Nourishing Flourishing

Long. Weekend. Sweet words, yes? Let’s be honest, Labor Day is less about it’s historical significance and more about things like BBQ, camping, and generally squeezing in one last dose of summer before we accept that it has left the building (sorry, season, but I’m ready for you to peace out). I know that many of you are new readers (Hi!), and every few months, I like to give a little bit of a round-up to resurrect some recipes that might have been buried with time — and Labor Day weekend seems like the perfect opportunity to do just that. If you are not a new reader, I hope you still find some inspiration for your long weekend eats : )

But, if not, don’t fear (or unsubscribe, more accurately…) — another new recipe is headed your way!

Vegan Mango Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Seriously, with just three ingredients… I don’t see how you can pass this up. It tastes like rainbows. Dipped in Mango.

Put The Lime In The Coconut (Milk) Ice Cream
Um… What says “summer loving” more than flecks of lime zest and creamy cold yumness? Exactly.

Easy GF, Vegan Baked Beans
This is pretty much my go-to BBQ contribution, because it’s awesome. Sorry, but it’s true! I’ve had several friends say they plan to make this soon, and it is one of my most popular recipes on the blog. Seriously, you just can’t go wrong!

Bring-The-Party-In-Your-BBQ-Sauce Sauce
This is amazing on (veggie) burgers, salads, pizza crusts, and just about anything you can imagine. Once you make your own BBQ sauce at home, you will never, ever go back!

In fact, my sister-in-law Abby left me this message on Facebook this week:

(it literally made me l.o.l.)

Sloppy Joe Lentil Posers
My friend Jonathan is so sweet; he recently had us over for lunch and made this recipe for us, as he wanted to make sure I had “safe” food to eat. He even called me five times to make sure he was doing it right. (Sorry ladies, as of recently he’s been taken off the bachelor list!) He did it right (good job, Jon!), and we had a wonderful meal. Psst… This is great for those veggie-meat-alternative skeptics (read: meat eaters) ; )

Zucchini Fries
These are getting a lot of attention from Pinterest, of all places! (P.S. I reward myself for long study and work sessions with a 10 minute “pinning” break. I felt the need to confess that…) Anyway, this is a great excuse to get rid of the plethora of wonderful seasonal zucchini (that you’ve run out of ways to cook)!

Or, you know, make real (Sweet) Potato Fries
So easy, so cheap, so flippin’ addictive…

Simple and Savory Date Tapenade
I made this for a gathering over a month ago, serving it with socca as a flatbread to dip, and the entire thing was literally scraped-clean-GONE in half an hour. And we even came after all the other stuff had been served and people were stuffed. Soo… Not to toot my own horn buuut. (toot toot.)

Massaged Kale Salad and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
So fresh, so easy. This is literally ready to go in 5 minutes! I could eat it all day long. (So don’t invite me to your Labor Day festivities if you make this. Seriously. I’ll eat all of it.)

Summer Marinade (Best with Grilled or Broiled Veggies!)
Mix the marinade, cut veggies, throw all together in a Ziploc, let soak for an hour or two, grill. BAM. Deliciousness! (Also can be tossed with lettuce for a zingy salad!)

Garden Green Goddess Dressing
One last taste of that summer fresh flavor!

Asian Peanut Salad Dressing and Dip
Just as tasty as the stuff they serve in sushi restaurants with salad, but without the mayo and other schtuff most of us would like to do without. It has literally changed my life. And it’s ready in about 2 minutes, so…bonus.

Oh, Summer… We had some good times. But absence makes the heart grow fonder.

And it’s been a year since the last pumpkin season.

So don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

What will you miss about Summer? Any fun Labor Day plans?

Share this:

So I had the privilege to meet dear, sweet blog reader Brenda before she moved away — but I got the most adorable text message from her yesterday saying she made the baked beans (one of my most popular recipes) and loved them, and when the heck am I going to post more recipes?! Well, she said it a lot cuter and nicer than that. <3 Sure, I’ve been super busy, but y’know, the time has come!

