Rebecca Davis 1/1/18 Rebecca Davis 1/1/18

Mujadara soup

Well, we closed out 2017 with a bang. And by "bang," I mean, trip to the emergency room. Someone had horrible stomach pains that looked like appendicitis or a hernia because someone has been holding it rather than going in the potty. I was like, "Ethan, come on. You're an adult. just poop in the damned potty." So, I was more than glad to welcome 2018 this morning. (Did we think for one second I was making it to midnight last night? That's hilarious.)

In honor of a more auspicious start to this year, I'm posting a lentil soup recipe that combines two of my favorite mujadara recipes from Deborah Madison and Madhur Jaffrey. (I've also seen it spelled moudjendra or muhjadarrah.) My dad and I ate this dish a lot when I was a teen. I went through a vegetarian phase and he went through an only-eating-lentils-because-heart-disease phase.

There is something so warm and comforting to me about this Middle Eastern dish. While it's usually eaten as a side, it's hearty enough to eat as a main course or, as I've done here, to turn into a one-pot soup that makes a great lunch with a piece of crusty bread or toasted pita.

And, of course, eating lentils (or any round bean, really) is supposed to be good luck for the new year and eating anything green (the color of money) ushers in a prosperous new year.

You know what else this soup has? Lots and lots of fiber. So if your New Year's resolution has anything to do with gut health, potty training, weight loss, overall health, or home cooking, here's a soup for you. If you didn't make any resolutions and this is just another day, then make it "just another day" featuring delicious soup. If this straightforward, but somewhat time consuming dish isn't your bag, check out last year's lentil recipe.

Mujadara soup

2-3 large onions (4-5 small ones), sliced into 1/4 inch rounds or half-moons
1 Tbsp salted butter, olive oil, or ghee
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 large cloves garlic
1 1/4 cup green lentils
3/4 cup long grain brown rice (basmati is great)
10 cups chicken or veggie stock (homemade if possible)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 bunch lacinto kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale)

Heat the butter and oil over a medium flame. Slice your onions and chop your garlic. Set garlic aside. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the onions and salt. Saute the onions until they are a rich brown color, about 20-30 minutes.

While your onions are caramelizing, measure and rinse your lentils and rice and set aside. Check the onions every few minutes and adjust the temperature as needed to avoid burning them.

Once the onions are browned, add the garlic and saute for one minute, or until fragrant.

Add the lentils and the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat back down to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the rice, cover, and continue simmering on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, wash and chop your kale.

After 30 minutes, check the rice for doneness. I, personally, like a bit of bite left in the rice, but if you like it done more, cook for another 5-10 minutes, or to your liking. (Bear in mind that the rice will cook more upon reheating the soup as well.)

Add the kale and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir. Taste for seasoning and thickness and add more salt or stock as needed.

Yield: 64 oz or about 8 cups of soup

Rebecca Davis 12/5/17 Rebecca Davis 12/5/17

Vegan carrot and cranberry gingerbread cakes

This vegan gingerbread cake has carrots, cranberries, spelt and whole wheat flours, and lots of other goodness to add a little goodness to a warmly spiced holiday classic. #meandthemoose #veganrecipes #veganbaking #gingerbread #gingerbreadcake #holidaybaking #healthyholidaybaking

This delicious gingerbread cake just happens to be a little healthier than your average holiday dessert, but no one ever has to know!

Take me to the cake!

While I don’t LOVE the concept of healthifying desserts, I do love a dessert that happens to be a little more nutrient dense while not sacrificing taste. And that’s what we’re focusing on with this cake and with many of our desserts and here’s why:

There are SO MANY BLOGS that have cornered the market on fancy and indulgent holiday treats. And let's face it: Kids who are off schedule and also on a sugar crash are not fun to be around. So, maybe it’s not such a bad idea to focus on adding protein and fiber (in the forms of spelt flour and fresh fruits and veggies).

I love this recipe so much, mostly because I love any form of gingerbread and nothing says "Welcome to the holiday season" as much as this warm, spicy combination of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. We've boosted the nutrition by using a combination of spelt and whole wheat flours. The spelt has more protein and fiber than regular flour, but mimics white flour in flavor and texture. And whole wheat flour is great because, well, whole wheat.

The molasses and spice flavor is also strong, but not overwhelming, so both adults and toddlers can enjoy these bad boys. The maple syrup, carrots, and whole cranberries also add more sweetness and moisture while keeping these vegan. And while the ingredient list isn't exactly short, this recipe is less fussy than some vegan ones because it doesn't require a flax egg or anything exotic. An added bonus to this treat is that it checks a lot of allergy boxes: There are no nuts, dairy, or eggs. And while I haven't tried this with any gluten-free flours, I would assume that any tried-and-true gluten-free mix would work here.

This recipe baked up perfectly in two 5' x 2' cake pans, a large bundt, as well as small bundt pans.

