Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This past week hasn’t felt very autumnal in Cincinnati, with temperatures climbing into the high seventies and the sun shining bright!  But the falling leaves and the abundance of gorgeous squashes inspired me to make a friendly dinner last night, compiling many of the earth’s fall harvest.

Now, a lot of substitutions can be made in this recipe, which I created after looking at several stuffing recipes.  I used quinoa, because it’s what I had on hand and I wanted as much protein as I could get in the actual dish.  I also used some fresh figs because they looked delicious at the market.  Fresh cranberries went in as well, as they’re so good for you (especially for women).  Rice or millet could substitute the quinoa, just remember that rice has a longer cooking time.  And dried apricots, cherries, cranberries or dates could substitute the fresh fruit.  Just alter the amount of ingredients per the sweetness of the fruit.

Also, because there was no basic protein in this dish, I pressure cooked some french lentils and made them into a puree with a little ghee (not vegan but very healthy), sea salt and ground pepper, and served it with the leftover raw carrots and celery. Yum!

As always, the ingredients I used were organic and local when possible.  If you can, please support your local farmers and small cooperatives around the world.  And remember that you get at least 4-6 times the amount of nutrients in organic produce… much more bang for your buck!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry grains, cooked (rice, quinoa, millet etc.)
• 2 acorn squashes, halved and cleaned.
• 1 generous cup of carrots, cut into small pieces.
• 2 celery stalks, cut into small pieces.
• 3 shallots, minced.
• 1 bunch of scallions, whites and 1/2 stalk of greens, chopped.
• 1/3 cup fresh cranberries.
• 6 fresh figs, cut into small pieces.
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• cinnamon

Preparation:

• Place the prepared squash face-down in a pan with a small bit of water.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until they are slightly cooked.
• Place 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes.  (To bring out even more flavor and increase the digestibility of the grain, heat a large skillet on medium heat and place in measured quinoa.  Heat and stir for about 6 minutes or until they smell nutty and warm.  This is great to do with any grain!)
• While the squash and grains cook, heat a large skillet on medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Reduce heat to low and add the shallots and scallions, sauteeing until soft and translucent.
• Add the carrots and celery, and cook approximately 8 minutes until softened, covering pan if necessary and stirring occasionally throughout.
• Meanwhile, put a small skillet on low heat and add the sliced almonds.  Stir until nice and toasted.  Be careful! Almonds can quickly burn (I went through two batches) when on a range.  An alternative is to place them on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine figs and cranberries.  Add the cooked vegetables and stir thoroughly.  Then add cooked grain, mixing in progressively until you get a ratio you like (I ended up with about 1/2 a cup of quinoa left).
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add sliced almonds.
• Stir in about 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, then taste and add seasonings as desired.  One recipe suggested cloves and ginger, but I felt my combination of flavors was perfect without and they would have been overkill.
• Fill squashes evenly with mixture, rounding nicely on top, and cook for another 25-30 minutes at 375, or until the tops are nice and browned.

Enjoy! If possible, serve with some sort of protein!

Caldo Verde – Portuguese Kale Soup Recipe

Caldo Verde - Portuguese Kale Soup

This weekend I had the joy of running home to New England for my best friend’s wedding, and ran to Connecticut for a night to see my family.  My father had just come back from Fall River where there’s an abundance of Portuguese food stores and he sent me packing with a bag of several cheeses, hot pepper, vegetables from my garden (kale, collard greens and kohl rhab) and chorico, a deliciously rich and somewhat hot sausage.

So when I got home from my long day today, the rain inspired me to make Caldo Verde, translated literally as Green Vegetable Soup.  I’d never made it before, but had observed my grandfather making it as a child and I’ve eaten it at every Portuguese restaurant I can think of.  It’s rather simple in ingredients, warming and comforting.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch of kale (about 6 pieces), shredded thinly
• 6 small white potatoes
• 1 large chorico (purchased at fine grocers / Hispanic stores), sliced in thin rounds
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• Salt to taste
• Garlic (ground or minced fresh) to taste

Directions:

• Place shredded kale in a large soup pot and fill 3/4 of the way with water.
• Add about 2 teaspoons of salt.
• Peel and half potatoes and include in soup pot.
• Bring to a medium / high boil and cook until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Remove potatoes from pot and place in large bowl, blender or food processor with a cup or two of the soup water.
• Add chorico to soup pot and turn down to low.
• Blend the potatoes and soup water (with hand mixer or other source) until very smooth.
• Add back into the soup pot progressively, mixing thoroughly until incorporated.  Add more water if needed to thin the soup a bit.
• Add butter and olive oil, taste, and add more as desired.
• Simmer soup at least 1/2 hour or longer

Serve with Portuguese rolls or toasted Italian bread and an awesome red table wine and you’re good to go!

