in the past year! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you keep visiting in 2014...if you'll keep reading, I'll keep writing!

Easy, Cheap, and Healthy Breakfast: Green Overnight Oats

I'm teaching a cooking class in January that will focus on  improving nutrition in the New Year. I think one of the easiest things people can do to improve their nutrition is to add a serving  of vegetables to their breakfast, but I also recognize that most people don't want to eat a bowl of steamed kale first thing in the morning like I do. I've been trying out a few recipes with the hopes of finding something really easy and healthy that incorporates a serving of greens in a way that doesn't taste like it has a serving of greens in it. I think I've found a  winner! This recipe is an amalgamation of a couple of overnight oat recipes I've tried out: this one from the Whole Foods website, and this one from Oh She Glows. This recipe is filling, quick, cheap, and easy to make. It's also awesome because it is ready to eat when you wake up, and can come to work with you if you don't have time to eat it at home. The recipe makes enough to fill four pint-sized mason jars with enough room at the top to add some nuts and fruit if you desire (but it's totally delicious as is). The other thing I want to note is that this has no sweetener in it other than the bananas which I find pretty amazing. I have only eaten this cold so I can't vouch for its deliciousness warmed up, but I bet it would be tasty that way too.
Green Overnight Oats
3 bananas
3 cups milk (I used almond milk, but use whatever kind you like)
4 1/2 Tbs chia seeds
juice and zest of one large orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large bunch of spinach, washed
2 cups rolled oats
Combine bananas, milk, chia seeds, juice and zest, and vanilla extract in a blender and blend. Add spinach and blend until smooth (You may want to do this in two batches depending on the capacity of your blender. Also, a blender works slightly better than a food processor for this, but I've used both with fine results). Put 1/2 cup of oats in each jar (or use cereal bowls) and pour approximately one cup of the mixture from the blender into each jar.  Stir each jar until the oats and the liquid are well-combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight (will also keep in the refrigerator for a few days with no problem).  In the morning, top with a small handful of nuts and any fresh fruit you desire and enjoy!

A Few Technology Goals

A lot of the goals I've made this year have focused on improving my diet and exercise habits. Although I've also made a few goals about stress-reduction, as the end of the year is drawing closer, I've realized that this is an area where I could still stand to make some improvements. I was thinking about which things in my life cause me to feel stressed and which things help me to feel relaxed. In thinking about this, I've come to the conclusion that my i-phone is contributing both positively and negatively to my health, and my use of it is an area where I could make some changes.

First the positive: My i-phone allows me to download and store a ton of music. I love listening to music when I'm walking, and if I have music that I'm excited to listen to, I'm a lot more likely to walk than I am to take the bus. Extra exercise-yay! Having excellent work-out music downloaded also keeps my time at the gym fun, and keeps me feeling energetic and motivated. But I often wait until I am really sick of the music I have to download more. Why? This must be an area where I'm just really, really lazy. I have a music subscription service through Rhapsody, so I'm already paying for access to lots of music, but I'm not using it nearly as much as I could. Music is one of the things that brings me the most joy in life, and I think it would be great to keep music that I like more present in my life. Goal #48: download new music at least once a month.

Now the negative: I use my i-phone to check my work email a lot, and at times I'd say almost compulsively; when I'm waiting for the bus, when I'm waiting at a restaurant or a coffee shop, when I'm laying in bed at night. Ugh. Having access to my work email via my phone is great when I'm traveling and don't have regular access to a computer, but in my daily life, it just feels like a time and energy suck. I think the best solution is to remove the app I use to check my work email, which is Goal#49 (and is now done!).

The other way my i-phone is contributing negatively to my life is that it is putting a lot of stress on my hands and wrists- especially when I look at my phone in bed. There have actually been times that my hands have fallen asleep when I am doing this, and I know that can't be good. Goal#50 is to limit the amount of time I spend looking at my i-phone in bed to 10 minutes per night (ideally, I'd like to stop doing this altogether, but this seems like a more realistic goal for now).
I can't believe the year is almost over!! Only 2 more goals to go...

Spanish Chickpea Soup

As I said in my last post, it's been a soup kind of week. I've been realizing that I love pressure-cooker recipes that don't call for soaking the beans ahead of time- it's rare for me to remember to, and I love the spontaneity of being able to throw a bunch of stuff in the cooker and have it do its thing while I work on other projects. This week I made a very rich and flavorful chickpea soup in the pressure cooker while I got a bunch of chores done and caught up with my dad on the phone.  This is another recipe that calls for meat, so I added some other ingredients to make it flavorful and still vegetarian. If you want to make a meat version, omit the smoked paprika, chipotle chilies, and tomato paste and add 4 ounces of diced spanish chorizo.

Spanish Chickpea Soup

adpated from Cooking Light, September 2010

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 Tbs tomato paste

6 cups broth

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas

2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, diced

2 bay leaves

6 cups chopped collard greens

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tbs red wine vinegar

salt and black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, smoked paprika, and tomato paste; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in broth, chickpeas, chipotle chilies, and bay leaves. Close lid securely; bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust heat to medium or level needed to maintain high pressure; cook 1 hour. Remove from heat; let rest until cooker is depressurized (I waited 15 minutes). Remove lid. Discard bay leaves. Add collard greens and remaining ingredients, cooking uncovered for a few more minutes until the collards are wilted. Serve.

