Entree, Featured, Food

Caramelized Onion & Eggplant Pasta Marinara (V, GF)

August 11, 2020
Caramelized Onion & Eggplant Marinara (V, GF)

Vegan or not, I know you will devour this Caramelized Onion & Eggplant Pasta Marinara. It’s everything you’d want from a pasta dish: decadently rich, perfectly cheesy, and delightfully satisfying. With only a few fresh ingredients needed, this makes for a quick and simple weeknight dinner with ample leftovers for the rest of the week.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced.
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced.
  • 4 cups white mushrooms, sliced.
  • 2 large pre-salted eggplants, cubed.*
  • 1 teaspoon oregano.
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Olive oil.
  • 1, 8 oz package of penne, cooked.*
  • 1 package of The Meatless Farm Co. meatless grounds (optional).
  • 2, 25 oz jars of marinara of choice.
  • Plant-based cheese to garnish (optional).

* = see notes at the bottom of the post.

Instructions

  • In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in a generous drizzle of olive oil until lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes on medium heat). Add sliced mushrooms, pre-salted and rinsed eggplant*, oregano, thyme, and a pinch of salt, sautéeing for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  • Prepare meatless grounds (or protein of choice) according to the instructions on the box.
  • Prepare pasta of choice according to the instructions on the box, drain, and set aside.
  • Add cooked grounds, drained pasta, and marinara to the sautéd eggplant and onion mixture. Stir all ingredients thoroughly, cover, and let simmer on low (checking/stirring periodically) for at least 20 minutes.
  • Plate and garnish with plant cheese if desired (Violife makes a great vegan parmesan).
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes from the kitchen:

Eggplant:

Salting your eggplant prior to cooking draws out any excess bitter taste. Follow these instructions from MyRecipes.com:

“To salt eggplant, peel and cut it in whatever size and shape pieces the recipe calls for. Place it in a colander, sprinkle generously with salt (don’t worry, you’ll be rinsing most of it off before you cook it) and let it sit for about an hour. Before using, thoroughly rinse the eggplant and pat it dry.”

Pasta:

To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free penne. I prefer the brand Ancient Harvest for gluten free pasta products. If gluten is not a concern/allergy, any plant-based pasta of choice will work.

Living Well

I See You

July 1, 2020

I see you.

Let me hold your pain, your heart, your hand.

I want to know what drives your fire and what breaks your heart.

The noise of this world can be paralyzing. Let’s drown it out with the nectar that is true connection –

locked eyes, open hearts, trust coating every word.

How do we begin to dismantle the deleterious ways of being that masked themselves as protective – an escape from heartbreak and disappointment?

The numbing.

The obsessions.

The running away from.

These behaviors, a roaring sea of self-destruction, masked as a safe harbor.

“Let go,” they say.

So little by little we sit, reflect, ponder, be –

each on a unique journey of unlearning.

Repetitious.

Lifelong.

When you start to chip away at all that’s kept you closed and broken, what seeps through the scars?

What will you grab with your newly empty hands that once clinged to the illusion of ‘safe’?

Last weeks, midnight musings – copied from the smudged, inky pages of my Moleskine. Is anyone else writing more in quarantine? I don’t normally share my poetry, but I figured if there was ever a time…

Wishing everyone good health.

Featured, Living Well

Combating Racism and Understanding White Privilege: Here’s Where You Can Start

June 8, 2020
RESOURCES TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON COMBATING RACISM AND UNDERSTANDING WHITE PRIVILEGE

I will never personally understand the devastating impacts of indoctrinated and systemic racism and I have never intended to center myself in a movement in which I have no authority or experience to speak on. I am a white, cis-gender woman. I am an ever-learning, always improving ally and advocate. But, I am mostly here to listen.

Below is a list of resources I’ve complied ranging from books to podcasts. I fully acknowledge that this is just a list and that long-term, systemic change will be provoked and sustained through action (not lists or black squares on social media) and that providing resources doesn’t eliminate centuries-old, systemic oppression and violence.

Please comment below with any additional resources or comments.

Books:

Film/Television:

Podcasts:

Videos:

Black Feminism & the Movement for Black Lives – Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers:

Let’s Get To the Root of Racial Injustice – Megan Ming Francis, TEDxRainier

Systemic Racism Explained – Act.tv

Sesame Street for Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, a town hall for kids and families. (CNN)

CNN and 'Sesame Street' to host a town hall addressing racism - CNN
Image via CNN

Race Matters: America in Crisis – PBS NewsHour

Articles/Blog Posts:

Resources:

Dessert, Featured, Food

Oatmeal, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 16, 2020
OATMEAL, WALNUT, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These Oatmeal, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cookies has been on repeat since the start of quarantine. My husband loves them and my 1 year old neighbor approves which is all the validation I need. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and can be modified using similar ingredients you might have in your pantry (see ‘notes’ for more).

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose, gluten free flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 flax “egg”
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup safflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. (Parchment paper works too.)

Begin by preparing a flax egg. Set aside. Combine the oats, flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, flax “egg” and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Using your hands, roll tablespoon-size scoops of dough into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, and press down slightly on the balls to flatten the tops. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes:

  • Makes 10-12 cookies.
  • I recently have taken a liking to Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour which is what I used in this recipe. It mimics the texture of wheat flour better than many of the gluten free flours I’ve used in the past. You can find this product at most grocery stores.
  • You can easily swap the gluten free flour for regular flour if gluten isn’t a concern. In addition, an egg can replace the “flax egg” if desired.

Enjoy!