Spicy Moroccan Carrot Dip

The easiest way to describe the last few weeks is to say there have been ups and downs. Sometimes, I’m feeling calm, almost zen, about the whole thing. Very quickly, however, that can shift to a state of panic. Of course, I keep a smile on my face and try to downplay it all when talking to friends and family. I don’t want to be an additional source of negativity when everyone’s feeling a bit down. This may not be the healthiest approach and I’m working on being more honest (starting with this post).

Cooking and photographing and talking about food has done a lot for my mental health. To go from working constantly, the non-stop photoshoots and nights of editing images of so much delicious and beautiful food, to nothing has hit me hard. When I get in the kitchen and pull out my camera, however, I do feel a bit better.

I’ve been making this carrot dip for years and yet I am just now getting around to posting the recipe. Looking through the site, I realized I shared a moroccan carrot and lentil salad not too long ago. But this dip is a bit different and it can be added to all sorts of meals (in fact, we had it yesterday on our salads for lunch). Having this in the fridge is keeping me away from the chips and candy and cookies (so. many. cookies.) we have around (which have been my go-to snacks for the last few weeks). The color brings me some much needed joy, as well. I hope others feel the same.

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Dip

Yield:
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Rice crackers, for serving

Directions:

Add olive oil to a large sauté pan and set over medium heat. Add carrots, ginger and honey and stir until ingredients are coated. Pour in the water. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt over the carrots and cover pan with a lid. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 18 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Remove lid and let it cool for 10 minutes. Transfer ingredients (including any liquid in the pan) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a chunky puree, making sure there aren’t any big pieces of carrot (it’s ok if there are small pieces).

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Top with chopped fresh parsley and sesame seeds. Serve with crackers (rice crackers recommended) or pita chips.

Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Pears and Toasted Almonds

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, there’s a moment where I forget about everything that’s going on. The dog lays between me and Eric, sleeping soundly with her head on my pillow, audibly snoring. I will look over and just smile at her presence (even though she spent most of the night kicking me). We cuddle briefly before both of us get up to start our day (which begins with a walk around the neighborhood). This routine is one of many that have helped soothe me during this time. Sticking with a routine and focusing on tasks makes it almost feel like nothing has changed. Of course, I know it has. It hits me when I see someone wearing a mask or when I have to walk in the street to avoid people.

Like so many, cooking has been a comfort. I take extra time on the things I’m preparing, something I couldn’t do when I was working so much. Fresh baked bread (from homemade sourdough starter) and cakes and cookies. There’s been a lot of baking. Well, maybe not A LOT but certainly more than before.

I find bowls of hot oatmeal to be very satisfying. On a normal day (like when I would have places to go), I might sprinkle it with raisins or a drizzle of maple syrup. If we have jam around, I’ll scoop some on top (which reminds me of the oatmeal with jelly packets I used to eat as a kid). When I’m taking things extra slow, sautéed fruit and toasted nuts feel like a special addition. Almost like having dessert for breakfast. Hey, we have to find the little things in life that bring us joy. This is one of them.

Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Pears and Toasted Almonds

Note: If you can’t find pears, apples or (slightly firmer) peaches would make fine substitutions.

Yield:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup milk or non-dairy milk, such as oat or coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup steel cut oats
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pears, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Bring the water and milk to a gentle boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir in the oats and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and leave uncovered. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent any burning on the bottom. The result will be creamy (as it cools, it thickens quite a bit).

Melt butter in a medium-skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced pear and sprinkle with sugar and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until pears turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

While they cook, set a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced almonds, stirring often to make sure they don't burn, until they become lightly toasted.

Spoon the oats into bowls and top with cooked pears and toasted almonds.

Pasta Puttanesca

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted. More time than I had planned, but as each month passed, I decided maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that I’d taken a break. I wasn’t loving how I was feeling in this space or in the world of blogging as a whole. The thoughts that continuously crossed my mind: What is a blog? Who is it for? Why am I sharing my life and passion for food with the world? Is anyone reading it? Does it matter if anyone’s reading it?

Having some distance has helped answer a few of these questions. There’s no definition of what a blog has to be, how it looks, how it reads. My personal feeling is that a blog should be a welcoming environment, one that embodies the personality of its creator, and, hopefully, it will resonate with readers. Which is why I decided to return. Over the last few months, I have received emails and DMs from people who ask me when I’d start things up again. So, let’s give this a try. I can’t guarantee I will post often. I have a goal; one that I’m keeping in my head.

In my first dive back in, I’m starting with a dish that I have really grown to love. Pasta, for me, typically involve lots of butter and cheese. So, the fact that I appreciate this so much shows even without copious amounts of dairy, is a testament to how good a bowl of pasta puttanesca is. The richness comes from the olive oil and black olives and the blast of umami from anchovies. Fennel is an untraditional addition, but I am a big fan of the stuff and really like the subtle sweetness it provides. It was so good that the big pan I made almost didn’t make it past lunchtime.

Pasta Puttanesca

Yield:
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
Oil-cured black olives, sliced into rounds
3 anchovies packed in oil
24-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed (with hands or fork)
2 tablespoons jarred capers
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 lb spaghetti or linguine
Basil leaves, for garnish
Toasted panko (recipe below), optional

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (following directions on the box).

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add garlic and anchovies and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add chopped fennel and cook for 3 minutes, giving it a stir every minute or so.

Add the tomatoes and bring the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down, approximately 10 minutes. Add capers, black olives, and red pepper flakes.

Drain pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Using tongs, toss the pasta with the sauce. Drizzle in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with more salt, if desired.

Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh basil and toasted panko.

Toasted panko

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup panko
Kosher salt

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium-skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and cook, stirring often, until it’s turned golden brown in color. Season with kosher salt, to taste. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.