Pressure Cooker Black Beans

It's been a cold, cold week, and I've been making a lot of soup.
Earlier this week I made this recipe, but instead of using canned black beans, I made them in my pressure cooker. I made a double recipe of the soup so I would have enough to take dinner to my friends who've just had a baby. The black bean recipe I used called for 1 pound of dried beans, which cost about $1.40 and made about 7 cups of cooked beans. 7 cups of beans is a little less than 5 standard cans. The canned beans I normally use are about $2.00 each, which would have equaled about $10.00 just for the beans, so using a pressure cooker really is quite a savings. The other awesome thing about cooking beans at home is that you can season the beans any way you like, the texture of the beans is much better, and homemade beans usually have a lot less sodium than canned beans. The recipe I used calls for a ham hock(1 lb. if you are going to use this), which I don't eat. To give this vegetarian version a little more flavor, I added 2 tsp of smoked paprika, a few extra cloves of garlic, and a tsp of porcini mushroom powder (a great gift from my mom).
Easy Pressure Cooker Black Beans
adapted from foodnetwork.com

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp porcini powder

1 bay leaf

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

6 cups water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat, pour in 3 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and cook until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Throw in the garlic, smoked paprika, porcini powder, and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beans and give a good stir. Pour in the water; add the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a couple of grindings of pepper. Following the manufacturer's instructions, cover, lock the lid, and bring to high pressure. Lower heat to maintain pressure and start timing. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes. Release the steam, again following the manufacturer's directions.Taste and adjust seasoning. Eat beans as they are or add to any recipe that calls for canned black beans.

Crafty Christmas

My newest goal (#47) is to try to do a better job of using/reusing things I already have before buying new things. I, like many people in the United States, tend to buy and accumulate way more things than I actually need. Sometimes, buying things makes me feel happy in the moment, but later I feel really disappointed in myself for spending money on junk I don't need, for contributing to poor working conditions by buying poorly made mass-produced crap, and for harming the environment by creating demand for a bunch of unneeded junk. Having excess stuff around also makes my house feel cluttered. I live in a small house, and the less stuff I have the more comfortable my environment is. I think it's fair to say that having a clutter-free house greatly contributes to my over-all sense of well-being.
The other positive side of this goal is that when I am trying to reuse the stuff I already have, I feel purposeful, creative, and often have a lot fun being crafty. Last night my niece and nephew and my dear friend Kim (their mother) and I made Christmas ornaments out of craft supplies that I already had on hand- colored paper, buttons, glue, and embroidery floss. I made several more ornaments today, and I also made a garland out of felt scraps. Now I have a bunch of really pretty and unique decorations for my tree and they're all made out of stuff I already had lying around my house!

Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

Zach made dinner for us tonight and it was incredibly delicious. As an added bonus, the recipe he used is also inexpensive, super nutritious, and pretty simple to make. It comes from Vegetarian Times, and Zach stuck pretty closely to the original, only making a few modifications which I have included below. I really, really love this recipe and that was evidenced by the fact that I kept making sighing noises as I ate it- it's that good!

New Year's Black Eyed Peas and Greens

adapted from Vegetarian Times

serves 3 as a main dish, more as a side

½ lb. dried black-eyed peas (1¼ cups)

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1¾ tsp. salt, divided

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces

2 Tbs. lemon juice, divided

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (1½ cups)

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 green onions, sliced (½ cup)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1. Set peas in saucepan, and cover with boiling water; let sit 1 hour. Drain, return peas to saucepan, cover with fresh water, and add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and cook 20 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 tsp. salt, and cook 10 to 25 minutes longer, or until peas are tender but keep their shape.

2. Steam kale for approximately 7 minutes (or until it is tender but not too soft) and then toss with 1 tsp. lemon juice.

3. Toss tomatoes with 1/4 tsp. salt in colander. Let sit, shaking occasionally, 
to drain juices.

4. Combine remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 5 tsp. lemon juice, oil, 
green onions, parsley, and oregano in large bowl.

5. Drain peas, and remove bay leaf. 
Add to bowl with lemon juice and herbs, and mix well. Add tomatoes, and mix again. Divide kale among three plates and top with black-eyed pea mixture.

Amazing Fall Dinner

Oh yum. Tonight I made salmon burgers with pan fried Brussels sprouts and roasted beets. Zach said this looks like a fancy meal you'd get in a restaurant, and honestly, it tasted that good too. I will confess that this was only my second real attempt at cooking Brussels sprouts. They are unbelievably easy and tasty, and even if you don't like Brussels sprouts (I thought I didn't until I tried them made this way) I encourage you to try them and see what you think. The beets are super easy too- they just take some peeling and chopping prep work, but then you just put them in the oven and let them do their thing.

Easy Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
water
Cut the stems off the sprouts and slice them in half. Melt the butter in a very large frying pan.  Place sprouts cut side down in the pan and allow them to cook over medium-high heat until they begin to brown (I think this was about 10 minutes). Sprinkle salt and pepper on the sprouts. Add a bit of water to the pan (I'd start with a 1/2 cup) and allow the spouts to continue cooking until they become soft enough to piece easily with a fork, adding more water if needed.  These are best served hot out of the pan.

