Foodie Friday: Kale, it's what's for dinner -- and breakfast

Kale, kale, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Kale is one of my favorite dark leafy greens, and, surprisingly enough, it's also a favorite among my kids. So it's a winner all around. I will throw kale into just about anything. And to prove I'm not kidding, how about this breakfast smoothie recipe:

1 cup almond milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon of almond butter
1 big handful of raw kale

Pure green deliciousness. I'm not kidding. If you can get past the electric green color, you will be pleasantly surprised. I also put kale in green juice, but that's a whole other blog post.

Mainly I put kale with pasta in order to get my kids to eat it. I have created a seemingly endless array of crazy kale and pasta combinations. It started with beans and greens, but we have expanded to oh so many different combinations, one better than the next.

So...Beans and greens. So easy. So delicious. So healthy.

Beans and Greens
Like my Stone Soup recipe, this one changes every time I make it, depending on what I have in the pantry and fridge. Here's one version:

1 big batch of kale, rinsed, tough stems removed, cut into wide ribbons
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
A handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water to reconstitute and then sliced
(If I don't have sundried tomatoes, I'll just use a can of diced tomatoes. Another easy and delicious option. In fact, my kids prefer canned or fresh tomatoes to sundried.)
Baby bella mushroom, sliced
Six cloves of garlic, thinnly sliced
A splash of white wine
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound pasta, something short and chunky -- ditalini, farfalle, shells, even rigatoni
Parmesan cheese (for the table)

Put a pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, prep the rest of your ingredients. When water comes to a boil, salt it and toss in kale to blanch quickly. Just a minute or so. Then drain and set aside. (Keep the water so you can boil the pasta in the same water/pot.)

In a large frying pan, add a swirl of olive oil and heat the garlic slices.
Add mushrooms and sundried tomatoes and saute for a bit over medium heat.
Don't allow garlic to brown.
(Around now you should be putting the pasta into the already boiling, kale-scented pasta water.)

Add the beans to the frying pan and saute a minute or so more.
Throw in a splash of wine (if you like) or a splash of veggie or chicken broth.
When the pasta is close to done, add the kale to the saute pan.
Season with salt and pepper.
If it seems dry, take a little pasta water and add it to the saute pan.

Drain the pasta when it's al dente and add it to the saute pan, if it's big enough.
Otherwise, dump all of it into the serving bowl.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side.

Add a nice salad and some crusty bread and you have an awesome dinner. (And at our house, the meat eaters had a link of chicken-pesto sausage on the side. Olivia and I had a tofu sausage, but it really didn't need it.) You could also skip the pasta and make this as a side dish.

Most recently, however, I made a kale recipe that was declared the all time favorite version by the children. This one included butternut squash. Here are the basics:

Kale with Squash
Cube butternut squash, toss with olive oil, roast for about 20 minutes in 425 degree oven.
Blanch washed, trimmed kale in pasta water for about three minutes.  Meanwhile, saute some diced onions in EVOO. Strain out kale and add to saute pan. Cook pasta. When everything is done, toss squash with kale mixture and serve on top of pasta. Feel free to add some toasted walnuts or pine nuts and grated cheese when it reaches the table. Yum.

Still have more kale to use. How about this?

Kale Chips
Preheat over to 250 degrees.
Wash kale leaves, remove center stems, dry thoroughly.
Toss with a little olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
Place on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until crispy.

So there you have it: Kale, the wonder veggie. Do you have any favorite kale recipes?

What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner?

We're taking a survey at our house this morning: What's the best part of the Thanksgiving dinner?
Here's how the votes are breaking down...

Mary: Stuffing (without question). I can and will eat stuffing at every stage of the making/serving/storing process. I'll it eat half done, just right, ice cold. Nothing. Better. Than. Stuffing. (And my stuffing never enters or even touches the bird, just like my mama made it. Only better.)

Chiara: Cranberry sauce (the kind I blogged about on Foodie Friday this week.)

Chiara's friend: Mashed potatoes

Noah: Turkey

Dennis: Stuffing (Aw, we're stuffing soul mates.)

Olivia:  Stuffing (Mashed potatoes were a close second, but since she can have those any time, stuffing won the day.)

Leave your vote in the comment section.

