ABCs of Me

I currently have a pantry full of limes, soft corn tortillas and fire roasted tomatoes. Any guesses as to what I'm making? Rest assured, the recipe will be coming shortly, and it will be a great one. Until then, here's something I found around the blog world, and I thought it'd be a fun switch up over here at Organically Me. Truth be told, I'm just incredibly verbose and enjoy most opportunities to talk about myself.

A: Age: 21

B: Bed size: Depressingly, uncomfortably firm and small dorm-sized twin bed.

C. Chore you hate: Vacuuming. I'll do dishes until I have dish pan hands and water all over my shirt, but give me a vacuum and I run for the hills.

D. Dogs: I'm petrified of large dogs. Once, a dog about as large as me tackled me to the ground in an attempt to "play" with me. I didn't find it so funny. In fact, I was whaling and crying while its owner stood aside giggling. Now I shudder whenever I see a dog larger than, say, a chihuahua.

I like kitties.



E. Essential start to your day: Well, the true essential start to my day isn't exactly appropriate for the blog, so I'll go ahead and say caffeine. This morning it'll be in the form of mango black tea.

F. Favorite color: Yellow

G. Gold or silver: Silver.

H: Height: 5'8"

I: Instruments that you can play: Do utensils count? I can totally rock a spork.

J: Job title: Broke college student. I do it well.

K: Kids: Don't even joke about that one.

L: Live: Massachusetts. In the #1 college town of the world, baby! I'd much rather live in Orlando, though. I miss it almost every day.


But not the gators.

M: Mom's name: Theresa. Hi mom!

N: Nicknames: My sister calls me Ica (ee-kuh) because she couldn't say my name when she was a bambina. My friends call me K-Poww, X-Tina, and, when I've been bad, XXX-Tina.

O: Overnight hospital stays: Only when I was born, thankfully.

P: Pet peeve: We'd be here all day if I told you all of my pet peeves. Here's one: People who constantly complain about some aspect of their life but don't do anything to better themselves. I won't force you to change, but don't complain to me about it all the livelong day.

Q: Quote from a movie: "Okay, but, street slang is an increasingly valid form of expression. Most of the feminine pronouns do have mocking, but not necessarily in misogynistic undertones". Name that flick!

R: Righty or lefty: Righty.

S: Sibling: I have a 17-year old sister and 2 older half broskis.

T: Time you wake up: It ranges anywhere from 7AM-10AM depending on how lazy I feel that day.

U: Underwear: Under there!

V: Vegetables you dislike: Honestly? None. I even kinda like okra.

W: What makes you run late: Life? I wish I were one of those people that are always prompt, really, I do. However, I will forever be fashionably late for everything. Especially class.

X: X-rays: Only of my teeth. One time in particular was when my little sister knocked my front tooth out with a calculator. I spent the rest of that day scared beyond belief, but was too afraid to tell my mom because I didn't know what would happen. So, instead, I barely opened my mouth all day and when my mom asked why my front tooth looked black, I told her that a piece of lettuce was stuck to it. She finally discovered the truth when we were at Burger King and I was not-so-discreetly trying to hide it while eating chicken nuggets.

Y: Yummy food you make: I happen to think all my food is yummy, but I'm biased. Head over to my recipe page to judge for yourself. I'm pretty partial to these, though:


Lentil balls! I'm also partial to my friend Kelli, and her face.

Z: Zoo animal: Anything but an elephant. Seriously, in addition to large dogs, I'm also afraid of elephants. So afraid that I broke my nana's elephant statue when I was a kid because it looked menacing.

I dig flamingos.

I'm a Writer, Too!

This morning I thought I'd do things a little differently. Food, and blogging about food, are passions of mine, but another one of my passions is writing. No, not writing about a dish's herbaceousness or about yet another chocolate bar that seemed to have disappeared from my cupboard (so what if there's melted chocolate on my pants, I didn't eat it); I'm talking about good old fashioned creative writing.

Admittedly, I haven't been writing much. I was a bit disheartened when I submitted my portfolio to a slew of literary magazines and was rejected by every single one. But yesterday I received an email about a new literary magazine that specializes in humorous poems and prose. So, after some intense internal debate, I threw caution to the wind and submitted three poems. Here is one that ties in nicely with the blog, for your viewing pleasure:

***

Rendezvous with a Chef

He told me my toes were Vienna links
as he carefully savored each small bite,
forking his way to balls of milky dough,
kneading, letting them warm and rise.

My stomach souffléd with every pant,
flesh collapsing upon ribs; perfectly
butchered rack giving way to hands, hungry
and thirsting to butterfly my pink thighs.

He bound them like a fresh Cornish game hen
waiting to be stuffed with apples and sage.
Bubbles and steam broke the surface as he
deglazed the pan, using every juice drop.

Though his appetite was satiated,
minutes later, I was craving dessert.

***

I'll share more details if any of the poems are accepted. If they aren't, I'll share details anyway, so you all can send hate mail.

Now I'm off to get my butt in gear, do some yoga and head out for some delicious fresh juice and warm weather enjoyment. Be back later with a raw soup recipe. Happy Friday!

Puffed Amaranth Adzuki Cakes

The name almost rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

I have, what I like to call, "Octopus Syndrome" in the grocery store. This means that, out of nowhere, I suddenly grow six additional arms that like to grab at anything that looks good, is shiny, or contains chocolate. This results in a hefty bill and in me stuck carrying multiple bags across campus. This time around, two of my random purchases were adzuki beans and amaranth. My experience with either was limited, so much so that prior to tonight evening all I had under my belt was a sad, pathetic pot of mushy beans and a grumbling tummy.



