We are smack in the heart of asparagus season. Whether you like your asparagus spears thick or thin, there are infinite ways to prepare these springtime icons. These recipes look like some of the best:

• Asparagus Soup with Curry & Crème Fraîche (Mourad Lahlou of Aziza Restaurant)
• Asparagus Flan (Orangette)
• Lemony Risotto Croquettes with Slivered Snow Peas, Asparagus, and Leeks (Splendid Table)
• Asparagus Frittata (Simply Recipes)
• Asparagus Chili Tortilla (delicious:days)
• Spring Vegetables in a Herb Nage (Nordjus)
• Spring Panzanella (Napastyle)
• Roast Asparagus Parmesan with Steamed Morels Recipe (Sylvain Portay)

Comments (11) | April 9 - 1:34 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Celebrating Earth Day typically involves cleaning up a neighborhood park, planting a tree, or, if you're more creative, maybe taking yourself on a shopping spree for fashionable reusable shopping bags. How about marking the holiday this year with an Earth Dinner? Marking Earth Day with an Earth Dinner is a wonderful way of acknowledging the role our food choices have on the health of the planet.

Need inspiration? We found some great ideas, tips, recipes, and resources on the Earth Dinner website. The inspiring (and affordable) Earth Dinner Cards recently provided us with an evening of wonderful conversation over a locally-sourced meal. Bounce around the site a bit for more inspiration.

Earth Dinners are a great way of raising awareness and exploring complex issues without having to get on your soapbox. Instead, food and fun party activities set the table for a delicious meal with the potential for real and meaningful exchanges about eating sustainably.

Comments (3) | April 8 - 4:13 PM

category:

It seems that edible wild plants are all the rage right now. Martha Stewart even has a feature on the joys of these overlooked weeds in the April 2008 issue of her namesake magazine. We couldn’t agree more and spring is a perfect time to reap the rewards of wild harvesting.

This is why we are so excited to share with you our new favorite find – Wild Leek Vinegar from Food for Thought in Honor, Michigan. This tiny gem of company specializes in tasty products made from wild harvested, local, and seasonal plants. We got our hands on a bottle of this small-batch elixir and have been slurping it up in vinaigrettes over roasted asparagus and spring lettuces. For a twist (because we like vinegar on potato chips and french fries), we sprinkled some over a batch of salty oven fries and found the delicate, almost garlicky tang to be a great match. The bottle itself is so beautiful that we also pair it alongside our favorite olive oil for an unexpected and welcome hostess gift.

Comments (3) | March 30 - 11:11 AM

category: Gift Ideas, New Products

Make a pledge to try a new carrot recipe each week this spring, they're healthy, vibrant, and deliciously filling. We'll leave you with one shopping tip (look for spring carrots with their bushy green tops still attached) and a list of carrot inspiration to get things kicked off...

- There's a stockpile of inspired carrot recipes at the Mariquita Farm website. You'll find Glazed Carrots With Pistachios and Thyme, Carrot Yogurt Soup, Carrot Milkshake, Cardamom Carrots, and Carrots in Beer.

- Orangette serves up a simple French-style Carrot Salad

- Vibrant Carrot Dip at Cook & Eat

- Spring Salad with Arborio Rice Cakes, Roasted Baby Carrots, White Asparagus & Fava Beans from Amy Murray of Venus Restaurant

- Carrot Apricot Muffins via Culinate

- Dipping into the Nordjus archives we discover Summer Vegetables in a Herb Nage - the name says summer, but the ingredients are oh-so-springy.

Mollie Katzen's Carrot-Cashew Curry

- Brussels Sprouts with Carrots via Whole Foods

- Napa Cabbage & Carrots with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce via Eating Well

- Young Carrot Salad with Shaved Sheep’s Milk Cheese via Vegetarian Times

- Carrot And Leek Ragout With Green Peas And Mint via CookThink

- Carrot-Wheat Berry Salad with Cumin and Raisins

- Bashed Neeps and Carrots via Delia. See if you can figure out what a neep or a swede is.

Comments (1) | March 25 - 10:51 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Dove Vivi is a cozy Portland-based pizzeria that has been called "a breath of fresh air," "scintillating," and able to deliver a crust with "acres of crunch." Their no sog, anti-flop pies focus on fresh ingredients (often seasonal) with a rotating cast of specials. Below are a few of their deep dish, cornmeal-crusted highlights. Or click here to see the menu in its entirety.