So, why is it, if stuffing is the most popular food on our table by a vote of 3-to-1 in various categories, there are no photos of my fabulous stuffing. I guess I was too busy eating it. I'll be sure to get a shot this year in between bites. And maybe I'll even post my recipe.

Those braised and glazed Brussels sprouts in the photo above are pretty dang good, too. Very simple recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." If you're looking for a good veggie side, here's the recipe:

3 Tbs butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/2 cup or more vegetable stock, white wine, or water, more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine butter, Brussels sprouts, and stock in deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook until the sprouts are just tender, 5 to 10 minutes, checking once or twice and adding liquid as needed.

Uncover and raise the heat to boil off the liquid so the vegetables become glazed and eventually browned. Resist the urge to stir them frequently; just let them sizzle until golden and crisp, then shake the pan and loosen them to roll over. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes four servings.

Foodie Friday: Cranberry-pear sauce. Yum.

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my friend Michele B., but it has become a Poust family favorite. Everyone loves it, and it's so easy and so much better than the stuff that comes out still shaped like the can.

Put this on your Thanksgiving table and you just may be called on to make it every year, no matter where the holiday dinner is being served. And perhaps the best part of this Thanksgiving dish is that you can make it several days in advance. Just keep it tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.

12 ounces fresh cranberries, picked over
3 Bartlett pears, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch strips
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup water

1. In a medium-sized, heavy bottom, non-aluminum saucepan, combine cranberries, pears, sugar and dried cherries and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until berries have popped and are tender, about 15 minutes. (I often let it go longer than this because I like the berries beyond popped, but be careful about burning if you choose that option.) Cool to room temperature.

3. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 8 servings/4 cups

Foodie Friday: Autumn-inspired Israeli couscous

Autumn couscous, photo by Mary DeTurris Poust

This is a personal fall favorite, discovered when I was looking for a way to use the very large container of Israeli couscous I'd picked up in the bulk section of Honest Weight Food Co-op. A quick search of the Internet turned up this recipe by Giada De Laurentis of the Food Network.

What I especially love is that this recipe is perfect for this time of year -- it combines cranberries, apples and almonds -- and yet it's a little off the beaten recipe path. The result was a truly delicious room temperature or cool couscous side dish. (I supplemented with raisins since I didn't have enough dried cranberries, and it was still delicious.) I even had the chance to use some of the fresh rosemary and thyme growing in pots on the deck before a frost finishes them off. And see how pretty it is? I snapped that photo before digging in.

Here's Giada's recipe:

Couscous:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 medium green apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, see Cook's Note

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
For the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before using.

Foodie Friday: Mac and cheese and Mallomars

If there's one thing those of us on the East Coast could use right about now, it's comfort food. And what better than mac and cheese? I used to whip up my mom's old recipe, but then I discovered a Tyler Florence recipe over at Food Network, and I saw the light. It is the most amazing mac and cheese recipe ever, at least that's what my family tells me.

Here's the Food Network version of this classic:


Ingredients
4 cups (1 pound) elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups milk
1/2 medium onion, stuck with 1 clove
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated Cheddar, plus 1 cup in big chunks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and toss it with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set it aside. Put the milk into a saucepan and

Foodie Friday returns: Cajun-style collards

I have to start this post by thanking my friend Paula, who gave me her weekly CSA share from Roxbury Farm since she wasn't going to be around to get it this week. I got a nice bag of just-picked collards in the mix and couldn't decide what to do with them. Enter Vegan Planet, an awesome cookbook that even non-vegans will find hard not to love. (I'll have to post the sweet potato black bean enchiladas another week.)

I made these Cajun-style collards in between running kids to and from dance class and horseback riding lessons. Pretty simple and super delicious. Give them a try next time you find some nice collard greens at your local farmer's market or grocery store.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds collard greens
1 Tbls olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 green pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz-ounce can diced tomatoes (they say drained, but I used undrained)
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp file powder (I didn't have this on hand; worked fine without it, although I'm sure it would be much better with it since it is Cajun, after all.)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the collards in boiling salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop.
2. Saute onion, celery, pepper, garlic in olive oil until softened, about five minutes. Stir in tomatoes, thyme, cayenne, and file. Add collards and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat collards with onion mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes until flavors marry. I threw in a few tablespoons of water because my mixture seemed to be getting too dry, even with undrained tomatoes. Serve hot.

