Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Indulging in 2012

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Happy New Years Eve!!!

 

 

In case you do get a little over-zealous while welcoming 2012…

 

Top 5 Hangover Helpers:

  1. Sleep – roll over and pray it goes away
  2. Hydrate – before you roll over and go back to sleep, chug a big glass of water or Gatorade (taking a Motrin or Excedrin Migraine with it may not be a bad idea either)
  3. Exercise – nothing works better than to sweat out all those toxins (not that I would know)
  4. Hair of the Dog – there’s a reason bloody’s and mimosas are breakfast drinks.  They work.  Just watch out or you’ll only have a worse hang over the following day!
  5. Kombucha – It may be in my head, but I swear this stuff lessens a hangover.  Is it the tummy-pleasing enzymes?  The fermentation?  The carbonation?  Who cares.  It works.

 

 

Other ideas include: Waffle House, coffee, (caffeine), Pedialyte.  Mom says orange juice.  Baby sis says Emergen-C before going out and pickles the next day.

 

You can thank us later (when your head stops pounding).

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 In all the excitement I almost forgot to post about my December Foodie Penpal treats!

The amazing Rachael @ The Avid Appetite sent me a package not to be forgotten!

 

 

In it was homemade marshmallows (which were gone in about 30 minutes!), a fantastic loaf of banana bread, KIND bars, and a couple of holiday teas.  Sometimes I think bloggers have ESP – how did she know that banana bread is my favorite loaf and that KIND bars have been on my “to try” list for literally a year?  Thanks, Rachel!!!  And thank you for organizing, Lindsay!

 

Want a Foodie Penpal of your own?

Please send an email to Lindsay @ theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:

-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)

She will need to hear from you by January 4th – penpals will be notified on January 5th!

***

Thank you for all of the wonderful comments yesterday AND for the votes to land me in the FoodBuzz Top 9 today (check it out here) – you guys made my 2011!

What are your big plans tonight?

Any hangover cures to share? 🙂

 

Top 11 in 2011

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2011 was a big year.

 

 

I began this blog at the end of 2010 (yes, I missed my blogiversary), and I cannot believe how much my life has evolved since.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the wonderful bloggers out there.  You have inspired me in so many ways – introducing me to new foods, pushing me to think of new flavor combinations, motivating fitness and healthy living by example and through kind comments.

 

Resolutions aren’t my cup ‘o tea – I like to tackle goals as I think of them throughout the year.

In lieu of posting those and in honor of a rockin’ 2011, I decided to list the top 11 posts for the year.

 

Often I see bloggers comment that they don’t necessarily agree with the top posts… but in this case I largely agree.  There are a couple of soups/stews not on the list – but you guys apparently like breakfast and dessert (and I have no room to judge)!  Out of these 11 my top 3 are #1, 2, and 7.

 

Top 11 in 2011

1. Sparkling (Champagne) Cake Balls (these would be great to bring to a NYE party – toast with balls!)

 

2. Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding (with an overview on the benefits of chia)

 

3.  Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal

 

4. Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies

 

5. Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (with an overview on the benefits of coconut flour)

 

6. Coconut Milk Greek Yogurt (with PBJ Vegan Yogurt recipe)

 

7. Cherry Balsamic Chickpea Salad (this was one of my favorite meals of the year)

 

8. Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls

 

9. Liquid Sweet Potato Pie

 

10. Garam Masala Daal (this post also includes my favorite Banana Cashew Chia Pudding recipe!)

 

11. PB&J Pancakes (gluten-free and vegan!)

Thank you to everyone who has read this blog, left a comment, passed along my link, written an inspiring blog… I am honored to have you all in my life and wish nothing but the best for us all in 2012!

***

I stopped posting on weekends… but check back tomorrow for a special Saturday post that might come in handy this weekend.

If you are a blogger, are your “most viewed” recipes the one you like the most?

What is your biggest hope or goal for 2012?