Truth is, the BFF Manfriend has been doing 90% of the cooking lately, while I’ve been scrambling. And I don’t mean eggs. In fact, this meal was inspired by the man himself. And his version actually might have been better. Also a true story. I know that you might think, Hey, this has two recipes, it can’t be fast or easy! But I promise – it’s simple, delicious, and can be thrown together in probably fifteen — tops twenty — minutes. I say this with confidence because yesterday I ran to the store down the street, and when I came back, the BFF Manfriend announced dinner was ready. Um. Yes? And you thought the mango heart was sweet.

This the perfect recipe if you (or a generous friend — thanks Ann!) have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden, getting way too ripe on your counter.

The tomatoes are strained of their seeds/juice, cooked down with a little olive oil, and seasoned as a tomato should be — with only salt, pepper, and oregano. The reserved juice and seeds aren’t wasted, though — they are added to lend some piquancy to the other layer of the meal — cooked black beans, which are seasoned with just some salt, pepper, cumin, and a touch of oregano.

Here’s what it looks like when those tomaters are all good and squeezed:

After mashing or blending the bean mixture (the Husband smashes; I blend [lazy]), you spread them on a slice of GF bread, and dollop on a spoonful of Succulent Tomato Topping. With salad on the side, this is an efficient (read: fast), high-protein, nutritious, vegan, and totally delicious meal. I like to think of it as “Grad School Gourmet” — cheap, but with a touch of class. I mean, I used “piquancy” to describe it. That’s not only a GRE word, it’s definitely made the rounds in fine cooking magazines…

NOTE: You do not have to include the strained tomato juices/seeds; feel free to omit the step of adding it to the beans and just dispose of it.

Simple, Succulent Tomato Topping

Ingredients
1.5 TB extra virgin olive oil
5 small to medium-sized tomatoes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t coarse ground pepper
1 TB oregano

Recipe
1) Quarter tomatoes and remove seed pulp/juice (you can just squeeze them or run your fingertip along the seed line to remove). Reserve juice in a separate container.
2) Coarsely chop tomatoes.
3) Warm olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high, and add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano.
4) Stir occasionally to keep from sticking; allow tomatoes to cook down (5-10 minutes).
5) Turn off heat, and, using a spoon or spatula, drain liquid into the container with the other tomato seed pulp/juice. Taste, add more seasoning if necessary.

Makes about 1/2 cup, depending on the size of the tomatoes. It should be enough for about 4 large slices of bread.

Classed-Up Quick Bean Spread

Ingredients
Reserved tomato juice/seeds from recipe above
1 1/4 C prepared black beans (= 1 14.5 oz can, rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 TB cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t coarse ground pepper
1/2 t oregano

Recipe
1) Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and mash until combined — OR — place all in a blender and process until desired texture — OR — combine in a bowl and use an immersion blender until desired texture. Taste and adjust spicing accordingly.
2) Spread or pour (depending on consistency) over toast, and cover with Simple Succulent Tomato Topping.

Makes about 1 – 1 1/4 cups — enough to top 4 large slices of bread.

Mmm… Bean-y Bruschetta.

Like I said in the note above, the beans will be thicker if you add less (or no) juice. Also, as always, play with the spicing to your preference! These recipes are so simple that the real gem here is just the method; it’s amazing how easy it can be to just put a little bit of a different spin on something traditional, and end up with deliciousness. This felt like comfort food gone… adult.

What surprise meal successes have you had lately?

Share this:

Firstly, thank you so much for your feedback in the poll! I’m taking it to heart.  Also, the random winner is Karen! Karen, I’ll be emailing you. : )

A few things have happened recently to make this amongst the busiest two weeks of my life. Truly. But today was definitely a Manic Monday all on its own. Just…because. See below…and feel free to laugh through your sympathy.