The carnivores in the house had this with smoked pork chops. I simply opted to put this on top of rice with a side of steamed butternut squash. A yummy fall dinner.

What are your favorite fall foods? I'm looking for a great recipe for the head of red cabbage I got in the farm share this week. Any ideas other than slaw?

Centipedes and the sanctity of life

So yesterday I ran downstairs to the unfinished side of my basement to throw in a load of laundry, and there on the cinderblock wall in front of me was the biggest house centipede I’d ever seen. After my initial “ACK!” reaction, I looked for the biggest thing I could find with plans to smash it, but it got away, moving in that creepy way centipedes do, all swervy and fast with legs and antennae going every which way. Down behind the rack of off-season clothes it went, and I made a mental note to shake out my jackets the next time I plan to wear one.

The incident was one that made for fun Facebook fodder. A quick status update about my centipede – nicknamed Randall after the nasty centipede-like character in the movie Monsters Inc. -- garnered 30 comments by the time evening rolled around. What started as silly I-hate-centipede humor turned serious as one friend with Buddhist leanings suggested that those of us in the anti-centipede camp consider why this bug is marked for execution when something, say, as beautiful as a Monarch butterfly would incite quite a different reaction. Should something – even as something as seemingly insignificant as a centipede – die an automatic death simply for being created ugly?

“We make light of killing bugs, but what we're saying is that some of God's creatures deserve to be killed, for no other reason than we find them ugly,” my friend wrote.

We went back and forth a bit, with me acknowledging that, yes, I want to kill giant centipedes because they are creepy and their movements aren’t nearly as endearing as a Monarch butterfly’s might be. But the friend who won’t kill the centipede will eat a hamburger, so that raises other questions, at least in my mind. If meat isn’t “necessary” to a healthy diet, is killing a cow to get dinner ingredients justified any more than killing a bug because it might crawl into our clothes or figuratively under our skin?

All of this got me to thinking less about the centipede and more about another issue that’s been rearing its head in my life recently. Although I’m a vegetarian who abstains from all pork, beef, chicken, and the like, with only occasional servings of seafood, I didn’t choose that path for animal rights reasons. Originally I chose it because my mother died of colon cancer and I wanted to do everything I could to avoid her fate, although I did have issues with factory farming and other cruel – and downright disgusting -- practices within the meat industry. Later, when Olivia, at age 7, decided she didn’t want animals to die for her dinner, I rejoined the vegetarian ranks in solidarity with her. Since that time, I feel myself moving more toward an animal rights stance, although I’m not there yet.

But our vegetarian lifestyle, and Olivia’s increasing interest in animal rights, has led to some long and rather frank conversations lately about things that have surprised and confused my socially aware 12-year-old. I explained to Olivia that she is likely to be an anomaly in most vegetarian and animal rights circles as she grows up. Why? Because she is a pro-life vegetarian like her mama. She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind when I told her that many (most?) vegetarians do not share our view. How, she asked, how could it possibly be that someone who doesn’t want to eat a chicken would think it’s okay to allow a baby to be killed while growing inside its mother? She knows already that many people in the animal rights movement would fight tooth and nail to prevent an unborn piglet or panda or calf or eagle from being killed in its mother’s womb, and she honestly couldn’t fathom how anyone who feels the way she does about animals would feel differently about people. The two seem to go together like hand in cruelty-free glove.

It certainly is a contradiction of grand proportions, one that seems to get glossed over in all the conversations about life and creation and preservation and nature. I see it in the magazines I get, the emails I receive, the newsletters from various vegetarian groups that find their way into my mailbox. We will put bumper stickers on our cars to save trees and salamanders and whales, but a bumper sticker that suggests saving babies brands you as a “hater” in this day and age. And that’s not just intolerance meant to intimidate, that’s willful ignorance of a truth once proclaimed by Dr. Seuss’s Horton: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Even a person no bigger than a house centipede.

Meatless Monday: Recipes to get you through Lent

So we're into our first full week of Lent with two meatless days under our belts already, and right about now you might be thinking, "We've done pizza. We've done fish fry. Now what?" I've got a combination of vegetarian and vegan recipes to see you through. I'll start with a bunch today and add more in the coming weeks.