 

Falafel on a Waffle

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Today is a Piedmonte region day!  I’m excited to have a free(ish) day to wander around and explore (read: shopping).  This region is arguably one of the prettiest… and you know I’m on a truffle hunt.  

Alba’s white truffle is considered the best in the world and they are in season now.  The winter black truffles from this region are supposedly incredible as well.  (But really… what truffles aren’t good?!)

Not to be left out of the excitement, Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen has written an awesome guest post for today.  This girl is the most creative blogger out there.  She is the queen for turning the ordinary into extra-ordinary.  She’s a huge inspiration for me (her yogurt creations inspired my own Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt), and makes me laugh with her morning-post musings.

______________________________________________________________________________

Howdy, y’all! My name is Sarah (aka Miss Smart) and I blog over in The Smart Kitchen… where sometimes I’m smart, and sometimes I’m just stumbling upon greatness.*
*In the case of the photo below…a pretzel and Nutella milkshake! 😉

 

I’m extremely honored to be guest posting for Miss Laura today, while she’s eating and drinking (and celebrating and…singing? dancing? kayaking? what else does one do in Italy?) her way through Italy.

But, truth be told, guest posting can be uber-stressful.*

*Yes, I use the phrase “uber.” I also say “dude” in real life.

You hope that when you “arrive” you’ll be greeted like Belle at the mansion, and all the other bloggers (who may or may not be transformed into kitchen gadgets and housewares) will dance and sing and welcome you with open arms. But to do that, you’ve got to compose the epitome of post perfection…something to hook potentially new readers and blog friends* immediately and make them actually click over towards  your  blog home.
*I do not use the phrase “blends.”

But that’s futile. You’ll like me or you won’t.
So here’s a picture of me eating a hamburger.
It was good.

Just like the rest of this post will be.
————–

Over on my blog [slash] in my “real life” I’m working on tackling a number of cooking and eating ‘feats’ as part of my Culinary Bucket List. One of those was to “start with dried beans” in a recipe. But after successfully making (and baking) a relatively ‘traditional’ [sans frying in oil, of course] falafel, I couldn’t get an idea out of my head: Why stop with just falafel, when you could have falafel…

..on a WAFFLE!?

 

This recipe pretty much encapsulates me as a blogger: a mindset focused on “playing with my food” and a tendency towards the seemingly bizarre that somehow just…works. The fact that I was fixated on making a dish simply because it rhymed…well that just shows how I constantly feel like a small child trapped in a 27-year-old’s body.

Also, I am obsessed with my food processor.

Although I could have just eaten my Baked Falafel on the not-to-sweet waffles I had purchased, I just had to be difficult (as usual) and reinvent the wheel. If there are chickpea fritters for afternoon and evening…why not bean balls for breakfast?

 

2 cups of chickpeas, soaked overnight* + 1/2 cup mashed banana + spices + honey

*Alton Brown says for falafel you must used soaked, uncooked garbanzos. I’m not going to tell him if you cheat.

Process until smooth…scraping the sides once or twice as necessary.


Once the dough starts to stick, you’re ready! It will be pretty wet and goopy.


Set up a Henry Ford-inspired assembly line with a small bowl of flour in between your processor and your sheet pan.*
*Or your cutting board…if you are embarrassed by the state of your sheet pans and don’t particularly want to photograph them.

 

Roll the Banana Falafel in the flour, just to get a light coating to hold them together.


Bake on a coated baking sheet for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. The tops won’t brown too much…


…but their bottoms will brown quite nicely.*

*Anyone else just get an image of the Coppertone sunscreen bottle with the baby and her bum?…No?  (Editor’s note: yes… wasn’t that Jodi Foster’s bum?!)

 

What’s Falafel on a Waffle without syrup, though?

Or in this case….Ta-honey Sauce?

Also known as “another time I made up something based on a quirky name,”  Ta-honey Sauce is a mix without exact proportion of roasted tahini, honey, and yogurt and/or almond milk, warmed up a smidge in the microwave.

