Recipes: Mediterranean Salad

Yes, I’m back with yet another recipe. Honestly real life has been kicking my butt lately and this is the best I’ve got to offer for the time being.

Before we get started: In between feeding myself, one of the things that’s been most prominent on my mind is the upcoming U.S. election. It’s absolutely crucial that we all exercise our right to vote, and do so responsibly. For all kinds of info and resources, check out this post.

Now on to the food! The inspiration here was simple: I had ingredients I needed to use. Specifically, fresh organic tomatoes and cucumber from my best friend’s garden. I’ve also been trying to eat more lentils since they’re a great source of iron. Disclaimer: I was 100% winging it with this recipe and honestly didn’t even measure much of it. The good news is it’s a really forgiving recipe, so no need to fret about being exact.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup green lentils*
• 1 cup couscous* (I had envisioned making this with pearl (Israeli) couscous, but the store was out so I used Moroccan couscous. I think both would work great!)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Feta cheese (I think I used 1/4 cup, but it’s really as much as you want)
• Bay leaf (optional)
• Olive oil
• Ground allspice
• Garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste

* These measurements are for how much it is before cooking it! Both will enlarge once cooked

Instructions:

1. Dice your cucumber and tomatoes, and set aside. (Pro tip: If your cucumbers are at all bitter, cut off the ends and rub it in a circle on the portion you just cut it away from. A white foamy liquid will seep out, which has most of the bitterness. Wipe or rinse that off and you’re good to go!)
2. Rinse the lentils thoroughly in cold water (this helps prevent them from making you feel bloated), then add the 1/2 cup of lentils to a small pot with 1 cup of water.
   1. This is where you can add the optional bay leaf if you want! (I think it helps the flavor, but it’s no big if you don’t have it or forget.)
3. Bring lentils and water (and if using, bay leaf) to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a boil, cover and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. (Pro tip: The best way to know when the lentils are done is to try one. Better to have them be a little firm than to get mushy and mealy.)
4. In another small pot, boil 1 cup water and add a splash of olive oil (about 1tsp.) and a dash of salt.
5. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, and cover.
6. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then fluff (aka gently stir with a fork or spoon).
7. Move couscous into a large bowl, and mix in another tsp. or so of olive oil (to help it from clumping).
8. Strain lentils and rinse with cold water.
9. Mix lentils, then diced veggies into couscous.
10. Stir in lemon juice, then salt, pepper, a dash of garlic powder and about 1/4tsp. of allspice. (Pro tip: Go easy on the garlic powder, be liberal with the allspice. It’s the magic ingredient here.) Top or mix in as much feta as desired.
11. Serve and enjoy!

Costs about $8, makes about 6 servings (more if you’re only having it as a side dish and not a main course).

As always, the cost estimate is rough, especially depending on how inexpensively you can source the product (in my case, free). Also I’d intended to serve this cold, but the first time because the couscous was warm it was a bit warm and really nice that way as well! I’ve been keeping the leftovers in the fridge and eating it as an easy cold lunch.

What else would you like to see on the blog? Let me know in a comment below or on Twitter @ohgrowup. Thanks for reading, and good luck adulting!

P.S. Go vote!

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Recipes: Casa Roma

Y’all this recipe is one of the few good things to come out of quarantine. Most of the recipes I’ve posted on here have been ones I’ve picked up elsewhere, but this one is an original. Early in the days of our everlasting stay-at-home order, my spouse and I were having fun experimenting with some new recipes, and one day, he wanted to freestyle it. This is the result, and it is no joke my favorite pasta recipe ever. (And that’s coming from someone who freaking loves pasta.)

The name is an homage to it being a sort of Italian-inspired meal, a house recipe, and the Roma tomatoes that become the key to its success. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

• 1lb. (1 box) linguine (as always, you can use other shapes, but this complements the sauce best)
• 1.5–2 cups finely diced onion (recommend white or yellow onion)
• 2 finely diced Roma tomatoes
• 5ish garlic cloves, crushed
• 5oz. pancetta (or more if you want! Small pancetta works best for it to get crunchy)
• 1 cup dry white wine (Pro tip: Pick something you also enjoy drinking since you’ll still have most of the bottle left!)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• Olive oil
• 4tbsp. butter
• Salt, pepper, and red chili pepper flakes
• At least 1 cup fresh-grated Parmesan
• Thinly sliced fresh basil (technically this is optional, but honestly it shouldn’t be — I recommend ~2tbsp. per serving)

