Every Day I'm Brusselin'

We had another crummy snowstorm here in Dubuque yesterday, with some of the wettest, heaviest four inches I've seen...ever! I was snug in my office most of the day, but the swirling flakes and dark skies had me daydreaming of coming home to a big pot of soup before wrapping up in a big blanket on the couch--a wonderful end to a long week. I'd never made black bean soup before, which is odd, since I adore black beans and I adore chili and I adore Tex-Mex flavors. This recipe came together in twenty minutes flat. Alongside I served a romaine and tomato salad with an easy lime-juice vinaigrette made with olive oil and a dash of chili powder and dijon. This was an awesome dinner. The best part was that you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry or fridge (well, I do!), so no snowy trips to the grocery store. Black Bean Soup 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 cans low-sodium organic black beans (soak your own if you prefer--I like EASY!) 3 cups free-range, low sodium ch...

This recipe is not at really Chinese at all, but it does have some Asian flavors and it saves me from hitting up the Hy-Vee Chinese Express counter, AKA The Sodium Temple of Doom. It is one of the quickest and easiest dinners around and perfect for a busy weeknight. 1 tbsp olive oil 1 pound free-range ground lean beef 1 head of broccoli, stemmed and chopped 2 scallions, sliced 1 can water chestnuts, drained, 1 tbsp shredded ginger 1 cup sliced carrots 2-3 tbsp soy sauce 1 clove garlic, crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups cooked brown rice Stirfry the beef in the oil on high heat until no longer pink, then add veggies and red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stirfry a minute or two, then add soy and stir to combine. Serve over rice (or noodles if you're feeling saucy.)

So I'm a little obsessed with hash lately. The food, that is. This one was dinner tonight and I amazed myself a bit considering I've never cooked a rutabaga. I dare you to try this recipe! Jeff claims it would be awesome for breakfast. Ingredients: 1 cup raw carrots 1 big rutabaga 2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp pastured butter (or regular butter if you're not a butter snob) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 pound ground chicken sausage (I make my own with ground chicken and Penzey's Italian sausage seasoning) 3 eggs 1/4 milk (I used coconut milk) salt pepper chopped Italian parsley and green onion for garnish Whiz the carrots, rutabaga, and garlic in the food processor until hashbrown-like consistency (shredded but not pureed!). In the meantime heat the olive oil in a large skillet and crumble in the chicken sausage. Scrape the carrot/rutabaga/garlic into another large skillet with a few tablespoons water and cover, steaming for 3-5 minutes. Once the water evaporates, scrape the hash to one s...

Recipe adapted from Eating Well 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon mustard powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 1-pound organic eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks 3 cups cauliflower florets 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1/2 cup water Toast the spices in olive oil for a minute or two. Add onions, eggplant, and cauliflower and saute for a few minutes--until onion is translucent. Dump in drained chick peas, tomatoes, and water. Simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add some more hot curry and s&p to taste and serve over brown rice. I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley with black barley and daikon radish seeds. Mmm. Much better than a McRib.

Thanks to my friend Darryl I am always kept up to date on the timeline for the return of the McRib to a McDonald's near me. While I can't say as I've ever tried one, it's good to know when McDonald's decides to bring back the processed pork patty with pickles in case I ever decide to change my stance on processed pork patties. Speaking of the McRib, I heard a pretty scary story about McRibs from my friend Anna last weekend. A student at her school stopped at the nurse's office after having yakked in P.E. She explained to the nurse that she had just puked but wasn't sure why. It wasn't until some prodding by the nurse that the girl mentioned she had consumed four McRibs on her way back to school from a doctor's appointment. A doctor's appointment she'd attended on account of having the stomach flu. Kids these days I tell you...

Yesterday was my first ever " Oinktoberfest ," courtesy of our friends at Trusted Earth Farm and Forage in Mineral Point, WI. As a new but very interested follower of the local food movement in the Tri -State area, I was overwhelmed by our trip out to the farm. From the glorious heaping platefuls of freshly harvested pork to the spiked tea, potato salad, and slaw, the meal was one I'll never forget. Pre -gorging, Jeff and I wrestled with a tiny black and white kitten, petted the snouts of Rodolfo the pig's surviving pig family, and watched rabbits nibble on muffins and greens. Getting to know your farmers (while savoring some delicious food!) is one of the coolest things I can imagine doing on a Sunday afternoon. It's getting harder and harder to ignore the irreparable damage being caused by factory farming and industrial agriculture, and the more accessible local food is the more the movement will continue to grow. My genuine thanks and appreciation go out to t...

Hello readers...all one of you! This post will be quick, I promise. It's more of a question than a complete blog post anyway. I've recently been somewhat bothered by a certain fast food pizza chain claiming to serve "Artisan Pizza." These artisan pies seem to be just like any other fast food pizza chain pizza, only square shaped. Has anyone tried an artisan pizza and found it to be better than a regular pizza?