Cornmeal Crust Pizzas:

- Della Salute (vegan) - roasted eggplant, marinated green peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomato sauce, herbed tofu ricotta available upon request

- Quatro Fromaggio - mozzarella, fontina, ricotta, house-made spinach pesto, basil, fresh tomatoes

- Corn Cashew (vegan) - vegan roasted red pepper & cashew cheese, fresh sweet corn, caramelized onions, chives

- Butternut - mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, sauteed kale, butternut squash, cranberry reduction

- Golden Chantrelle - mozzarella, fontina, caramelized onions, golden chantrelle mushrooms in a brandy shallot jalapeno sauce

- Eggplant - mozzarella, blue cheese, roasted eggplant, basil, fresh tomatoes

Greens:

- Broccoli Salad - broccoli, black beans, mushrooms on a bed of greens with dijon balsamic vinaigrette

- Beet Salad - beets, roasted walnuts, blue cheese, served on a bed of greens with shallot balsamic vinaigrette

Dove Vivi
2727 Ne Glisan St
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: (503) 239-4444
www.dovevivipizza.com

Comments (2) | March 22 - 11:37 PM

category:

The landscape of American fast food is looking up. Dotted across the country at roadside exits and on bustling city street corners the classic grub-on-the-go is getting a mighty makeover. Here are a few drive-thrus we’re digging –

Burgerville – Fresh. Local. Sustainable.

You can't help but appreciate that this pacific-northwest chain aims to “serve with love.” Plus, Burgerville has partnered with local farmers and producers to source their ingredients in an environmentally responsible way that results in fresh, seasonal food.

A local-centric menu sticks to mainly to the classics, but has a few items that caught our eye, including the Tillamook cheeseburger, north pacific halibut fish sandwich, wild smoked salmon and hazelnut salad, Yukon Gold waffle fries, Walla Walla sweet onion rings, and Oregon hazelnut milkshakes made with real ice cream. Also, for vegetarians the tasty Rogue River smoky blue cheese salad is sure to hit the spot.

Where? Many locations throughout Oregon and Washington.

Zen Burger — Good for You. Good for the Planet.

For busy Manhattanites, a quick stop at Zen Burger means filling up on “wholesome natural vegetarian foods that have the look, feel, texture, and taste of meats.” They stuff their buns with faux-beef, -chicken and -tuna, all made without any animal products and for $1 more you can add organic American cheese. You’ll find the usual breakfast egg sandwich, French fries, and milkshakes all with an organic twist. Organic soup, chili, and salads are followed up with warm whole-wheat chocolate chip, granola, or peanut butter cookies. We also love that 90% of their take-out containers are biodegradable and/or compostable and that the store is built from mostly recycled materials with energy-saving lights.

Where? 465 Lexington Avenue. New York, NY 10017

(World’s Most) Local Burger

Lawrence, Kansas is home to Local Burger, a healthy fast-food restaurant that Bon Appetit named one of the top ten eco-friendly restaurants in the country. They cater to everyone from the committed carnivore to the vigilant vegetarian and even those needing gluten-free options. With a selection of both updated classics and innovative dishes they have a sparkling fresh take on what it means to eat on the run. Passionately dedicated to sourcing their foods locally, organically, and sustainably, care is taken in every dish, like the grass-fed beef, elk, or house made veggie burgers. Sides include the “progressive potato” fries, quinoa-millet pilaf, and the hijiki studded “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore" salad. Shakes have been replaced with refreshing smoothies and for a sweet ending you’ll find honey-peanut butter balls and allergy-friendly brownies. We also love that a local library card gets you 10% off on Saturdays.

Where? 714 Vermont Street. Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Still hungry? Check out the many other quick bites that caught our eye –

VG Burgers
Mixt Greens
O’Naturals
Lettuce Eatery
Pizza Fusion
Organic To Go
Pret a Manger
Chix
Native Foods
Veggie Bite

Comments (2) | March 20 - 8:26 PM

category: Lists, Menus, Studies + Trends

Just in time for St. Patrick's day we've put together a collection of some fantastic green recipes - dark leafy green to be exact. It seems we can't be reminded often enough about the powerful role that these veggies play in a healthy diet. Packed with calcium, folic acid, iron, potassium, vitamins A, C, and K - they are one of nature's multivitamins. And we love them all, from spinach to kale to chard, but sometimes it takes an inspirational recipe to get us back in the kitchen eating our greens and more than a few of those we've listed below do the trick.