Instructions:

1. Chop onion and tomato (I usually cut the basil while the sauce is finishing up, but you can do it here as well).
2. Cook pancetta in olive oil (this can get smoky, so use that above-stove fan if you have it!)
3. Drain the oil out of the pancetta.
4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
5. Add in onion, then the pancetta, garlic, and spices (amount of seasoning is up to you, but I’d again recommend not skimping on the red chili pepper flakes to bring in some complexity).
6. Start boiling the water.
7. Once the onions are cooked — they should be translucent and giving off a nice aroma — add in the cup of wine (and pour a glass for yourself if you haven’t already).
8. Add pasta into pot of boiling water.
9. Simmer until the wine reduces by about half, then add in 1/3 cup heavy cream and diced tomatoes. (Pro tip: This step needs to cook for ~5 minutes to help the tomatoes break down and bring out their sweetness.)
10. Drain pasta, but reserve a small amount of pasta water. This is for adding into your sauce to help it stick to the pasta. We usually use just a splash, sometimes more if the sauce is runny.
11. Take the sauce off the heat and mix in about 1/3 cup of cheese, then mix in the pasta.
12. Add in basil, and top with more cheese as desired.
13. Serve and enjoy!

Costs about $20, makes makes 4–5 servings.

Heads up that the cost estimate is super rough since we typically have a lot of the ingredients on hand and the basil is always from my garden. Also note that I typically use wine that’s $3–$10 per bottle — you really don’t need anything expensive for cooking (like, ever) and Trader Joe’s has some delicious cheap options.

Just like the amatriciana recipe, this goes excellently with homemade sourdough. (You may notice a lot of ingredients and steps overlap between the two pasta recipes, but their flavor profiles end up totally different.)

What other recipes or topics would you like to see on the blog? Let me know in a comment below or on Twitter @ohgrowup! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

P.S. If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it!

Recipes: Amatriciana

Welcome to your new favorite tomato sauce. Now that I finally remembered to take pictures, I have a new recipe for y’all! This is a slightly personalized version of a classic amatriciana, aka hearty pasta deliciousness.

Ingredients:

• 1lb. (1 box) fettucine (the wide noodles are ideal for the sauce, but you could use any noodle if you feel strongly. Except angel hair because that’s objectively the worst pasta shape.)
• 5oz. pancetta
• 1.5–2 cups finely diced onion (recommend white or yellow onion)
• 5–8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Olive oil 
• Salt, pepper, and red chili pepper flakes
• At least 1/2 cup fresh-grated Romano cheese
• At least 3/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Chop onion.
2. Cook pancetta in olive oil (~2tbsp. should be plenty). Note that this can get smoky, so use an above-stove fan if you have it!
3. Drain some of the oil out of the pancetta (don’t drain it all! You’ll want it to meld the flavors for the next step).
4. Move into a large saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, and spices (you may want to add a little more olive oil here as well). Pro tip: The amount of spices you use is a matter of taste, but I recommend not skimping on the red chili pepper flakes; they bring a needed complexity and a hint of heat to the final sauce.
5. Cook until onions are translucent, then add crushed tomatoes.
6. In a large pot, start boiling water for pasta.
7. Simmer the sauce for 20ish minutes, stirring occasionally (if you neglect the stirring, it will bubble and get tomato all around your stove area…)
8. Once water is boiling, cook the pasta.
9. Drain the pasta, but reserve a small amount of pasta water. This is for adding into your sauce to help it stick to the pasta. We usually use just a splash, sometimes up to 1/4 cup if the sauce is runny.
10. Take the sauce off the heat and mix in about 1/4 cup of cheese, then stir in the pasta. (The extra cheese is to top it off.)
11. Serve and enjoy!

Costs about $10, makes 4–5 servings.

Note that this recipe goes exceptionally well with a slice of fresh sourdough! This is a pretty straightforward recipe, and doesn’t take too long. My significant other and I love cooking it together, but it’s also simple enough that one could totally handle it solo. 

What other recipes would you like to see? Let me know in a comment below or on Twitter @ohgrowup! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

Recipes: The Great Sourdough Journey

For those of you who know me personally and have already had to deal with me spamming your feed about this, sorry in advance (well, only a little). For those of you who haven’t been privy to this saga, you’re in for a treat. Warning that this is a looooong post, but it’s the easiest method I’ve come across that still has enough info for noobs.