The meatless thing is easy for me since I'm a vegetarian. However, during Lent, in order to make abstinence count for something, I go vegan on Fridays. That presents more of a challenge for me, although it's not as difficult as it seems on the surface. The dish in the photo above, for example, is vegan and totally awesome. That was last night's dinner, so obviously I'm not adverse to going vegan on non-Fridays as well.

Last night's dish is from the current issue of Vegetarian Times and is attributed to Paul McCartney. It's super simple, and Dennis, who was eating chicken with his veggies, tried the cornmeal-crusted tofu and declared it "restaurant quality." So there you go. Here's that recipe in a nutshell:

Recipe # 1: Steamed Veggie Salad with Tofu

2 pints cherry tomatoes

4 cups broccoli, separated into florets

1 red pepper, sliced

2 cups sugar snap peas

2 cups baby carrots

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Scallions, minced

1 block of tofu, cut into rectangular slices

Cornmeal

Salt, pepper, basil

Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside for later.

Preheat the oven to 400. Roast tomatoes for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam veggies in a steamer basket. (Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand. The original recipe called for string beans, but I had snap peas, so I made the substitution and added red peppers since my kids like those.)

Coat the tofu slices in cornmeal mixed with salt, pepper and dried basil. While the veggies steam, sauté the tofu in olive oil for about five minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel.

Put chopped Romaine lettuce and scallions on your plate. Put steamed veggies, roasted tomatoes, and tofu slices on top. Drizzle with dressing. Serves four to six, depending on how much your family loves tofu. Just add another half-block of tofu to get six big portions.

I served this with a side of quinoa. Take 1 cup of quinoa that has been soaked for five minutes and rinsed. Put quinoa and 1 1/2 cups of water in pot with a little salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is gone. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. Loosen with fork.

Recipe #2: Pasta and Lentils

I shared this recipe last year after surprising success with it. Here's what I said about it then:

Before you click by this post because the word "lentils" scares you, especially in relation to pasta, I beg you to stop and just consider it for a moment because it is out-of-this world delicious. This particular recipe is actually a combination of two: a lentil sauce recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and my own addition of roasted butternut squash and garlic that gets added in right before serving. (That change-up happened because I had a squash that needed to be used and, voila, a new recipe was born.) The result is a dinner that is not only vegan (no meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) but incredibly yummy, with a complex texture and taste even though it's easy to make.

Click HERE for the pasta and lentil recipe.

Recipe #3: Kale Two Ways

Click HERE for a great Beans and Greens recipe using kale and cannellini beans. As a bonus you'll also get a recipe for Kale Chips, which are a great low-cal salty snack.

Recipe #4: Israeli Couscous with Apples and Dried Cranberries

Click HERE for a great side dish to go with your Lenten fish or tofu. The recipe I have posted suggests chicken broth, but that's easy. Just swap it for vegetable broth.

Reciped #5: Creamy Polenta with Garlic and Cheese

This can be a main dish or a side dish. It can be vegan or not, with some minor adjustments.

1/2 cup milk, preferably whole, although I used skim with a splash of half and half (Use plain almond milk to make this vegan.)
2 cups water
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
I tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 spring fresh rosemary chopped, or a teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of butter (Earth Balance for vegan version)
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Combine milk and water with large pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium heat. When it's close to a boil, add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to keep away the nasty lumps. Add the rosemary.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep whisking until the polenta gets thick -- about 10 or 15 minutes. If it starts to look too thick too soon, add a little water. (I did this. I was fine.)

Add the butter, cheese (if using), garlic and stir. Grind some pepper into it to taste. Serve immediately as a side dish or main course. I doubled this recipe for my hungry family and used it as a side dish with baked salmon and sauteed broccoli rabe.

Variation: You can make grilled or fried polenta by decreasing the amount of water and making a thicker mixture. Don't add the butter, cheese. I'd probably skip the garlic and rosemary as well for this version. When it's done, spread the polenta on a board and let it cool for a while. Then cut it into slices -- about 1/2 inch thick. Now you can brush the slices with olive oil, salt and pepper and throw them on the grill or into a frying pan.

Stay tuned for more veggie recipes for Lent...

Foodie Friday: Kale, it's what's for dinner

I went a little kale crazy this week, buying two different (and rather large) batches, so afraid was I that I wouldn't have enough for my planned dishes. Kale is one of my favorite dark leafy greens, and, surprisingly enough, it's also a favorite among my kids. So it's a winner all around.

