ABOUT

All Posts Tagged with "carrots"

01 Oct Fries, A Love Affair… Part Two

And now a simple guide for baking veggies into fries, with a recap of my five faves from the summer’s experiments, and five dips that will keep fries on your mind….

The Basic Formula That Brings So Much Joy …

1 large … chose your poison (something starchy and hearty that will caramelize or crisp up nicely while baking but still hold its shape for proper fry handling):

Potato (snoooooze, I know, but it’s a classic for a reason, and you can jazz it up by choosing purple potatoes!)
Sweet potato (my true love)
Carrot (not the rockstar I had hoped for, but still yummy and different)
Parsnip (sweet potato’s main competitor for my affection)
Butternut squash (new kid on the block and current fall superstar!)

oil of choice:

Olive oil (classic, reliable and my personal favorite)
Coconut oil (can add a little pizzazz and a hint of the tropics to your fries)
Grapeseed oil (very light on taste, great with high-heat cooking)

sea salt

0ptional additions:

Pepper
Herbs (e.g. a mix of dried basil, rosemary and thyme)
Spices (e.g. cumin, ginger or garam masala are nice for changing things up)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (honestly, I fluctuate between 400 and 450, depending on what else I’m cooking and what my fingers do with they hit the oven keypad. Not scientific, but true. BUT, I think 400 is a very respectable and safe bet) and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and cut veg of choice into sticks, fairly uniform in thickness. I like mine three bites long (~ 2 ½ to 3 inches), if possible, but I do what I can depending on the shape of what I’m fry-ifying. Place sticks into a large bowl. Add about one turn of oil (if using coconut oil, you’ll want to melt it first so it sticks to the veggies better), enough to lightly coat the sticks. They don’t need to be dripping wet – it’s a waste of oil – but you don’t want to be too stingy – or the sticks won’t caramelize – which is why I stopped trying to use my oil mister here. Lightly salt with a good sea salt. Totally. Makes. A. Difference. The rest is optional – add a couple turns of pepper, or a tablespoon of dried herbs or a teaspoon of spices. Typically, I stop at salt because what I really want is the taste of the veg, and then I get creative with dipping sauces, if I want to go crazy.

Okay, toss fries in bowl to coat well with the oil and the additions, if any. Spread out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then check, using a spatula to flip or mix up the fries for even crisping. Bake another 20 minutes. Depending on the accuracy of your oven thermometer, the thickness of your fries and your veg of choice, you may need a little less or a little more time, so I like to check in every 20 minutes to see how things are going.

And Good Things To Dip Them In

If you don’t want naked fries or are addicted to dipping like me, never fear, with a little bit of creativity you can create some great dunks with what’s in your kitchen, perhaps while you’re twiddling your thumbs waiting for your fries to bake. Here are some faves of mine:

Homemade Ketchup (avoid sugar in store bought)
Pesto Dip – Make some pesto and mix with yogurt (I prefer Greek). I like a 1:2 ratio.
Herbed Greek Yogurt – Finely chop mixed fresh herbs and mix with Greek yogurt and a dash of salt. Let sit for a while for the flavors to marry.
Garlic “Aioli” – Roast garlic (a whole bunch, still in the skin), squeeze the soft baked sweet goodness out and mix with Greek yogurt. (Okay, this one you actually need to think up before you pop your fries in the oven, so you have time to roast your garlic.)
Muhammara (a.k.a. roasted red pepper and walnut dip)

There is no dearth of fry experimentation among the many healthy living blogs out there. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try Angela’s almond butter parsnip fries or Stef’s almond flour eggplant fries.

Now… go make some fries! And, definitely report back your experiments!

28 Aug How To Poop In The Woods

I was torn on what to title this post: ”Vacation Number Two,” “Yo Yosemite,” “Get Back to Earth,” “Best Yoga Studio Ever” … but “How To Poop In The Woods” seemed too perfect, for way too many reasons. I spent the first week of August backcountry camping in Yosemite with 14 other fabulous people who thought lugging 45-pound packs for five miles, camping along Snow Creek Falls with Half Dome watching over us and taking two yoga classes a day was a great way to go on vacation. Weirdos, I know. The best weirdos ever, if you ask me.