Here’s the tl;dr: I embraced peak quarantine Millennial and made sourdough bread from scratch. It took a while, but it was awesome.

Background

(aka the part to skip if you actually just want the recipe)

On Easter weekend, since we weren’t seeing family, I wanted to make a special meal to have at home. I was planning on making this delicious garden herb loaf that I’ve been making since I was a teenager, but thanks to everyone stress and boredom baking during the pandemic, the store had no yeast. Luckily, they did have bread flour.

I improvised for Easter dinner and made Irish soda bread (a no-rise, dense, very yummy bread that I used to make with my grandpa). But the lack of yeast at the store planted a little seed of well-I’ll-prove-I-don’t-need-you in my head, and I decided to make sourdough starter so that the next weekend I could make my very own bread, store-bought yeast be damned.

Sourdough starter is literally just home-grown yeast in a jar, and once it’s mature can be used to make sourdough bread. It is super simple and not super easy (but also not too hard). Once it’s ready, you can store it a number of ways, and then revive it anytime you want a fresh loaf of homemade bread! Some folks have apparently had their starters for generations.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon* distilled water**
• ~5lb.* of bread flour***
• Salt

* These estimates are super rough and likely slightly more than what you will need, but because the process is so lengthy and I didn’t keep a pristine log of feedings

** You can also use filtered water, boiled water, or leave tap water out overnight if truly necessary. But don’t use straight tap water, as the chlorine and other stuff in the water can kill those good lil yeasties.

** All-purpose, whole wheat, or rye can also be used. Literally whatever you have, though many say a “heartier” flour — aka not all-purpose or baking — is best for getting sourdough starter going.

The Journey

Disclaimers:

• Costs about $5, makes 1 round loaf of bread 10″-12″ in diameter.
• I’m not labeling this part instructions like I typically do because there are not only a ton of opinions out there about what methods are ideal, but yeast is a living thing and your setting may affect the details of this process. Throughout, I’ll offer ways that I addressed some of those challenges as they cropped up.
• As always, Google is your friend and I’m not any sort of magical sourdough expert. This is literally my first time, but it was fun and kept my brain occupied during so much time inside.

Day 1

(Sunday evening)

1. I did a bunch of research, and settled on this starter recipe.
2. Found a decent-sized jar with clear sides.
   1. In my case, it was a cleaned out macadamia-nut container, but later I upgraded to a 1-gallon glass jar that I ordered just for my new starter. As long as it can hold 4 cups or so, you’ll have enough room.
3. Mixed 3/4 cup warm distilled water with 1 cup bread flour until fully incorporated.
   1. Pro tip: Add the water in first whenever you feed so you’ll be less likely to have unincorporated chunks of flour, or flour stuck to the bottom of the container.
4. Covered jar and left it overnight. The lid should not be airtight, and most folks will tell you to just cover it loosely, but I found that if I *mostly* tightened it but not all the way, that encouraged the most growth. Play around with it and see what work for you.

A note about temperature: I didn’t discover this until day 2, but the ideal ambient temperature for yeast to grow is in the mid-to-high 70s (Fahrenheit). My apartment tends to be quite a bit cooler this time of year (high 60s), so I helped keep the little yeast babies warm by putting them on a microwaved heating pack, and then re-warming that every few hours when I remembered. You can also put it in a warmer spot of the house or in the (turned off!) oven with the light on, but it should stay out of direct sunlight. If you can’t keep it warmer that’s okay, just know it might take longer for your starter to mature and it you may not see as much rising.

Day 2

(Monday morning)

1. I discovered the temperature thing (see above), and ordered a more conducive jar.
2. “Fed” the starter:
   1. Stirred the starter and removed about half from the jar.*
   2. Added in 3/4 cup warm distilled water and 1 cup bread flour.
   3. Stirred until fully incorporated, and covered jar.
3. Left for ~24 hours.

* You don’t have to throw away what you take out of the starter! This is called discard, and can be composted or used in other recipes (though you may not want to cook with your discard from the first 1-2 days). My favorite recipe to make with starter discard are these biscuits — solely because they are easy and use the most discard for the least flour.