Zen Meditation Spotlight

A few weeks ago I went to the Zen Meditation Center in Hamilton, Ohio, and experienced my first Zen Meditation (sangha) with a lovely, lovely group of people.  I meditate daily and try to get in group meditation as often as possible, but had never experienced meditation quite in this way.  Whereas my Hindu-based meditation contains chanting in sanskrit, mantram repetition and silent meditation, this center utilized quick chanting in Korean and both sitting and walking silent meditations.

The rundown

Observations of the space:

The quiet, carpeted room had large pads set up in a square with cushions on each, all facing the center and near a small alter.  Each participant would sit facing another, and there was plenty of room around this square for movement.  Upon entering and exiting the room, participants would bow slightly.  I’m not sure who the figure was on the alter, but it was flanked with candles and not much else.

The process:

A ringing-bowl was run to signify the start of the session, and all bowed in time as we sat in our various positions.  Then a leader led a few prayers that we read from sheet held chest-height, bowing sometimes before and after as the leader stated the name.  Some chants were kept in time with a wood block or other instrument; some were call-and-response for periods while others were in unison.  While I’m moderately comfortable reading new chants in sanskrit, I found this language foreign to my tongue but still rather familiar in spirit.  I later found out that, as in sanskrit chanting and mantras, it is more the sound rather than the meaning of words that are repeated.

After chanting we fell softly into silent meditation.

At the end of about 30 minutes, a chime sounded and we were advised to begin about 20 minutes of walking meditation, of kinhin, which would be ended with another chime.  “In kinhin, we fold our hands in front at about the level of the heart. The right hand is made into a fist, with the thumb tucked in, and held to the chest, palm down. The left hand is placed, palm down, on top of the right. The arms are held level, with elbows projecting at the side.

Walk slowly and deliberately, placing one foot in front of the other. Your attention is placed on the feeling of walking: Notice how your feet touch the floor, how your muscles contract and relax as you take each step. If you make a misstep, simply experience that and let it pass. If your mind wanders, return your attention to the slow, deliberate movement of ‘just walking.’” (Source, MKZC)

After kinhin we sat for another 30 minutes of meditation, and closed with a bit more chanting and final bow to all.

Observations of experience…

I was slightly concerned that my form of meditation would distract my energy and make me feel like an outsider at this sangha.  Not because of my not wanting to embrace this new form, but because my own practices are somewhat instilled in me and therefore must be a bit obvious in my energy.  I was wearing one of my favorite tees with Ganesh on it and my mala beads were lovingly draped around my neck before and were running between my fingers during silent meditation.  And as I was not used to the language we were chanting in nor the melodies that were repeated, I felt my “green-ness” would be obvious.

Instead, I had one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.  The energy in the room and between beings was truly beautiful, powerful and focused.  I attribute this to the fact that we were all seated facing a central point rather than all towards an alter. As my heart embraced these people and pattern, so I felt my own attributes welcomed.

I particularly enjoyed the walking meditation.  During college I was mildly trained in an acting technique called Suzuki, a Japanese practice that includes something called “The Slow Ten”, where the lower body moves in fluid motion while the upper body is deliciously still.  While it’s been years since I’ve done Suzuki, the training made kinhin extra delightful: I was able to utilize motions that were engrained in my body while fully committing to the specific moment of movement.  Something deep inside me would say “stop” or “hold” or “move” or “turn”, and I was merely an instrument of inner guidance.

I was very moved and inspired by the loving and peaceful energy of the sangha, and look forward to returning soon.

Rambutan’s – Chew on These “Audrey 5’s”

Last week I went to Jungle Jim’s with a new friend and encountered SO MANY TYPES OF FOOD I haven’t cooked with before, including many gorgeous fruits from exotic regions of the world.  Feeling exhilarated and brave, I picked up a small bag of Rambutans, a lychee-type fruit with a furry exterior.  I’ve seen recipes online that combine rambutans with shredded pork, soy sauce, ginger and palm sugar, so I used similar ingredients to make a sauce to accompany spicy chipotle chicken thighs.  Though the final product was a tad too sweet for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of preparing these fun little fruits.  Next time I’ll probably use them to decorate a cool goat’s yogurt with maybe a little honey and ground, roasted almonds… yum… will definitely do that next time.