Things I Didn’t Expect This Week (p.s. “this week” is only one day long thus far, as I write this…)
- falling down a flight of concrete stairs. fail.
- staying up until 1:30am on a weeknight writing a long post, only to realize I cannot find the paper on which my new [and totally awesome] recipe is written anywhere. and thus the essential component of the post is missing. fail.
- finding a magical hidden floor on campus — complete with balcony and silence for studying. win.
- getting a lot of nice emails, comments, and feedback from you, lovely readers. win win win.
- icing and elevating. all night long. fail.
- laughing at myself when I could have easily cried. win.
- accidentally flashing some people due to a wardrobe malfunction. fail. (for me at least… [JOKE.])
- hardly cooking at all because a delicious, seasonal, fresh-from-our-garden meal was ready at all times, thanks to the BFF Manfriend. win.
- trying nutritional yeast and getting really, really excited about the possibilities. win.
- being really sleep-deprived, really behind on blog stuff, and really swollen in the foot-and-ankle department. fail.
- someone nonchalantly presenting a special plate of ripe mango with a message for me as I studied and stressed at my desk…

WIN.

I needed that, Hubs. Thank you. <3

Things You Can Expect Within This Week:
- me to not suck at blogging by this weekend, but probably sooner.
- at least one new recipe post — hopefully with the aforementioned “lost” treasure… (Note to Self: do not write recipes on sticky notes anymore, regardless of how “securely” they are stored. Kthanks. — Yourself.) But a new recipe even if I don’t find it.
- a glimpse into what I pack for meals now that class is in session. (I was surprised this got some votes in the poll, but hey, I’ll give it a try!)

I so, so appreciate your feedback in the poll, the comments, and your emails. Seriously — thank you. I’m glad to have a better sense of why you visit this site, and what I can do to best serve my purpose. You da best.

What have you been surprised by this week, so far? I hope lots of wins!

Share this:

So, I wanted to do a quick check-in poll and give you a chance to provide some feedback, if you so desire. I just want to make sure I’m serving my purpose here. BUT — there is an incentive: I will be rewarding one randomly selected commenter with a special treat package for taking the time to participate. I’ll chose a winner by Sunday night, 8pm MST. When you leave a comment, please let me know why you visit this blog, or give specific criticism/encouragement, or ask a random question, or if you want to see more of a particular kind of recipe, demand it! Or just tell me to make more doughball and dessert hummus and scone flavors, STAT. I am usually pretty good at obliging requests : ) And, just so you know… I really appreciate you.

Note: You can vote more than once; after you make your first vote, just click “Return to Poll” in the poll box. You can only vote for one at a time though… which I know is kind of lame. Sorry. If you choose “Other,” it would be awesome if you can type in what you’re thinking of. Thank you : )

You are awesome. Every day you are awesome. And don’t forget it. <3

Thanks so much for helping me create a better blog. Seriously.

Share this:

So, it seems that everyone is writing fabulous recaps of the Healthy Living Summit, chock-full of photos and fun stories. Um… I had a great time, but usually when I have a great time, I am a terrible blogger ignore my camera. I know, for shame! I’m too busy laughing, eating, and generally conviving (<– not a real word). However, between the sessions, I did manage to venture out to Sweet Freedom Bakery with my roomie (and fellow Classics nerd) Evan, where we met the lovely Cynthia and her husband for a treat. It was such a highlight of the trip! (This was before I got stuck in the Philly airport for like eight hours the night before my grad classes started, but whatevs…)

This place is not only gluten-free — they are corn-free, soy-free, peanut-free, refined-sugar-free, and vegan, much to the delight of those of us who have cuh-razy allergies and sensitivities. I can tell you that I felt 100% safe eating there, and it was worth every celebratory calorie. I choose my indulgences wisely, and I am so glad I saved room for this. You definitely do not have to be gluten-free or vegan to enjoy this bakery’s nom-ables. Seriously. I promise. (And no, I’m not endorsing them for any reason other than that I love small businesses, and this one in particular blew me the bleep away.)