Day 3

(Tuesday morning)

My starter rose and bubbled on day 2, but most of that had receded by day 3. Often initial rising is due to bacteria and not yeast, so just let it be and stick to the schedule. No need to worry.

1. Fed the starter (see details above).
2. Left for ~24 hours.

Day 4

(Wednesday morning)

1. Fed the starter.
2. Left for ~24 hours.
   1. Pro tip: I used a dry-erase marker to start marking the starter’s level on the outside of the jar when I fed it, so then I could more accurately note any rising throughout the day.

Day 5

(Thursday morning)

1. Fed the starter.
2. Left for ~12 hours.
   6. Pro tip: I discovered that if you stir it at about the 12-hour mark (or halfway between feedings), this encourages rising and yeast growth. I didn’t need to continue doing it the whole time, but it really seemed to help on days 5-6.
3. Left for ~12 hours.

Day 6

(Friday morning)

1. Fed the starter.
2. Left for ~24 hours, with occasional stirring.

Day 7

(Saturday morning)

1. The starter had been foaming and bubbling nicely, and sort of passed the float test*, so I knew it was almost ready.
2. Here is where I got risky folks. Instead of discarding half like usual, I stirred the starter a bunch and fed it double (1.5 cups water, 2 cups flour). Honestly I would not recommend this step unless you want a whole lot of starter on your hands, but for what it’s worth, it did work.
   1. Pro tip: You only need 1/4 cup of starter to make a loaf of bread, so you really don’t need a ton of starter on hand unless you want to either give some away or make a crap ton of bread.
3. Left for ~12 hours, with no stirring. My starter rose exponentially during this time, so I just let it do its thing and tried not to mess with it (hence no stirring).

* The float test is just to take a spoonful of starter and drop it in some water. If it floats, that means your starter is mature and ready to use. Mine floated for a minute or two before sinking.

(Saturday evening)

4. Reserved 1/4 cup starter in a large bowl.
5. Fed the starter.
6. Let it rise for ~45 minutes, then popped it in the fridge to go into hibernation mode.
   1. For more details on starter storage, skip to “Day 9 & Beyond” below.
7. This is where the BREADMAKING begins! I settled on this recipe because it was easy, and used the most starter for the least flour (it’s a trend with me haha).
8. Made the bread dough (steps 1-2 in the recipe linked above):
   1. Mixed 1.5 cups plus 1tbsp warm distilled water into the 1/4 cup of starter I had set aside.
   2. Gently mixed in 1.5tsp salt and 4 cups plus 2tbsp flour until formed a decent dough, then gently packed together.
   3. Covered with a damp cloth and let rest for 1 hour.
   4. Gently worked dough into a ball, and placed back into bowl. Covered with (newly dampened) cloth and let rest overnight.

Day 8

(Sunday morning)

1. Kneaded the dough and did a second rise (steps 3-4 in the recipe above):
   1. Gently put the dough onto a floured cutting board, then folded down the top and turned it 90 degrees, repeating for all four sides
      1. Pro tip: The recipe I used has great pictures and a video for this bit.
   2. Let rest for 10 minutes while put a clean dishcloth into a bowl and dusted it with flour.
   3. Gently flipped over the dough and repeat the fold-and-turn process from Step 1a.
   4. Compressed and shaped into a ball (a bench knife/bench scraper really comes in handy here).
   5. Placed into lined bowl with the recently folded side facing up, then covered (I just folded over the dishcloth because it was pretty large) and refrigerated for a few hours (anywhere between 1 and 6 hours is fine).

(Sunday afternoon)

2. Prepped and baked the bread (steps 4-7 in the recipe above):
   1. Preheated oven to 500˚F, and took dough out of fridge.
   2. Cut a large sheet of parchment paper and placed it over the bowl holding the dough, then flipped it upside down to plop the dough out.
   3. Gently floured the dough, then used a paring knife to score it.
      1. Pro tip: This is the cool part where you cut the bread so it can expand as it bakes. You can cut any design you want, but be sure your incisions are about 1/4” deep so that it cuts into the dough far enough to expand properly (only some of mine were right).
   4. Picked up the loaf using the parchment, and placed inside a Dutch oven. I think you can use other pots, but this is what the recipe asked for and I have one, so not totally sure!
   5. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and placed in the oven, immediately reducing the heat to 450˚F.
   6. Baked covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
   7. Removed from pot and placed the parchment (with the loaf on it obviously) directly on the rack, and baked for 10 more minutes.
      1. Pro tip: My oven runs a little warm and I wish I’d only baked it for 5 here. The bottom of the loaf was a little crispier than I would have preferred.
   8. Removed from oven and let cool for about 1 hour (don’t worry, it will still be warm at this point!)
   9. Took photos, of course.
   10. Sliced into that bad boy, put some butter on it, and ate significantly more than necessary.
       1. Pro tip: Just store what you haven’t used yet in a plastic bag, and squeeze the air out of it. This keeps it fresh and avoids it drying out.