The whole fruit and nothing but the fruit

Slice thinly and pull apart the casing to reveal, nestled pearl-like inside, the gorgeous fruit

The freed fruits!

A Healthy Immune System

I’m now in the throes of rehearsing a touring show and under-studying two main stage shows of the Cincinnati Playhouse.  As we gear up for 9am shows (so being at the theatre around 6:30) and long days, there’s been a lot of talk about preserving the immune system and avoiding the dreaded “swine flu”.   I (and many others) have already gotten the first nasty cold of the season, making my game plan for staying healthy all the more pressing right now.  I feel strongly that it’s because of how well I take care of myself that my sore throat and cough didn’t turn into something much worse.  Here’s what I do…

Morning Routine

As soon as I wake up, I brush my teeth, scrape my tongue, neti pot, and drink a cup of spiced Indian tea. Why?  Because while we sleep bacteria multiplies in our mouths, and our digestive systems come to rest. So first thing in the morning we need to gently stimulate the body into movement.  Ayurvedic practitioners especially believe in cleansing in the morning to stimulate agni, or digestive fire, to aid in digestion and elimination. The easier we make it for our bodies to start to move, the more the immune system can focus on harder tasks, such as preventing infection.

I then do approximately 10-15 minutes of gentle stretching / yoga, followed by pranayama and meditation. Our bodies have been still for hours on end, and then we throw them violently into action as we prepare for work and jump into cars or onto subways or buses.  By gently stretching, and especially by warming up the neck and spine, the body wakes into a peaceful state and not automatically into “fight or flight” syndrome.  Pranayama, the breathing practices I’ve cultivated through my yoga practice, helps to cleanse the nasal passages; especially important during cold and flu season.  By neti-potting before pranayama, bacteria is eliminated and the lungs more easily accept oxygen.  Meditation prepares me for the hours ahead, transitioning my body from rest to work, and giving me time to visualize an energized, peaceful and serviceable day.

Blog on pranayama, Blog on nasal cleansing, blog on natural precautions for Swine Flu

Essential Oils

Tea tree oil is great at killing off bacteria, Rosemary is great for warding off bronchitis, and spicy oils like cinnamon and clove inhibit pathogens from multiplying.  I now have a lovely collection of essential oils, but blends can be rather affordable and the best bang for your buck.  One of my favorite companies for both price and value is Nature’s Inventory (click here for spotlight blog).  To kill bacteria in the air, I slip a few drops of Tea Tree oil in an infuser.  If I’m trying to freshen my apartment I’ll add some orange or pine.  If I’m needing to sleep I’ll slip in some lavender and clove.  And if I really need to motivate my body to heal itself I throw in German Chamomile. Last week I spent some time in the steam room at my gym, where spraying Eucalyptus oil mixed with water both cleansed the tiles I was to lay on and helped to open up my lungs with the steam.

Natural Soothers

If you pick up a pack of, let’s say, Ricola throat lozenges, you’ll notice a rather interesting variety of herbs that are infused in them.  I was particularly interested in the inclusion of blackcurrant and Elder flower.

When I studied years ago in Ireland, a particularly rainy and cool summer season sparked lots of wet feet and cold hands.  I was taught that hot blackcurrant juice mixed with a little whiskey was a perfect solution to this problem – a cure I turned to possibly far to oft!  So now when I’m struck down, the antioxidant power of the blackcurrant and the soothing and warming nature of the whiskey are fast friends (you can get blackcurrent juice in some Hispanic grocers).

Elder flower is great for soothing sore throats and kicking colds.  It’s actually what my doctor prescribed to me (in very high dosages) to keep last week’s cold from spreading.   Echinacea, also taken through an oral liquid and in very high dosages, is great for suspending viruses as well.