Case in point… I order the sticky cinnamon bun. It’s made of simple components like coconut flour, garbanzo bean flour, and agave. All the ingredients are listed, and I’m pleased, hopeful… but a little suspicious. I did eat gluten for a long time before I realized what it was doing to my body, so I wasn’t certain this was going to make the cut of my childhood memories. (Note I did figure out a cinnamon roll of sorts –but not a true sticky bun — here.) I’ll just let the photos do the talking…

Conquered.

Evan and I were in awe. It had a nice crisp texture on the edges, and the center layers were just as gooey, doughy, and even yeasty-tasting as all the sticky buns of my glutenous past. I couldn’t stop raving about it; it was legitimately better than any other sticky bun (glutenous or not) I have eaten. Get to Philly. Or order it online from Sweet Freedom’s online store. Cynthia already ordered some birthday cupcakes in advance, and I’m planning to do something similar once October rolls around. Yeah. It’s *that* good.

P.S. You should definitely check out Evan’s awesome recipes – especially if you are GF. He is such a talented cook! Plus, his recipe was the inspiration behind the dessert hummus extravaganza! I know, now you’re motivated : )

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten all week?

Share this:

(Psst: This post is a day late. Sorry! Internet issues at the hotel.)

Sooo. I’m heading to the city of brotherly (sisterly?) love for the Healthy Living Summit! I am actually writing this in the Denver International Airport after catching a bus at 6:30 this morning. And there are definitely a ton of birds flying around inside Gate A. Um… I guess it’s just our Colorado nature-lovin’ ways? Anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to 1) give you a better idea of who I really am, because you might only get a quick glimpse from my blog and 2) Get real and confess something. Honesty is one of my all-time highest values, and I love the response to all the other Think This, Not That posts. So let me be legit transparent here and over-share. Again.

Last night, I was doing my usual last-minute-everything before travel. This meant:
- I washed two shirts I probably won’t even wear. In the bathtub. While in my underwear.
- I chose to make a batch of all three kinds of GF (vegan) doughballs to give out at the conference instead of packing or sleeping.
- I was totally confused that people were planning outfits. Clearly, I have no fashion sensibilities.
- I ended up just doing most of the things I needed to at 6am anyway. While in my underwear.

1 Batch Double Dark Chocolate

1 Batch Cinnamon Raisin Coconut

1 Batch Dark Chocolate Chip

Surprisingly, none of these things are the confession I had in mind. I know, right? What must I have in mind if not everything ending with, “and I apparently I never wear clothing”? But I have a feeling some of you might relate to this. Despite being a reasonably confident person who likes her identity, certain things can set me off. Traveling to conferences filled with strangers is one of them. As I got ready for the HLS…

I started to question if there were other things I should have done (in or out of my underwear):
- Lose weight
- Get a haircut
- Wax my arms (my family calls me Chewbaca, just to give you a point of reference…)
- Buy trendy clothes (I shop Goodwill. Yep.)
- Change my laugh (read: have surgery to prevent snorting)
- Cancel my trip altogether

These are the kind of anxious and insecure moments that take me back. Way back. To my ED history and The Crazies that sometimes resurface. I usually respond to these hiccups pretty well (see here and here), but I knew I needed to be uber-intentional about dealing with these irrational ideas last night. Travel + The Crazies = Stressball of Foolishness. This sudden stream of negative self-talk was rooted in my fears that I won’t measure up to what a healthy living blogger is “supposed” to be. Welp, good thing I get to define that for myself : )

So. Here’s what I did to realign my thinking with reality:
- You are healthy. If you are not confident about how you look, it’s a problem with your self-perception, not your body. You are strong, fit, and just how you need to be.
- People will probably be able to handle your split ends. You’re growing your hair out for a reason. Stop being vain.
- Meh. Didn’t have time, and while you might be physically more comfortable, it’s really not a big deal. If someone isn’t ready for this jelly…*shrug* So be it. It’s just part of being Spanish.
- Be yourself. That’s how you want new friends to know you. Goodwill and all.
- See above.
- Um…no. You’ll miss fun moment like this one from the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference with friends like Anne and Alisa:

Ultimately, I got my head in the right place and stopped worrying about what sort of judgments and comparisons might arise. This community is based on mutual support and a shared mission to help people live healthier, flourishing lives anyway — why would I expect the opposite from anyone? Regardless, even if I did encounter this, I can’t control how people perceive me; I can only be myself.