 

Let’s just say…this is a breakfast worth eating.

And repeating.*

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Falafel on a Waffle

(Banana Falafel with Ta-honey Sauce)

  • 2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight (from approximately 2/3 cup dried)
  • 1/2 cup mashed banana (1 small)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • Waffles
  • Berries
  • Ta-honey Sauce (method follows)

1. Combine all ingredients (except flour) in food processor. Process until mixture holds together when squished.
2. Put flour into a small bowl.
3. Roll falafel ‘dough’ into balls—it will be very wet—and coat in flour to help maintain shape.
4. Bake falafel on a baking sheet prepared with cooking spray for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Serve falafel on waffles, topped with berries and Ta-honey Sauce.

To prepare Ta-honey Sauce: Whisk together approximately 2 Tbsp. tahini, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. yogurt, and 2 Tbsp. milk to taste, heating in the microwave if necessary. Pour over falafel on waffles!

***

Isn’t this lady a creative genius?  I wish I could think of things like breakfast falafel.

What’s the craziest combo you’ve ever tried?

Do you like to shake up your breakfast or are you a creature of habit?

 

PBJ Pancakes (gluten-free and vegan!)

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Friday should always be pancake day.

I made some last week as a treat and am wishing that what I was eating today.

Alas, I am 1 focus group, 1 executive presentation, and 1 flight away from my long weekend.

To those who were on Twitter last night: I did survive the Copperhead sighting.

As seen at the Sheraton Airport Charlotte Hotel

Would you have checked out of the hotel?  I did not.  It wasn’t in my room… but let’s just say last night wasn’t the best sleep I’ve ever gotten.

After Tweeting about the incident, Starwood Hotels responded and comp’d my room… too bad it was billable to the client anyway.

They should have comp’d my glass of vino.

 

Let’s focus on the good:

You guys know about my obsession with peanut flour.   I’m convinced it’s good in any form: Veggie Dip, PBJ Vegan Yogurt Deliciousness, Spicy Peanut Sauce…

…and now, PANCAKES.

Yummy, fluffy, pea-nutty, vegan, gluten-free pancakes.

At first I was going to drown drizzle these in maple syrup.  Then it dawned on me: jelly goes peanut butter like peas and carrots.

45 seconds later, I had homemade raspberry syrup – and it’s only sugar is from the fruit itself.

Approximately 5 mins after that, I had this:

Moral of the story: skip the Denny’s gut-busters and BYOP (bring your own pancakes), PYT.

PBJ Pancakes 

For the Cakes:

For the Jam:

Mix together ground flax and water.  Set aside for 2-3 mins, allowing the mix to gel into a flax “egg.”

In small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add liquids and flax egg, stirring until just combined. Spoon on to warm pan (med-high heat), forming 1-2 pancakes.  Flip half way through… you guys know how to make pancakes. 🙂

Meanwhile, place the berries and stevia in a small bowl.  Place in microwave ~45 seconds.  Remove and stir.

Plate pancakes and top with “jam.”  Enjoy!

Notes: Any flour should work here.  You can also use a regular egg or 2 egg whites in place of the flax egg.

Makes 1-2 pancakes.

***

You guys had some awesome comments/insights in response to yesterday’s obesity discussion.  Thank you SO much  – I really enjoyed the different perspectives. 🙂

Is there anyone out there that doesn’t like PBJ?

What fun are you getting into this long weekend?

Free to Breathe 5K

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I am writing this from a Korean Spa.

 

JeJu.  It’s really the only way to recover from a 5K!  I also used it to recover from Tough Mudder.

No, there isn’t a happy ending.

 

The race was the Free to Breathe 5K.  It was a very, very hilly race through an Atlanta neighborhood called Virginia Highlands.

Despite the humidity and hills, I nailed a PR!

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14 miles
  • Time: 23:06
  • Average Pace – 7:21

 

1st place in my age group and 5th overall!  The fastest female finished in just over 19 mins.  Crazy fast.

