I had been wanting to try some sort of broccoli-cheese patty for Kiran since she seemed to like those flavors. As I was tossing ingredients into the bowl, my husband suggested adding quinoa to bump up the nutritional value (she is a vegetarian). So I did. Brilliant!

Kiran did eat these, once. I need to try them again with her. But in the meantime, my husband and I ended up eating them over a few weeks for lunches. They freeze well; reheat them directly from the freezer in the microwave for 40 seconds or so. Serve them with marinara, ranch dressing, mayo spiced with chipotle, Trader Joe’s Greek-style feta dressing…whatever you want or eat them plain. These could also make great little appetizers!

Broccoli-Quinoa Bites

- 1 16 oz package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, steamed and drained (I use Trader Joe’s organic version; you can also use one lb of fresh broccoli, steamed and drained)
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (homemade or store-bought – I use Trader Joe’s organic breadcrumbs)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or onion powder)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (see basic recipe here)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a small bowl; set aside. In a food processor, finely chop the broccoli but be careful not to over-process so it’s a mush. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, both cheeses and quinoa; stir to combine. Add the seasoned breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Finally, add the beaten eggs and stir well to combine.

Using your hands, form small patties and lay on the baking sheet. (I used a medium-sized cookie scoop and then flattened with my hands to make evenly sized patties.) Bake for 15 minutes and then turn over the patties, baking for another 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Basic Cooked Quinoa

- 1/2 cup quinoa (I use the organic white one from Trader Joe’s. They also carry a red version; I prefer the white one.)
- 1 cup water

Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh sieve. Let soak in a bowl in fresh cold water for 5 minutes. (You want to rinse off the outer layer, or saponin, as it can be bitter.) Transfer drained quinoa to a small or medium sized saucepan. Add 1 cup cold water. On high, let the water come to a boil; but just until you see small bubbles form. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, set the timer for 20 minutes. Once done, the water should have evaporated and the quinoa is light and fluffy. If not and you still see water, cover and cook for 2 minute increments, checking at each increment. Fluff with a fork and enjoy.

Notes:
- I keep it, cooked, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Ratio is 1 part quinoa: 2 parts water (or any sort of broth/stock, for added flavor). Easy to halve or double or triple the recipe!

Kale Pesto

- One big bunch of kale, washed and spun dry
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 2 small cloves or 1 large clove garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli) – you can also use toasted walnuts and toasted pecans work, if that’s all you have on hand
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, trim the kale by removing the stem from the leaves (here’s a quick video on how to trim kale). Stack the the long leaves and cut into 1″ wide pieces. If I am feeling really lazy, I just tear them into the 1″ wide pieces. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the water is boiling, add salt to it and then add the kale leaves. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the leaves are bright green. Using tongs or a spider (my preferred method of extraction here), immediately place the leaves in the ice water bath. After 30 seconds, remove to a colander and wring dry, removing all the water from the kale. A handy way to do this is by placing the wet kale in a clean, dry dishtowel and wring dry over the sink.

Add kale to the food processor. Add garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan and process to a paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil  to desired consistency. Add pepper to taste.

Kale Pesto Salad

Technically a deconstructed pesto, this easy salad comes together in minutes and is my favorite way to prepare – and eat – kale. It’s even better when made with fresh, just picked kale…from my CSA at Sport Hill Farm or a friend’s garden. The credit for this recipe goes to our dear friend Bobbi. She is responsible for introducing us to the pleasure of eating raw kale. Then again, anything that includes Parmesan, lemon, olive oil and pine nuts sounds delicious to me.

A note re: the recipe: as this is a salad, the measurements are a bit loose. Measure to taste. Surprisingly, leftover kale salad keeps for a day or two in the refrigerator and still tastes good.

Kale Pesto (Deconstructed) Salad

- One big bunch of kale, washed and spun dry
- Extra virgin olive oil, maybe 4 tablespoons (a few turns of your salad bowl)
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (use your vegetable peeler or take the easy route and buy the shaved Parmesan from Trader Joe’s)
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Trim the kale by removing the stem from the leaves (here’s a quick video on how to trim kale). Stack the the long leaves and cut into 1″ wide pieces. If I am feeling really lazy, I just tear them into the 1″ wide pieces. Place in salad bowl.

Pour the extra virgin olive oil over the kale and toss, being sure to cover each piece of kale so it glistens with the oil. Squeeze the lemon (to taste) over the kale and toss. Add the toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan. Toss. Add a few twists of the pepper grinder.  After one final toss, serve.

Enjoy and feel good knowing you are doing your taste buds and body a favor by eating kale.