- mess o’ greens
- simple collard greens
- greek kale salad
- braised greens tacos
- spicy black eyed peas with collard greens
- dal with collard greens
- greek-style chickpeas with greens and tomatoes
- Deborah Madison’s chard and saffron tart
- braised winter greens with chickpeas, onions, and garlic
- middle eastern greens soup
- sauteed turnip greens with chile flakes and mustard
- kale 101 (video)
- tuscan kale and beans on toasted bread
- beautiful bulgar and spinach pilaf
- simplest spinach with nutmeg butter
- winter greens with goat cheese on pain poilâne
- cashew chard “burrito”
- edamame salad with baby beets and greens
- artichoke heart & spinach gratin

This year, instead of your favorite leprechaun sweatshirt or four-leaf clover necktie, how about simply celebrating the luck of the Irish with a great green leafy meal?

Comments (3) | March 16 - 9:23 PM

category: Lists, Vegan / Veg

I've experienced distrustful, quizzical looks my whole life by those who simply cannot comprehend why I don't go weak in the knees for chocolate. I have matured though, from outright disliking it as a child, to today where I enjoy it on occasion. Chocolate
cravings however have been an urban legend to me, widely recounted, shrouded in mystery, and not ever experienced first hand — until a few weeks ago. For reasons unknown (maybe the months of cold weather?) I felt compelled to bake up a batch of deep chocolate brownies - all-American in appearances, but a bit more au natural in the mix.

A warm, moist, nut-studded goody that was both sweet and slightly salty is what I craved. Sure a carob, oat-bran, flax-fest could have satisfied my whole foods interests, but the brownie I was dreaming of called for more of a middle ground that was a slightly less refined but no less satisfying. With a few simple tweaks to a classic brownie approach - for example, using white whole flour instead of all-purpose and brown rice syrup in place of more standard fare, I baked up a marvel of brownie-goodness.

Brown Rice Syrup Brownie Recipe

In place of or combined with the nuts, you can mix in toasted coconut, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, toasted sunflower seeds, or dried cherries. For mocha brownies, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground espresso beans when melting the chocolate and butter.

2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used 70%)
4 tablespoon non-alkalized cocoa powder
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cups brown rice syrup
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup toasted, coarsely chopped nuts (almond, walnuts, or pecans are good)
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or other large flaked sea salt (I used vanilla salt)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and position rack in the center. Grease an 8”x8” square cake pan.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Add the brown rice syrup and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Once cool, add the eggs and stir until well combined. Add the flour and nuts and stir until almost combined. If adding the salt, do so now and gently stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and spread to the edges. Place in the oven on the center rack.

Bake, rotating the pan mid-way through, until the kitchen smells of chocolate, the center is firm to touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for a full 10 minutes, then gently separate the brownies from the edges of the pan with a knife and invert onto a cooling rack.

Makes 9 brownies.

This recipe quenched my cravings so well that I haven’t wanted anything chocolate since — though if I ever do I know just where to go.

Related Links

We love Suzanne's line of organic rice nectars and the original version would be perfect for this recipe. She also makes some other exotic rice nectar flavors, including organic maple and all natural blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate!

For another great way to use brown rice syrup try Heidi's Big Sur Power Bars - they're simply delicious.

Comments (2) | March 14 - 3:43 PM

category: Recipes

Planning a summer wedding? Graduation party this spring? Fourth of July fiesta in the works? We love that the warmer months bring with them great celebrations, but it helps when the festive and delicious buffets, canapés, and rehearsal dinners also offer a few healthier eats. We tracked down some of the country’s best caterers that provide organic, local and wholesome cuisine for your party-planning pleasure.