Day 9 & Beyond

1. Enjoyed daily bread (for 2 people, this lasted us about 4 days including Sunday)!
2. Left the starter in the fridge just chilling, until…
   1. I want to make more bread! Which means it’s time to revive the starter.
   2. Day 12 (Thursday evening), I pulled the jar out of the fridge and let it warm up (on a heating pack like before) for a few hours, marking its levels when I first pulled it out of the fridge and as it rose.
   3. It rose, then started receding within about 4 hours, so I split it and fed it.
      1. I also put it into a clean jar here because I had an extra, but that isn’t strictly necessary.
   4. I’ll continue to feed for 1-2 days until the starter seems happy and ready, then repeat the recipe to make another loaf of bread!
3. When leaving the starter in the fridge, it only needs to be fed about once per week. You should be able to take it out, let it come to room temp for 45 minutes or an hour, feed, let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour again, then pop it back in the fridge.
4. My starter is pretty new and I plan to bake about 1 loaf per week so I’ll be feeding more often, but there are also long-term storage options like drying and crumbling it.

Misc. Tips

• Here is the link to the starter recipe I used again, and to the bread recipe.
• This site also has a butt ton of info and is good for learning about sourdough/troubleshooting, though it’s a little too precise for my patience level. Also check out this page and this page.
• If you’re saving discard, mark the container with what day it’s from so you know what’s fresh and what’s maybe not so much.
• If your starter isn’t really rising, no worries. Give it up to 24 hours, then split and feed it anyways
• If your starter is rising, sweet! Keep an eye on that bad boy and once it starts to recede (sink back down), that’s when you know it’s hungry. Time to feed (even if it’s been less than 24 hours).
• If you’re concerned about any other aspects of your starter, just google it. There are lots of helpful sites, forums, etc. including r/sourdough on Reddit.

I know that was an insanely long post, so thank you and props if you actually read the whole thing.

What new recipes have you been trying out lately? Let me know in a comment below or on Twitter @ohgrowup! Thanks for reading, and stay safe!

Recipes: Spiked apple cider

Hi! I’m alive! Apologies for all the various delays in posting — in addition to the planned time away (the wedding and honeymoon were awesome), work has been super busy and there is never a shortage of other items to fill up free time. I actually had a post for y’all last week but as I was reviewing, realized it was too similar to previous ones and I don’t want to spam anyone’s feed with repetitive content.

But I’m glad to be back! I haven’t done any drink (alcoholic or otherwise) recipes on here yet, and it seemed due time. I made this last fall, and once we got back from the honeymoon I was launched straight from 90-degree beaches into mid-October autumn. In addition to a bit of decorating around the apartment, I made my current favorite fall drink to celebrate my long-favorite season.

Note before we get started: Alcohol consumption is entirely your choice and responsibility. I enjoy a good adult beverage, but am also careful to not indulge too much or too frequently to avoid building a habit that could haunt me. If you’d rather avoid alcohol, you can either skip the bourbon entirely or substitute with some vanilla extract and extra water.

All of that said, I love bourbon. My first introductions to alcohol were from people who had the time and resources to have developed good taste (aka not college students) and I tend to prefer strong, savory flavors in drinks and a lot of my foods. My husband, however, much prefers sweet drinks. This is one we both love.

This isn’t a super cheap recipe if you don’t already have the spices, but does serve a lot and a little of each spice goes a long way. The good news is it’s really easy and your house will smell amazing.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups spiced cider (I get mine from Trader Joe’s — if spiced isn’t available, you can do regular fresh cider and just use more spices/simmer for longer)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup bourbon (it shouldn’t be bad bourbon but it doesn’t have to be pricey — Trader Joe’s offers a bottle that’s fine even served neat for about $15, or Evan Williams Single Barrel is about $25 and really good)
• 2 orange slices
• 2 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 whole cloves
• 10 whole allspice

Instructions:

1. Dump it all (gently) into a pot or large saucepan, then bring to a low simmer
2. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stir occasionally
3. Taste test (seriously, you can always add more of something!)
4. Serve!