Easy Roasted Beets
2 large beets (I used one red and one gold, but either will work just fine.)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F
Peel beets and cut into bite-sized pieces. (If you've never cooked with beets, just treat them like they are potatoes that want to turn your hands pink). Place in a glass baking dish and pour on oil to coat (I used an 1/8 cup). Toss well. Place in oven and allow to roast for 50 minutes, turning them every 15 minutes or so. On their last cycle in the oven, sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roasting causes the beets to caramelize slightly, and you will be rewarded with the sweetest and best-tasting beets ever. Serve hot if possible. Also great on a cold salad with salty pungent cheese like feta or gorgonzola.

Neck Update/ 2 new Friends!

I realized I should give an update on the neck problems I was having last week. Last Monday I saw a chiropractor for the first time. I visited Andy Rosser at the recommendation of one of my co-workers. He was kind and gentle and not at all scary. Two things he recommended that have seemed to help were switching from hot packs to  ice packs (my trusty bag of edamame works great!) and using a ball to do stretches on my back muscles. My neck is slowly but surely getting better, and I am finally returning to my normal life.  It's still not perfect, but it's a lot better, and it feels great to be able to do some of the active things I enjoy.

Crossfit?

This week I'm making kind of a weird goal (#47) and that is to go check out the CrossFit gym downtown before February of next year. I am simultaneously intrigued and wary of CrossFit- most of the people I know who do CrossFit are in excellent shape and talk about how much they loooovvvveee CrossFit. I have also met a fair number of people who have gotten injured doing CrossFit, and that is part of what makes me wary.  I've also have gotten the impression that CrossFit gyms can be a little competitive, and as I think I've said before, competitiveness in gyms is something that isn't really a good fit for me. But recently a customer at the Co-op who I really like told me that the downtown CrossFit gym has a beginner program where you learn to do the exercises with other folks who have never done CrossFit before. He claims it's low-pressure, fun, and fairly affordable. I figure it's at least worth checking out and might be a way to keep myself motivated and interested in working out.

Cranberry Crunch

During November, we always have lots of fresh cranberries available in the produce department, which means it's time to make Cranberry Crunch! I love to make this cobbler; it's simple and quick to put together and has less sugar and fat than most cobbler recipes (although I will say it is even more delicious with some vanilla ice cream). The recipe comes from the American Wholefoods Cuisine Cookbook. The cranberries retain their delightful tartness and have an awesome cherry-like texture when cooked as the recipe instructs. I also sliced up a small apple and a fuyu persimmon that had seen better days and added them to the original recipe. Cobbler is the perfect vehicle for using up fruit that is past its prime, so if you ever have apples, plums, etc that need to be used up, throw them into a cobbler with more expensive fruit like berries- they'll blend right in and often add some nice textural contrast too.

Cranberry Crunch
adapted from American Wholefoods Cuisine
2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries that have been thawed will also work)
1 small apple, cut into small pieces (optional)
1 fuyu persimmon, cut into small pieces (optional)
1/3 cup honey plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs molasses
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine berries and 1/3 cup honey in a small pot and boil gently until berries pop, about 5 minutes. Pour into a 8 or 9 inch glass baking dish (don't use a metal baking dish, it will make the berries taste metallic).  If you are using the apple and/or the persimmon, stir these in with the cranberries.
In separate bowl, combine oats, flour, and cinnamon, and cut in oil and butter with a pastry blender or wire whisk to an even consistency. Scatter on top of berries. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of honey with molasses and drizzle evenly over topping.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

Totally Delicious Kale Chips

Although I adore kale, most of the time when I've had or made kale chips I've thought they were ok, but I've never been overly impressed. Never that is until my co-worker Chie shared some kale chips she'd made. They were totally delicious, and when I ate them I suddenly understood why  people have extreme love for kale chips . I asked her what kind of seasonings they had, and the things I remember her telling me are: soaked cashews, lemon juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast. I decided to try making some at home, and while they aren't as good as Chie's (she is a quite elevated and  amazing snack maker!) they are really good. I made a batch last week and another today. This time I forgot to buy cashews, so I substituted tahini, which was a little easier and tasted great, so this is how I'll probably make them from now on.
Garlic Dill Kale Chips
1 large bunch of green curly kale, washed, dried in a salad spinner, and torn into small pieces
1/3 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs tamari
2tbs nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together all ingredients besides kale in the largest bowl you have. Add torn up kale pieces, and toss to coat, using hands to massage the mixture into the kale. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet and spread the dressed kale into a single layer (use more than 1 cookie sheet if needed). Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, turning the kale over every 10-15 minutes to prevent it from burning and help it cook evenly. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can eat a whole bunch of kale!

My New (and Hopefully Temporary) Companions

This week I'm feeling a little down about my health and fitness. I have been having discomfort and tightness in my neck and back for about a month, and this week it reached a point where it has become almost intolerable. I haven't been able to meet my goals around working out or doing yoga because much of the time I am in too much pain, and it's really frustrating.
 I can remember the moment when my neck seized up; it was  after an especially stressful meeting at work, and I felt all of my anxiety and stress settling into the muscles in my back and neck. I felt stiff and terrible, but I assumed it would be a short-lived problem. Unfortunately, when I woke up the next day it was worse. Since then it has fluctuated between mildly uncomfortable and very painful. I have gotten some relief from massage, which was awesome, but after a few days it tightens up again. Right now I am trying a combination of hot packs, home massage with arnica oil,  extra sleep, stretching, tylenol/ibuprofen, and lots of water. Since none of this seems to be doing the trick, tomorrow I'm going on my first ever visit to a chiropractor (Eek! I'm scared!).  If that doesn't work, I'm going to visit my doctor and see what she recommends. So my very sad goal for this week ( goal #46) is to figure out what in the heck is wrong with my neck get it resolved ASAP.