Cincinnati Ratatouille Recipe

So one of the things I’m loving about Cincinnati is the amount of fresh produce that just seems to ‘appear’: glorious tomatoes and beans from my friend Dennis, international produce at the incomparable Jungle Jim’s and, today, a beautiful squash, yellow and green tomato from one of the manager’s gardens at work.  Inspired by the addition of a bunch of bright green asparagus and local yam, I’m cooking a version of Ratatouille, that famous French farmers dish of layered vegetables that I love getting from Fairway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and am dying for right now.  Traditionally it features eggplant and green peppers, sliced in very thin rounds then layered and baked.  But as I can’t have nightshades, I’m doing a little creative exploration.  And since I’m lacking tomato paste, I’m compensating with the crushed green tomato for a lighter, more summer-y flair.

I’m also using dried herbs, since I don’t have fresh here.  An herbs d’ provence blend will work just as well as the blend below, or compensate as you have / don’t have ingredients.

Note: in the final product I wished for the tomato paste – it gives a sweetness and richness to the dish.  Just so ya know… this tasted a bit more Italian than French, as my meals sometimes do.  Julia Child cookbook coming soon!

Cincinnati Ratatouille

Ingredients:

• 2 large shallots, diced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small green tomato, diced
• 1 very large yam, cut into small cubes
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large yellow bulb squash, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup + chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. butter (I’m using goat’s butter, but ghee or cow’s butter work as well).
• 1 large yellow tomato, diced

Herb blend of:

• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried lavender
• 1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Heat oil on medium in a large sauce pan, and add shallots and garlic when up to heat.
Saute for 3 minutes or until shallots and garlic melt a bit.
Add green tomato, stir in thoroughly and cook until it thickens, approximately 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock, bring up to a simmer and add sweet potato.
Cook approximately 6 minutes, until potato begins to soften.

Add asparagus and squash, and a few splashes of stock if necessary.

All veggies in!

Bring up to heat and cook approximately five minutes until vegetable begin to soften, then add herb blend and 1 Tbsp butter (goat, ghee or cow’s butter are all fine).
Cook two minutes more, then add yellow tomato.
Turn down heat and cook ten minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft and their flavors blended.

Mantra In the Face of Change

I am rooted in myself, my life

and my environment.

From Journey Through the Chakras, Sabatine

It seems that everywhere I turn, friends and loved ones are in transition: jobs, relationships, careers, families.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – most of the relationship changes I’m seeing are marriages and new babies!  But it can be unsettling when you’re not sure where exactly your future is headed.

One thing that helps is to pick something that’s constant and reliable, that you can take anywhere, and meditate on it.  I work with my breathing and yoga practices to help me feel rooted no matter where I am: all I need is to sit on the floor, breath slowly a while and remind myself that I, myself, am my home.  By tapping into our humanity – that which makes us all part of one being – we can feel centered and grounded in the face of constant change.  So when you’re stressed and feel like life’s moving too fast, try one of these mantras, and om away!

All of creation is my family.

The entire universe is my home.

- From the meal prayer, Yogaville

Drumroll Please! NYC Spotlight!

Last week I moved out of New York City and started on a new adventure – working at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for the next 10 months and living in an apartment with three of the people I’ll be working with.  The key to falling in love with NYC again, I’ve discovered, is to plan to move out of it!  The past few weeks I’ve made sure I’ve hit all my favorites, staying up late like I haven’t in years and saying so long to places I already pine to come back to.  So here’s my drumroll list of my favorite things and places in New York City!

Jacqueline’s “Best Of NYC”