We day-hiked, we camped, we yoga’d – layering up and down from thermal underwear to tank tops and back again as the sun shifted to and fro behind different peaks – we swam, we ate amazing food, we went gaga over meadows of lupine, tiger lilies and butterflies, we sniffed the butterscotch bark of jeffrey pines, we spotted shooting stars, wild grouse and rattlesnakes, we listened as bears inspected our goods late at night, we laughed (a lot), we got dirty (really, really dirty), we honored the people and places that mean the most to us, we played charades and … perhaps most importantly, hilarious, delightfully … we learned how to poop in the woods.

In a nutshell:

1) Talk about it. Nothing, nothing, makes pooping in the woods more uncomfortable than having to sneak around to do it. An honest and funny conversation about how to properly dispose of poop (e.g. digging holes, marking “poop graves”, etc) and why pooping with the best view possible is sooooooo satisfying, makes alllllll the difference; it becomes a source of pride to grab the bathroom bag and head off beyond camp.

2) Drink water. Hydration is key to achieving and maintaining properly flowing pipes whether you’re trying to stay regular at home, abroad or at 6,600 feet.

3) Eat the right foods. Oh, it’s tempting to stock up on Pop Tarts and Ramen, but if you’re over say… 16, it’s time to step it up. Soluble fiber (e.g. beans, whole grains, etc) is key, key, key to preventing and relieving both diarrhea and constipation. Insoluble fiber (e.g. veggies) is also important for maintaining regularity.

4) Relax. Be present, letting go of mental, emotional, and physical tension or reaching. Just be where you are and let yourself relax.

5) Find the best view ever. Watching dawn break over Half Dome while doing your business = best poop EVER.

Now that I think about it, pooping in the woods is a lot like living everyday life (talk about things, drink water, eat right, relax, find a good view). But let’s get back to number 3: Eat the right foods. Remember soluble fiber from above? Yeah it’s good for your body, but guess what else? It’s deeeeeelicious. Here’s my version of the fabulous lentil stew/dal our guides made for our last dinner in the wilderness.

Kylah’s Lentils

1 C lentils (dry)

2 medium-small carrots, thinly sliced

1 small onion, medium dice

1/2 medium poblano pepper, finely diced (add more of the pepper, if you want more heat)

1 medium zucchini, quartered length-wise and thinly sliced

1 t gharam masala

pinch cayene pepper (or more, to taste)

water

1/4 C coconut butter

olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse and soak lentils over night* (cover with water, about an inch above beans, leave on counter and protect with a dish towel). Before you’re ready to cook, drain and rinse the lentils in a strainer and set aside.

In a medium pot, saute onion and poblano pepper in a little olive oil (one turn of the bottle) over medium-high heat until onion begins to turn translucent, then add the gharam masala, cayene and a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Cook the spices with the onion/pepper for a minute, then add the carrots and zucchini.

Keep cooking until zucchini begins to soften a little, then add lentils and water – you want enough water (~1 1/2 to 2 C) so you can see it, but not enough to cover everything.

Stir well to fully incorporate lentils into vegetables (the legumes may seem way outnumbered but don’t worry, they’re little fighters and will dominate in the end). Reduce heat to the lower side of medium, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure everything’s okay (e.g. the water hasn’t evaporated leaving the lentils and veggies to burn).

Now, the secret ingredient: coconut butter.

Start with 1/4 C, stir well, let simmer a few minutes and taste. Adjust spices – add more gharam masala, cayenne, salt or pepper to taste – and add just a little more coconut butter if you want things creamier (as it simmers and sits later, the lentils will thicken up a little more, so you don’t need to go super crazy with the coconut butter).

Simmer for another 20 minutes. Serve with rice and/or flatbread (e.g. naan or chapati). I really don’t know how to describe how creamy and decadent this is. The coconut butte gives the lentils a “wait, what is that taste? It reminds me of India and Thailand, and, something else” quality, but it’s so yummy your guests won’t waste anymore time puzzling it out because they’ll be too busy scarfing down their bowls of beans. By the way, left-overs make an awesome Indian burrito or go nicely over polenta.

