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Savory Side: Creamed Kale and 'Kraut

8/26/2014

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Hello Lavenderlies!

I hope this post finds all of you doing well. I’ve missed you! It’s been a busy busy couple of weeks, but I am back at it, more excited than ever.

Last weekend I went to Food Blog Forum 2014 in Asheville, NC. Unlike many of the participants there, I had been to Asheville many many times before. This time was SO different, though. I felt like a royal guest! The conference was held at the Biltmore House and Estate, one of the largest privately owned residents in the United States. I am almost ashamed that I had never previously been (after all, I’m a freakin’ NC native) but at the same time, it was not lacking in luster one bit.

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The same can be said of the conference, which was hosted by the bloggers of Steamy Kitchen and White on Rice Couple. There, I also met the Charlotte masterminds behind 100 Days of Real Food!! I literally just got goosebumps daydreaming that Lisa Leake will let me follow her around like a chicken one day. She (and only a few other bloggers at the conference) writes all about clean eating and whole-foods living. I got nervous like a school girl when I had the chance to meet her!

Anywho, as was to be expected, the conference did provide a lot of food. Unfortunately, though, only two of the multiple meals provided were vegan. I’m going to admit that I let my tastebuds get the best of me, and I ate a meal’s worth of really good cheese and really great fish. I kept it pescatarian, though, and I felt awesome knowing that ALL of the food provided was grown in or around Asheville, and with consciousness. Amen to that!

Nonetheless, raising my head above vegan water made me crave creamy when I got home. I am back to vegan eating and living, but not without some challenge! Hence, my next few recipes may be more simple than ever just to help me keep ‘em coming!
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This Creamed Kale recipe is super easy and quick. I’ve fallen in love with Just Mayo brand vegan mayo, which makes a homemade “ranch” dressing or cream sauce even more easy than before. While the cashew base that I usually use is delish, sometimes I just don’t want to effing THINK, let alone get out a machine to cook. This recipe is a byproduct of that sentiment. Be sure to read the serving suggestions, too!

Until next time, know that I’m even more excited about the list of recipe ideas I’ve created than ever. Also, you can expect more posts from here on out, so PLEASE be sure to check back more often!

With Love and Lavender,
Hannah

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Creamed Kale & 'Kraut - 1 Serving
1/4 cup Sauerkraut
3 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
5 oz. Curly Leaf or Tuscan Kale (1/2 of a pre-washed bag), torn and washed
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard (I used Gray Poupon!)
2 tbsp Just Mayo 
1/4 cup Filtered Water
1/2 tsp course Black Pepper
Salt to taste

1. Heat a large skillet or wok to medium. 
2. In a small bowl, mix mustard, Just Mayo, water and pepper until mixed and runny. 
3. Add kale, mushrooms, and creamy mixture to the skillet. Saute for 3-5 minutes until wilted and warm.

To serve: Top with cold sauerkraut, salt, and your favorite savory veggie burger! I used Organic Sunshine brand's Barbecue burger. The sweet/savory combo worked GREAT with the mustardy kale!
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Meditate to Morocco on Chickpea Boats

7/18/2014

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Two months ago, my partner (whom I have never mentioned on here before!!) and I decided to give our long-thought-lost relationship a total second go. Following the slogans “one day at a time” and “easy does it” have been tremendous and peacefully guiding. And for once, I am so proud and happy to say that I am experiencing renewal of self more than I ever imagined a love relationship could bring.
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We started seeing a therapist, which we agreed from the get-go would be our only hope for recovering from early hurts, childhood wounds, and poor self imagery that previously led to our demise. In the first session, our guy asked us to “kneel at the altar of our hearts” as an initial mental exercise in starting things off right. Our homework at the end of the session was to spend daily time independently seeking out our “deepest heart’s desire.” Part of our relationship recovery will include sharing this with one another.
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Since then, my daily time has taken the shape of meditation. It didn’t take long for me to learn that meditation is my version of prayer. Utilizing tools I learned from Get Some Headspace, I am now guiding myself through daily “walks” with me. It has only been a week since I’ve begun this practice, but I can already share that I feel more tapped into my heart’s desire than ever before. I am learning things about who I am, what I need to do to live fully, and how to be the absolute most authentic Hannah Joy Lehman one could ever ask for.
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An extremely exciting piece of Tapping Into Me has been that my heart is truly seeking its truest creative expression. I have many a meditation to do to discover exactly what those words mean, but for now it means that I have had a HELLOFATIME fucking around in the kitchen. Pardon my french, but I ain’t holdin’ back no more, folks.
This recipe came from just such fucking around, spawned by Eat This Poem, my all-time favorite blogger. Hilariously, her post was inspired by a mutual favorite foodie blog, Smitten Kitchen who ALSO was inspired by a blogger-chef, this random french guy I’ve never heard of who is apparently famous and cooks really great shit. (I am proud to say I'm the only vegan blogger among them, by the way.) 
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All of that’s to say, I am beginning to learn that inspiration depends upon the admiration of other great works. Also, reworking a recipe can take it from meh (as was the case with this recipe, yesterday) to OHMYEFFINGGAWD my mouth just had a ‘gasm. I’m not kidding guys. Please, don’t tweak this recipe until you’ve copied it to a T the first time, because the minor changes I made (such as blasphemously removing the raw garlic and ginger) were much much much worth the extra work.

