wheatberry vegan paella

I don't think I have ever eaten or made paella, but I was somehow was craving it last week. I wanted wheatberries, smokey flavors, and briney olives and artichokes. Apparently, paella should have a crust on the bottom, and my big blue le crueset worked perfectly to crisp up the bottom.

I made a huge batch of this for me and my roommates for our "Yay we got a house, let's drink two family-sized bottles of wine"! dinner. I served this paella with a huge salad with pumpkin seeds and this tahini dressing.

Vegan Paella

3 links Field Roast Italian Sausage
Smoked tofu
1.5 c wheatberries
a little under 3 c vegetable broth
1 can artichokes
10 olives, sliced thin
3 carrots, diced
1 c spinach
1 big can of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 diced red onion
2 cloves garlic
Paprika
Oregano
Thyme

Saute vegetables. Add spices and garlic, and cook for a minute. Then add the wheatberries and vegetable broth. While that is simmering, cook the smoked tofu and Field Roast until crisp in a separate pan. Cut the quartered artichokes in half, and slice the olives if they are not already sliced. Arrange the proteins, artichokes and olives over the rice.

blueberry dream smoothie

After eight months of living in the Branch Ranch, the motley crew and I are moving again. We have our heart set on a beautiful home in Boalsburg, 6 miles away. We hope that we can stay together, and are waiting to hear if our application for the home got approved. Fingers crossed!

In addition lots of uncertainty, this move means that I had to be ready to provide a $500 deposit with a few days notice. Since payday is still 8 days away, I vowed to not spend any money until my paycheck drops. So, I am getting creative with what I have in my pantry and freezer. This also means I am accepting my roommates' on-its-way-out fruits and vegetables. Last night, I froze some of Katie's dismal bananas for a smoothie. Right after I froze them, I read this article about bananas, and consulted our house dietitian (Katie) for her analysis. She said that it matters more what you eat with the bananas- note taken.

Today, my kitchen alchemy produced what I'm calling a "blueberry dream" smoothie. Amber is smoothie-obsessed (Vitamix in the house!), and I took some inspiration from a smoothie her mom made called "dreamscicle." I made this smoothie with a blender (and coffee grinder), so you don't need the all-mighty Vitamix to blend this one up. The protein from the silken tofu balances the smoothie, plus you get Omega-3s from the ground flax seed! This blended into a gorgeous periwinkle color, and the silken tofu made it super-creamy.

Blueberry Dream 

2 peeled, frozen bananas
1 c blueberries
cold filtered water
1 tbsp ground flax seed (I grind this in a coffee grinder)
1/4 c shredded, unsweetened coconut (I pilfered this from our baking lazy-susan)
1/2 package of silken tofu
toss some salt over your shoulder for good luck

Layer flax, bananas, blueberries coconut and tofu into the blender. Splash some water to get it going. Drizzle in water until you get the consistency you want (this could be anywhere from soft-serve to straw-drinkable.)

the token "between-seasons dinner" post: Ratatouille Edition

It’s time for the quintessential *finger in dimple*, “Gee, golly the seasons are changing again!” food blog post. In State College, we are bordering g the edge of winter and spring- this transition is somewhat imperceptible thanks to the PA’s Merciful Winter 2011-12. Before we know it, we will have farmers markets again, along with real tomatoes! In the meantime, I have been craving something light, but warm, so you can still wrap your hands around a mug of something steamy, in case you forgot your new “mittens.”

At school, for the last month, I have been assembling my committee. I wish this was as easy as “News Team, Assemble!” but it takes a lot of thought and communication. Asking someone to be on your committee is a bit like asking someone to prom, if the prom will last four intense, challenging years, with the expectation of a nervous breakdown or two (sounds  like a Gossip Girl Prom!). It looks like things are starting to come together (fingers crossed!), and I feel really lucky to be working with the incredible faculty at Penn State.

Thanks to my habit of freezing meals, I have been able to cook for myself for most of this process, even though I have been short on time. Unfortunately, this means I wasn’t able to use all my vegetables before going on vacation. Right before leaving for Spring Break in Houston, Texas (that’s right, Mexican food post to come!), I needed use a huge eggplant, two bell peppers, mushrooms, kale, some carrots, and onion. The answer: Ratatouille! I served this with whole wheat pasta, but I would have liked it just on its own, or with some crusty multi-grain bread. We didn’t have tomato paste, so I thickened this up with some ground flax seed… I think this is what made the dish. The consistency was perfect. Bon Appétit! 

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, cut into small cubes, sprinkled with salt*

2 bell peppers, cut into the same size

3 carrots, cut into the same size

1 can of good** chopped tomatoes

Half a head of kale, sliced lengthwise and cut into ribbons

10 cremini mushrooms,*** cut into halves or quarters, as uniform as you can make them

2 tbsp ground flax seeds

1 c vegetable broth

1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence

2 tsp red pepper flake

Olive oil

Salt 

Brown mushrooms, push to the side of the pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, and sauté with the herbs, garlic, red pepper flake, and salt for about a minute. Add the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and flax seed. Let simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables look soft and ratatouille-y.

* I have heard that it is rare to find a bitter eggplant these days. I usually salt the eggplant, mostly because I like to see it sweat!

** I always shudder when Ina Garten says use “good” olive oil, vinegar, etc. But with tomatoes, you don’t want to skimp. If you can’t find “good” tomatoes (San Marzano, or Muir Glen fire roasted) don’t use them at all.

*** Some have argued that cremini mushrooms have more flavor. I have no scientific studies to support this, but I think it is true. But the most important thing to remember is how you cook them!