Shredded Pot Roast Tacos

We aren't big on traditions in my family. Not because we don't like them, but they just haven't seemed to stick as we've all criss-crossed the country over the years. I think we have two lasting holiday traditions: we open presents on Christmas eve, and we eat slow cooked meat for dinner that has been making the house smell wonderful all day. We aren't big red meat eaters, so this is a particularly exciting meal. This year was unique in that it was the first time I actually hosted my mother for Christmas (in the palace that is my studio apartment), and that it was just the two of us. Sister Sophie is currently bopping around South America.

I was more than happy to oblige the slow cooked meat plan. I found a recipe for slow cooker Maple & Dijon Pot Roast on The Kitchn, which I highly recommend. If not only for the reason my apartment smelled divine for 8 hours. You're welcome, neighbors.

There's only 3 easy steps to this recipe: brown the meat and the bacon (5 min on each side), cook down all the onions in said juices, then dump all of it + condiments and spices into the crock pot. Then be on your way, live your life for the next 8 hours, and let the magic happen. 

Now, I could've shown you a picture of the pile of meat on top of garlic mashed potatoes with a side of rosemary roasted carrots that we had for Christmas eve, but you're better off looking at The Kitchn. Also the small fact that I dove in WAY too quickly to take any photos. Sorry. However, the next night's spin on leftovers was almost as epic as round one. 

You just do not see enough shredded pot roast tacos out there for how incredible these were. Ask my mom, she'll tell you. 

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm grateful for Christmas, it was great, really very nice. And now I'm equally as grateful that it's over. Walking down Chestnut street when every store is closed is downright creepy. Happy to get back to the hustle bustle :)
Oh, I'm also grateful for my new salt and pepper shakers (pictured). Thanks, mom!

Shredded Pot Roast Tacos

1/2 lb leftover pot roast, shredded

4-6 small corn tortillas

avocado, sliced

tomato, diced

shredded cabbage

pico de gallo

Greek yogurt

lime juice

Heat up the leftover pot roast in a small skillet over medium heat until warm. Over a gas stove, place a tortilla directly onto the flame until lightly charred (about 30 seconds), then flip. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Fill each tortilla with desired taco ingredients and eat immediately. 

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Here I am baking on Sunday again. I've had my eye on this recipe for a while (i.e. it has been pinned to my Pinterest board for a while). I needed to make sure I had an exit strategy for these cookies, like I do with most baked goods. A potluck, a gift, a party...they just gotta get out of my kitchen before I eat them all. After a quick trip to Paper Source, the problem was solved: work teammate Christmas gifts.

They'll be gone by tomorrow and I get to feel like Santa. Win, win.

These cookies are only slightly more hands-on than chocolate chip cookies. They require hand rolling into balls, dredging through more sugar, and placing them at least 3" apart from each other. I learned the importance of that quickly with the first pan. Look, butt cookies!

I had originally planned to do my nutrition reading today since I'm a little behind, but I opted for cookie baking instead... which feels a little hypocritical somehow.

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm grateful for the holidays. In addition to the pretty Christmas lights, red coffee cups and festive parties (excluding Santa Con - not grateful for that), we all get some much needed time off. Not going anywhere for the holidays? Lie and say you are! Throw up an out-of-office on your email for a few days, everyone else will be doing it. It's time to regroup!!

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
(Recipe from Gimme Some Oven, I halved it)

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 1.5-inch in diameter. Fill a small bowl with sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar until it is completely coated. Place on cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart, then bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top.  (They may crack more while cooling.)  Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Serve immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

*This recipe made 40 cookies.

Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Creem Cheeze Frosting

When it's Saturday night and you're home alone, what is one supposed to do? Call their mom and ask them, obviously. My mom told me to bake. So, cinnamon rolls it is! Also these are vegan cinnamon rolls, so they must be healthy.... Oh wait, no. They're not. But they're still pretty damn good. Plus when the alternative on a Saturday night would be consuming 2-3 $13 manhattans, everything is put in perspective. 