Until next week, when my heart brings you even more crazy deliciousness,


Hannah Joy                                     ... PS I’M GOING TO MY FIRST FOOD BLOGGER CONFERENCE IN AUGUST!!!


Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Salad Serves 2-3
This salad consists of a finely tweaked spice blend that I created after researching the traditional Moroccan spice blend called Ras El Hanout, which is found in many Moroccan dishes. The key to its use is slightly toasting the spices prior to mixing them with anything, so as to bring the flavors out to full capacity. 

1 can Chickpeas
1/2 cup Carrots, shredded
1/2 cup unsweetened Raisins
1/2 cup Scallions, chopped
1/8-1/4 cup Water
1 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp each: Paprika, ground Fennel
1/8 tsp each: Cardamom, White Pepper, ground Cloves, Nutmeg, ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Salt

Black Pepper to taste


1. Heat a dry skillet to medium. Place all spices (excluding salt & black pepper) in the center of pan. Use a wooden or rubber spatula to move spices around until all are toasted, about 5-7 minutes. The room will become very aromatic when they are ready.
2. Use a potato masher or food processor to roughly chop half of the chickpeas. Do not overprocess! Move chickpeas to a mixing bowl.
3. Add toasted spices, coconut oil, 1/8 cup water, and remaining chickpeas to the food processor. Blend until well combined into a moist paste. Add to mixing bowl. Add more water if the mixture is too crumbly.
4. Add carrots, raisins, scallions, salt, and black pepper to bowl and fold all ingredients together with a spatula.


Serve in Red Cabbage Leaves with avocado (my favorite way!!) or on bread with tomato slices. Enjoy!
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Summery Sweet Kale Coleslaw

6/17/2014

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I was sitting here debating the course of the rest of my life when it dawned on me that things could be so much simpler. Instead of trying to be a magician who can predict the future (and do a terrible job, at that), I could just do something right now, like share a recipe that’s been in my queue for over a week now!

I feel so lucky because amid a lot of mayhem, life just keeps getting better. I've been a bit on edge lately because I have to move tomorrow, I'm house-sitting this week (bad timing on my part), my cat needs a temporary home, and I don 't know where I'm going to be living next besides my mom's spare room. Nonetheless, I found out today that an article I wrote for NPR's Charlotte food blog, WFAEats, is live! Read it here. What great news!
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I also recently quit my job as GM at Luna’s Living Kitchen to do something that feels totally insane - bartend at a diner. Yep, you heard me correctly. I left a community of like-minded hippies who are mostly vegan, and all love raw, organic anything, to serve a group of folks who mostly can’t fathom why anyone would EVER consider being a vegetarian. This isn’t a criticism, by the way. It’s just...totally and completely opposite where I’ve been. Nonetheless, inspiration has ensued. I will share more about my decision in a future post. 

At Pinky’s Westside Grill, we serve a burger (beef or the veggie Nature Boy) “Ding Dong Style,” which means it is topped with Honey-Cilantro Coleslaw, Peanut Butter, and Sriracha hot sauce. Unfortunately the slaw contains mayo, so I have not taken the risk of extremely upsetting my stomach, even if I could have gotten it on a veggie-dog. Ya'll know I don't do dairy. Yet that hasn't kept me from drooling at the genius flavor combination that I serve every day.


So, I made my own version at home and have been eating it for days. It is so good! I put it over romaine leaf “tacos,” with hot sauce, peanut butter and some blackened baked tofu to create my healthier version of Pinky's favorited offering. I've also sauteed it with brown rice, and of course have eaten it just plain as well. Since my version is half cabbage and half kale, the options really are endless.

I hope you enjoy it!
Hannah


Summery Sweet Kale Coleslaw
1 Small head Green Cabbage, shredded or finely chopped

1 Small Green Apple (or 1/2 of a Large one), peeled and shredded
1/2 Bunch Lacinoto, aka "dinosaur" Kale, shredded or finely chopped

1/2 Cup Cilantro, packed, then diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
1/4 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
3 tbsp Honey or your favorite liquid sweetener
1 Lime, Juiced
Optional: 1 diced Jalapeno, per cousin Brendan's suggestion!
To taste: Salt & Pepper


Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Massage with clean hands until the sweetener is evenly distributed and the kale and cabbage are tender. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy!
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    6/17/14: NPR, WFAEats
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