My first use of kale this week was in vegetable soup (Stone Soup), which I posted about in this space last Friday. I used only half the batch for the soup, so I clearly needed to make some other kale-centric dish. Beans and greens was added to the menu, but as the day neared, I worried that the half-batch I had on hand wouldn't be nearly enough. So off we went to buy an even bigger bunch. Now I had too much, although I would question whether you can ever have too much kale.

So...Beans and greens. So easy. So delicious. So healthy. But, wait, before, I made that entree, I whipped up a batch of kale chips. First time for that. Big hit. I'll try it again soon. Here are the two easy kale recipes:

Kale Chips
Preheat over to 250 degrees.
Wash kale leaves, remove center stems, dry thoroughly.
Toss with a little olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
Place on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until crispy.

Beans and Greens
Like my Stone Soup recipe, this one changes every time I make it, depending on what I have in the pantry and fridge. Here's the version I made this week:

1 big batch of kale, rinsed, tough stems removed, cut into wide ribbons
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
A handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water to reconstitute and then sliced
Baby bella mushroom, sliced
Six cloves of garlic, thinnly sliced
A splash of white wine
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound pasta, something short and chunky -- ditalini, farfalle, shells, even rigatoni
Parmesan cheese (for the table)

Put a pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, prep the rest of your ingredients.
When water comes to a boil, salt it and toss in kale to blanch quickly. Just a minute or so. Then drain and set aside. (Keep the water so you can boil the pasta in the same water/pot.)

In a large frying pan, add a swirl of olive oil and heat the garlic slices.
Add mushrooms and sundried tomatoes and saute for a bit over medium heat.
Don't allow garlic to brown.
(Around now you should be putting the pasta into the already boiling, kale-scented pasta water.)

Add the beans to the frying pan and saute a minute or so more.
Throw in a splash of wine (if you like) or a splash of veggie or chicken broth.
When the pasta is close to done, add the kale to the saute pan.
Season with salt and pepper.
If it seems dry, take a little pasta water and add it to the saute pan.

Drain the pasta when it's al dente and add it to the saute pan, if it's big enough.
Otherwise, dump all of it into the serving bowl.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side.

Add a nice salad and some crusty bread and you have an awesome dinner. (And at our house, the meat eaters had a link of chicken-pesto sausage on the side. Olivia and I had a tofu sausage, but it really didn't need it.)

You could also skip the pasta and make this as a side dish.

So there you have it: kale, the wonder veggie. Do you have any favorite kale recipes?

Coming up next week: Quinoa cakes with roasted red pepper sauce, which is on tonight's menu for the vegetarians. (Meat eaters are having pork pizzaiola. Dennis will need to start a blog if you want that recipe.)

Foodie Friday: Autumn-inspired Israeli couscous

I was recently looking for a way to use the very large container of Israeli couscous I'd picked up in the bulk section of Honest Weight Food Co-op. A quick search of the Internet turned up this recipe by Giada De Laurentis, one of my favorite Food Network chefs.

What I especially love is that this recipe is perfect for the autumn season, combining cranberries, apples and almonds, all of which I happened to have on hand. Well, I was a little short on dried cranberries, so I added some raisins to make up the difference. The result was a truly delicious room temperature or cool couscous side dish. I even had the chance to use some of the fresh rosemary and thyme growing in pots on the deck before a frost finishes them off. And see how pretty it is? I snapped that photo before digging in.

Here's Giada's recipe:

Couscous:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 medium green apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, see Cook's Note

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
For the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before using.

Foodie Friday: When the boys are away...

It's been girls' week at our house. Or at least girls' three days. With Dennis and Noah away, this is our opportunity to eat weird stuff that they'd rather skip.

I had hoped to have some lovely photos of the totally kickin' udon and tofu noodle soup I made last night, but, alas, the teenager took my camera to camp for a school trip and I screwed up something during the download from Olivia's camera. So, no photos, but I will tell you this: Udon noodle soup is delicious, whether you are vegetarian or not (it's actually vegan). In fact, it's so good it's a favorite with four out of five in our household, carnivores included.