 

 

Which clearly deserved a hearty breakfast from Osteria with my friend Jessica.

The omelet was good, but the grits were icky soupy.  In my omelet: red pepper, onion, spinach, basil, and a side of pomodoro sauce.  YUM.

***

Back to the sauna I go!

What are you doing this weekend?

Can any of you run a 19 minute 5K?  How?!

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

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The “ayes” are in.

By “ayes” I mean the votes I received to my new specs.  I made everyone in the eye store vote (by everyone I mean 6-7 people).  Post-eye store I posted pics my top 3 choices for you guys and then left you in suspense. (Admit it.  You were still wondering about it. 😉 )

This is my serious, glasses-wearing face

Gucci won.  (If they had carried D&G, they probably would have won – yes, I’m like that.)

Speaking of seeing things… (<— most cleaver topic transition ever)

The recipe on my bulgur package caught my eye as I was making my Blueberry-Cilantro Bulgur Salad.  It was for a tabbouleh, but that’s not the interesting part (though it sounds good).  The part that jumped at me was how the bulgur is prepped.

Raw.

Apparently you can soak it for 15 mins and voila – raw bulgur.  I told you it’s like oatmeal!

As such, I made it for breakfast-ish.  Ish because I ate it for breakfast, but many of you would consider this to be a lunch or dinner dish.  To each their own.

Added bonus: it’s NOT hot (like overnight oats!) – perfect after a sweaty morning run!

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

The crunch from the raw bulgur was awesome, especially with the creaminess of the avocado.  Even if you can’t stomach it for breakfast, try it out at lunch.  It’s a great way to add more raw food (and protein!) to your diet. 🙂

Think about it: many people put salsa on their eggs.  You can often find avocado on breakfast sandwiches.  Why wouldn’t you put it on bulgur?

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

  • 1/4 C bulgur (uncooked)
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 T salsa
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 T fresh cilantro
  • S+P, to taste

Combine the bulgur and water in a bowl.  Let stand for 15 mins.

Fluff with fork.  Top with salsa, avocado, and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy!

***

It’s Friday!!!!!  I can’t even complain about this week – it FLEW by.

Do you think I made the right choice on the glasses?  Don’t tell me if you hate them.

Do you like sweet or savory breakfasts better?

Cottage Cheese and Egg Herb Bake

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Welcome New Readers!

I woke up yesterday to an awesome surprise – I made the Food Buzz Top 9 for the first time!!!  Not only that, but I was #2!

If that doesn’t make your Monday morning a happy one, I don’t know what will!

Thank you to anyone who buzzed my Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies, and to those who left the nicest comments I have ever received.  You guys made my day. 🙂

Inspired by the Buzz, I ended up running 5 miles – 2 miles more than I promised myself I would.

Stats:

  • Distance – 5 miles
  • Time – 41:15
  • Pace – 8:23

Equally exciting is a guest post!  Cait @ Beyond Bananas is in San Fran (lucky girl!), and yesterday she allowed me the honor of writing a guest post for her.  Ever the awesome blogger, she even gave my post a fantabulous title: Sprinting to Laura’s Table.  (Love it!)

I contributed a Cottage Cheese and Egg Bake recipe that uses garlic scapes (scapes are really cool – click here for more).

Fascinated by my new-found breakfast treat, I decided grab my carton of eggs and experiment with other flavors.

In this version I used fresh tomatoes, spinach, and Herbs de Provence.  The sweet French herbs combined with the floral lavender and classic Italian flavors gave this dish a great “pop.”  It left me greedily scraping the sides of my ramekin.

For those who aren’t familiar, Herbs de Provence is a mixture of herbs commonly used in France.  You can purchase this mix in your grocer’s spice section or make your own from herbs you may already have.  There are a million different versions out there.  Most commonly they consist of: savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram, fennel seed, and lavender*.


