recent photos

1. my calendar from terrain

2. coffee and a flourless double chocolate cookie

3. soy latte

4. a favorite christmas present from drew

5. finally stuck out the long wait to eat at broder

6. brussels sprout, smoked salmon and swedish farmer's cheese scramble with a mimosa

7. the most thoughtful gift from a sweet friend

8. old portland building

9. sun! in january! celebratory walk to the grocery store

10. i heart you too, spinach

pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach

since i spend an inordinate amount of time reading food blogs, i'm always (subconsciously) aware of what is in season. perhaps that's why i came home from the grocery store the other day with a head of cauliflower, despite not having a clear recipe in mind. luckily, i had some roasted hazelnuts leftover from my quinoa flake breakfasts and a bag of baby spinach on hand. add in some garlic, onion, olive oil and throw it over pasta? you can't possibly go wrong with that.

pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach adapted from here

1 box (8 oz.) pasta
1 head cauliflower 
olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp)
salt
red pepper flakes
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup baby spinach
juice from 1 small lemon
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
parmigiano cheese

preheat oven to 425 degrees f. wash and chop your cauliflower into florets and arrange on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt and a shake of red pepper flakes. roast for about 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

while the cauliflower is roasting, cook pasta until al dente. drain and set aside.

meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-low heat. add in the onion slices, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until the onions become slightly caramelized and extremely soft. turn the heat up to medium-high and add the garlic, cook for about one minute. next, add in spinach, the roasted cauliflower, the pasta and some fresh lemon juice, stirring to combine all ingredients and allow the spinach to wilt.

remove the skillet from heat, add in the chopped hazelnuts and stir to combine. serve pasta in bowls and top with parmigiano cheese.

friday

happy friday! i added a new tab up at the top with my portland favorites. there are plenty of spots that go unmentioned, but i wanted to create a guide based on personal experience, not buzz from others. i've never been to fan favorites like pokpok or schoolhouse electric, so i didn't feel it was right to add them to the list. tell me, what are you favorites? i'd love to hear!

por que no — for a house margarita, tacos and fresh tortilla chips

navarre — for french, italian and spanish small plates in the coziest candle-lit room

salt & straw — for the most innovative and delicious ice cream flavors

nedd ludd — for high-quality pacific northwest cuisine

tasty n sons — for a decadent brunch, served family style

little t american baker — for pastries, freshly baked (spelt!) bread and house-cured lox

screen door — for southern classics with a local, gourmet twist

pix patisserie — for french macarons, handmade chocolates and a glass of champagne

bamboo sushi — for sustainable seafood and impeccable service

firehouse — for wood-fired pizzas, salads and small bites in a gorgeous old firehouse

the bye and bye — for hip vegans and boozy cocktails in mason jars

sip juice cart (or canteen) — for fruit and vegetable juices and other healthy elixirs

townshend's tea — for a huge selection of loose leaf or a chai latte

heart roasters — for a cup of coffee made from a small micro-roasting company

cascade brewing barrel house — for sour beers aged in oak barrels

palace — for a well-curated selection of clothes, jewelry, perfume, linens, bags and more

maven collective — for vintage furniture and other goodies hand-selected by four local ladies

local choice produce market — for hyper-local produce and grocery items like jacobsen salt

the meadow — for exquisite salts, chocolates and cocktail bitters

nationale — for an art gallery that happens to sell beautiful books and fragrances

meet the locals and grab a bite to eat at the portland state university farmers market

take a hike!

see a live show at the wonder ballroom, the doug fir or the aladdin theater

make your own terrarium at artemesia

visit the portland art museum

see a movie at cinemagic or laurelhurst theater

pick up a new or used book for your trip home at powell's

taste wines from four local vineyards at the southeast wine collective

make your own cheese or soap at a portland homestead supply class

quick trip to the coast

i drove up to seaside, oregon this past saturday to visit my man (he was at a conference for school). before drew started his program, i'd only been to seaside in the summer and didn't really care for it; the beach was so crowded with tourists and the boardwalk reminded me of coney island (which i'm strangely terrified of). but, for the past two winters, i've lucked out with beautiful cold, sunny days and desolate beaches. i think that's enough to make me have a change of heart. i made sure to pay a visit to the pendleton outlet and got to spend some time with drew's classmates and professors—all such lovely, warm people. and how about that sunset view from the top of the hotel? pretty dreamy.

healthy start

you don't need me to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. i'm always searching for something that has enough staying power to get me through the morning, so when i stumbled upon quinoa flakes at the grocery store, i knew i had to try them. they taste just like oatmeal or other hot cereals, but with more protein, thanks to the quinoa. i'm sure i'll dress up the flakes in all sorts of ways, but lately i've been doing a sweet variation.

quinoa flakes with toasted coconut and hazelnuts (serves 1)

1/3 cup dry quinoa flakes
1 cup water
pinch of salt

unsweetened coconut flakes
raw hazelnuts
splash of half + half
a generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon
drizzle of honey

mix quinoa flakes, water and salt in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for two and a half minutes. stir in cinnamon and set aside.

preheat oven to 375 degrees f. on a baking sheet, spread a thin layer of coconut flakes evenly and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure they don't burn. remove flakes and set aside, turn oven down to 350 degrees f. spread the hazelnuts out on the same baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. immediately after removing hazelnuts from oven, wrap them in a dish towel and rub the skins off.

pour hot quinoa flakes into a bowl, top with toasted coconut and hazelnuts. drizzle half + half and honey right before eating.
  

friday

 

happy friday! besides heading to the oregon coast tomorrow, i'm excited to get back in the kitchen this weekend. between being a guest in other peoples' homes over the holidays and being on my cleanse, i haven't cooked as much as i would have liked to. it's time to put all of the wonderful cookbooks i got for christmas to good use!

my eyes + edge posts from this week:
>> american hipster presents
<< pizza for parkas

cleanse, day three

i finished! as excited as i am about eating solid food (and drinking coffee) again, i feel like i could have continued on with the cleanse, which is a testament to how good and balanced the juices were. the cleanse was the perfect way to have a fresh start for the new year, cleaning out any toxins that had built up, while also putting my eating habits back in check. over the holidays, i ate whenever food was around, instead of when i was actually hungry. now that the cleanse is over, i have a better handle on reading my hunger cues and i'm certainly more in tune with my cravings.

benefits—my skin cleared up and seems to be glowing, i got to bed early and slept like a rock every night on the cleanse (i'm usually a bit of an insomniac) and i feel more comfortable in my jeans. i also felt a sense of euphoria on the last day.

drawbacks—the only drawback i experienced was not being able to do much of anything social on the cleanse. maybe it's just a portland thing, but most activities revolve around food and alcohol here, so i usually retreated to my apartment after work and went to bed early.

would i do it again? absolutely. the benefits far outweigh any of the small negatives for me. i could see myself doing a cleanse once a year (it's actually recommended that you do four a year, with the seasons) around this time again. if you're in the portland area, i highly recommend portland juice press! i have a feeling i'll be going back plenty of times to get some more of that hazelnut "milk" that i'm now addicted to.