That all changed tonight. My mind got crankin' and me and my eight arms went into the kitchen to throw things together and pray that it resulted in, well, something. I now have a profound love for both ingredients; puffed amaranth may even beat out millet as my favorite grain. Then again, I haven't actually cooked amaranth yet, which I've heard is pretty funky. So, for now I'll stick to popping amaranth and cooking my sweet millet.



These are similar to my millet yam cakes, but with Asian inspired flavors and the most wonderful nuttiness from the amaranth. These cakes are full of complete protein, lots of flavor and just the faint touch of the sea from a dash of dulse granules. They're even gluten-free to boot!


I know these don't look very appetizing, but they most certainly are.


Puffed amaranth adzuki cakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup amaranth
- 2 cups cooked adzuki beans
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1T toasted sesame oil
- 1T wheat-free tamari
- 1t mellow white miso (optional)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, to taste
- 2T sesame seeds
- 1/4t dulse granules

Instructions
- Pop amaranth: Heat a large pot on high heat. Place amaranth 1T at a time, cover and shake until most or all of the grains are popped. It should take between 15-20 seconds. Continue until all the amaranth is popped.
- Place amaranth and remaining ingredients into a bowl and, using your hands, mash until ingredients are combined and you can form the mixture into balls. Divide mix into 4 equal portions, form into patty shapes and chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 20-25 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until golden brown on both sides.

Serves 2-4

Edamame Guacamole

I love avocados. I put them in smoothies, massaged kale salads, and, as of today, even on my face. Trust me, mix half an avocado with a bit of honey and your face will be rid of winter dryness and you'll be glowing for days. But, I digress - avocados are powerhouses for nutrition, and are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. But making plain old guacamole would be boring. Sometimes I just like to play in the kitchen.



After wiping crusted avocado off my cheeks, I steamed some edamame on a whim and gave it a whirl. It turned out so much better than I hoped; the edamame was creamy and light, but still retained some of its crunchy texture. Their mild flavor is similar to that of an avocado, so the typical guacamole ingredients complemented the legumes beautifully.





This is a high protein, low fat, and fantastic alternative to guacamole. It's excellent for a party for ten or a snack for one. If you want to try something different or can't bring yourself to buy avocados the same price as your rent, then buy a bag of edamame, pour a bowl of tortilla chips and call it a day. Or a fiesta.


Edamame guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 2t extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- Fresh cilantro
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Steam edamame according to package directions. Place in a food processor along with garlic and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Place into a bowl and mix in oil, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and seasoning. Fold in tomatoes. Chill for at least an hour and serve!

Serves 4

Crispy Almond Crusted Eggplant

If you learn nothing else from me, please take away this little bit of knowledge: salt your eggplant. Trust me, it makes all eggplant dishes much more palatable. It takes away the bitter bite often associated with the berry (yes, eggplant is a berry!) and makes it tender and lovely. Just sprinkle each slice of eggplant with salt on both sides and allow to sit for about 15 minutes, pat with a paper towel to remove excess liquid and salt, and you have some mighty tender eggplant.

It works wonders. It made this dish so tender that the only utensil I needed was a fork. Well, that is until I decided to stop being dainty and just inhaled the last few pieces using my hands. One of the joys of living alone, people.


Crispy almond crusted eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 flax egg (1T flaxmeal, 3T water)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced, or garlic powder
- 1/2t each dried basil and oregano
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Slice eggplant in 1/2" rounds and salt using the above directions.
- Combine panko, almond meal and seasonings on a large plate. Dip each slice of eggplant first in the flax egg and then into the panko mixture, coating each side liberally. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.

Serves 4



You could top this with marinara and Daiya (or mozzarella) for a fun twist on eggplant parmesan, balsamic reduction, or, as I did, with homemade vegan gravy.



I used Emily's recipe and it came out perfectly. I'm normally not a gravy fan, but I thought this went beautifully with the eggplant, which was silky on the inside and had the right amount of crunch on the outside. It was almost like a vegan remix on chicken fried steak, but with some fiber and healthy fats.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to work on a writing project and then rest up for some (undoubtedly embarrassing) booty shaking tonight. Happy weekend!

Coconut Curry Yellow Lentil Soup

Well, it has been a fun hiatus, but fortunately (or unfortunately, since you all now have to deal with me) I'm officially back - this time with an actual recipe! Yes, folks, I'm actually cooking again. I thought I lost my touch since, prior to this evening, my biggest culinary endeavor was heating up a Trader Joe's masala burger. Thankfully for my taste buds and the sake of the blog, I didn't lose my cooking prowess.



Since it's bitterly cold, I decided to make my favorite comfort meal: soup. So, I threw together some ingredients that I thought would complement each other well, and ended up with a creamy, stick-to-your-ribs soup that will provide a week's worth of warm bowls to help ease those freezing nights.


Coconut curry yellow lentil soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2t ginger, minced
- 1 russet potato, peeled & diced
- 1 1/2 cups split yellow lentils, uncooked
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
- 4 cups vegetable broth or stock
- 1 15oz can coconut milk
- 2t curry powder (I make my own, but use what you have on hand)
- 1t garam masala
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Rinse lentils. Add them to 4 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until they just begin to get tender. Drain and set aside.
- Saute aromatics (I used coconut oil) until translucent. Add stock, coconut milk, cooked lentils, potato and spices. Bring to a simmer and cook until potato is fork tender and soup is thickened. Add cooked brown rice at the last few minutes to heat through. Finish off with cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and serve!

Serves 6



Definitely give this soup a try. It has a nice heat, though not overpowering, and is totally and completely warming. It's also wonderfully thick and hearty, and left me full for hours. Followed by a cup of green tea and a ginger chew, I was a happy girl.



Oh, and you're not going crazy. I am back to using Organically Me. So, rest assured, I'm the crazy (indecisive) one. But I feel at home here, and that's all that matters.

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