I've always been intimidated by cinnamon rolls (aside from the break and bake version - I mastered those at an early age). This recipe from Minimalist Baker really dumbs it down to a few ingredients and straight forward steps. 

The delicate part is the chemistry behind the rolls. Yeast has to activate. Knead enough, but not too much, to make the dough elastic. Then wait...and hope... that it doubles. 

It worked! Phew. 

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm thankful for chemistry. A lot of chemistry is used in baking. Baked goods make people happy... Chemistry makes people happy. 

Roll it out, sprinkle all the goodness, roll it up, slice. 

Your home will smell like a seasonal scented candle in the process.

I will say that vegan cream cheese isn't going to fool anyone for the real thing, but in the frosting it works just fine. 

1.5 rolls later, I can confirm that these are fluffy and delicious. 

Recipe for the rolls can be found on Minimalist Baker. The frosting recipe was my own spin...

Creem Cheeze Frosting

4 ounces Daiya dairy free cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-5 tablespoons almond milk 

Bring cream cheese to room temperature and add to mixing bowl with powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons almond milk. Stir to combine ingredients and add almond milk by the tablespoon to thin as needed. Drizzle over warm (but not piping hot) cinnamon rolls. Lick the spoon. 

Martha's Sausage Pear Stuffing

Thanksgiving is slowly becoming one of my favorite holidays. Especially in California where the dishes get healthier and more creative every year. (This year set the bar high with lamb meatballs, curried mushroom bruschetta with goat cheese and pomegranate cranberry relish.) I may not be breaking new ground with this recipe but it's damn good. 

I make a lot of healthy recipes on The Plate. I wouldn't call this one of them. Regardless I've been eating this for the past 3 Thanksgivings because it has everything you want in a stuffing. Fruity, savory, crunchy, bready... I followed Martha Stewart's recipe + lemon juice and red pepper flakes. 

There are only two hard things about this recipe: Keeping up the stamina to chop all of the ingredients, and finding a large enough pot to mix everything together (without a sizable percentage ending up on the ground). 

This stuffing deserves to get made more than once a year. I might just have to make it again to give it the attention it deserves - not take a backseat to some stupid turkey. Plus I have a second fennel bulb I need to do something with...

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm grateful Friendsgiving is a thing. It turns strangers into family. I met one of my best friends at Friendsgiving 3 years ago. And this year, my mom got to celebrate her birthday with a bunch of new and old friends - candle in a piece of pie and everything.  

Sausage Pear Stuffing

1 loaf day-old rustic break, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 large onions, chopped

2 small leeks, sliced (about 3 cups)

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large fennel bulb, chopped 

3 firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, chopped

course sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed

2 cups turkey or chicken stock

1 lemon, juiced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped but not golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool. In a 14-inch straight-sided skillet (or 2 large skillets), melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and pears; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and pears are softened and start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in rosemary and sage.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally and breaking into large crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Stir into vegetable mixture, then transfer to a large bowl. Add bread cubes and toss well. Drizzle stock over mixture, add eggs and parsley, and toss to combine well. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use 10 cups stuffing to fill bird; place remainder in a buttered 8-inch-square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and top is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Pomegranate & Pecans in Tahini Maple Dressing

Is it just me or are persimmons the new kale? I see them everywhere. I know they're in season but they're at every stand at the farmer's market, grocery store, restaurant menu, Pinterest page. This is the first season I've really embraced persimmons. I had an incident with an unripe Hachiya persimmon a couple years ago that turned me off of them for a while. Do not, whatever you do, eat a Hachiya persimmon that isn't completely soft, or your mouth will dry up in a severely uncomfortable way. 

I've been eating Fuyu persimmons all month but this was my first ripe Hachiya. Dang, it was incredible. The cute, hippy farmer girl gave me the best one in her stand. Find these in a farmer's market near you immediately. 

Unlike persimmons, Delicata squash couldn't be found anywhere today. The recipe from Minimalist Baker originally had Delicata, but butternut squash played really well tonight. (Maybe I should chill on the Friday Night Lights episodes).

