SOMETIMES I CHEAT

First, I must start by saying that I HATE when people say "I cheated" or "I was bad" when referring to something that they ate. It is ridiculous, which is why I took the opportunity to point it out by using it as today's title. This post is to illustrate to my legions of readers, that sometimes I eat out. Rarely, do I not want to cook, but often, I don't want to clean up.

Chipotle is about as close to fast food as you will ever see me get. Fast food is poison. Yes, it really is and if you remotely like animals, you should never eat it. Fast food supports factory farms that abuse and torture animals, yet allow you to eat a hamburger for under $1. Think about it, what the hell kind of meat are you eating if it costs less than $1. Yuck. Look, I am not saying that we should all become vegetarians, far from it, but if we are going to eat meat, we should be responsible for where it comes from and how the animals are treated. Would you buy anything if you knew it was made in a sweat shop using child labor? If you are friends with me, I really hope your answer is "no." So why is it ok for you to support business that use animals that are treated the same way as children in a sweat shop? That's all I'm saying.

Back to Chipotle. I love not only the establishment, but I love the flavor-smokey and spicy. They support local farms and use animals that are humanely raised. As a result, you can find me eating there from time to time and I always get the same thing. I always get the vegetarian burrito bowl-I love it. The husband hates legumes and guacamole so the burrito bowl is a magical combination that contains both and I cannot resist it. Today, I added the leftover kale from dinner into the bowl for a nutritional boost.

I love eating, I really do. When I plan a trip, the first thing I think about before airfare and hotels is the food. Where will we eat? What restaurants are around? It's all about the food. It is a huge part of any trip for me. Food is obviously a source of nourishment but it is also a source of comfort at times and pleasure often, but I still have a really healthy relationship with food. You will never find me getting a packaged donut from a gas station or ANYTHING from 7-11 as a source of food. I really believe that we are what we eat and as a result, I probably spend more time than most people I know planning out my meals. I know some people think I am really strict about what I eat, and they're right. I am because it is important to me and Chipotle has its own little place in my diet-in moderation.


9/15/10~
Ugh. Just read some disturbing news about Chipotle not being as good as I thought they were. Here is a link to a new article that questions the practices they use with farmers. Sounds like we will be taking a break from Chipotle until this matter is addressed.

DINNER FOR ONE

There is rarely a night when the husband and I don't have dinner together, but tonight was one of those very rare times. I decided to make one of my favorites, scallops. I used to hate them. It was a textural thing, but now I love them, although I don't have them as often as I would like. I served them with a bunch of sautéed kale, thinly sliced potatoes and pea puree. The whole dinner took about 15 minutes to put together.

I simply roasted some potato slices in a 400 degree oven. While the potatoes were cooking, I sautéed the kale with some olive oil, shallots and red pepper flakes and dropped some frozen peas into boiling water for a couple of minutes. When the peas were done, they were drained and pureed with a hand blender but you could use a regular blender or mini cuisinart. Using the same pan that I cooked the kale, I cooked the scallops, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Easy.

ZA'ATAR

Za'atar or zaatar as it is also commonly known is a Middle Eastern spice mix. I guess like most spice blends, it varies a little by region. I have seen Lebanese and Syrian versions of zaatar in the local spice shop, but I can also get a sort of generic version from Whole Foods, specialty shops and even Cost Plus. It is a combination of sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, marjoram or oregano and savory. I've read that even among families, the recipe is very guarded.

I really like using zaatar with lamb. I'm making lamb burgers for dinner and was prepared to scrap the whole idea unless I could come up with some zaatar. Of course you can make this yourself, but it is just as hard to find sumac as it is to find zaatar. If you do happen upon sumac, it's another spice worth having. It's a little lemony, slightly floral and it goes really well with lamb too. Zaatar also pairs really well with feta a quick recipe is to grill some flat bread, drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle on some zaatar and crumbled feta. Apparently, many homes in the Middle East serve a variation of this for breakfast, simply using pita, zaatar paste (which is typically the spices mixed with olive oil) and lebneh which is similar to yogurt.

Adding a teaspoon or so of a new herb can really change some of your traditional recipes. I try to avoid most blends that have salt or any preservatives or colors added, but if they are straight up spices and herbs I am game.

Middle Eastern Lamb Burgers

1 pound ground lamb
2 tablespoons zaatar
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 plain yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
arugula or watercress
bun or baguette

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and red onion. Set aside.

Mix zaatar, salt and pepper with the ground lamb and form into patties. Cook patties either on a hot grill or on the stove to desired doneness.

Drain the onions and serve on the burger with a drizzle of the yogurt and topped with the arugula or watercress.

FARMERS MARKET REPORT

Generally, when I go to the market, I don't follow a list. I just buy what looks good and then figure out what to do with it later. Today, I had a plan. I am so sick of strawberries, I cannot stand to eat another one, so apples were high on my list. They are just starting to come into season and there is nothing better than that first crisp, tart bite of an apple. I got New Jersey apples this morning. Seems fitting, given that is where I originate, so I decided to try them. Texturally they are like McIntosh which is my least favorite apple, but the taste is a bit sweeter. I don't know that I would seek these out again, but they will serve their purpose of being eaten!
Rarely can I find any organic hot peppers, serranos or jalapenos-even at Whole Foods. When I see them at the farmers market, I always pick up a few and since I have been thinking about an Indian curry, these will do nicely.
I did not want to leave without broccoli which was going to be a main ingredient in today's lunch-leftover soba noodles with an asian vinaigrette and steamed broccoli. These baby broccoli are really tender and delicious.
I am growing a few basil plants, but since they are from seeds, they never grow very much before I pick all of the leaves off. I got a basket of heirloom cherry tomatoes yesterday and figured that paired with some fresh basil, it would be a perfect pasta sauce.
These are the aforementioned heirloom cherry tomatoes. I love heirloom tomatoes. Not only do they taste amazing but they are also beautiful and colorful, they really brighten up a dish. Here in LA, we can get good tomatoes through October and even into November and I never get sick of them.