And did I mention that you only need one bowl?

For the topping: I think these are fantastic plain or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Depending on your needs, I also topped these with a maple cream cheese frosting that was amazing with the cake. I would recommend doing this if you want to bring these to a party and dairy isn't an issue. I haven't personally tried these with the cake, but there are some great coconut whipped toppings on the market and coconut cream whips up into an easy easy dairy-free whipped cream for a vegan option.

Vegan carrot and cranberry gingerbread cakes

Time: 20 minutes prep; baking time varies, see notes in recipe
Yield: 12 mini bundt cakes, 2 5’ x 2’ cakes, or 1 large bundt

½ cup olive oil
½ cup + 2 Tbsp maple syrup
½ cup molasses
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups grated carrots
1 ½ cups whole fresh or frozen cranberries (or 1 cup fresh cranberries and 1/2 cup dried cranberries)
1 cup + ¼ cup spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the shredded carrots and cranberries and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Let sit while you grease your baking tins with olive oil.

If using mini bundt pans, fill all the way to the top. These don’t get a huge amount of rise, so the bundts will stay pretty flat. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

If making mini cakes, fill about ¾ of the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

If using a large bundt pan, fill 3/4 of the way and bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating half way through baking.

Rebecca Davis 11/28/17 Rebecca Davis 11/28/17

Roasted fennel and salami pasta

Roasting fennel makes it taste super meaty, which means that a little salami goes a long way in this dish. Use your favorite marinara sauce recipe or just dump in some jarred stuff- whatever makes your weeknight meal prep easier! #meandthemoose #pastarecipes #pasta #easydinner #roastedveggies #easydinnerrecipes

Shake up your regular weeknight pasta routine with some roasted fennel and thinly sliced salami!

Take me to the recipe!

If you read my last post, you might be wondering if the turkey did, in fact, knock M out so that he slept away from home. The short answer is, no. The longer answer is, we didn't really let him try. After a disastrous nap attempt, we decided to drive home that night instead of risking another all-nighter.

I was definitely disappointed to head home so early and M was devastated, so it's gotten me thinking a lot about the danger of expectations as we head into the holiday season. Holidays with kids can be tough. They don't care that you've done the same magical thing for 10 years running. If they're tired or hungry or having a day for no reason at all, you just have to adapt.

For the past two years, that has often meant opting out of pictures with Santa and tree lightings because we knew that at 9-months and 21-months, M wouldn't really understand or appreciate them. And I struggled, especially seeing social media postings of others joyfully doing all of the things.

This year, M is older and more aware and so much more of a "kid." He understands holidays and wants to spend time with friends and family, so it feels like we'll be depriving him of something if we pull the plug due to an impending tantrum. He was SO sad to leave my parents' house after Thanksgiving that I worry about changing plans or setting him up by suggesting something if we can't follow through.

I think we'll try our best to be realistic about our plans and only share them judiciously with M. And we'll also try to be gentle with him and ourselves by acknowledging that this a season where everything is heightened in both good ways and bad. The calculus is always shifting about what's "worth it:" Our sanity versus making memories versus M's immediate happiness versus our overall health.

Anyway, back to the food! I love roasted fennel so so much; it’s just a little bit anise-y and roasting it takes away almost all of that medicinal bite. We often put roasted fennel on pizza because its taste is satisfyingly meaty without adding any actual meat.

I guess it's gilding the lily a bit to add meat to the roasted fennel, but the combo of roasted fennel and salami is top notch. I don't cook the meat at all because heat often turns cured meats a bit too gamey for my liking, but if that flavor is your jam, go ahead and saute the salami for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

I always use Marcella Hazan's famous sauce with a couple of small changes: I halve the butter and slightly brown it and then saute the onion a bit before adding the tomatoes (she tosses everything together). The sauce recipe is a perfect amount for about 10 ounces of pasta (a bit more than half of a box), but if you like a saucier dish, opt for 8 oz instead.

Salami and roasted fennel pasta

Time: About 25 minutes, all active
Yield: 6 adult servings

2-3 large bulbs fennel
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Large pinch of fine sea salt
10 oz dry pasta (a little more than half of a standard box)
2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite jarred sauce or the recipe above from Marcella Hazan)
Salami to taste, thinly sliced or chopped
Parmesan cheese, optional
Chili flakes, optional

Preheat oven to 425. Wash fennel and thinly slice, trying to keep things as equal as possible. This will be difficult, so don’t sweat it too much. Toss with olive oil and a large pinch of saltl and roast for about 15 minutes, until the smaller bits start to brown and the larger pieces have softened.

While the fennel roasts, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is cooked, drain it and return to the pot. Cover with marinara sauce and stir to combine and heat through if the sauce was refrigerated. Add the roasted fennel and chopped salami and stir a few times to incorporate.

Top with parmesan and chili flakes if desired.