Fifteen baguettes later, I’ve arrived home to Philly after a two week excursion in France and Belgium. There was a serious amount of baguette action on this trip. And brie, and pastries, and bottles of wine, and poorly accented bonjour’s and bon appétit’s. You can expect a food-related post on my trip soon. First, however, I need to sort through my 1,000 photos, memories and jetlag, stalk the chef I met on Facebook, and remind myself life will be okay without cute French boys on every block. I also need eat some greens and whole grains. And grab this soup from the freezer.

Wanting to clean out my refrigerator, I whipped this up just before heading to France.  It was literally the perfect light and veggie-packed meal I needed before jetting off to a foodie haven of artisan cheeses and pistachio macaroons. Luckily, some soup still remains waiting for me…waiting for my detox of daily croissant consumption. I admit, the thought of saying farewell to that makes me want to cry.

Oh well. Oatmeal simmers away, energy-restoring smoothies whiz in the blender, and breakfast and life goes on — with or without pain au chocolats. On the bright side, I’ve come home to ridiculously lovely weather in the midst of my favorite season. For that, I will continue to ride my life high. Come home in the winter, on the other hand, and I’m sure this would not’ve been the case. Good thing its springtime. Cheers to that. I also stumbled home to my tax return in the mailbox yesterday afternoon. After Paris, it needn’t even be mentioned I’m cheersing to that too.

If the thought of soup and warm temps makes you want to slap me and proceed to go flag down the ice cream man, well, then bookmark this one for later. But considering it’s still May and sweat-drenching days have yet to arrive, I’m going to argue on behalf of this meal. This minestrone is certainly not a hearty, gut-warming winter stew. Rather, it’s a light soup, fit for a wide range of seasons, and packed with tons of nutrition. Given what was in my fridge the day of its creation, this also happens to be heavy on the green beans. If green beans aren’t your veggie of choice, feel free to add in a handful of spring greens or any other seasonal ingredient that might sound good to you.

Make this minestrone a meal by simply serving it with a slice of crusty bread and a side salad. That’s what I’ll be doing — baguette on the side, pretending I’m still in Paris. Au revoir.

Hey!

Please excuse me while I take a brief blog-cation. I hopped on a plane for a rather last minute trip to Paris this past Thursday. I will be traveling around France and beyond for the next couple of weeks!

Time permitted, I’ll post some yummy photos. I expect to consume much more cheese, pastries (and perhaps wine) than I’m used to…but when in France, do as the French do, right? Small portions, strong coffee and lots of great eats, indulgences included. Sounds good to me.

Cauliflower is trendy. It’s become the hip, harlem shakin‘, Sriracha loving, Ray-Ban wearing vegetable of 2013. It’s hot on demand and is quickly sneaking its way onto restaurant menus nationwide. Can’t say I predicted that.

I could’ve predicted the past year’s kale boom, the one that’s quietly beginning to slow. Leafy, vibrant greens packed with nutrients – it was only a matter of time before they shifted beyond garnish status on the plate. This whole cauliflower craze though, it really snuck up on me. I definitely didn’t see the day coming where cauliflower “steak” would push beef aside and become the highlight of a menu (at $34 a plate)! I could certainly argue with that price, but cauliflower shining across menus is fine by me.

Cauliflower doesn’t make my grocery list all that often, but I admit, its crowns have been the favored ones ever since I was kid. My mom would often steam it up alongside broccoli, the green monster I’d grimace at after every bite. For the cauliflower, however, there was never any kind of the “you won’t get dessert if you don’t eat…” convincing needed. Today, I probably eat more of the green crowns than the white, but again I admit, cauliflower is still the favored one.

Its relatively neutral flavor makes it great for dishes like this (and apparently pizza crust too!). Here, cauliflower is paired with a slightly nutty millet, and then whipped up in a food processor. The result is a creamy, mashed potato-like texture yielded without any butter or cream needed. In fact, you could call this a no-fat version of mashed potatoes, although with the caraway seeds, it’ll bring just a tad more complexity to the table. Feel free to skip the seeds altogether if you’re looking for a neutral side or straight-up mashed potato replacement. However, I find the caraway to really add a nice, unique element you seldom find outside of rye bread.

I served this up with a batch of sautéed baby portabella mushrooms and garlic. To do the same, simply slice up  8 oz. baby portabellas along with a couple of garlic cloves. Saute in a little olive oil, deglazing the pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and seasoning with salt and pepper. Feel free to add in thyme or other herbs, or keep it simple and let the millet mash speak for itself. The mushrooms will add a nice depth of texture to the velvety smooth cauliflower.  

I’ve been trying to use up all my winter foods before the much anticipated spring veggie takeover. While I could certainly eat sweet potatoes year-round, it’s likely they’ll soon be swapped for a greener, but equally sweet, starch. I’m talking spring peas, and buckets of them. I’m talking sweet pea soups and all the other early seasonal veggies I can pair with them. Man am I ready for that.

However, in the meantime, I’m still going strong with my long-term love of sweet potatoes and relishing in their convenience. Sweet peas are great, but to enjoy them at their best, you’re in for an hour or so of shucking away their pods. (Totally worth it though!) On the other hand, the sweets used in this dish needn’t even be peeled. In fact, after a good wash, you’ll want to leave on the skin as you chop. It’s this thin outer layer that holds much of the healthy tuber’s potassium and fiber.