KALE SALAD

This afternoon I went to the farmers market for the sole purpose of getting kale to make the massaged kale salad that my friend Aarti made on her new food network show Aarti Party. Coincidentally, I ran into Aarti at the market.

I love kale! I always have it in the fridge and generally eat it at least three times per week. It incredibly nutritious-from the same family as broccoli. My recipe is a loosely based on Aarti's recipe, but it is a good example of how you do not have to follow a recipe word for word. I used the same technique of massaging the kale, but I swapped out the mango for another sweet ingredient, golden raisins and instead of the pepitas, I opted for toasted almonds. Now, back to the kale massaging, you might think that sounds weird, but kale is pretty tough. By literally rubbing it with a little sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice (or a bit of your favorite salad dressing), you break down the fibers in the kale and it becomes really tender. Give it a try.

Kale Salad
1 lemon, cut in half and juiced
olive oil
sea salt
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 bunch kale, cut into ribbons
1/4 cup almonds, toasted (or your favorite nut raw or toasted)
1/3 cup golden raisins (or mango or apple)

Mix the lemon juice with several tablespoons of olive oil to make a simple vinaigrette. Place the kale in a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with half of the dressing. Using both hands, gently rub the dressing into the kale for about 2 minutes. You will notice that the kale turns deep green and becomes softer. Stir the honey into the remaining dressing. Add the nuts and raisins to the kale. Drizzle with the remaining dressing to taste.

GREEN CLEAN

Not only do I choose the healthiest foods to cook and to eat, but I also choose the healthiest cleaning supplies for my home. I am not a huge fan of cleaning, I'm not very good at it. My mom, on the other hand, is an excellent cleaner. That woman leaves a bathroom sparkling, not me. Thanks to all my free time this summer, I have been committed to at least trying to really clean and learn how to do it well.

I just got this new fantastic book, NONTOXIC HOUSECLEANING by Amy Kolb Noyes. It's really more of a guide than a book. It cuts right to the chase, starting with natural ingredients for housecleaning, the appropriate sponges and scrubbers and then gives recipes for cleaning concoctions and how and when to use them.

Today, for instance, I made my own soft scrub using castile soap and baking soda. This could not have been any cheaper. The baking soda was about $1.30 and the soap was $11 for a huge bottle of which I used about 10 drops. This mix that I whipped up completely cleaned my bathroom and left it smelling very minty! Hurray!

It's important to use natural or "green" cleaning products, because while the others work, they are toxic. They give off fumes and contain chemicals that are not so good for the body. I generally buy the seventh generation brand and I'm totally committed to only using non toxic cleaning supplies for the health of me and my husband, but also for our two little dogs. My dogs weigh 4 and 7 pounds respectively. They have short little legs and their little bodies are close to the ground. They also will lick anything and everything they come across, so using safe cleaning products is the only option in this house.

I can't wait to tackle the rest of the house using my new all natural homemade cleaning recipes! Next up is the stovetop.

FARMERS MARKET REPORT

This week, I couldn't resist the heirloom tomatoes. Tomatoes most represent summer, in my opinion. They are the one thing that I never buy any other time of the year. In fact, I don't ever buy them from the store, not even Whole Foods because they are nowhere near as good as they are fresh from the garden. During the summer months, I always have heirlooms around. They are so good, that you really don't have to do anything to them. I love to buy a bunch of different kinds, thinly slice some, quarter others and serve them with some basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Eggplant is another summer favorite. We have all seen the regular Italian eggplant and probably the long and skinny Japanese eggplant, but did you know there is a white eggplant, a green striped one and these little purple baby eggplants? Last year I bought all of the varieties to do a taste test and found that there wasn't really a discernible difference in flavor. The little ones in the picture are about the size of my thumb! My plan is to halve them and saute them later in some olive oil and garlic along with the peppers...
Peppers are on the list of the "dirty dozen." The dirty dozen is a list of the fruits and vegetables with the highest concentration of pesticides, therefore, you should always seek out organic options for them. These are another truly seasonal item. You see peppers at the grocery store year round, but they never have any organic ones. As a result, I have a very short window during the summer months where I get to enjoy them. In general, I prefer them cooked to raw, but my favorite way to have them is roasted. To roast a pepper, you simply place it directly on the flame of your stove's burner and char it. Once the outside is black and fully charred, put it in a paper bag or in a bowl covered with cling film. Let it cool for a few minutes and then, simply peel off the skin.

When I was a kid it was a toss up between peaches and strawberries for my favorite fruit. I used to pick every last piece of flesh from the pit before finally throwing it away-it was a tedious but well worth it practice. I love peach and blueberry tarts with nut crusts, grilled peaches with ice cream or fresh yogurt but nothing is better than biting into a perfectly ripe, sweet O Henry peach.