1. White Fish Salad at Brooklyn Bagels: I had to stop eating the bagels here long ago, but the whitefish salad is still my indulgence on Sunday mornings.  My location’s at Broadway and 36th street in Astoria, but they’re all over.
2. Decaf Espresso Beans from Joe’s Coffee: This is by far my favorite coffee in the city, which is cute because they’re actually a company from the Berkshires area of Mass.  But the espresso is divine, and as I can only drink decaf espresso when I want the deliciousness of coffee, I’ll take the best, thank you very much!  They have a location in Grand Central where I purchased a bag of whole bean decaf espresso for $12, as well as a shop down on Waverly off 6th Avenue down in the West Village.
3. IFC Movie Theatre: I love this place, love most things I see there, love the pre-show short film and even the “turn off cell phones, no talking, blah blah blah” introduction.  On 7th Avenue off the West 4th street stop on the ACE/BDFV.
4. The Astoria Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden: Okay, so this wasn’t a favorite stop on the list, but I’d live in Astoria for FOUR YEARS and never gone, so a trip had to be made.  The food is phenomenal, the staff friendly, the beer (evidently) delicious and inexpensive, and you’re in a very chill outdoor space.  Website.
5. Central Park: A lot of people will stick their noses in the air and claim their park on the UWS, Brooklyn or Queens is bettr, but there’s just something about Central Park, and we all know it.  Sunday I took the boys I used to nanny for to Victoria Gardens, the little amusement park that takes up space by the ice-skating rink and delights kiddies of all ages.  An exhausting walk back to the UWS through the park reminded me of how that was one of my favorite things about nannying – spending time in such a space. Sigh.
6. Alices Tea Cup: I love this place for the smell, the ambience, and of course the tea!  The young staff is so chill and friendly, the food is great, and the variety of tea is stable, making it a great place to buy favorites before heading out of town. My location is the original one on 73rd street off of Amsterdam, but they also have locations on the east side somewhere on Lexington and 64th and on 3rd and 81st. They get busy at meal times so make reservations or expect to wait.  Website.
7. Russian Samovar: One of my favorite places in the city for the ambience.  Last week I strolled in just at opening time, had two shots of delicious Polish vodka (made from potato, no gluten!) and a Beet Carpaccio while reading poetry in red-tinged lighting.  Really love that place.  On 52nd street between Broadway and 8th.

Zach and Ethan Garson in Central Park

Summer Friendly-Veggie Dinner Recipe

I recently made a new friend, Dennis, who gave me an abundance of information on my new home of Cincinnati and shared with me almost four hours of beautiful conversation… and an armful of home-grown vegetables.  In my purse went tomatoes, banana peppers, beans and two gorgeous ears of corn.  Aromatically overwhelming, glowing with color and bursting with the flavors that vegetables are supposed to burst with, I went straight to the kitchen to concoct a perfect-protein-seasonal-and-local-vegetable dinner.

Ingredients:

• A handful of fresh beans, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 can of aduki beans, rinsed
• About 2 cups of quinoa, cooked
• Olive oil and/or ghee
• salt and pepper to taste
• cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, steam/boil beans in about 1/2 inch of water for approximately 6 minutes or until slightly cooked.  Drain almost all water.
2. With heat at medium, add aduki beans, about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon ghee and stir.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and about 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Cook for about 8 minutes.
4. Add 2 diced tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook about ten minutes until tomatoes are soft.
5. Mash slightly so that the tomatoes open and the beans dissolve enough to make a thick consistency.
6. Add quinoa and about 1/4 cup water, stir and heat until warmed through.
7. Serve with a fresh sprinkling of cinnamon and enjoy!

Roasting Duck Breasts

Duck is fabulous for you and tastes devilishly good when prepared properly.  Click here for my blog on the benefits of duck.   But a lot of people don’t know how to cook it (including myself, until recently) and it can seem an intimidating task.  So last week I picked up a few gorgeous breasts from Grand Central Market and let the boyfriend have at them, as he’s so good at doing.  Here’s the process for very simple roasted duck breasts.

1. Score the Breasts – a LOT!

The fat on the breasts need a lot of scoring, so that the fat can properly flavor the meet and melt into the pan.  So score both horizontally and vertically using a very sharp knife, with incisions that are about 1/4 an inch apart and a good 1/2 inch deep.  This will take a very sharp knife or a lot of sawing, so get your best tool ready!

2. Season lightly on both sides

3. Cook on stove-top

Have a good sized skillet nice and pre-heated with no oil.  A good pre-heat, by the way, takes about 10 full minutes.  I know, it seems like a waste of gas or electricity, but heating your skillets for that amount of time really does insure a nice, even roasting and gorgeous color and flavor.  So preheat at medium/high while scoring the duck.  Then place it skin side down in the skillet.  Some chefs don’t use any oil, some do.  The BF used a tiny bit, but what you see in this pictures is a combination of the oil/fat as it runs off.  Leave it, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, checking the heat but never turning it.  The fat will start to run (and if your stove has a slight tilt like ours it’ll run right to the back of the pan!) and the bottom brown nicely.  After the alloted time, flip the breasts and cook for only 3 minutes more, rendering a beautifully medium/rare breast.

4. Remove to cool

If you like your duck medium/rare, this is literally all you have to do for a succulent red meat.  If you like it more well done, just cook longer on the second side.  Then remove to a cutting board and let it sit for at least five minutes before carving into 1-inch strips.  Voila!  Wasn’t that easy?