It starts out with a shitake mushroom "dashi," or broth, made by simmering dried shitakes with slices of ginger and a little soy sauce. Once that's done -- after 15 minutes of simmer and 15 minutes of steeping. You pull out the ginger and prepare to make the rest of the soup. At that point you add rice wine vinegar, sake or sherry, mirin, more ginger, and soy sauce, and simmer. Meanwhile, you boil the udon noodles (You can also use soba noodles). When things are close to done, you add some cubed tofu and edamame to the soup and stir in a little light miso. When the noodles are done, drain and add to the soup. Top with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Delicious. If you want specific amounts, email me or leave me a note in comments and I'll get you the recipe.

Tonight we opted for homemade hummus with store-bought pita chips and leftover udon noodle soup. A fairly simple dinner (see photo above) after a cold night at the soccer field. Both girls declared the hummus the best they've ever tasted and asked to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, so that was nice. Pretty basic recipe from Mark Bittman, although I changed it up. I can't help it. I just can't leave well enough alone when it comes to recipes. I decreased the tahini and olive oil. I think it worked out fine. So it was basically a can of chick peas (drained), 1/4 cup of tahini, a good pour of olive oil, two cloves of garlic, slightly less than a tablespoon of cumin, juice of one lemon all whirred in the food processor. I added a little water to thin it, added some salt and pepper, and topped with fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. It can't touch my friend Michele's hummus, which really is the best I've ever tasted, but it came close.

So that's it from here. We're eating hummus and tofu. Dennis is dining at Manhattan restaurants. I think we both know who's got the better deal this week. On the other hand, Noah's eating camp food. So I guess it all evens out.

Have a great weekend. Eat some great food. Drink some great wine, or even some mediocre wine. But whatever you do, enjoy!

Meatless Fridays: What are you serving tonight?

From my post over at OSV Daily Take today:

It's Friday. Time for another meatless meal. Are you in need of some new ideas, something other than pizza or fish? I have just the thing. Or several things, actually.

First, there are soups of all kinds, including lots of meatless soups perfect for Fridays, over at 40 Days of Soup, a special Lenten site from Ave Maria Press. Today's soup is a tomato lentil. For each day of Lent, there's another recipe, always with a reflection on the side and sometimes with a video. Check it out HERE.

I have a couple of vegan recipes of my own posted on this blog. Because Olivia and I are vegetarian, we aim to make Fridays vegan, so no seafood or dairy either. The first recipe is a pasta and lentil dish. It's amazing. You can find that recipe HERE. I've got a second pasta recipe with broccoli rabe, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and cannellini beans posted HERE.

Catholicmom.com has also posted a whole series of meatless meal ideas, from soups and stews to casseroles and salads. Lots of good stuff that you'll want to whip up long after Lent is over. Click HERE for that.

If you think the focus on Lenten meals is limited to Catholic websites, think again. Rachael Ray of Food Network fame has a whole page dedicated to Lent and meatless meals. She even includes information on the reasons and rules behind fasting and abstinence. Click HERE for recipes that include falafel burgers, "leeky" linguini with shrimp, New England pasta bake and more.

Do you have a favorite meatless meal website to share? Or a favorite recipe of your own? We're always looking for new ideas.

Show your colon some love -- today

I'm cutting it close to the wire this year with my annual plug for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which is celebrated in March. I thought about skipping it, but it's too important. So here I am, last day of the month, urging you to please consider your colon for a moment.

Every year around this time, I parade out that photo of my fine-looking colon. Yes, people, that is actually the inside of my colon. (Where else can you get this kind of entertainment?) Why am I so passionate about something that many people (wrongly) feel ashamed to talk about? Because I would rather talk about this disease and pay attention to this disease than die of it, which my mother did just about 23 years ago at the ripe old age of only 47.

If caught early, colon cancer is a curable disease. If not caught early, it will kill you. Sometimes very quickly. My mother had months not years, and not very good months considering what they did to try to save her. So, for your health, for your family, for anyone who cares about you, go get a colonoscopy as soon as you can if you are over 50 and have never had one, or if you are under 50 but have a family history of colon cancer or any diseases of the colon. For obvious reasons, I am an advocate of lowering that age-50 threshold, but I don't think the medical community is going to do anything about that any time soon. But if you can find a way to get the test earlier rather than later, do it. It is not as bad as you would imagine. Really. I've had two so far and the advances they've made in the prep work that needs to be done is remarkable. The two experiences were like night and day, and I can honestly say that I do not fear the next test, which will come up again in a few months. (I'm on a two-to-three year cycle of tests. Thanks, mom.)