(Warming my butt over a campfire and drinking coffee out of a Klean Kanteen cap. Ghetto fab.)

And myself is… well, (why lie?) a big doofus. A doofus who is going to be weighed down with doughballs, wearing outdated (ahem) “vintage” clothes that are wrinkled from my failed attempt to “roll” pack, snorting freely, and not hiding my hirsute, Mediterranean arms. So. Yep. Another Think This, Not That Real Life snapshot. Be yourself.

Just be sure to wear underwear. (Don’t worry, roomies — I packed clothes in addition to doughballs.)

Do you have to process through Crazies right before an event like this, or am I the only one?

If you’re at the Summit, please say HI! : )

Share this:

Yep.

I went there.

I so went there.

We are all probably wanting relief right now, yes? Dog days indeed. Truth be told, if I would have had tequila on hand, I probably would have thrown it in there too. Margarita ice cream? Shoot. It’s 100 flippin’ degrees out — don’t mind if I do!

Remember how I said in my last post that I worked in a local ice cream shop in high school? Yeahhh… about that. Lime ice cream (not with bright green, fake lime flavoring — real lime zest and juice) was how I gained a few extra pounds that summer… But seriously, can you blame me?! This version is a healthy, vegan take on that indulgence. It’s just three simple, delicious, whole-food ingredients. What else could possibly be more refreshing than cold, creamy, lime on these last sweltering days of summer when you feel like you’ve been trapped in the armpit of Hades? It has just enough tart and zing to perk your tastebuds and your mood. (That was way cheesier than I meant it to be. Forgive me.)

Plus, once you share the three magical ingredients, it will make everyone around you start singing and dancing to this song in the kitchen (at least…if you’re a member of my family, apparently):

It’s okay if you drop your spoon (perhaps in a garden as you take photos…ahem), or are simply in a hurry — just get that ice cream in your mouth, friend.

You know you want to go there too. So do it. Go there. And don’t look back.

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk
1/2 C agave or honey
2 fresh limes

Recipe:

1) Zest limes.
2) Mix coconut milk, sweetener, zest, and juice of both limes in a large bowl. Taste, and adjust sweetness if desired.
3) Process according to instructions included with ice cream maker.

Um… Do you see those flecks of green? That is deliciousness, otherwise known as lime zest. If you can eat graham crackers (or know how to make a GF version), this would be an a-m-a-z-i-n-g Key Lime pie substitute. I’m drooling on my keyboard so… This just got awkward.

How are you staying cool?

Share this:

We made two different kinds of vegan ice cream this weekend.

I know. We might have a problem. But hear me out!

Please see the following list for really good justifications reasons:

1) When were visiting my parents for a few days this weekend, I knew I wanted to get as much use out of this limited-time nectar-of-the-gods-making appliance (–> that we don’t have) as I could while we had the chance. (We are grad students, on a grad student budget — did I mention that 8000 times already?).
2) It is like the 5th circle of Hades hot outside right now.
3) The maker was my grandma’s, and holds some special memories in it’s adorable wooden frame.
4) The last time I made ice cream was with my grandma and this maker. It was a simple coconut milk base sweetened with agave, but G-Funk couldn’t get over how awesome it was that we used no dairy or refined sugar. She was crazy about such a neat new treat, one that I could take part in no less! (She was devastated that I couldn’t eat like most people.)
5) You know what? Coconut milk ice cream tastes better to me than dairy ever did. And I do what I please.