Something else I became obsessed with today: tahini. Hello, it's in hummus, I knew it wouldn't be bad. But as the star in it's own sauce, it really freaking good. Tahini founds it's way into both of my dishes tonight.

I'm not sure which one I liked more. This white bean and kale salad in tahini dressing I will definitely make again. Garlic French bread croutons on anything though...

Gratitude journal entry: I'm grateful for yoga. It's always a good activity for a Sunday to sweat out the weekend, breath in and out for the week ahead and remember that everything in this moment is okay. 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Pomegranate & Pecans in Tahini Maple Dressing

Squash

• 1 butternut squash (or 2 Delicata squash), halved lengthwise, seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• Pinch sea salt

Dressing

• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1/2 lemon, juiced 
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Toppings

• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/4 cup dry roasted pecans, loosely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Add sliced squash to a bare baking sheet (1 large or 2 small, depending on size of squash) and toss with oil and sea salt, then arrange in a single layer.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point to ensure even baking. You’ll know it's done when fork tender, golden brown, and slightly caramelized.
4. While squash is baking, prepare dressing by adding tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, then add hot water 1 Tbsp at a time and whisk until pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. To serve, arrange baked squash on a serving dish and top with dressing, pomegranates, pecans, and parsley. Best when enjoyed immediately.

Rosemary Sweet Potato & Spinach Grilled Cheese

Last week was all about family. It started with a trip down the peninsula on Monday to visit my Oma at Stanford Hospital recovering in post-op. (She's feeling better!) Thursday night in Oakland celebrating my sister's birthday with Sophie and my mom. Then Saturday night was girls night out in the city with Sophie before she heads off to South America for 2 months (!) 

And then before I knew it, it was Monday again. It was one of those Monday mornings when you just can't get out of bed. Turn on the coffee pot. Jump back in bed. Muster the courage to get up for the coffee. Get back in bed with coffee. Finish all of the coffee, and only then get out of bed to stand in the shower for an unnecessary amount of time. You know the kind. 

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm forever grateful for coffee. You've been part of my daily ritual for over 15 years now. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. 

19,000 steps later, I walk back through my door and treat myself to one of my favorite sandwiches. (I actually had it for the second night in a row, but I was no less excited for it tonight). I made a side of balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and chopped persimmons #becausefall

*This sandwich was originally designed to be made with kale instead of spinach, but this substitute worked out just fine. 

Rosemary Sweet Potato & Spinach Grilled Cheese

*Makes 2-3 sandwiches

1 sweet potato, sliced into thin rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 handfuls spinach (or kale), roughly chopped

3 slices Havarti cheese

drizzle balsamic vinegar 

4 slices cracked wheat sourdough bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, cover with tin foil and arrange sweet potato slices. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until tender. 

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté red onion for 10-15 minutes, until almost caramelized. Add in spinach and quickly toss around until just wilted. 

Arrange half of the cheese on bread, top with greens and onions, drizzle balsamic and sweet potato slices. Top with remaining cheese and bread. Grill in same skillet until golden on each side and cheese is melted. 

Sautéed Salmon with Capers, Tomatoes & Chard

For as long as I've been buying groceries, I've had an aversion to buying excess of what I'll use in a week. Sometimes I'll only buy enough for half the week. 2 bananas, 1 can of tuna, 6 pack carton of eggs... you get the idea. I've been made fun of for this, but I have three reasons why for this behavior:

1. I walk to the grocery store (1.7 miles each way to my TJs). That walk back will make you question whether or not you truly need that second can of beans. 

2. Throwing out bad food makes me incredibly angry with myself. As if I've failed at a task, the task of eating. (Also, America fails at the task a lot. Estimated 25-40% of food goes to waste each year). 

3. I feel an incredible sense of accomplishment when I've managed to clean out my fridge in a week. In my mind, I've succeeded at the task of eating. 

