Moroccan Wheat Berry Salad

In case you found a way to dodge my steady stream of social media abuse this past weekend, you know that I recently journeyed back to my homeland of Red Sox Nation to cross a few things off my checklist. While in Boston, I was lucky enough to:

1. Celebrate my dear mother's 30th birthday 
2. Visit my long-lost-best-friend and supermodel, Catherine Way
3. Land an internship (er, kind of)
4. Guzzle down enough carbs to fuel an oil tanker
5. Take part in a life changing seminar by the Four-Time James Beard Award Winning food writer, David Leite 

I swear none of that was exaggerated...


Okay, fine, some of it was. Hush. But after my weekend of merriment, I can't stop doing this:

In fact, last weekend's activities soared so far beyond my expectations, I could have flown home on my own Cloud Nine. I had, so naively, assumed that I would walk out of the Boston University seminar with just a few helpful hints on how to get people to read about what I slap up here. 

I had no idea that someone as marvelously reputable as David would be catering our discussion to questions that I asked... like, little old me! 

I relished in every possible second of his golden wit. And yeah, I kind of want to be him. 

David versed us on everything from creating recipes, to submitting proposals, to the art of food blogging. And he was hilarious, to boot. Please check out his website so you can understand what I'm talking about! 

I found that there was but one downside to his lecture, and I hesitate to even say it... 

Apparently, my Ralph Lauren Superman (aka the illustrious Ina Garten) has a serious 'tude when it comes to writing about her recipes. I know, I know. It's practically sacrilege to tarnish my guru's Teflon reputation. But don't let her impeccably ironed button-down and loyalty to fabulosity fool you; this Hampton queen is apparently quite the hardass. 

Let's move on, I'm currently trying to repress this in my memory. 

I'm pretty jazzed about this next recipe. I've been holding on to the idea for a while now, and after making it, I have no idea why. I thought that I'd need a substantial chunk of time to cook the wheat berries, but they took less than 20 minutes. And in the meantime, you can prepare everything you need for the finished product.

The flavors are definitely different. I used three ingredients for the first time, here, and I'm happy to say it turned out great. See what can happen with a little experimentation? Beautiful things, people. 

I can now confidently say that wheat berries, dried currants, and Meyer lemon hold a place among my novelty food vanquishes. I get that the ingredients in this salad may not be terribly approachable to a palette tuned to Sunset Strips, but just give 'em a chance...

Because Brian Williams said so.

Moroccan Wheat Berry Salad

Serves 4

           

[1] cup dry wheat berries 

     (makes 2+ cups cooked)

[1/3] cup chopped fresh mint

[1] cup dried currants

[1/2] cup shredded carrot

[1/4] cup Meyer Lemon Curry vinaigrette (recipe as follows)

For the vinaigrette:

[2] Meyer lemons, juiced*

[1] tsp olive oil

[1] tsp curry powder

[1] tbsp course ground Dijon mustard

[1] tbsp rice wine vinegar

[1] tsp agave nectar

Start by lightly toasting wheat berries in a dry medium saucepan. Remember to keep an eye on them, shaking the pan occasionally... I let my A.D.D. get the best of me and some of these suckers burned. After about 2-3 minutes, pour in the water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes covered. Package directions may vary so check the instructions on the back.


Place chopped mint, dried currants and shredded carrots in a large bowl. 

Once the wheat berries are cooked (they should be chewy), drain and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. If you add the hot wheat berries to the fresh mint, the mint will turn brown. And it will be ugly. After the wheat berries have cooled, dump them in the bowl with the rest of the crew. 


To make the vinaigrette, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, curry powder, dijon, vinegar, and agave together in a small bowl, then pour over the mixture and combine. The resulting dressing will be a beautiful golden yellow. 

You're going to want to eat this right away, not only because it's irresistibly flavorful, but because the colors become muted after some time. And you know how much I love color.

But somehow, I doubt that advising you to devour with haste is the worst suggestion I could make.

*Meyer lemons are sort of a mix between and orange and a lemon. They're much sweeter and add great flavor without being too sour. 

Detox, Reeboks

I don't care if you're Mother Theresa, we all have those weekends when self-control virtually goes AWOL.

Famous last words: "I was being so good... until I went to Cookout on Saturday night... followed by Taco Bell."

Whether you're on a health-food kick or trying to log more hours at the gym, an indulgent weekend can throw a monkey wrench in whatever plan we thought we thought we made, erasing all progress on that Banquet Bikini Countdown.

Unfortunately for our asses, after barhopping Wednesday and Thursday, latenight dancing to Rebecca Black on Friday, and daydrinking on Saturday, all you want from Sunday is a big, fat brunch. If, of course, you can manage to be fully functioning before 2 p.m.

If not, there's always delivery.

When Sunday does roll around, it's like God's gift to the college student. If the week went straight from Saturday to Monday... I actually can't even finish that thought. And though I know you really wanted to make it to service this time, just so you could thank Him for giving us a solid 24 hours to become real again, the weekend toll proved (once again) to be too much.

