Beef & Garbanzo Burgers with Wilted Greens

For the burgers:
Mash 3/4 can chickpeas with a fork.  Add 1 pound ground beef, 1 tsp. cumin, a few shakes of red pepper flakes, some chili powder, cayenne, sea salt and black pepper. If too moist, add 1 Tbsp. flour. Mix thoroughly with your hands and divide into 3 medium-sized burgers. Grill or broil until done.

For the greens:
Carmelize 1 large white onion. Add a whole bunch of chopped Swiss chard, black pepper, and the juice of 1 lemon. Cover until chard is bright green and slightly wilted. Toss to combine with onions, then add a couple of spoonfuls of grainy Dijon mustard and thoroughly combine. Serve with burgers.

Kale, Quinoa, & Lentil Salad

- Dino kale, roughly chopped
- cooked quinoa
- steamed French lentils
- pistachios
- English cucumber
- dried herbs; spices; salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Combine all ingredients and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Sunday Morning

Acme spelt levain, buttered and grilled, with apricot jam;
Grapefruit and berries;
Greek yogurt with flaxseed;
Green tea.

One of my best kitchen purchases was a little Krups coffee grinder, which I use to make freshly-ground flaxseed. The longer the ground seeds are exposed to air, the quicker they go rancid. This way, those precious nutrients are going straight from grinder to belly, with little time between.

A Birthday Tea Party

Happy 22nd birthday, Lindsay!

Our spread included:
- cheese, jam, and fruit
- bread and crumpets
- arugula salad with pears, pistachios, and champagne vinaigrette
- chicken salad with walnuts, grapes, and Greek yogurt
- prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese and carmelized onions
- assorted mini cakes, cookies, and chocolates
- blooming green tea and English breakfast tea

And in the time since my last post, there has been quite a bit of share-worthy cooking!
- A column about red velvet cupcakes, naturally tainted from blushing beets
- A column about cooking with yogurt for tasty, healthy dishes

Going forward, I'm going to post more of my everyday meals, with a little less writing. My goal is to blog more often and to inspire you... not by providing exact recipes, but with pictures and brief descriptions. As with any form of art, cooking has more to do with the cook than with the recipe. The more we search for a formula, the harder it will be to find.

Enjoy your weekend!

I'm back, with a column

How is it already December? This time last year, I was ranting about being too busy and thinking too much–welcome to the life of a student during finals. I guess old habits die hard, and once again the holidays are forcing themselves upon me with their usual vigor, and I’m barely prepared. 

But soon enough, it will all be over and I’ll have time to catch my breath and buy some presents before they’re gone. Oh, and cook. Other than a pie at Thanksgiving, a batch of muffins last week, and some spur-of-the-moment scones, I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen lately. You may have noticed if you’re a regular reader of this blog, and I apologize. You and my very hungry, six-foot-six roommate have had to fend for yourselves. I promise to nourish you more frequently in the coming weeks.

The muffins I mentioned are the subject of this month’s column, where we explore the possibilities of baking with tea. You may remember these Black Tea + Almond Muffins from a while ago, or these Chai Banana Muffins, and they were the inspiration for a Chai Apple Spice version for the column. Baking with tea is a way to add tons of flavor and antioxidants to your holiday treats without any extra calories. You can use black, green, herbal, or oolong tea, either brewed or ground into a fine powder. The possibilities are endless!

I leave you with a link to the column and a small teaser: Stay tuned for next week, when I plan to tell you about my new favorite homework hangout and healthy cafe!