Tonight put me one step closer to cleaning out my fridge. A few fresh vegetables and some stocked away leftovers came together in a fresh, healthy meal. What to do with a single frozen filet of salmon, nearly-too-old cherry tomatoes, 1/4 of an onion, and leftover broth? Just put it on top of whole wheat pasta and give yourself a high five. 

The flavor of capers, dijon mustard and garlic will make anything taste fancy. Can you top it off with finishing oil because finishing oil makes everything better? Of course you can. 

Salmon (not pictured)

Sautéed Salmon with Capers, Tomatoes & Chard

2 cups whole wheat pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 red onion (shallot, or white onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers

1 salmon filet

salt and pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup swiss chard (kale, or spinach), chopped

1/2 lemon juiced

1/4 cup vegetable or seafood broth (splash white wine if you have it)

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

red pepper flakes

grated parmesan cheese

finishing oil

In a pot, cook pasta per instructions. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and capers and let cook another minute. Place salmon filet in pan along with tomatoes and greens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, then flip salmon over and add lemon, broth and dijon. Stir sauce around pan sauté until salmon is cooked through. 

Scoop salmon and vegetables on top of pasta. Top with red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and finishing oil, if desired. 

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm grateful for big comfy sweaters. It's actually getting downright cold in SF this week and I'm taking the opportunity to pull out the scarves, sweaters and boots! Gloves still might look ridiculous. 

A Lesson in Ribollita

I got some quality mama time this weekend. Friday night at mom's apartment meant whiskey cocktails, good food, and an old movie. Bright and early Saturday morning, she treated me to breakfast at one of the many diamonds in the rough of Oakland, Homestead. 

Our simple order of pour over coffees, homemade toast with apple pear jam, and warm veggie strata topped with creme fraiche was absolutely delicious. 

Watching the baker pull her fresh bread and doughnuts out of the oven in the wide open kitchen made it all the more home-y. 

Chai twist doughnuts though...

And on the counter, all of the baby bread dough with bright futures. 

Tonight's dinner was a learning experience. First the win: olive oil + rosemary + lemon peel + garlic = better olive oil. I was licking the spoon. 

I am all about substitutions. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't work as well as you'd hoped. In this case, swiss chard stems weren't the best substitute for celery. The consistency seemed interchangeable, but the flavor was a bit intense. This Ribollita recipe should be followed as seen on Feasting at Home. 

Luckily, nothing is bad with a snow fall of parmesan, avocado and toasted bread...Drizzled with a healthy serving of finishing oil!

Gratitude journal entry: I am feeling so grateful for a sweet Sunday night at home. Oh, and the pumpkin spice coffee I get to look forward to in the morning ;)

Healthyish Pumpkin Pie

Happy Halloween from The Plate! I celebrated at a low-key pot-luck house party in the Richmond. Because of my love affair with all things pumpkin, I made a couple semi-homemade pumpkin pies. While we are all capable of making our own pie crust, my girl Marie Callender's has been doing this longer than I have and her recipe happens to be dairy free (bring on the lard instead!) 

You make two pies so you can give one away and then have one leftover to reward yourself for your generosity with the first pie. Also, lunch dessert is a thing during the holidays. Keeping your health in mind, pumpkin pie is a slam dunk. It's about as close as a dessert gets to a salad since it is made up of mostly vegetable. Win, win, win. 

Healthyish Pumpkin Pie

Adopted from Skinny Taste

• 15 oz canned pumpkin 
• 2 tbsp whipped butter, softened (I used coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, unpacked
• 1/2 cup fat free milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 frozen pie crust sheet

*Double recipe for (2) pies. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly dust a large cutting board or flat surface with flour. Roll out a room temperature pie crust sheet, so that it becomes thin enough to cut off about 30%, so that your final crust is 5 oz. Place into a 9-inch pie dish, cutting off excess dough. (I didn't do this, but it cuts out a ton of calories).

Place pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Add butter/oil, and mix well. Using an electric mixer, mix in brown sugar, milk, eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.

Bake about 70 to 75 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 8 slices and serve with whipped coconut cream or whipped cream if desired.