Cooking for one has never been easier, with the “one” referring to my seven month old daughter. [Ok, so now you know why I have not posted anything since last April. Does it count if I have drafts of posts swirling around in my head?] Back to the post. Although nursing and now feeding Kiran formula has been a wonderful and nurturing bonding experience, it’s not that much fun. I eagerly anticipated Kiran reaching five months so we could begin feeding her solids. And I hoped and prayed that she would be nothing like me at that age. To my parents: I truly am sorry I was a challenging baby who didn’t sleep much or eat well. It’s a good thing the brother came along to prove to you that not all babies are difficult.

Next decision was what to feed Kiran. We eschewed rice cereal, a traditional first food for babies. I read a few things about babies’ digestive systems not being ready for grains until eight months or so, and also read a lot about fruits and vegetables as first foods. Pediatrician blessed us (not always the case, at least not at first, as with the formula we chose) so we got ready. We started with a teaspoon of banana and tried it once a day for two days. Score! Then came the butternut squash (from our CSA at Sport Hill Farm), then carrot and so on.

Everything, but the papaya (because I cannot find organic papaya), is organic. For root vegetables and anything that requires steaming, I use a small pressure cooker (thanks Mom!). Pears and apples are cored and cubed and cooked for one minute with a bit of water in the microwave. Prunes are soaked in hot water for fifteen minutes. I puree everything using my trusty OXO food mill (gift from the brother!). I like the food mill because it has a ton of uses (tomato sauce, soups, etc.) beyond this stage. And it’s super easy and quick to use.

Why is it so easy feeding one? Because I make food in advance in batches, except for bananas, and freeze it. And I usually throw something in the pressure cooker for Kiran while I am making something for myself or doing something else. I didn’t bother buying a baby food ice cube tray; I just use an ice cube tray set inside a Rubbermaid container and then transfer the cubes of food to containers. I did buy a set of the little baby food cubes that have covers for some of the more liquid foods.

Oh yeah, and it helps if the beneficiary of said food is very accepting and eager. We are blessed to have a good eater (so far!). Kiran is great. It’s really fun and funny to watch. She starts shaking her little head and kicking one foot in excitement when it is mealtime. She has liked everything except carrots, parsnips and peas, but when each is mixed with pear, she loves it. We test a food separately and then monitor her for 24 hours to ensure she is not allergic. No allergies to date. We also started her on some spices after six months. “They” recommend mixing fruits and vegetables with formula for the first feed, but we didn’t, unless the food was very thick.

Here is a list of the fruits and vegetables (and combos) Kiran has experienced to date:

Banana (sometimes with cinnamon or nutmeg, every other day with pureed prunes)
Carrot and pear
Pea and pear
Parsnip and pear (sometimes with cinnamon or nutmeg, parsnip by itself was mixed with formula)
Butternut squash (sometimes with roasted cumin, cinnamon or sweet curry powder)
Sweet potato (always mixed with some formula since it is very thick, sometimes with cinnamon or ginger)
Macintosh apple (sometimes with cinnamon)
Macintosh apple and red beet
Avocado and pear
Apple and pea
Papaya
Zucchini (sometimes with cinnamon)

Some of the combos sound strange but they are actually quite tasty. I have tasted mostly everything Kiran has eaten, including the formula (tastes like sweet milk; it’s Nature’s One Baby’s Only Dairy and it has been terrific for Kiran).

So that’s it. Cooking for one. Healthy. Easy. Quick. And that “one” is a special, delightful little girl who makes everything possible again.

So last week, I had a hankering for a really good black bean burger. And I didn’t want one that was made with all sorts of preservatives and ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, because yes, I was considering frozen Morningstar Black Bean Burgers (which are pretty good). I asked myself, “Self, how hard can it be to make a tasty black bean burger reminiscent of The Vortex?”

In about forty minutes, I made some easy, healthy black bean burgers with ingredients from my pantry. Warning: eating these burgers require both hands and a fistful of napkins.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Burgers

- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

- Half of one medium onion, or a single small onion, diced (red, white, yellow, even 2-3 shallots are fine)

- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

- 1 tsp, plus 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 2 or more Tbsp. taco seasoning (I prefer Penzeys Spices’ Bold Taco Seasoning. You can substitute any taco seasoning you find at the grocery store in the spice aisle)

- Salt, to taste

- 1 tsp chopped cilantro leaves (or not, if you prefer)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mash the black beans using a potato masher. In a skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tsp of the oil and when hot, add the onion (or shallot) and saute until translucent, about  6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Add the onion/garlic mixture to the beans. Add the chili powder, taco seasoning and cilantro to the beans. Mix well and taste for salt and seasonings, adjusting to your preference. Don’t worry if the mixture is a bit dry at this point. When satisfied, add the flour and the beaten egg and mix well. With your hands, score the mixture into 6 portions and form 6 patties.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. When hot, place the patties into the pan and do not flip (I repeat, do not flip) for 4 minutes. Flip after 4 minutes and cook for an additional four minutes on the other side. If using cheese, top patties with cheese for the last minute, cover to let cheese melt.

