Winter Toast, 3 Ways

In my fourth and final contribution to Terrain's blog, I talk toast. More specifically, I talk about how it can actually be part of a whole foods diet. (In case you missed the other three posts, you can see them here, here, and here.) We're wired to think of bread and bad, just like we're wired to think of pasta as bad. But, I'm here to show you that one, life's to short to say no to bread—good bread, that is—and two, the health factor of your toast all depends on what you're topping your bread with. 

I'm most definitely a peanut butter and banana fan, and I love a coconut butter and avocado toast, but I also love layering on vegetables for a nutritious kick. I don't need to tell you that there's something so satisfying about biting into a piece of perfectly toasted bread. But if you're someone who eschews toast because of its carb count, etc. I want you to just start to think about how it may not be so bad after all. That sugar spike that comes with eating bread is diminished when it's a nutty whole grain bread and when it's topped with healthy fats and fiber-rich foods. 

For some inspiration on how to do toast in this last month of winter, head over to Terrain's blog to check out the recipes! 

What are some of your favorite ways to do toast?

Apple, Date, and Almond Butter Overnight Oats + Terrain!

I love making resolutions. As a list-maker and checkbox-ticker, resolutions are my jam. I love the idea of making goals that are so much bigger than what my day-to-day lists consist of like laundry, water plants, call insurance company, and confirm dental appt. Yeah, those lists are way less cool.

While I'm not going to share my full list of resolutions, I do have a few things that I'm focusing on like eliminating mind clutter, staying more connected to friends and family, and being more strategic about grocery shopping. For the last one, I'm not talking about strict menu planning, but rather, I'd like to start cooking many of the recipes that I've dogeared in the cookbooks I have, recipes I've pinned from blogs, or copied and pasted in some long lost file on my computer. This has been a struggle in the past because I tend to go to the market and grocery store without a list, buy what looks good, and then come up with a recipe when I get home. Fun stuff because I love creating new recipes and cooking by the seat of my pants, but I know that I can also learn a lot about more complex flavor development and more unfamiliar spices, etc. if I were to actually follow a tried and true tested recipe.

In the spirit of resolutions, I've teamed up with Terrain, Anthropologie's beautiful home and garden shop (and where we happened to get married), to bring you a series of tips to make healthy happen in the kitchen. No matter where on the healthy eating spectrum you lie, we can always use a little reminder and inspiration for how to make healthier decisions in the kitchen and tips that are easy to incorporate into your every day. Many of us know how to eat healthier; it's usually a question of how to fit it into the craziness of real life.

In the first installment, I talk all about why I love overnight oats, and finish with a recipe for Apple, Date, and Almond Butter Oats that I know you're going to love. It's been a favorite around here since I could buy apples at the local market. The best part is that you can make a big batch on the weekend, store it in cute jars, like Terrain's Weck jars, and then enjoy a nutritious breakfast (or snack) ALL WEEK LONG. Amazing, right?

Check out Terrain's blog for the recipe and my tips.

For more recipes for overnight oats, check out my pumpkin pie oats, coconut oats, and chia seed variation.

What New Year's resolutions did you make this year?

Delicata Squash and Roasted Radicchio with Date Vinaigrette

Sweet, a little bitter, and a whole lotta delicious. That's this dish. It's stunning as a holiday side dish but easy enough and healthy for that what-do-I eat-between-all-of-the-holiday-parties conundrum. Just add a grain, and you're in business. I have a thing for delicate squash. After all, it's one of the easiest winter squashes to cook given that you don't have to peel it and the skin and flesh are tender enough to cut through with a knife without mustering up much might (I'm looking at you butternut and kabocha!). If my dull knives can cut through them with ease, it's a winner in my book.

So radicchio. Let's talk about it. It's the beautiful cabbage looking thing in the produce section that adds a delicious bitter bite and purple hue to salads when thinly sliced but that transforms into something almost sweet when roasted. It's flavor mellows and it just wilts in the best way. Lentils add a little protein and a welcome texture to the vegetables. The star of the show just may be the date vinaigrette. I originally was going to chop dates and add them like you would dried cranberries in order to enhance the natural sweetness of the squash and roasted radicchio, but I threw them in the dressing at the last minute, and I'm glad I did. They soaked up just a little vinaigrette to soften but still retain their shape and in turn gave the vinaigrette a deeper caramel flavor that was able to permeate the whole dish.

We ate this alongside our mains the first go-around, but I served it atop brown rice with some chopped toasted walnuts as a more substantial lunch itself. If you're not vegan, a salty feta or tangy goat cheese (I used a local feta), is yum-o.

Delicata Squash and Roasted Radicchio with Date Vinaigrette

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 large delicata squash, seeds removed and sliced into ½-inch crescents
1 small head radicchio, sliced into 2-3 thick wedges
½ cup beluga lentils
Handful parsley, finely chopped

Date Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 medjool dates, pitted and finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss delicata with 2 teaspoons olive oil and spread in single layer on pan. Place radicchio on same baking sheet and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle everything with salt. Roast vegetables in oven for 25-30 minutes or until squash and radicchio are golden brown. Remove from oven and chop radicchio in large pieces.

Meanwhile, cook lentils. Place the lentils in a small pot and cover with water by 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15-18 minutes uncovered or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

Make vinaigrette. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, and garlic clove in small bowl. Add dates and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine radicchio, lentils, and delicata in bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.

Date Coco-Nut Truffles

Best pick up line ever:

Guy: “So, do you want a raisin?” Girl, “No.” Guy, “How about a date?"

Me: Yesssssss, please...

There are a gazillion different versions of these date and nut energy balls all over the internet. You can even buy them in bar form (hello, Larabar!). I've tasted my fair share of different fruit and nut combos over the years, but have always been a little unsatisfied; the texture was off or the ratio of dried fruit to nut was wonky (except the peanut butter and jelly Larabar-they perfected that one). So I rolled up my sleeves, dug out the food processor, and was determined to make my own perfect little bite.

I love my Toasted Coconut and Almond Butter too much for that nutty combination not to be a starting point. From there I had to get the amount of dates right, balancing sweetness and texture. Too few dates led to a crumbly mess and too many resulted in a sweet and sticky web. I wanted to add cocoa to replicate a real chocolate truffle, but too much could be chalky and bitter and too little left my chocolate craving unsatisfied. Lots of trial and error later, and I leave you with this recipe, something I’m pretty darn happy with. It holds together just enough to roll into little balls, but doesn't compromise on any of the flavors. The little orb is perfect for eating plain or coating with a topping of choice.

The only negative about this recipe is that it requires a food processor. Maybe a high-powered blender could work, but I haven’t tried it since it seems like you’d be stopping and scraping for ages. Please let me know if you do try it though. The mixture rolls best and sticks to the toppings when at room temperature, but they hold their shape best in the refrigerator or freezer. To up the chocolate ante, freeze them for a few hours, give them a dip in melted chocolate, sprinkle with toppings, and then return to the fridge until the chocolate sets.

Date Coco-Nut Truffles

1 cup almond butter, divided
⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I love it toasted!)
2 cups dates, pitted (about 16)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

Optional toppings: finely chopped almonds, hemp seeds, goji berries, cacao powder, cacao nibs, toasted coconut

In a food processor, blend ¾ cup almond butter, coconut, dates, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and sea salt until smooth paste forms. Add remaining ¼ cup almond butter and pulse to combine. Using your hands, pinch off about 1 generous teaspoon of mixture and roll into balls. Roll balls into toppings of choice and store in the fridge or freezer.  Makes approximately 60 truffles.