Dreamy Orange-Sesame Cabbage Salad

Yesterday I made a cabbage salad that I liked so much that I spent today looking forward to eating it again! Luckily this recipe made a lot, so I have plenty to have for a few subsequent meals. This salad is light, fresh, and crunchy with a lovely citrus dressing that is creamy but not heavy. I changed it up a bit this evening by adding some shredded beets to the top, which was exquisite, but it's pretty great by itself too. Recipe is courtesy of mynewroots.com, I made a few changes to the original  recipe which I've incorporated below.

Dreamy Orange-Sesame Cabbage Salad

adapted from mynewroots.com

4 cups shredded cabbage (green,savoy, purple, or any combination of the three)

2 cups shredded purple lacinato kale


2 cups shredded or finely sliced carrots


2 green onions, finely sliced


1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley


shredded beets (optional)

½ cup sesame seeds

Tahini Cream Dressing with Orange
:

Makes 1 cup


2 Tbsp. olive oil


3 Tbsp. lemon juice



zest of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 an orange

1 Tbsp. liquid honey (or agave, maple syrup)


1/3 cup roasted tahini


couple pinches of salt

Directions:
 Combine cabbage, kale, carrots, green onions, and parsley in a large bowl.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. Note: The dressing will have a frosting-like consistency. Don't worry, you be adding water to it to thin it down. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop. Remove from heat immediately. Add a bit of the dressing to a large bowl. Add a little water and whisk until it is thined to a consistency that you like. Put in desired amount of cabbage mixture and toss until well coated. Plate the dressed salad and top with shredded beets and toasted sesame seeds. Serve.

This recipe makes a huge quantity of salad. I recommend keeping the vegetable mixture and dressing separate until you are ready to use them.

Stuffed Winter Squash

Last night for dinner we had a dish that has become a fall standby- stuffed winter squash. I learned this dish from my friend Analisa, and I love it because it's a great way to quickly throw together a healthy and tasty meal out of ingredients that I usually have on hand.  If you have a grain dish already made, just add some nuts to it and stuff the squash with that. I stuffed my squash with the rice recipe I made earlier in the day- Rice with Lemon, Parsley, and Walnuts- but even if you don't have a grain dish made ahead of time, this comes together pretty quickly. The basic recipe goes like this:
Stuffed Winter Squash
1 winter squash, cut in half and seeds removed
1 cup cooked grain (brown rice, quinoa, etc.)
1/2 cup toasted nuts
oil
an assortment of finely chopped veggies (I like to use onion, garlic, grated carrot, celery, and finely chopped greens. I bet mushrooms and finely diced zucchini would also work well here)
salt and pepper
dried herbs (I like thyme, summer savory, or dill)
a bit of grated sharp cheese (like cheddar or swiss)
Preheat oven to 350F. Place squash cut side down on a cookie sheet. Add about 1/2 inch of water to cookie sheet. Bake squash in oven until it is soft enough to be pierced with a fork, adding water as necessary to keep the pan from drying out (the water allows the squash to steam). For reference, this delicata squash took about 20 minutes to cook. I made an acorn squash last week that took 40 minutes. Cooking time will vary greatly depending on the thickness and type of squash you are using.
While the squash bakes, prepare the stuffing. Saute the vegetables in the oil, starting with the onions and garlic. Add each vegetable and cook until soft, adding salt, pepper, and herbs to taste. Mix sauteed vegetables with cooked grain and toasted nuts, adjusting seasoning as desired. When winter squash is finished baking, flip it over and fill with the grain-vegetable mixture. Top with grated cheese and put back into the oven and heat until cheese is melted.

Doing What I Love Most

Today I spent much of the day cooking and prepping food for the week, and my oh my, it was fun! I felt productive and happy, and I got to listen to lots of great music too. One of the  things I love best about winter is staying inside and making lots of delicious and healthy food for the coming week. It feels great to open the refrigerator and have so many healthy options to choose from.


Today I made:
Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa (I substituted apples for the berries)
Quinoa Banana Pecan Bread with Cranberries (I added zest of one lemon and a half cup of dried cranberries)
Rice with Lemon, Parsley, and Walnuts (I substituted a rice-quinoa blend and adjusted the amount of liquid and cooking time)
Washed lettuce for the week
Prepped carrots, celery, beets, daikon radish, cucumbers, and red peppers for salads and snacks
Baked a delicata squash that we'll have for dinner
And there's still time to go for a second walk of the day- yay!!- winter is a cook's best friend!