*I just read on Wikipedia that lavender is only used in the bastardized Americanized version.

Speaking of dried herbs… did you know that you aren’t supposed to keep them more than 6 months?  It’s a shame since many are so costly.  I began buying them at the farmer’s market where they are cheaper and sold is (slightly) smaller quantities.  They don’t go make-you-sick bad, but they do lose their flavor.

Herbs aside, one of the best things about the recipe is it’s ability to conform to your morning routine.  Allow me to explain.

Practical Guide to Making Egg Bake During the Morning Rush:

  1. Stumble out of bed
  2. Start coffee
  3. Allow oven to preheat while showering
  4. Mix ingredients and pour in ramekin
  5. Put in oven to bake
  6. Apply make-up/blow dry hair (if you’re a guy, do whatever guys do in the morning)
  7. Remove from oven
  8. Allow to cool while getting dressed
  9. Eat
  10. Run out door without forgetting to turn off oven

 

Cottage Cheese and Egg Herb Bake

  • 1/4 C cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1/2 medium tomato, diced
  • 1/2 C spinach
  • 2-3 basil leaves, chiffonade
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the eggs and cottage cheese together until well-combined and beginning to fluff.  Add remaining ingredients and beat again to combine.

Pour into a ramekin and bake for 35-40 mins.

Note: You may need to broil for 1-2 mins at the end to finish off the top.  Be sure to watch closely so it doesn’t get too browned.

***

I’m seriously still grinning from all of these comments.  Give me a day or so, but I will visit your blogs – love discovering new blogs/allowing my Reader to continue growing out of control! 🙂

Do you eat a hot breakfast on work days?

Are weekend breakfasts different/special treats in your house?

Rosebud Veggie Jam

By

I woke up late.  My post is delayed.  I’m behind on my blog reading today.  I should have already been in to work.

A sure sign of a successful night!

The 65 degree sunny morning did call my name for a run.  It was the first since my Achilles began acting up last Saturday.  Flat surfaces were ok, but hills were impossible.  A few more days of rest and I’ll be good to go (I hope).

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:40
  • Pace – 8:10

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Last night was my second Atlanta blogger meet up.  In attendance:

Thanks to Lee for sharing the pic! 

Left to right:

Somehow I managed to talk one of my favorite local chefs, Ron Eyester, into creating a vegetarian tasting menu for us at the meat-centric Rosebud.

That’s an exaggeration.  Despite his scary Twitter persona, Ron is a great guy who agreed to take on the challenge almost immediately.  (Sorry for outing you as a nice guy, Ron.)

Ron is known more for his meats.  I eat meat and can vouch for the tastiness of his meat-centric dishes.  After tonight, I can also vouch for his veggie-centric dishes.

He introduced the “Veggie Jam” by emphasizing the importance of using fresh, local ingredients and allowing them to shine without “cooking the shit out of them.”  (<– direct quote)

***The details may be a bit off in some of these descriptions, but know that a lot of thought was put into using seasonal, fresh ingredients in each course.***

 

Like all good meals, this one began with a cocktail.

Our cocktail was made of tomato-infused vodka, cucumber shrub, and soda.  It was garnished with mini-heirloom tomatoes.  This drink was tasty, light and paired really well with the first couple of dishes.

1st Course

Pink-Eyed Pea Pate 

This was Ron’s take on a vegetarian pate.  It was made with pink-eyed peas and served atop a crusty toast with radishes.  The radishes set off the pate flavor and the creamy pate was complimented by the crunch of the bread.

2nd Course

Marinated mozzarella, tomato, cilantro, and apricot

This take on a caprese salad was a success.  Rosebud makes their own mozzarella in-house.  It’s more dense than a bufala, which worked well with the spicy-cilantro tomato sauce.

3rd Course

Heirloom tomatoes, pineapple, and sriracha sauce 

Heirloom tomatoes are just beginning to appear and these are some of the first local varieties to come available this season.  They were perfectly red (though you can’t tell from my iPhone photography!) and flavorful.