Psst: that is indeed a Trader Joe’s can from one of my ridiculous cross-country pilgrimages.

So… I used to not like mango. Seriously. But when I was in high school, I worked at a local ice cream shop (now out of business, God rest its soul) and while I didn’t get a discount, I did get the freedom to eat as much I wanted while on the clock. Anyway, one of the unique flavors was mango, and I was so convinced it would make me gag I didn’t even try it for months. Then one day, my life changed. Enter Mango. Hence, this classy, healthy, vegan, dairy-free, super-simple-with-no-nasty-high-fructose-corn-syrup-and-who-knows-what-else-flavoring version! It’s not even sweetened with refined sugar. Whaaa?

Bam! Deliciousness.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz can coconut milk (I used TJ’s light, but ten bucks says a the full-fat stuff has better flavor)
1 fresh mango (about 1 1/2 cups cubed; you could probably sub frozen mango chunks)
1/3 C honey, agave, or equivalent other sweetener

Recipe:
1) In food processor or blender, puree mango with sweetener until as smooth as possible.
2) Add coconut milk to puree and blend.
3) Follow directions on ice cream maker, then freeze.

You could easily adjust the sweetener based on how ripe your mango is – perhaps you’ll need more, perhaps less. The joy is that you can taste your mix before dumping it into the ice cream maker.

Actually… who am I kidding? The joy is in eating this stuff!

And licking the beater…

This is my shame/surprise face as I give proof of my ghetto-fabulousness over the sink.

After being found, enjoy properly, with garnish:

I took these photos as it was raining outside my folks’ house. ‘Twas a challenge with all that cloud cover and dripping! Nevertheless, the recipe needed to be shared. Immediately. So. Yeah. Borrow an ice cream maker if you don’t have one, or check out thrift stores. We saw about 90 in the Florida Goodwill when we were down there in July!

Even my (extremely picky and super-tasting) dad enjoyed a bowl…

= Winning.

I had to laugh when I saw how many other bloggers had the same thought this week — ice cream! Must be August, eh? If you are looking for more tropical vegan ice cream ideas, check out Elana Amsterdam’s recent post on a vegan Pina Colada ice cream. It looks so refreshing! She also has a list of links for other bloggers who are sharing this same brain for cold, sweet, dairy-free yummology

What flavor are you craving? (We have one more to share!)

Share this:

SO.

Sorry about my song lyric title… It kept coming to mind as I wrote this. Random Story #1: My dad worked for a college, and right before the Red Hot Chili Peppers hit the big time (i.e., topping charts), they played there. They also got naked during their show. So my dad had to kick them out in their underwear. The End.

It’s Friday. You’re probably needing a little pick-me-up. I might be able to help you out with that…  Now, I’m not about to go all giveaway crazy on you —  I am not a huge fan of that. But, because I supported this brand far before they contacted me about anything (check out this post of yore for proof), I feel great about giving a couple readers the opportunity to see why I actually dig this stuff in the first place.

Muir Glen, one of my favorite companies, has generously offered to send two readers each a Reserve Kit of their products!

Not only are their tomatoes organic, but this is one place where I can taste a huge difference when I use other brands. Random related story #2: While I was working out a few months ago, I was flipping through channels and saw America’s Test Kitchen do a blind taste test of canned tomato schtuff… and  Muir Glen was #1 out of both organic and conventional. I don’t own a tv, so this was a limited glimpse into what I presume to be something impressive… right? (<– I am so, so, so behind the times. [facepalm])

ANYway. I actually only use Muir Glen canned tomatoes regardless of whether they send me and my readers awesome things. This is one thing I don’t really budge on, because they taste better, are only marginally more expensive than others, if not the same price, but don’t contain unnatural preservatives or chemicals like the rest. I was delighted to find out they are also going BPA free with their cans, which is a big deal because tomatoes are probably the most dangerous in leaching out BPA junk in cans due to their acid. = win-win-win.