Meanwhile, prepare your toppings:

- Shredded or sliced cheddar or jack cheese

- Toast the buns

- Sliced red onion

- Shredded or torn lettuce

- Salsa

- Guacamole (I make a quick one: mash one ripe Haas avocado and add 1 clove minced garlic, a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped onion, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.)

Assemble your burger and enjoy!

It has been ages since I last posted…hmmm, what can I blame? Work? Junior League? Being five months pregnant? The weather? Band practice? Trying to organize the house? Oh well, better late than never is my motto for many things!

I just made this to-die-for dessert last weekend for a special girls’ lunch, where my “Baby Council” offered up tons of great advice and stories to prepare me for baby’s anticipated arrival in August. And surprisingly, I am not terribly overwhelmed.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa and her book, Barefoot in Paris. It was divine and one of the easiest desserts you can make a day or two in advance of serving it. I call it  “Dome à la Creme” as I used a  7″ sieve and can’t be bothered with buying a special heart-shaped mold. I recommend you do the same. The sauce makes a lot so if necessary, you could cut it in half. Also, to double this recipe, which is easy, don’t double the ingredients, just make two domes. I don’t know about other Barefoot Contessa fans but just about everything of hers I make turns out delightful. And I can’t help being totally envious of her Hamptons lifestyle.

Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries

- 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Trader Joe’s, do not use low or non fat cream cheese)

- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

- 2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used Trader Joe’s bourbon vanilla extract)

- 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (again, from Trader Joe’s)

-Raspberry sauce (recipe follows)

- 1 pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried

Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest and vanilla seeds and beat on high until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7″ sieve with cheesecloth (I used unbleached) so the ends drape over the sides and place it in a bowl so there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bowl for the liquid to drain (about 1″). Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate and drizzle raspberry sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce. Alternatively, slice pieces, drizzle with sauce and scatter with raspberries.

Raspberry Sauce

- 1 half-pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

- 1 Tbsp framboise liqueur (I used kirsch)

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

One of my favorite things about winter is homemade soup. They’re easy to make, you can toss pretty much anything in them and with vegetable-based ones, you can leave them in the refrigerator and eat them for days. Add a hearty salad and bread and you have a complete meal. I recently challenged myself – it was a weeknight and I didn’t want to be in the kitchen more than one hour including clean up – to make a nutritious soup with only what I had in my kitchen. “Minestrone My Way” was born.

With relish, I put to use these ingredients that were lying around and had no obvious or near-term plans for consumption:

• - a 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes with basil I had accidentally bought a while ago
• - I think the last of my kale from the Sport Hill Farm CSA that I froze in September
• - the last cup of a bag of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa)
• - my last can of cannellini (white Italian kidney) beans

Substitutions can easily be made and I have listed them in the ingredients below. I usually heat the broth and water to speed up cooking time. I am positive this soup freezes well. This is probably not even close to a minestrone but that’s what it reminded me of. As we ate our “Minestrone My Way,” a mixed salad dressed with a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette and crusty, cheesy garlic bread, my husband and I looked at each other and both shouted out at the same time, “When you’re here, you’re family!” We’re apparently starring in our very own Olive Garden commercial.

Minestrone My Way

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (substitute with red or white onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tsp. dried oregano (substitute Italian seasoning or basil)

1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes with basil, cut into bite-size pieces and juices reserve  (substitute with plain or Italian diced tomatoes to reduce chopping)

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (substitute kidney beans)

1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (substitute with pastina, orzo, any small-shaped pasta or even spaghetti broken into bite-size pieces)

1/2 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and cut into ribbons or bite-size pieces (substitute with 6 oz. bag baby spinach)

32 oz. (4 cups) vegetable broth (substitute with water)

2 cups water

A few dashes of Tabasco (optional), salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium. Once hot, add onions and saute until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add oregano, crushing it in your hand as you drop it in the pot (this releases the flavor of the herb). Add the chopped tomatoes and reserved juices, stir and raise heat to high. Add broth and water. Once boiling, add Harvest Grains Blend (or pasta) and kale. Reduce to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes. (If using spinach, add spinach at the end of the 10 minutes because it will cook much faster than kale.) Add beans and stir gently, taking care not to break the beans. Add Tabasco (if using), salt and pepper to taste.

My husband used to whine about how many gadgets I’d collect and wonder when I would ever use that mushroom brush my mother gave me. (My mother actually gives me many of my toys. My best friend also contributes to my collection and usually in a way where she knows my husband will benefit from the gift, such as a wine aerator. It would be rude to not accept their gifts. And using their gifts makes me feel like they are cooking alongside me in the kitchen.) But then, a few birthdays ago, he gave me a cookbook holder. And then a knife sharpener for Christmas. I felt freedom! No longer did I need to bury my latest acquisition and surreptitiously use it when his back was turned. He finally realized that I actually use every single one of my gadgets and appliances and decided he may as well feed my addiction. After all, he is the primary beneficiary of my cooking and baking. It’s a win-win.