The pineapple topping was incredible – I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that combo before!  It was drizzled with a srircha-olive oil mixture and topped with an impossibly fresh piece of parsley.

Course 4

Chilled potato and broccoli soup 

Honestly, this wasn’t my favorite.  It was a bit salty.  The soup was a chilled potato with a scoop of broccoli soup in the middle.

My favorite part was the cheese powder and the local egg.  It was the same cheese Ron uses at The Family Dog (his bar across the street) to make his “Cheetoes.”  Do not miss these if you’re ever at the bar!

Course 5

Brussels with Red-Curry Peanut Sauce 

This course was my favorite.  Brussel sprouts tossed in a red curry-peanut sauce and roasted.  It was mixed with fresh parsley and topped with crispy wontons.  Served with a side of the saucy deliciousness.  It was all I could do to keep myself from licking the plate.

Ron – please add this to the menu.  Immediately. 🙂

Course 6

Mac ‘n Cheese

True to form, Ron cannot simply make a mac and cheese.  This incorporated Midnight Moon aged goat’s cheese, a creamy cow’s milk goat cheese, dinosaur kale, and cauliflower.

It should be noted that at this point I am FULL.  But I’m no quitter, y’all.

Course 7

Yellow filet beans and tempura eggplant

Yellow filet beans – according to Ron – are only in season for a few weeks in the spring.  Now is the time.  If you see them in your local market, I urge you to check them out.  They’re similar to a pole bean, though a bit sweeter.

Ron tossed them with zucchini, fresh oregano (perfect herb compliment for these!), feta, kalamata olives, and a light vinaigrette.  All of this was served over a tempura-battered eggplant and a red curry ketchup.

Course 8

Rice grits with oyster shrooms and baby leeks 

Rice grits are similar to risotto, but they retain more crunch.  In a good way.  These were fantastic with the earthy oyster mushrooms and baby leeks.  Ron told us there were 20 lbs of leeks in our 6 dishes!  The charred leek on the top was my favorite.

Our server brought out a bottle of a California Cabernet that paired well with this dish.  Often people don’t think to pair a “big” wine with a meat-less dish, but with an earth mushroom and a heavier grain it works really well!

Course 9

Blue Cheese + Blueberries

A wonderfully rich blue cheese topped with a balsamic-port reduction.  This was served with simple, plump blueberries.  Their sweetness was amazing and they definitely stole this show!

Course 10

Bruleed Peaches and Salted Caramel Ice Cream

We finished with a salted caramel ice cream from High Road Craft Ice Cream (now being sold locally at Whole Foods!).  This was served with bruleed peaches – topped with brown sugar and cloves.  Note to self: I under-utilize cloves.

Despite being stuffed, I somehow managed to finish my gigantic bowl.  Had I known the other ladies better, I might have asked to finish theirs too.

Ron brought over a very special treat from The Family Dog – locally-made bourbon!  It was great with the peaches and salty ice cream.  I am going to have dreams of it drizzled as a sauce and served over peach bread pudding.

Ron and the local moonshine… errr… whiskey

This a random, but I have to say that I appreciate a guy offering whiskey to a table of ladies (and me).  Thanks for not discriminating – I ♥ whiskey.

Our server, Amber was incredible.  Knowledgeable, the right amount of attentive, and incredibly nice.  I’d have a drink with her anytime… and I like that in a server.  If you are in the Atlanta area, check out Rosebud and ask for her!  Tell her Laura sent you. 🙂

This post would be remiss without giving Rosebud a brunch shout-out – it’s one of my top 5 in Atlanta (and Atlanta has a LOT of brunches).  Order the Big Nasty.  Just trust me.

Ron – when will you be opening a vegetarian restaurant?!

***

Thanks to Ron, Amber, Rosebud, and some awesome bloggers for an evening to remember!

Do you have local blogger/common-interest group meet-ups?  

What sorts of things do you do?

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