Costs about $15*, makes 6-8 servings.

Thankfully I got enough to make another batch, which I’m very much looking forward to as we settle into fall. Now that wedding planning is over, I’m hoping I can be more consistent about posts.

I’d absolutely love to know what you want to hear more about! I’m not an expert, but am figuring out the adulting thing one step at a time. What would be most helpful to read about as an emerging adult? Let me know in a comment below, or on Twitter @ohgrowup! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

 

*Once again, sorry for the exceptionally rough cost estimate. The spices can be expensive, but everything else is reasonable and you only use a little of each spice.

Recipes: Mostly healthy breakfast cookies

I’m nothing if not honest, and honestly if it’s the kind of day where I have to be somewhere before 10 a.m. I do not want to put a lot of effort into my breakfast. I need breakfast desperately — unfortunately I am prone to both low blood sugar and being hangry when I don’t eat within about 7 minutes of realizing I’m hungry.

It’s also worth noting that for whatever reason, my body needs carb-heavy breakfasts. Eggs and bacon don’t do the trick for me unless I have toast as well. At my old job, we had a really convenient kitchen in the office, so when I got in, I would just make a quick breakfast. At first it was a bagel and cream cheese, then when I got on this health kick (somehow still mostly going), it switched to a grainy toast and almond butter.

But, umm, the kitchen at my new job is far from my desk and the appliances are used by a lot more people. So my old plan didn’t really work anymore. I tried breakfast before I left, and that didn’t go so well. While I reluctantly admit that I’m a morning person, I’m also task-oriented and constantly maneuvering plans and possible action paths. Which means I know that if my bed is cozy or I spend an extra couple minutes picking out clothes, I won’t have time to make breakfast and will end up eating a protein bar. Which, in a pinch, is fine. But is not good for a day-to-day routine.

A month or two back, for part of meatless Monday, my best friend made breakfast cookies. They were delicious, and more filling than I expected. So I decided to try out my own recipe. Please take the disclaimer that it is a work in progress, but it’s close enough that I’m ready to share it. Final disclaimer: I know this is a lot of ingredients, but the labor is so simple that it’s definitely worth it in my mind.

Ingredients:

• about 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1-2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. flour (if you’re gluten-free, substitute with protein powder or another flour)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips*
• 1/4 cup craisins*
• 2-3 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 small container applesauce (4 oz.)
• 1 egg (can use mashed banana for vegan option)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup nut butter (I use almond, but pick whatever you like)

* Substitute with mix-ins of your choice (seeds and dried fruit are especially great)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (aka everything listed before the applesauce).
3. In a small/medium bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients.
4. Once thoroughly mixed, blend the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients.
5. Use two spoons to form rounds on cookie sheet (you may need to use the spoons to encourage them to be, y’know, round).
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
7. Enjoy! (They don’t need to be refrigerated, but do seal in an airtight container and consume within 1 week.)

Cost about $5**, makes about 20 cookies (6-7 servings).

Easy enough, right? Right. Now, these cookies are still a little more crumbly than I’d like — I haven’t figured out the right trick to get them to stick together better after they bake. But they’re hearty, a little sweet, and remarkably low on sugar while still sneaking in some protein and other nutrients.

What I love most about these cookies is how easy they are. Breakfast can be an issue for a lot of emerging adults and adults in general. If you’re busy, you may not have time to make things or have the resources for popular healthy options. I make these about once a week, and then my breakfasts are handled. Plus I feel like I’m getting a little sweetness while also giving my body the energy it needs in the morning.

What are your favorite breakfast recipes? Let me know in a comment below, or on Twitter @ohgrowup! Thanks for reading, and good luck adulting!

**Please bear with me on the price estimate, it’s super rough. I buy most of it in bulk and already had a lot around the house. The most expensive part is probably the seeds or nut butter, but each amount of ingredient is pretty small so things last a while.

Recipes: Kale & quinoa

And we’re back! I have a new recipe for you this week, and it checks all the boxes: It’s healthy, vegan, affordable, and actually tastes good. Credit for the recipe 100% goes to my best friend’s dad, who is truly one of the best cooks I know.