In addition to getting a test to makes sure you don't already have colon cancer or the polyps that can lead to cancer, you can also take some steps to try to prevent colon cancer. Increase fiber, decrease meat. Yes, that's right. Cut down on meat. Do you think that's just some vegetarian propaganda? Think again, and then read this article. Red meat is no friend to the colon. Cut it out or at least cut it down. (See, there's a method to my madness with the whole vegetarian thing.) High fat diets aren't so great either. Click HERE to read about dietary suggestions for colon health.

If you want more information on the signs and symptoms of colon cancer, testing, prevention and more, go to the American Cancer Society by clicking HERE. Now, go call your doctor and make an appointment before I put up photos of someone's unhealthy colon just to scare you.

It's March. Show your colon some love!

Once a year -- usually during March, which is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month -- I parade out a photo of my fine-looking colon to get your attention. (Yes, that is my actual colon above, as it appeared during my most recent colonoscopy, which was a little less than two years ago.)

No one likes to talk about colon cancer or colonscopies. OK, no one but me and Katie Couric and now Harry Smith, whom Katie Couric convinced to have his colonoscopy on live TV. Be thankful I limit my coverage to still photos. Why am I so passionate about something that many people (wrongly) feel ashamed to talk about? Because I would rather talk about this disease and pay attention to this disease than die of it, which my mother did just about 22 years ago at the ripe old age of only 47. The exact age I am right now.

If caught early, colon cancer is a curable disease. If not caught early, it will kill you. Sometimes very quickly. My mother had months not years, and not very good months considering what they did to try to save her. So, for your health, for your family, for anyone who cares about you, go get a colonoscopy as soon as you can if you are over 50 and have never had one, or if you are under 50 but have a family history of colon cancer or any diseases of the colon. It is not as bad as you would imagine. Really. I've had two so far and the advances they've made in the prep work that needs to be done is remarkable. The two experiences were like night and day, and I can honestly say that I do not fear the next test, which will come up again in less than a year. (I'm on a two-to-three year cycle of tests. Thanks, mom.)

In addition to getting a test to makes sure you don't already have colon cancer or the polyps that can lead to cancer, you can also take some steps to try to prevent colon cancer. Increase fiber, decrease meat. Yes, that's right. Cut down on meat. Do you think that's just some vegetarian propaganda? Think again, and then read this article. Red meat is no friend to the colon. Cut it out or at least cut it down. High fat diets aren't so great either. Click HERE to read about dietary suggestions for colon health.

If you want more information on the signs and symptoms of colon cancer, testing, prevention and more, go to the American Cancer Society by clicking HERE. Now, go call your doctor and make an appointment before I put up photos of someone's unhealthy colon just to scare you.

Meatless Friday: Pasta and lentils, together at last. Try it. You'll love it.

Before you click by this post because the word "lentils" scares you, especially in relation to pasta, I beg you to stop and just consider it for a moment because it is out-of-this world delicious. This particular recipe is actually a combination of two: a lentil sauce recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and my own addition of roasted butternut squash and garlic that gets added in right before serving. (That change-up happened because I had a squash that needed to be used and, voila, a new recipe was born.) The result is a dinner that is not only vegan (no meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) but incredibly yummy, with a complex texture and taste even though it's easy to make. So here we go...

3/4 cup of dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 carrots, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 butternut squash, cut in 1-inch cubes (You can find peeled, large-cut squash in the produce section if you don't want to deal with a whole squash)
1 pound of pasta -- ziti, rotelle, rigatoni
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine butternut squash, minced garlic and 2 Tbsp olive oil and toss. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender and getting a nice browned color. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine lentils, carrots, half the onion, and water to cover in a large pot over medium heat. Simmer until lentils are tender but not mushy (about 20 or 30 minutes). Add the tomato, salt and pepper, and marjoram. Stir and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Cook until the pasta is firm. Do NOT let it get cooked all the way through or, heaven forbid, mushy. While the past is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan and cook remaining onions until they are starting to brown. Add butternut squash until heated through.