Do the Best You Can and Don't Worry

Recently when I was looking for a birthday card, I found a postcard that has a message that I think is a really important to keep around: "Do the best you can and don't worry".  I can think of few phrases that hold as much personal meaning for me as this one. It is a horrible habit of mine, and I suspect of many people, to dwell on the ways that I'm not successful or on things that might go wrong rather than focusing on what I have accomplished and all of the wonderful people and experiences I have in my life. The saddest part of this habit is that when I spend my time worrying about what might happen or focus on the ways I feel like I've failed, I don't get to fully enjoy or embrace the life I'm living right now. I put the post card on my refrigerator to look at when I start to feel anxious or when moments of self-doubt start to cloud my thoughts. I kind of wish I had a whole box of these postcards so I could give one to everyone I know, since it seems like many of us could use the reminder.

Fall Fruit Salad: Starring a Fuyu Persimmon

Photo from Sigona Farmer's Market

Even though summer is long gone, there are still days when I want fruit salad. With all of the spectacular fall fruit that's available right now, there's no reason not to make one, and today I did. The star of today's salad is the squatty and unassuming Fuyu persimmon.  We sell two types of persimmons at the Co-op- Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyus are the ones I prefer; they are sweet and firm, with a unique flavor/texture profile that (to me anyway), tastes kind of like a cross between a pear, an apricot, and a mango. Fuyus are ripe when they are firm, so don't wait until they are soft to enjoy them. If you've never used one before, don't be shy... they're easy! Just cut the top off to remove the leaves, and then slice into little wedges. In this salad, I also added some pomegranate seeds which provided a nice textural contrast to the apples and pears. If you decide to be brave and try a persimmon, do make sure you pay attention to which type you're buying. Hachiya persimmons must be very soft (almost gelatinous) before you can eat them, otherwise you will end up with a horribly astringent flavor in your mouth. To eat a Hachiya, slice the top off and scoop out the gelatinous fruit with a spoon.The photo above shows the differences between Fuyus and Hachiyas.

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread

I'm teaching a quinoa cooking class this Sunday, and I wanted to try out a recipe I saw recently that sounded intriguing. The original calls for using sprouted quinoa, and being the slightly lazy cook that I am, I decided to try it with raw quinoa just to see if that shortcut would work out.  My verdict? It's tasty, but a little weird...
This bread is dense, sweet,and filling, with a flavor that reminds me of a nourishing bowl of sweetened oatmeal. Using the uncooked quinoa gives the bread a slightly crunchy and seedy texture. I think it would be really good topped with a little blackberry jam and/or some dried cranberries and lemon zest thrown into the batter, but it's also pretty good on its own. Overall, this is a really nice substitute for a less healthy pastry or dessert, but trust me, you will feel like a total hippy when you're eating it.

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread
 recipe by Brandi Evans

1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup quinoa (sprouted or not)

½ cup sprouted (or nonsprouted) oats

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped pecans

2 ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed

1 cup buttermilk

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons oil or melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Stir together the flour, quinoa, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and oil or butter.

Add banana mixture into the flour mixture, and fold together until the batter is just combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9 × 5 loaf pan (or use a 10inch springform cake pan like I did) and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf (mine took 35 minutes and probably should have stayed in for 5 more minutes). Cool for a few minutes for easier slicing.

More Fun in the Woods

 I went for a hike on Monday in Priest Point Park, and I was surprised to find a pretty big tree had fallen and blocked the main trail. I don't remember it being particularly windy on Saturday or Sunday, but it must have been, because the tree appeared to have simply fallen over, and the base was broken and splintered. Of course, I didn't let that downed tree stop me; I just climbed over it and kept going. Farther along the trail, I saw a few other smaller trees that appeared to have taken a topple as well.  It's pretty cool to be in the same woods so often that you can easily tell when some weather event has happened, even if you didn't notice it when you were cozy in your bed at home. I also got to see my first PPP snake on Monday! I heard rustling and then noticed a pile of leaves that appeared to be moving of its own accord. Suddenly, out slithered a little black and green snake. I stopped and watched it for a little while, and I think it was watching me too, as it stayed very still when I moved close to it. We sat there, each waiting for the other to make the first move, until a boisterous golden retriever bounded up and broke the spell.

Coleslaw with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

I wanted to make a veggie side dish to have with the leftover beans from the pressure cooker, so I decided to make a spicy coleslaw. This coleslaw is similar to the type that is sometimes served in Mexican restaurants along with chips and salsa. I would have preferred to make it with green cabbage, but since I had red on hand, that's what I used. A combination of the two would probably be really nice too, but keep in mind that the red cabbage will turn the green cabbage pink if it sits for very long. This recipe is easy and delicious, and it makes a great big batch. It was a great compliment to the bean burrito I made for lunch with the leftover beans.

Coleslaw with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

adapted from food.com

6 cups cabbage (green or red or a mixture), thinly sliced

2 large carrots, grated

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large bunch cilantro, chopped

Juice of 3 limes

2 tablespoons agave

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

a few squirts hot sauce

Directions:

Combine cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro in large bowl.

Make dressing by mixing together lime juice, agave, vinegar, mustard, oil, salt, and hot sauce. Mix dressing into cabbage mixture. Season to taste with pepper and serve immediately, or chill for a few hours. Delicious served with tortilla chips, or as a side for burritos.