A Moveable Feast (Carmel Valley, California)
Artemis Foods (Portland, Oregon)
Back to Earth Catering (San Francisco Bay Area)
Cater Conscious (Phoenix, Arizona)
Ciao Thyme Catering (Bellingham, Washington)
Delyte’s Catering (Temecula, California)
Gail’s Vegetarian Catering (Washington, DC)
Green Planet Catering (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Greg Christian Catering (Chicago)
Little Farm Catering (East Greenwich, Rhode Island)
Lucid Catering (New York City)
Melissa Ward Organic Catering (Santa Monica, California)
OrganiKiss (Detroit, Michigan)
Seedling Organic Catering (Los Angeles)
Terra Luna Catering (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)
The Cleaver Company (New York City)
Thrivin’ Edibles (San Jose, California)
Timothy Bartling Organics (New York City)
Zen Kitchen Catering (Portland, Oregon)

Consider this list a 'party favor' and go on and celebrate!

Comments (1) | March 12 - 9:00 AM

category:

We’ve tasted our share of energy bars around here and for the most part, we’re still partial to making our own or assembling a bag of our favorite dried fruit and nuts. So you can imagine our surprise when we found ourselves ordering yet another case of Jake’s Unbaked bars to replenish our personal stash. Yes, they’re raw. Gluten-free, organic, and agave sweetened too. But, at the end of the day, no matter how “healthy” something is, if it doesn’t taste good, it’s a no-go for us. Simply put, these bars are out-of-this-world.

Jake’s Unbaked bars come in three tasty flavors: the Goji Bar is studded with antioxidant rich goji berries, the chai-spiced Yogi bar, and our favorite, the Rawnola bar which we'll happily crumble into a bowl of plain or frozen yogurt. We’d even go so far as to say these babies satisfy a cookie-craving…think crunchy, sweet, coconut macaroon and you’ll have some idea of what they taste like.

We love to get to know the great people who bring us our favorite natural food products and because these bars are a borderline addiction around here, we headed straight to the source to uncover just who Jake of Jake’s Unbaked is...we ended up choosing him as our latest Tastemaker:

When and why did you start making Jake’s Unbaked products?
In 2001 I began to discover the benefits of a raw-live food diet. During this health transition I found myself unsuccessfully looking for substitutes to the common baked snacks I was used to eating. One day my pursuit lead me to a curious red berry called Goji. After discovering the many nutritional benefits the Goji Berry bestowed and how great they tasted, I began to purchase them regularly. One day, by mistake, I left some sitting in my car in the hot sun with a few nuts. When I returned later that day they had become warm and were stuck together. As soon as I tasted these clusters, a light went on in my head and the idea for the “Goji Bar” emerged.

Once I started to make Goji Bars, my raw-live foods friends kept asking me for more. Where ever I took them, they were gone in an instant. But, it wasn’t until I started to get positive comments from people who were eating a more standard American diet, that I figured I might be on to something. Plus, there was nothing similar to them already on grocery store shelves.

What makes Jake’s Unbaked products great?
For starters, all of our sweeteners are low-glycemic and unlike most other raw bars on the market that use dates, we use figs and agave nectar. Plus our bars have a wonderful crunchy texture that many people, whether they are transitioning to raw and live foods, or not, simply love.

What is your favorite Jake’s Unbaked product? What is your favorite way to enjoy it?
These days I’m enjoying our Yogi Bars the most. The chai spices we blend into these bars promote optimal digestion. One way that I love to eat them is in the Fall, when persimmons are in season and ripe enough to spread like jam. I simply top one of my bars with a thick layer of these wonderful sweet fruits. To take it to another level, I place them in the freezer before using them to make ice cream sandwiches.

What would most surprise people about Jake’s Unbaked products?
Despite the name of our company, I am constantly reminding people that our products involve no baking. Folks seem to find it hard to believe that we can create such a crunchy texture and remain true to the principles of what the raw-live food movement is about — not cooking.

What other natural food producer(s) do you really admire? Why?
I admire honeybees the most. They are the humblest and sweetest natural food producers I know of. Plus they seem to have more reverence for the land than humans. Locally gathered honey is the most ecological sweetener in terms of energy consumption and sustainable farming practices. Not to mention they assist us with pollination of our food and create beautiful flowers for us to enjoy.

What's your favorite natural food product other than your own?
Although I eat a plant-based, raw-live food diet, I do enjoy warming up with herbal teas. Right now I’m big on Rooibos by African Red Tea Imports. I enjoy the mellow flavor and earthy aroma and it’s relaxing properties. I am told that Rooibos plants have a complex root system that travels very deep. I like to think this the reason this tea has such a high mineral content and imparts a grounding sensation. African Red Tea Imports also makes a Rooibos Extract powder that I like to keep this handy while traveling because all I need is a tiny dash into a glass of warm water and I can enjoy instant Rooibos tea.