When pasta is al dente, drain, reserving some pasta liquid. Add pasta to lentil mixture and top with butternut squash/onion combo. Mix and let flavors marry and pasta reach perfection (meaning still al dente but not too tough). Salt and pepper to taste. Add some of the pasta water if it looks too dry.

I cooked this in my favorite Lodge Caribbean-blue enameled cast iron dutch oven (that's it above) and brought the whole dang thing right to the table. No serving bowl needed. This dinner was amazing. Trust me. The lentils add delicious texture to the dish and the squash adds a subtle sweetness. Try it. You'll love it.

Meatless Fridays: It's what's for dinner

Around 5:30 tonight I still wasn't sure what I wanted to make for dinner. Meat wasn't the only thing I needed to avoid. Because my daughter, Olivia, and I are vegetarian, we aren't eating seafood on Fridays either. And I've decided to take it all the way to vegan on the Fridays of Lent. So...What to feed a family of mostly omnivores when meat, seafood, cheese, eggs and anything related to animals was off the table, so to speak?

When in doubt, find something that goes on pasta. It always works in our house. So here's what I did and it turned out to be a big hit:

1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), rinsed

6 sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in boiling water, drained and chopped in slices

1 8-ounce container of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, rinse and drained

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted (optional)

1 pound rotelle pasta (or ziti, rigatoni, whatever you like)

Bring pasta water to boil. Rinse broccoli rabe and blanch in boiling pasta water for four minutes. Lift broccoli rabe from water with handheld strainer, reserving pasta water in pot. Drain broccoli rabe and cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve. Keep pasta water boiling, and throw in pasta.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic until it begins to sizzle. Add mushrooms and sundried tomatoes and saute for two or three minutes. Add cannellini beans and saute for two minutes. Add broccoli rabe and heat for a few minutes so the flavors can marry. If it begins to dry out, ladle in some pasta water to keep it moist. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When pasta is al dente, drain and place in serving bowl. Pour broccoli rabe-tomato-bean mixture over the top. If needed, ladle in more pasta water so the pasta is not too dry.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese (if you're not eating vegan), crushed red pepper and toasted pine nuts (if using). Note: To toast pine nuts, shake them in a dry skillet for a few minutes until fragrant but not brown.

We served our dinner with Italian bread and a side salad heavy on the arugula and "fixed" with olive oil and vinegar.

Delish! This dish is definitely a keeper. Remember, if you don't have the exact ingredients, don't be afraid to improvise. Use broccoli instead of broccoli rabe, or even kale. The best thing about this kind of pasta dinner is that you can change it up or use up whatever you have in the fridge and come up with something that looks and takes like it came from an elegant restaurant. Mangia!

Life without the boys

It's been a very strange week for us here at the Poust house. For three days now it's been just me and the two girls. Noah has been at Boy Scout camp since Sunday afternoon, and Dennis has been serving as parent chaperone. Unfortunately, our all-girl extravaganza has been plagued by a virus that started with Olivia late last week and hit Chiara at the beginning of this week. Fever, sore throat, dizziness, and general misery. Lots of moaning and crying going on here -- and I'm not just talking about the girls.

So I have pretty much been a prisoner of the house since the weekend, save for 45 minutes at Mass on Sunday. We did venture out to the library and Farmer's Market late yesterday when Chiara seemed to be on the mend, but that was just a brief and somewhat stressful outing due to the almost constant threat of torrential rain and thunderstorms, something that has become a daily occurrence.

We have watched a lot of the Olympics, something I usually don't do, and we've played restaurant at night, eating by the glow of some pink and purple candle stubs left over from Advent. What I've noticed is that when the boys are away, we eat like a Third World nation. When I go away, Dennis usually takes it as an opportunity to go out and buy something he knows I won't eat -- like a big, fat steak. I, on the other hand, see these kinds of times as an opportunity to make the simplest meals I can muster -- pasta and peas, vegetarian refried bean quesadillas, brown rice with black beans. It becomes very clear that my vegetarianism isn't just something I choose to do; it's my default setting.

Dennis will return home this afternoon, but Noah will stay at camp until Saturday. Later tonight we'll all head to the camp site for Family Night. I can't wait to see Noah in all his Boy Scout glory. I've missed having him around, not just in a mom-missing-her-boy kind of way. I miss the boy who has become a real helper around the house. Noah went to camp last year, but this year is different. It makes me realize how much he's grown up in the past 12 months.