Okay, but kale? It’s a trend right now, and usually I do not like it. It’s bitter, tough, and I don’t feel like the flavor is worth the health. Except in this recipe. I promise it’s worth a try. It also features quinoa, which is considered a “complete” protein that still gives you some fiber and carbs to fill you up.

This is just a side dish — which is why it’s pictured with rice and a lemon chicken recipe that I have not improved enough to share yet haha — but it’s a grown-up dish that will provide nutrients without tasting like disappointment.

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of kale (6-8 stems)
• 1/4 cup rainbow or tri-color quinoa
• 5-8 cloves garlic, crushed
• olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

(You’ll note that there are two kinds of kale here — I prefer the leafy green one to the left, which I got at a farmer’s market, but I needed a little extra and the one to the right was what the store had for organic whole stems. Also the quinoa is that little measuring cup because I buy it in bulk cotton bags, which don’t photograph so well!)

Instructions:

1. Put dry quinoa into small pot with 1/2 cup water (ratio is always 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa). Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cover until it’s absorbed all the water. Pro tip: This is also how to cook most white rice on the stovetop.
2. Wash and pat kale dry. I strongly encourage buying organic if you can afford it, because leafy greens like to hang onto pesticides. If that isn’t in the budget, wash thoroughly in warm water.
3. De-stem kale, then tear or cut into small pieces. I find this is easiest to do by carefully running a knife along the line between the stem and leaf of each piece of kale, but whatever works for you. As far as final size, just think bite size.
4. Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a large pan (a wok works best), add in crushed garlic, and heat until shimmery. NOTE: Keep a careful eye on this, and when it’s shimmery it’s done. If the garlic browns too much you’ll have to start over (I might have done that a couple times in the past).
5. Stir in kale, and cook until dark and wilted. You’ll want to stir regularly during this process.
6. Remove from heat, and add juice of 1/2 lemon.
7. Mix in quinoa.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Cost about $7, makes 3 large or 4 small servings.

This was my third time making this recipe, and I’ve almost got it down pat. Here are two of the keys: not cooking the garlic too much, and cooking the kale enough. Burned garlic is a travesty. Shimmery, and stop. Cooking the kale, as well as adding the acid from the lemon, is what breaks down the bitterness in the kale. And of course, if you’re wary of the veggie taste, you can always add more garlic or lemon!

It doesn’t make a ton, but it’s plenty for a few people for dinner or for a few days of meal prep. It’s also so healthy without leaving you hungry in like an hour. You can also sub some of the kale for baby spinach, just add it in later since it cooks faster.

What are your favorite veggie dishes? Let me know in a comment below, on Twitter @ohgrowup, or Instagram @oh.grow.up! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

P.S. Sorry the pic is real chicken-focused — I thought I’d be sharing both recipes but it’s just not ready yet. It at least shows a nice pairing for this killer side dish 😉

Recipes: Homemade chicken soup

Hi all! Sorry posts have been a little extra intermittent lately — trying to stay on top of everything amidst work, travel, wedding planning, and the holidays has proved a challenge. The weather is (finally) chilly here so, especially on a busy schedule, soup is a go-to meal for me.

Once again, let me sing the praises of using a crock pot. This is a super easy recipe, and as long as you’re careful of the sodium content, really healthy. Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion
• about 1.5 lbs. potatoes (I used baby golden potatoes, but any work)
• 1 full stalks celery
• about 2/3 lb. carrots
• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use any, but this is the easiest to deal with)
• about 6 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 cups water
• a hearty amount of garlic powder and Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Halve onion, peel outer layer off, and cut off ends. If you like onion, you can chop a little into small pieces for the actual soup, but mostly it’s here for flavor during the cooking process.
2. Wash and chop all remaining veggies into whatever size you’re comfortable being in a bite.
3. Layer veggies into crock pot in this order (so the things that need to cooke more are on the bottom): onion, potatoes, carrots, celery. Then top with seasoning.
4. Add chicken breasts on top, and season again.
5. Pour broth and water around chicken.
6. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
7. Remove chicken from bowl and shred (can just use two forks), then return to crock pot and allow to warm.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Cost about $17, makes about 8 servings

For my first time making soup, this was definitely a success. It had plenty of flavor and was really hearty, but next time I make it I’d like to try adding more seasoning, as both the chicken and potatoes were a tad bland for my taste. You can also substitute some of the veggies if there are ones you like better, or use egg noodles instead of potatoes (add them for the last hour of cooking instead of at the beginning).