Pressure Cooker Recipe #1:Spicy Red Beans

We did it- we successfully made dinner using our pressure cooker! For its inaugural run, we decided to make a classic bean dish- Spicy Red Beans with Rice. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that is specifically designed for a pressure cooker, and followed it almost exactly. One substitution I made that didn't work out so well was using veggie sausage instead of meat sausage- it would have been better without it, so I've left it out of the recipe below. If you are a meat eater, the original recipe calls for using a pound of smoked sausage. We also threw in some fresh corn that friends had given us from their garden. The corn was a great addition, and since fresh corn season is mostly over, I'd suggest substituting frozen corn. This recipe definitely errs on being conservative with the salt, so I'd recommend having salt on hand to add at the table. It does make a nice big batch, and I think we'll have it later in the week in burritos. One last note: I soaked the beans we used for about five hours before cooking, as I had read that soaked beans hold their shape better. Our beans ended up being a little softer than I would have liked and also had a fair amount of liquid left in the pot when the cooking time was finished, so I recommend trying this without soaking the beans first.
Using the pressure cooker was a little scary at first, but now that we understand the process, I think it will be an easy and quick way to cook large quantities of bean dishes. Stay tuned for more recipes...

Pressure Cooker Spicy Red Beans 
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed

1 cup corn (cut from 2 fresh ears, or use frozen)

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, (see recipe below)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

5 cups cold water, or as needed

Cajun Seasoning

(makes approximately 4 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Combine red beans, corn, bay leaf, Cajun seasoning, garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, salt, parsley, and cumin in pressure cooker. Pour in water to cover, according to manufacturer's directions (do not go over line inside of pot). Stir to combine.

Seal lid and bring pot to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Allow pressure to drop naturally. Remove lid, stir, and serve over cooked rice.

Pressure Cooking

One of my goals for the year is to try making something in a pressure cooker that I received as a gift some 13 years ago and have never used. Pressure cookers have always been scary and fascinating to me- something I want to want to try, but have never quite gotten up the courage for.  Recently, I was buying a can of beans at the Co-op, and a volunteer cashier who knows I love to cook, looked disdainfully at my beans and said "Why are you buying these canned beans? They're a total waste of money and they don't taste good either".  She went on to tell me that she regularly cooks pots of beans in a pressure cooker and then freezes them to use in recipes. "I love cooking beans in my pressure cooker. They taste great and they're much cheaper", she explained. After she finished extolling the virtues of pressure cooking,  I made a mental note to drag mine out and take another look at it.  After all, beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, and they are much cheaper, tastier, and healthier (usually much less sodium) when they are cooked from scratch. Cooking beans in a pressure cooker, rather than on the stove-top reduces their cooking time, and I've found that there are lots of recipes online that are one pot meals for pressure cookers. Essentially you throw a bunch of stuff in the pot, turn it on, and let it do its thing. I found the site hippressurecooking to be an especially good source of information. Wish me luck- I'm glad I have the brave Count Zachula by my side for this one!

In the Woods

 This morning I went for a hike in the woods, and it was absolutely magical. There was a very light breeze blowing, which kept sending the leaves falling towards the ground. They were swirling lazily from the sky, and eventually touching down with a melodic little flutter. It was spooky and beautiful. If you like to hike and don't want to go far away to get to a trail, Priest Point Park is a perfect destination. The trails are well-maintained and provide a (mostly) easy walk through woods of both deciduous and evergreen trees, and include several nice views of Puget Sound as well as beach access if you want to get a little closer to the water. The uncharacteristic lack of rain this fall has left piles and piles of beautiful leaves to look at and crunch under your boots. Knowing Olympia, this isn't going to last much longer, so get out there while you can and enjoy one of the coolest (and free!) places in Olympia.

Easy Three Bean Quinoa Chili with Cornbread

Fall is in the air, and the things I feel like cooking are changing with the changing season. This week I made a big pot of chili. I suddenly got a craving for it one day when I was at work, so I made it convenience style (with canned beans and canned tomatoes). It turned out really well, and it was quick and easy to make. I also made a batch of cornbread to go with it from the recipe book American Wholefoods Cuisine. This was one of my first vegetarian cookbooks, and I still use it sometimes. It's kind of like a Joy of Cooking for vegetarians- most of the recipes are simple, straightforward, and taste good but kind of lack the emphasis on beauty of more contemporary cookbooks. At any rate, this corn bread is interesting as it uses yogurt and liquid sweetener (it calls for honey, but I used agave since that's what I had on hand), and doesn't include any additional flour, just cornmeal. Overall, a pretty quick and easy fall supper that also makes ample leftovers for lunch.

Easy Three Bean Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic finely minced
3 ribs celery, finely sliced
1 carrots, finely chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 large red pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 25 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 25oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 25oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 28oz cans diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
2 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup dry quinoa
2 cups broth
Toppings
hot sauce (optional)
cilantro (optional)
grated pepper-jack cheese (optional)

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. When they begin to soften, add the celery and carrots. Cook a few minutes more, and then add both peppers. Cook until peppers are almost soft. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Serve with optional toppings as desired.

House Corn Bread
from American Wholefoods Cuisine
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. oil
3/4 cup cornbread
1 egg, lightly beaten (or realize you are out of eggs and use egg replacer like I did)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 Tbs. honey or agave syrup

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine butter and oil in a 9 inch cake pan or a shallow 1 quart casserole. Place in oven for five minutes to melt. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into the hot baking dish. return to the oven for 30 minutes until set.  If you want to make a bigger batch, double the recipe and use a 9x13 inch pan.