Which brings me to my latest prize. I love doing dishes (another post for another time) but absolutely DETEST when food leftovers, especially cheese and egg, get caught in the strands of the sponge. Recently, I discovered a nifty little gadget at Crate & Barrel – a bamboo pot cleaner. It’s eco-friendly, it’s tiny and it works beautifully! I no longer worry about scraping the pan or getting food caught in the sponge. And at $1.99, it’s a steal. The pot cleaner makes doing dishes a breeze. I’ve even got the husband now using it. Clearly, I am easy to please. Just buy me a little kitchen gadget and I am yours forever.

Thanksgiving to me is…mismatched chairs. A dining table extended by a card table, with an uneven break between the two. No elbow or leg room. Days spent planning which delicious dishes to make. Surrounded by family, friends, food and fun. It’s my absolute favorite holiday of the year.

For the past 20 years (give or take a few), we have celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Augusta, GA. Our table each year includes the same group of friends, who are really considered family at this point. Spouses and children have joined the gang in the past ten years. Guests arrive around 6:30pm and dinner is served at 8:00pm. Nobody in this household sees the point of waking up at 6:00am to begin cooking.

There is a clear division of labor for our Thanksgiving prep. My mother is the executive chef. Mom oversees everything, tasting and adjusting along the way and giving the final stamp of approval. She is a terrific baker and usually bakes a pumpkin pie with the flakiest pie crust. My brother, Birju, roasts the turkey and makes the gravy and helps with the mashed potatoes, discovering a new turkey recipe and testing the latest, tastiest turkey technique. I make sides: sweet and spicy yams, savory Brussels sprouts, buttery mashed potatoes and a killer cheddar-jalapeno cornbread. Guests bring bean chili and salads to round out the meal for the vegetarians. My husband, Kumar, selects the beer and wine to pour that evening and with Dad, jumps in to do the dishes and empty the trash as soon as things start to pile up. Kristy, my sister-in-law, helps Kumar set the table and lends a hand where needed. Dad gently reminds us to take a break for lunch, not to start drinking too early (how could noon be too soon?) and that it is time to take our annual Thanksgiving walk.

This year, I gave Mom a break as head baker by baking what I hoped would be a scrumptious pumpkin pie rich in brown sugar and made by my friend Kirstin for a harvest dinner Kumar and I hosted a few weeks ago. This recipe may have come from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook; I can’t quite tell. All I know is that Kirstin’s pie was delicious and it looked relatively easy to make, as far as pies made from scratch go.

Thanksgiving this year was interesting. Our carefully planned prep quickly went to the wayside as we all competed for the attention of my gorgeous and precocious one-year old niece, Ariane, who has each of us wrapped around her teeny finger.

The pie didn’t quite turn out as perfectly as I’d hoped. The filling was a bit too spicy (maybe it was the Penzeys spices I used, which are pretty potent) and the crust stuck to the fluted pie dish. I also burned the crust a tad; I should have covered the crust at 40 minutes. Next time, I’ll reduce the spices by half and use a 10-inch pie dish. I’ll also reduce the flaky sea salt in the crust by half. Despite the pie’s shortcomings, it was still tasty, especially with fresh whipped cream. Hey, I’m not Martha Stewart. I wonder how many pies it takes her to get it perfect. I don’t have that luxury but I am blessed to be surrounded by lovely people who will eat just about anything I serve and enjoy it. Life is too short to pass up not-so-perfect homemade pie.

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Pecan Crust

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 Tsp. flaky sea salt

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus flour as needed

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tsp. ground ginger

1 Tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 Tsp. ground cloves

1/2 Tsp. salt

1 can (15 oz.) organic pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 large eggs

Sweetened whipped cream for serving

Position one rack in the bottom of the oven, another rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans on the middle rack until fragrant and lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Pour onto a glass plate to cool, then finely grind in a food processor; take care not to overprocess them by turning them into a paste.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat the butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolk and flaky sea salt. Add the ground pecans and 1¼ cups flour and stir, working the dry ingredients into the butter mixture by smearing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together in large, shaggy clumps.

On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough into a mound and knead it until it just comes together. Press the dough into a flat disk, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in flour to smooth and even out the dough. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, the freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, buttermilk and whole eggs. Process until combined.

Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the baking sheet and transfer directly to the lower oven rack. Bake until the center jiggles only slightly when the tie is tapped, 10-15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

To serve, cut into wedges and top with whipped cream.