What's next on the horizon for you and Jake’s Unbaked?
More delicious treasures! We are working on developing a dehydrated pro-biotic biscuit that is cultured with live lactobacillus organisms. I am interested in ways that food can be both medicine and delicious to eat. We are working on more varieties of our Rawnola Bars as well. Our next addition will be a carob inspired bar, for our customers who want an alternative to the raw cacao products on the market.

Where can people find Jake’s Unbaked products?
You can find our products at a handful of select natural food stores throughout the country, such as Erewhon Natural Foods in Los Angeles, California, Essene Market in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Frontiers in Flagstaff, Arizona, Westerly Natural Foods in New York. Visit our website for a list of locations or wholesale inquires. Also check out Zebra Organics for retail sales. For wholesale, or your personal enjoyment, you can order them by the case from our website.

Related Links:

- Jake's Unbaked (www.jakesunbaked.com)
- Tastemaker: Neal Gottlieb of Three Twins Ice Cream
- Tastemaker: Minh Tsai founder of Hodo Soy Beanery
- Real Food Energy Bar Review

Comments (1) | March 9 - 5:19 PM

category: Interviews/Profiles, New Products, Vegan / Veg

I was browsing Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools the other day and came across a woman, Maria, who was writing about the impact her bento-style lunch box was having on her life. She used the phrase life-changing and explains how the design of the lunchbox has impacted the way she thinks about the food she puts in it. It's great.

Maria also links out to one of my favorite Flickr groups to browse. Nearly 4,000 photos of laptop lunches, uploaded by over 600 members. Fascinating. Wraps and hummus seems to be all the rage with the laptop lunchers. -Heidi

Related Mighty link:
- Lunchbox for Grown-ups

Comments (1) | March 7 - 5:54 PM

category: New Products, Studies + Trends

We're loving Pancake & Franks foodie stationery. They've created a stunning line of whimsical letterpress note cards that include images of some of our favorite mighty foods, such as earthy lentils, graphic black eyed peas, bright red radishes, sunny golden eggs, delicate heads of garlic, and many other simple foods that they've elevated to true art form.

Here are a few other mighty foods inspired products we've been eying:

- vegetable ribbon
- fruity scratch n' sniff wallpaper
- healthy food t-shirts
- veggie kitchen scrubbers
- little cookbooks from a little press

Comments (2) | March 6 - 8:47 PM

category: New Products

The inspiration for this delicious Orange Agave Frozen Yogurt came when we were fondly looking back at Heidi’s frozen yogurt recipe, celebrating citrus, and marveling at David’s agave chocolate ice cream recipe. Sometimes synergy strikes and you end up with something that is much greater than the sum of its parts. This recipe produces a frozen yogurt that magically merges tangy, creamy yogurt, refreshing, zesty oranges, and naturally sweet agave nectar. We’re offering up a basic version, but by all means put your own twist on it. Chocolate shavings or toasted coconut would make marvelous mix-ins and although we chose oranges — Meyer lemons, tangerines, and grapefruits are just a few of the many citrus fruits that would shine here.

Agave Frozen Yogurt Recipe

A sidenote to the recipe, to make strained yogurt, pour 2 -32 oz. containers of plain yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined large sieve or colander set over a bowl drain yogurt, covered and chilled at least 8 hours, or overnight. Discard liquid in bowl.

1/3 cup fresh-squeezed organic orange juice and zest from 1-2 oranges
1/3 cup agave syrup
3 cups strained whole milk plain organic yogurt (see headnote)
pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined and refrigerate for 1 hour or place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Pour yogurt mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Best served immediately.

Makes about 1 quart.

Comments (1) | February 29 - 2:45 PM

category: Recipes, Sweeteners

Citrus is just what we need to shake off the heavy, dark days of winter. Lately we’ve been tucking juicy segments of orange here, squeezing limes there, and scattering lemon zest — well — everywhere. These fruits provide the Spring cleaning we need after months of hearty, warm, stick to your-ribs fare. True, not everyone is seeing the brisker months melt away like us Californians, but no matter where you are, Spring is just around the corner, and the recipes below will help usher it in.