Mushroom Gravy with Kale

Since I like to keep my to do list short and manageable, I got to work right away on my goal to try cooking mushrooms. I made a savory mushroom gravy at a "framily" (my friend-family) dinner. There were a couple of mushroom fans there who proclaimed it to be quite tasty, so I'd say this was a very successful first try at cooking mushrooms. I served the gravy over quinoa, which turned out to be a little weird texture-wise. I think this would be better served over rice. You will notice that this recipe has very little fat in it. Don't let that dissuade you; this recipe has a rich creamy texture nevertheless. I think the secret is the broth and the nutritional yeast. The recipe is from ohsheglows.com, and since I don't know a thing about cooking mushrooms, I followed it exactly (with the exception of serving it over quinoa instead of millet since that's what I had on hand). Enjoy!

Cozy Millet Bowl with Mushroom Gravy and Kale

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked millet (makes ~2 cups cooked)

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped sweet onion (1 medium onion)

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (300 grams)

1.5 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1.5 tbsp low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 & 1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 cup fresh chopped kale, stems removed

Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt, to taste

1. Toast millet (optional): In a pot or skillet with a lid, toast the millet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it starts popping. Be careful you don’t burn it. The goal here is a light toast. Remove from heat. Cook millet: Bring a medium-sized pot of 1 cup water, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup uncooked millet to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with tight-fitting lid (with no air holes). Simmer for 15-20 minutes or so. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes covered.  Remove lid and fluff with fork. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, grab a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 12 minutes longer, stirring as necessary. Now stir in the rosemary, nutritional yeast, and tamari. Cook for a few minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until clumps are gone, and then stir into the mushroom mixture. Stir in kale. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Portion millet into two bowls and serve the mushroom gravy on top.

A Dirty Secret

Photo taken from harvesttotable.com

Ok, I have a confession to make, and in the world of food lovers, it feels like a dirty secret: I used to really, really hate mushrooms. There, I said it. When I was a kid, I hated mushrooms so much that I tortured my poor parents by insisting that I couldn't eat pizza that had ANY MUSHROOMS TOUCHING MY PIECE ANYWHERE AT ALL YUCK THEY ARE SO GROSS GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!!!  My brother loved mushrooms, and although in pretty much every other regard I wanted be just like him, the mushrooms were one thing I just couldn't get behind. As I grew up, I learned to tolerate mushrooms out of politeness- I would eat them if they were served to me, but I never ordered them, and I certainly never cooked with them. Gradually, I warmed to mushrooms a little, began occasionally  ordering dishes with mushrooms in them, and over time, even started to like them.
Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend- she served chanterelle soup that she'd made, and it was so completely delicious. It made me realize that there is a whole culinary world that is, as of yet, completely unknown to me.  Time for a mushroom adventure! I want to learn to cook with them! Goal #41, to cook at least 2 dishes with my old arch-enemy before the end of the year.

Push It

This week at the gym I used 10lb weights for my arm workouts  instead of my usual 8lbs. A couple of years ago I was working out with a friend and he suggested I try using 10lb weights- pointing out that due to the amount of lifting that I do for my job, 8lbs probably isn't much of a challenge for me. While I've used 10lb weights occasionally since then, they've always felt a little too heavy for me to use consistently. It's true that I lift a lot for work (40lb cases of bananas! 50lb cases of potatoes!), but somehow at the gym, the 10lb weights just felt too heavy...
This week, however, I decided to give the 10lb weights another try, and to my surprise, they didn't feel too heavy at all. They were challenging, but totally manageable. I'm going to credit the amount of yoga I've been doing with helping me develop better arm and shoulder strength.  I want to keep using the 10lb weights and see if I can eventually work my way up to 12lbs. Goal #40-  to use 10lb weights for my primary arm and shoulder exercises, doing 3 sets of eight reps for each exercise.

Eating Tomatoes

I'm adding a new goal this week- Goal#39- which is to add  tomatoes to my diet at least 3 times a week. I love tomatoes and I'm always happy to eat them, but I often forget to have them on hand for adding to salads, sandwiches, and other dishes. Tomatoes are known for being rich in antioxidants, especially lycopene. Lycopene from tomatoes has been studied as a preventative for breast cancer and has also been positively associated with cardiovascular and bone health. Some studies have indicated that humans absorb lycopene more readily from cooked or dried tomatoes than from fresh tomatoes, but I'm not going to limit myself either way on that front.  I'll eat fresh tomatoes when they're good and switched to canned or dried tomatoes when they're not.  I do wish that I'd made this goal earlier in the year, as tomato season has just about ended, at least in the area where I live. I will be snapping up the last of the local cherry and sungold tomatoes and looking forward to nest year's crop.

Hippie Comfort Food

Last week I had a lousy day and when I got home, I wanted to make something warm and comforting for dinner that was still reasonably healthy. I decided to make a greens and rice casserole that I remembered vaguely from a Moosewood cookbook that we had in a household I lived in in the 90s. I couldn't find the exact recipe online, but I found this one that is pretty similar. I tweaked it a little to make it slightly healthier (olive oil instead of butter, more greens) and to use ingredients I had on hand.  It was really good; comforting and nourishing, and it made me feel like a Greener all over again.  It is perfect for a cold rainy day when you are feeling bummed and want something warm and savory.