Speaking of fiber, I’m not sure there’s an easier (or cheaper), cholesterol-lowering source than lentils. Lentils really don’t get enough credit in my kitchen, but I’m always happy with the results when they do make it to the stove. Filling and versatile, I hope to see more of these on my blog soon.

Here, they’re paired with a flavor-heavy variety of spices and sweetened with both the coconut milk and the potatoes. The potatoes every so slightly melt into the dish, complimenting the coconut which gives the low-fat lentils a slight richness. I recommend serving in a wrap with diced avocado, but any whole grain would work below them as well.

Note, this recipe is meant to feed a crowd. Cut the recipe in half or freeze for later use if yield is too much.

Carrots have been my jam lately. As has putting a spritz of lime in my water. (Seriously – this simple step can amazingly brighten up your whole afternoon.)

But carrots came before the lime. Before the warm, spring days graciously showing up this month. Rather, the under-appreciated carrot was my winter staple.

When fresh, seasonal produce is at its lowest, the carrot is good choice to turn to. Like sweet potatoes, carrots keep well and can be stored in your fridge for seemingly weeks on end. I’ve definitely lost carrots to the back of a bottom messy shelf, and after rediscovering them 4 weeks later, was still able to munch on them for an afternoon snack. I am known to often eat the orange sticks by the stick. String cheese, no thank you, but carrot sticks, yes please! Just a simple wash and scrub, and then bugs-bunny-style becomes my own style. It’s something my friends have always busted me about, not seeming to find the same allure in raw carrots as I do.

However, they lend themselves well to easily be spruced up as well. Take the carrot chip recipe you’ll see below. Shortly after making Ginger Pickled Carrots, I came across this recipe on Oh My Veggies. It immediately went on my Pinterest. (Yes, this food blogger finally got on Pinterest, and I may very well be one of the last ones to do so. Forgive my lack of boards. I’m working on it…)

These looked fun, and carrots are cheap, so I figured it’d be a win-win recipe. Which it was. Similar to how I feel with kale chips, the recipe yielded an insanely addictive version of a vegetable. Plus, they were fairly simple to make and would look oh so cute as an accompaniment to a lunch for your friends. Who would’ve thought you’d be impressing company with carrots?

I bring you this recipe not because it’s a new, novel idea. Let’s get real. Green smoothies are so five years ago. However, a phased-out fad they are not. These powerhouse shakes can still be an incredibly life-changing diet addition and shouldn’t be forgotten. (Insert advertising slogan here. But seriously, they are wonderful.)

For that reason I must say, Green Smoothie, I am sorry for forgetting you. Once a daily drink, I let you leave my life for weeks and weeks too many. Never again.

I’m not sure when and how I fell off the smoothie bandwagon, but no fruit and greens have been spinning together in my blender lately. Kale, onions and herbs, yes, but no early morning, creamy green creations have been going down, that is, up until springtime finally hit.

I bring you this recipe because perhaps you, like me, need a reminder that green smoothies are a great way to kickstart your day and get your diet back in line. The nutrient-filled drink is packed with vitamins and minerals, meaning lots of energy for you.

As I use the spring season to take time to reorganize my life, I am realizing the value of clean eating and the energy it can provide. It is this energy that I need to prioritize what’s important to me and also to deliberate what is not. Lots of shifting, and changing, and goal reorientation is taking place for me right now. And with all of that, I want to revamp my diet too. A healthy body is a healthy mind, and a huge part of this stems from food.

I am excited to start bringing green smoothies back into my mornings and starting my days off on a high note. Whether you’re making some life changes or not, that’s never a bad game plan. Waking up with a healthy breakfast and a positive attitude is literally the best way to carry on life. Sometimes easier said than done, but I’d say this four-ingredient recipe is a pretty simple start. Enjoy.

I could not be more excited about this 70ish spring weather! My scarf and hat needed a break (and likely a trip to the laundromat as well). I’m also enjoying the motivation to get my booty outside and running.

I’m training for my first 10-miler. I’ve been a runner since high school, but for some reason, the thought of 10-miles still makes me weary. I know my legs can make it, but my mind’s an entity of its own. It’s made my training process a little slow-growing…

City running generally gets boring to me after mile three. Not enough trees or obstacles. I’ll push myself two more miles, but much more after that and my mind starts going crazy. I start yelling inside my head at all the oblivious dog-walkers on the street and then fight with myself about how those are not so nice or productive thoughts. I love dogs, but seriously, your pooches needn’t take up the whole path. City sidewalks aren’t royal runways for your dog. But what’s the use of letting those things get to me, right? If I have to slow down to dodge a person simply enjoying the weather, so what.

Gah…the conversations I have with myself while trying to keep my feet running and my mind distracted. If only Philly had more running trails. Luckily, I’m sure the race will provide plenty of people watching to keep me entertained for at least a few miles. People watching is a personal favorite spring and summer activity of mine.

Another favorite warm weather pursuit? Making burgers. Burgers just breathe springtime to me, even when they’re not made on the grill. I mixed things up with this one by adding feta, and then using whole chickpeas for a textural experience. I really liked the crunch from the chickpeas. Just don’t go overboard when adding them in, or they’ll dominate in flavor. As I’ve suggested below (though not pictured), consider sautéing the onions before topping off your burger. The sweetness with the feta is totally worth the extra step.