Vegan Mac and Cheese

If you asked me what my favorite food was when I was six, the answer would have  been macaroni and cheese. If you asked me again at age sixteen, the answer would still be macaroni and cheese. And if you ask me now at age twenty-six, I would still say macaroni and cheese. What has changed over the years is how often I consume my favorite meal. The truth is, I hardy ever eat mac and cheese anymore. I have so many other (far healthier) foods that I love that I just don't feel the need to make it at home. Also, coincidentally, my husband hates (and I mean HATES) mac and cheese. So that's another reason why it's never on our dinner table.

Recently, I've thought more about my favorite childhood comfort food as I sit and watch my daughter devour a bowl of lentil soup. Or wolf down dried seaweed and lacto-fermented sauerkraut. My child will never know what neon-colored Kraft macaroni and cheese tastes like (not if I have any say over it, at least) and the foods that she has been exposed to at her ripe old age of sixteen months are completely different from what I grew up with as a child. And that's a good thing.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the real deal mac and cheese. Homemade gooey deliciousness made with high quality cheese and milk. There's a time and place for that. But this time, I decided to introduce my daughter to mac and cheese in a new way. A vegan way. Made with whole whole wheat pasta and a super flavorful creamy sauce that just so happens to contain vegetables without a hint of milk of cheese. It's not the "real deal" but it's an absolutely excellent alternative that I truly believe even the die-hard mac and cheese lovers with adore.

Vegan Mac and Cheese 

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Matcha Chia Pudding

I remember the first time I had matcha. I was a health-nut freshman in college. My dorm room was full of various types of tea, vitamins, and herbal tinctures.  I had sworn off drinking coffee, unlike the rest of my peers, because it made me feel awful. I was craving a cleaner source of caffeine and knew that matcha would be perfect. Being the tea connoisseur that I was, I knew the health benefits of matcha tea, and I wanted the best quality tea I could afford. So I did some research and decided to spend a small fortune for a two ounce tin of ceremonial grade matcha tea straight from Japan. Yeah, I was that college student. Spending her money on matcha from Japan instead of beer at the bar. 

The package arrived from Japan about two weeks after I had ordered it and immediately, I ripped it open. The tin was wrapped in layers of Japanese newspaper that I kept and hung on my wall. The moment I opened the tin and saw the intensely green powder, greener than any food I had ever seen, I was immediately in love. The taste was sweet and grassy, not bitter at all, and the feelings of mental clarity and wellbeing that resulted from that first cup made me a matcha drinker for life. 

Since that first cup of matcha in my dorm room, the powdered green tea has become increasingly popular. Matcha lattes, matcha ice cream, and matcha baked goods are everywhere. And to be honest, I haven't tried any of it because I'm a purist and I like my matcha the traditional way. But since matcha has become trendy (and so have chia seeds) I knew that combining the two in a simple pudding would be a small (and healthy) step towards stepping out of my comfort zone that many people would enjoy. I still prefer my warmup of matcha tea, but this chia pudding is pretty great, too.

Matcha Chia Pudding 

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A Bowl Meal

This is a piece I wrote awhile back for one of my favorite sites for mothers called The Ma Books. I figured I should share it here. Not sure why it has taken me so long to do so, 

but better late than never, right? Enjoy.  

Before I had Hazel, our dinners were often times pretty elaborate. I was always trying complicated recipes from my big collection of cookbooks, using lots of new and exciting ingredients. The dishes piled up without any worries. Vegetables were cut with precision, cooked to perfection, and everything was timed just right. Meals were savored with slow, uninterrupted conversation until whenever. There were no babies to be nursed, bathed, and rocked to sleep. It was quiet.

Life has changed dramatically from those days of quiet dinners. Now, it's all about simplicity. But health is never compromised. In an effort to make life easier, I make large batches of whole grains and roasted vegetables in the beginning of the week and use them in these "bowl meals" throughout the week. Each time I make a meal with the grain and vegetable, I try to add something different and fresh. A handful of beans, some toasted nuts, a leafy green, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, a hefty spoonful of kimchi. Anything, really. It keeps everything from becoming boring and it makes me feel less like I'm eating a bowl of leftovers.

In this particular case, I had made a large batch of millet and roasted cauliflower and carrots in the beginning of the week. A scoop of millet and vegetables combined with some marinated tempeh, massaged raw kale, and some fresh herbs turned into a simple and healthful meal in practically no time. Hazel even enjoyed it.

Continue reading here for the recipe for an easy, nourishing bowl meal...

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