Also note that technically I spent more on ingredients, but only used 1/2 or 2/3 of each thing on this batch, as the cost above reflects. This also makes so much soup. Unless you really, really love soup, it might not be a dish to make for just yourself. If you aren’t already cooking for more people, you can give some to a friend or potentially freeze some for later in the season. Just make sure to be careful that the baggie doesn’t break!

What’s your favorite comfort soup? Let me know in a comment below, on Twitter @ohgrowup, or Instagram @oh.grow.up! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

Recipes: Peach crisp

Hey folks! It has been a very busy week, but I do have a recipe for ya to catch the last little bits of summer before they float away. This is one of my new favorite dessert recipes because it’s gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. Aka I can bring it to work and everyone both can and will eat it. Check it out below:

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 4-5 cups sliced peaches (depending on the crumble-to-fruit ratio you want), best to use very firm peaches
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Crumble topping:

• 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (can use almond flour, but it’s more expensive than crushing sliced almonds)
• small handful sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• about 1 tsp. cinnamon (a healthy dose)
• splash of vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF, grease 8×8 glass baking dish or pie pan
2. Combine filling ingredients in large bowl until well mixed, then empty into baking dish
3. Combine crumble topping ingredients (I usually use the same bowl the filling was mixed in), then pour evenly over filling
4. Bake for about 40 minutes
5. Serve warm (ideally with ice cream) and enjoy!

Cost about $10* (the most expensive part was the almonds), makes 9 large or 12 small servings.

Pro tip: You can substitute berries or other fruit, just scale back on the cinnamon. Everything else stays the same! I actually started making this as a berry crisp. And if you buy too much fruit, just freeze some to make it again later!

What are your favorite summer recipes? Let me know in a comment below, on Twitter @ohgrowup, or Instagram @oh.grow.up! Thanks for reading, and happy adulting!

*Once again, cost was a rough estimate because most ingredients are regularly stocked in most homes. The peaches were on sale for like $1.50 total, and almonds were the only pricier bit.

Recipes: Pulled pork

Welcome to another installment of “Wow, I love my crock pot.” Rather than making a whole meal in the crock pot, this time I just made the meat. Having tried to slow roast things in the oven before with slightly underwhelming results, I was so excited when this turned out as pull-apart tender as I was hoping for. The best part is it was insanely easy.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. pork loin roast, thawed
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 6 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp. minced ginger
• salt & pepper
• Goya adobo seasoning (or any other you like)
• about 1 cup grapefruit juice (any citrus will work, use at least 1/2 cup)
• 1 can root beer

Instructions:

1. Put the roast in the center of the crock pot, fatty side up.
2. Puncture the roast with holes a few inches deep and 1-2 inches apart.
3. Cut onion into large chunks (I cut it into eighths), then peel layers apart and place around roast in crock pot.
4. Season with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, and Goya adobo. NOTE: I seasoned with the intention of using the meat mostly for Caribbean food, hence the brighter flavors and adobo seasoning. If you’re using it for a different cultural food, feel free to adjust the seasonings accordingly.
5. Pour citrus juice and root beer over roast. These are super important because the acidity breaks down the toughness in the meat and brings in extra flavor.
6. Cook on high for 4-4.5 hours, or on low for 8 hours.
7. Use two forks to remove roast from crock pot, and then to shred the meat. (Pro tip: Pour some of the juices in the crock pot back over the meat to keep it moist.)
8. Serve however you’d like! I fried mine with lime juice and more seasoning for tacos, but later this week I’ll be using leftovers for pulled pork sandwiches, and to eat over rice. As one of the most versatile meats, the possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Cost about $16, makes about 6 servings

When making this recipe again, I might like to marinate the meat head of time for the flavor to seep in better (which I really should have remembered from my last crock pot recipe). Reminder to be safe about handling raw meat, and if you aren’t sure that it’s cooked through you can check it with a meat thermometer — any temp above 160ºF you’re good to go.

What’s your favorite way to cook pork? Let me know in a comment below, on Twitter @ohgrowup, or Instagram @oh.grow.up! Thanks for reading, and good luck adulting!