*Note about prepping legumes: Most people don’t presoak their lentils. I never did before and suffered mightily for it. There are two legumes that I avoid – black beans and, to a slightly lesser extent, lentils. Most people feel some… let’s call it “digestive challenge” when eating beans. Those babies pack a high-fiber punch, so it’s no surprise that eating them leads to all manner of digestive excitement. If you’re lucky, you get a little extra gas, maybe an ill-time toot in public; if you’re unlucky, you can get intense intestinal cramps for days.

There are a few ways to make legumes less of a digestive challenge for your body. (1) Make sure they are well-cooked, which means soaked for an appropriate period of time, rinsed afterward and then cooked long enough. (2) You can add a piece of kombu (a type of seaweed) to beans as they cook – kombu is credited with magically making the beans more digestible (remove before serving or processing). (3) You can also process your beans (blend them like hummus or refried beans) to give your stomach and small intestine a head start on breaking them down (I’ve definitely noticed a difference between eating whole chickpeas and hummus).

27 Jul Thymed Parsnip and Carrot Fries

Have I already mentioned that ever since I found Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup (no sugar!), I’ve been obsessed with making fries? First, I was baking batch after batch of sweet potato fries, but recently I’ve moved on to less traditional ingredients: parsnips and carrots. I was turned on to parsnips by one of my favorite foodie blogs, Oh She Glows. This isn’t exactly Angela’s recipe. Actually, with the exception of using parsnips, cutting them into fry-like shapes and baking, it’s pretty much nothing like hers, but she was the source of inspiration and I give credit whenever/where ever it’s due (you should try her recipe too, it’s a wonderfully decadent dish). Sunday, while I was spending some quality time at home cleaning, weeding, organizing and luxuriating in the feeling of sweet freedom that comes when you don’t have to be anywhere in particular, I got a hankering for something sweet and baked that I could dip into TJ’s ketchup. I whipped these up and took a well-deserved break (with some delightful company who stopped by to chat — hi, Melissa!), licking my fingers as I plowed through the plate (poor Melissa only managed to grab a few. Oops).

Thymed Parsnip and Carrot Fries

one handful of thick carrots

one handful of thick parsnips (or one gigantic parsnip, like the behemoth I found at Whole Foods)

olive oil

handful fresh thyme (~ 1 T)

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment if you want to minimize clean up. Sadly, I was out and still need to scrub the pan.

Cut carrots and parsnips into fry-like shapes. I like them long and thick to keep them substantial enough to dip into dips – this is especially important for the carrots, which, no matter what you do, tend to be on the softer side, even with a pretty good crisping from the oven, but I like the contrasting color and the change up from sweet potatoes (maybe next time I’ll use some of the purple potatoes I brought home from this weekend’s farmers market). Place fries in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 or 4 turns of olive oil, sprinkle with some good quality salt (I’ve been LOVING Trader Joe’s Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals) and pepper and then add the fresh thyme.

(Note about using fresh thyme: I think I’ve already established that I’m a fairly lazy cook. I’m not about to take the time to pluck every leaf off a bunch of thyme. I’ve tried it before and it made me crazy. Life’s hard enough, why create more struggle? Instead, I hold each major thyme “branch” by the top cluster of leaves and then use my other hand to strip the remaining leaves off in one quick swipe, pinching off the top cluster when I’m done and tossing that into the mix. On more mature “branches” with leaf clusters that have their own tiny stems, this means I also swipe off those tender stems. For something like fries, where I can pick off anything too woody before I pop it into my mouth, I don’t care. I’m just saying, you don’t have to make yourself crazy over these little tiny leaves. It’ll be alright.)

Anyway… toss with tongs, mix with your hands or shake the bowl around until all the carrot and parsnip pieces are well-coated (but no need to make them soaking wet with oil).

Spread fries out on a large baking sheet (large enough so you can give them a toss with a spatula or a strong shake halfway through baking). Pop in the oven for ~40 minutes (check after 20 minutes and mix them around so they don’t just crisp up on one side).

Viola, done! Now, just try to restrain yourself and share a little with your guests.