As Monday inevitably arrives, like it somehow always does, our bodies have abandoned ship. And let's face it, so has all motivation to hit the gym.

Sound a little too familiar? Lucky for you, no one can see you nodding.

So, for anyone who has ever experienced the three-day dietary train wreck known as "the weekend," this post is for you. I can't help you finish your finance homework, but I can help you get back on track.

This recipe is for one of nature's superfoods: kale. It's literally one of the most nutrient dense vegetables you can find, and will definitely help recondition your body. This leafy green packs in all the fiber, vitamin A, calcium, antioxidants, potassium and beta-carotene that you didn't get from your Bud Light. If you've never cooked with it before, go to Harris Teeter now and buy some. It's easier to make than pasta.

Braised Kale and Couscous with Mango Relish
Serves 2

For the Kale:
[2] cups chopped kale, stems removed (about 4 leaves)
[1/4] vegetable stock;  use water if you don't have any on hand
[1/4] white wine*
[1] garlic clove, minced
[2] tbsp lemon juice

[2/3] cup dry couscous (for bonus points, use whole grain)

For the Mango Chutney:
[1] mango, chopped into half inch pieces
[1/2] cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
[1/4] cup diced red onion
[2] tbsp chopped parsley (or cilantro)
[2] tbsp chopped scallion
[1] lime, juiced
[1/2] tsp cayenne pepper
[1] tbsp roughly chopped almonds

Start by peeling and chopping the mango. It can be a little tricky because mangos have an awkwardly large pit, but don't worry too much about finesse. Place in a medium mixing bowl along with quartered tomatoes, red onion, chopped herbs, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Incorporate all the ingredients well and let them mingle in the refrigerator while you make the kale and couscous.

Rinse kale and remove the bottom part of the stem. Some people remove the whole stem, but I cut off just the tough end. Chop into 1 inch strips (cutting across the stem, widthwise).

Pour veggie stock and wine into a medium sauté pan with minced garlic and heat on medium/high until simmering. In the meantime, bring another pot of water to boil for the couscous (exact amount according to package directions). Once boiling, pour in the couscous. Many packages take just 5 minutes.

Place the kale in the hot pan and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the kale is bright green and tender. Drain, then squeeze on the fresh lemon juice to save color and add freshness.

Fluff the couscous with a fork once done and pile it on a plate. Cover it with the fresh mango relish and garnish with the crushed almonds. Serve alongside your kale, and you'll have a hearty, nutritious meal in no time. It may even inspire you to lace up your sneakers and hit the gym.


Now crack open a fresh beer and pat yourself on the back for bein' so freaking healthy.


*Optional: you could replace the wine with an equal amount of stock or water, but any excuse to use wine is a good one.

Detoxification Nation

Indulged a little too much this weekend?

Make a cup of green tea and look out for my next post on how to detox after Sunday Funday.

(Coming soon!)

Taste the Rainbow

Happy April everyone! I hope you're excited-- spring is right around the corner!! 

April fools. 

I'm in Boston today, and motha nature was a biatch. An inch of snow?! April fools! But, really... 

So, to satisfy your springtime woes, here's the rainbow you won't see when you look outside your window. 

This salad is just that... a salad.

What makes it interesting? Well, it's certainly not foodporntastic. But just look at the pictures (and oh, yeah, the title of the post). This salad is pretty.

You've obviously heard the saying that we eat with our eyes first. While this won't be true for those late night nosh sessions when we practically don't even see our food, presentation really is half of our dining experience. And if we're going to eat a healthy meal, it might as well come dressed for the party. Am I right?

It's true what the experts say-- the more colorful your ingredients, the better it is for you (just don't ask me why). To make it a little more nutritious, I sprinkled wheat germ on top. Despite it's silly name, don't be scared of wheat germ. It has a toasty flavor and is great in yogurt, on salads (clearly) or on top of fresh fruit. It adds great texture plus a handful of vitamins like protein, iron and fiber.

I googled that.

For this salad, I just used what I already had in my fridge. Experiment with your own favorite ingredients! Putting it all together is the most fun part. And when you're done, if it ends up looking pretty, well isn't that just the cherry on top of the... salad.

Rainbow Salad
[1] cup mixed leafy greens
[1/4] cup sliced grape tomatoes
[2-3] tri-color mini bell peppers
[1/4] cup red onion, very thinly sliced
[2] celery stalks, chopped
[1] tbsp wheat germ

For the dressing:
[1] tbsp balsamic vinegar
[1/2] tbsp lemon juice
[1] tsp dijon mustard
[1] tsp green onion, sliced
[1/2] tsp agave nectar
[1] tsp olive oil
dash of soy sauce
salt
pepper

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Then assemble your salad to your liking. That's it, folks.

A satisfying lunch, both visually and tastefully.

**Side note: Today officially starts the FOURTH month of my vegan living (and loving)! Remember when my goal was to try it for just one month? I'm feeling amazing and really see no reason not to continue! So onward I shall go...

I eat salad all the time... April fools!