Greens and Rice Casserole

3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice


1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped


1 large bunch chopped greens
 (I used chard, but any greens will work just fine)

1 tsp salt



1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp prepared mustard


1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 eggs, lightly beaten


1 cup milk


1 cup grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 350 F and oil a 13 x 9 pan.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the greens and salt and  cook until the greens are wilted and tender.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the rice, greens, chickpeas, smoked paprika, mustard, half the walnuts, eggs, milk, and half the cheese. Mix well, then pour into casserole dish.

Top with remaining cheese and walnuts. Bake for about 35 minutes, until beginning to brown on top. Serve with a green salad. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup and Green Onions

If you are looking for a fantastic recipe for sweet potatoes/yams, you're in luck! I found this gem on epicurious earlier this week, and it's pretty amazing. I never would have thought of pairing limes with sweet potatoes, but the acidity really makes the sweet potato sparkle, and the subtle sweetness of the agave is nice too. The original recipe called for sugar instead of agave, and I've given that option below in case you don't have agave on hand.  Also, I substituted green onions for chives for a slightly more oniony flavor, and olive oil for butter to lighten it up a little. So delicious!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup and Green Onions

adapted from Gourmet, November 2005

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (10 cups)

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup water (or 1/2 cup if you are using sugar)

2 tablespoons agave or 4 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives or green onions

Preparation

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until coated well, then spread in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (15 by 10 by 1 inch) and roast, uncovered, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until potatoes are tender and undersides are browned, 15 to 20 minutes total.

While potatoes roast, bring water, agave or sugar, and lime juice to a boil in a very small saucepan, stirring until agave/sugar is dissolved, then simmer until reduced to about 6 tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Toss potatoes with syrup and zest in a large bowl, then sprinkle with chives or green onions.  

Fabulous Fall Kale and Pomegranate Salad

I had some friends over for dinner this week, and I made this totally delicious kale salad. It incorporates some nice fall flavors: pomegranate seeds. toasted pecans, and raw beets. Once the veggie prep is done, this comes together in a few minutes. I used my julienne peeler on the beets and daikon, they'd also be fine grated. This recipe makes a huge batch, so you will have plenty of leftovers for lunch. 

Fabulous Fall Kale and Pomegranate Salad

2 bunches Italian Kale, rinsed and torn from stems

Seeds from 1 Pomegranate

1 medium piece of daikon radish, peeled and shredded

1 medium beet, peeled and shredded

1 very small red onion, finely chopped

1 large handful of pecans, toasted and chopped

Dressing

6 Tbs fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp jam (cherry or orange marmalade are great here, but any jam will do)

Salt and pepper

Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, jam, and a little salt and pepper. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking as you pour. Set aside.

Chop the kale into fine ribbons. Pour the dressing into a large bowl. Add the kale and massage the dressing into the kale leaves with your hands. Now add the shredded beet and daikon, pomegranate seeds, red onions, and pecans. Mix well and serve.

Removing Seeds From a Pomegranate

Pomegranate seeds are a great addition to fall dishes. They are high in antioxidants, and also contain a healthy dose of Vitamin C. Their unique tart and sweet flavor makes them an especially nice addition to kale salads. I have seen a few recipes that call for pomegranate seeds which include notes that say something along the lines of "you can find pomegranate seeds at Trader Joe's/Whole Foods, etc".  I'm here to tell you that you do not need to buy packaged pomegranate seeds! Pomegranate seeds come in their own natural package (the pomegranate!), and they are easy to get out if you know how. The trick? A bowl of water and a colander or strainer. You cut  the pomegranate open and then submerge it in the bowl of water and massage to gently release the seeds. The seeds sink to the bottom and the white pith floats to the top. There are lots of youtube videos demonstrating this; I like this one. I don't have a strainer, so I just skim the white pith off the surface of the water with my fingers and then dump the water and seeds in a colander to drain. This only takes a few seconds, and you get to enjoy delicious pomegranate seeds with no mess.

Healthier Taco Salad

Tonight I threw together some quick taco salads. This take on a taco salad is something I fell in love with when I worked at Macheeezmo Mouse in the early 90s. It's a lightened up version of the usual taco salad (which is typically served in a deep fried bowl), and yet for me, it still satisfies the itch. It's an old favorite of mine- comfort food from my early twenties that still fits into the way I want to eat today. At Macheezmo, we used to make the "sour cream" with 1/2 sour cream and 1/2 yogurt. I use plain low-fat yogurt now, but you could try the 1/2&1/2 version if you like a richer topping, or you could also try low or non-fat greek yogurt for a more traditional sour cream consistency.

Healthier Taco Salad
serves 2 generously
Lettuce (Romaine or green leaf, red leaf gets too cooked by the hot beans)
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa (optional but really good)
1 can black beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
grated pepper-jack
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 avocado, cubed and scooped from the shell
a handful of chips for each salad
salsa
plain yogurt
cilantro or green onions (optional)

First, empty your can of beans into a small pot. Add the spices. Stir and heat until very hot. Cover 2 large salad plates with lettuce. Layer toppings in this order: rice, beans, cheese, red peppers, avocados. Crush a handful of chips and sprinkle on each salad. Top with yogurt and salsa and sprinkle with cilantro and/or green onions. Serve immediately.