On the nutrition front, while we are in full support of your apple-a-day habit, you might want to think about adding a piece of citrus fruit to your regimen as well. A range of powerful antioxidant phytochemicals, like polyphenols, lycopene, and flavonoids make these sprightly fruits great for cancer prevention. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium you’ll get serious bang for your bite, weather you want to fight the common cold, reduce inflammation or your risk for heart disease, or just pack your kids lunch.

Are you over the everyday orange? Lemons lost their luster? Then check out this great list of the many citrus fruit varieties there are to choose from.

Citrus:
- butternut squash kasha salad with citrus vinaigrette and spicy almonds
- new ambrosia
- citrus curry lentil soup
- arugala salad with whole citrus vinaigrette

Lemons:
- whole-wheat spaghetti with fresh ricotta and lemon zest
- meyer lemon risotto
- gremolata
- lemon verbena & honey granita

Oranges:
- orange pine nut buckwheat pancakes
- peanut, orange and carrot salad
- pan-grilled polenta with blood orange and basil relish
- orange & date bars
- bergamot orange salmon

Tangelos, tangerines, clementines, & kumquats:
- tangelo-coriander brown rice pilaf
- tangerine salt
- honey tangerines and kumquats with walnuts and shaved celery
- clementine yogurt compote
- kiwi kumquat salad with key lime syrup

Pomelos & grapefruits:
- gingered pineapple and grapefruit salsa
- pomelo salad
- fennel, olive & pink grapefruit salad

Limes
- snap pea salad with radish, & lime
- cilantro lime brown rice
- watermelon with lime juice & zest
- miso-lime pesto

Zesty products:
- orange blossom honey flute
- blood orange chocolate truffles
- Elizabeth W citrus vervain room fragrance
- o olive oil citrus oils
- Microplane premium zester
- oma lemon squeezer
- organic dwarf meyer lemon tree

Comments (0) | February 26 - 8:07 AM

category: Lists, Recipes

This recipe is one that emerged in my first few years away from mom, alone in my own kitchen, on a budget, and still wanting to eat well. One evening, hungry from a day at my first job, I stared down the sparse landscape of my pantry and fridge and somehow managed to whip up this wonderful and easy savory French toast. Since then it has become a staple dish, perfect for solo-dining or, like the recipe below, feeding my friends over Sunday brunch.

As there are relatively few components to this recipe, selecting the best quality, organic ingredients will make all the difference. If you can find pastured eggs use them. Use a your favorite whole grain bread from your favorite local bakery. For the sauce, Muir Glen packed with basil is my preferred choice, but in the summer, cooking down a few fresh, ripe tomatoes is the way to go. If you have any leftovers, just pop them into the toaster-oven for an easy lunch or dinner.

Almond-Crusted French Toast with Simple Tomato Sauce & Wilted Spinach

5 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper
6 slices whole-grain sandwich bread (day old, stale works best)
2 cups toasted, finely chopped almonds

Simple Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2-28 oz can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand or in the food processor
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

Wilted Spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large bunches of fresh spinach (about 1 ½ lbs), washed and stemmed
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the center. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly grease.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, but not browned. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat uncovered for 15-25 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce.

In a large shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Spread the nuts out on a large plate. Place three slices of bread into the egg mixture and soak for one minute on each side. Then lay each slice, one at a time, onto the nuts, press down so that the nuts stick, and flip to coat the other side. Transfer each slice to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining three slices of bread and arrange so that the slices do not touch. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

While the French toast bakes, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and sauté until wilted and most of the liquid released has cooked off. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Flip each slice and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch and toasts are golden brown.

Serve hot with a spoonful each of spinach and tomato sauce.

Serves 6

Variations are endless here. Just about any nut can be used in place of the almonds – pecans and walnuts work great. For an easy perk up, add 1 teaspoon each of oregano and dill to the tomato sauce and garnish the final dish with a sprinkling of feta cheese and chopped kalamata olives. For an Indian flare, replace the milk with coconut milk and add 1 ½ tablespoons of curry to the egg mixture. For a kid-friendly PB&J twist, cut each slice of bread into three fingers, use peanuts for the crust, and instead of tomato sauce and spinach, simply serve it with slices of fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Comments (3) | February 22 - 1:52 PM

category: Recipes