Enough rambling. Here’s how to enter: Leave a comment with how you would use some canned tomato-y goodness, or what is nourishing flourishing in your life right now. OR, you can help a sister out and “like” Nourishing Flourishing on Facebook (if you haven’t already). Either way, your name goes in the virtual hat. : )

Winners will be announced on Monday, August 15th. Confession: I’m totally excited to receive my own Reserve Kit.

Yay cool free stuff!

Share this:

So our friends Quincy and Emily were kind enough to offer us their CSA share from the farm this week while they were gone (we have a garden instead of the CSA this year). Q and E knew we were missing having so many beets around to make one of our summer and fall favorites…borscht. This is a delicious way to use up those bumper crops of beets and other random vegetables you just don’t know what to do about. We hadn’t cooked with beets at all before borscht.. we love beets now, even in all their earthiness. All because of borscht. Borscht!!!

We first learned about borscht — a beet-based, beautifully purple or crimson colored soup — when we were volunteering at a summer camp for children who are adopted from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Russia. This “heritage camp” (click here for more information on this fantastic organization) is for the whole family, and offers opportunities for these kiddos (and their siblings) to learn more about the culture of their birth countries through activities, art, dance, music, stories, performances, and food. The BFF Manfriend and I had the privilege of being counselors with the same heritage group both summers — Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia (it was scheduling coincidence, as there are other groups each week — Africa, Latin America, China, etc.). Anywho, it was during this time that we got to meet some great kids, and try out some unique REECA cuisine, borscht being the highlight.

The recipe below– made by the BFF Manfriend himself — is for a more “Russian” style borscht, I suppose, although it lacks the potato element that is very popular because I can’t really eat white potatoes. It is also vegan, whereas some places prefer to add some meat. Like all food, it varies by region. (Ben Hogue, what is it like in Ukraine?)

Here is what you need to know about borscht:
1) IT IS INSANELY CHEAP ECONOMICAL TO MAKE!
2) You can substitute just about any vegetable for whatever you have on hand.
3) Borscht is best served cool or at room temperature. Seriously. Promise.

This was actually the first recipe my husband ever made completely on his own — no recipe, no advice, nothing. Pure creativity. This is a huge milestone, because the man used to be afraid to boil water without a recipe… almost seriously. Over time, he has become an amazing cook! The number one most important factor? Hint: not skill…

Confidence — along with openness and adventure. He learned that you just have to be willing to take the risk of making mistakes, because you can usually correct them anyway. Not sure what [insert spice/ingredient here] will do to your pot of something? Shake-a shake-a shake-a, and taste along the way. Play around! Enjoy the process! Good things happen:

This recipe will yield half of what the BFF Manfriend usually makes in our big stockpot. What can I say? He’s a domestic divinity. [applause]

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped (we use red)
1/2 head of garlic, chopped (yes, as in the cloves in a bunch — not just one clove)
4 beets (ours were smallish)
4 C water
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 bunch chard, chopped or ripped into pieces (~ 6 leafs and stalks — the stalks are great for soup!)
2 yellow squash (or zucchini, or a mix)
1/2 Tb salt (you might want to use less)
1/2 Tb ground pepper (use less if you don’t like spice)
1 tsp oregano

Recipe:
1) In the bottom of a large pot, saute chopped onions and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil on medium. When soft, add chopped beets. Sprinkle a little salt on mixture.
2) Add remaining ingredients, except for squash. Let reach a soft boil.
3) Turn heat down, and add squash. Let simmer until desired texture.

My Husband likes to boil his vegetables to a near-mush when he makes soup sometimes, so I have left it somewhat ambiguous how to tell when the soup is ready. Do what you will! But if you do anything, eat it lukewarm, at the very least : )

Have you tried borscht? Are you intrigued?

I think kids love how unique the color is.

(Add more water or [almond/rice] milk to get a pink hue!)

P.S. Sorry my photos are lacking quality lately… Someone please buy me a DSLR. I pay in doughballs and dessert hummus! : D

Share this: