Happy Earth Day

These days, it's pretty crucial to do what we can to help the earth. Here are my favorite little ways to make a difference, listed out for MyHabit. Click on over HERE to read. xo

Quinoa with Mushrooms + Arugula

I've had Gwyneth Paltrow's second cookbook pre-ordered for months so it was like Christmas when the little Amazon box finally arrived at my door. This one, called "It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great," is filled with health-conscious, "clean" food that Paltrow makes for herself and her family when she needs a break from all the pasta, pizza, and other such amazingness that can ultimately leave you feeling heavy and gross (for lack of a better word) when you overindulge. Which, I totally tend to do pretty much all of the time. Self-control is not really one of my shining qualities.

This recipe was the first that I've tried in the book, and as with the majority of Paltrow's recipes, it was easy to follow and absolutely delicious. And I still felt great even after scooping up the very last mushroom. xo

Quinoa with Mushrooms + Arugula
From It's All Good, by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
Coarse sea salt
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large handfuls arugula, roughly chopped (I subbed in baby watercress)
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over high heat. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and cook until they just begin to bloom and get fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until they've softened and browned and begin to make a squeaking sound (we know that sounds ridiculous, but it's true--keep your ears open). Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the quinoa and arugula and stir to combine. Season to taste with a bit more salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Mid-Century Modern

As of June 1st, I will officially be a Brooklyn resident! Just signed the lease last week, and I'm so excited to move into a bigger, brighter, newer space near the water in Williamsburg, and as a result, I've been thinking nonstop about how to furnish and decorate. I'll finally have room for a big, long dining room table, which is maybe the best thing about this whole move.

I fell into a bit of a research black hole over the weekend and became obsessed with these mid-century modern interiors--those Scandinavians were genius. Eames, Saarinen, Jacobsen, Baughman--I heart you.

A Spring Lunch with Canal House and MyHabit

Last week, I got to meet two women who I've loved and idolized from afar for the longest time. MyHabit took me to the Canal House kitchens in Lambertville, NJ, where Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirscheimer cook, work, and turn out the most beautiful cookbooks. They made a ridiculously delicious spring lunch for us while we were there composed of pickled shrimp, the first spring asparagus, roasted lamb, a lemony orzo, and pavlova for dessert. Get all the recipes and read more HERE. xo

Favorite Things: 03.29.13

The weather in NYC is finally making a turn towards spring. (Hallelujah.). Here are some of my favorite spring-like things. Click on the links to buy. xo

1. The perfect nude sandal.

2. Emoji necklaces!!!!!

3. The sweetest pencils.

4. This cookbook was a birthday gift to me from two of the girls I work with. It's Rose Bakery's book and I love it.

5. The best organic camellia lipbalm I've come across in years.

6. A punchy cut-out sundress.

+ more favorite things:

*Cakes from Flour Shop--my business partner and best friend ordered me an emoji one for my birthday and it was genius*

*Vintage film cameras--I bought this one off of ebay*

*A very inspiring book my yoga teacher recommended*

*A pretty amazing skincare line*

*My amazing boyfriend got me a spa day at this place in Zurich to use over the summer while we're there together--I can't wait*

*I recently took a class at Brooklyn Kitchen for the first time and loved it*

*The beautiful ladies from the Canal House whom I had the pleasure of visiting this week*

Breakfast Burritos

My love for breakfast burritos knows no bounds. Literally. I will eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as the occasional midnight snack. They're the most satisfying, conveniently portable breakfasts out there and the ways that they are customizable to your tastes are pretty much infinite. Don't like red bell peppers? Add some chopped jalapenos instead. Shiitake mushrooms not your thing? Omit mushrooms altogether and throw in some sun-dried tomatoes! Or caramelized onions! Or a big old handful of chopped cilantro! Whatever your little heart desires. I tend to use this as a base recipe to clean my fridge out with. After a big Italian meal, I took my leftover prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano the next day and mixed it all up with some eggs and a scattering of baby lettuce leaves from a salad I had made the night before, and voila! Dinner and a clean fridge in one. xo

Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients:
4 breakfast sausages
4 large organic eggs
Splash of half and half
Ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt
4 flour tortillas
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Handful of shiitake mushrooms, chopped
Cotija cheese

Directions:
Begin by browning the breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat into pieces as you go. After a few minutes, add the red bell pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes until the sausage is browned and broken up into small pieces and the vegetables have started to go all soft and lovely. Turn down the heat to low.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the half-and-half, and salt and pepper. Beat together lightly. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently stir the mixture continuously over low heat until the eggs are set. This will take a good 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed.

To assemble, warm the stack of tortillas on a paper towel in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Place a heaping spoonful of egg mixture onto the middle of a warm tortilla, and top with a crumbling of Cotija cheese. Tuck in the sides and roll the tortilla until closed. Wrap in foil sheets and keep warm until ready to serve.

Veal Stew with Rosemary and Lemon

There are few things more satisfying than waking up late on a Sunday, having absolutely nothing pressing to do, and dawdling around your kitchen, placing a big pot of something good and rich and comforting on the stove, and letting it bubble away for most of the afternoon while you lounge around in pajamas catching up on phone conversations and magazines. There are only a few more weeks of chilly weekend days to spend huddled up indoors this way, and I can't think of anything better to devote them to than stews like this one.

I found this recipe years ago in an issue of Food & Wine, and I've made it every single winter since. The big hunks of veal melt into amazingly tender pieces as the hours go by, and the sauce is just the right consistency. Not too thick, not too soupy--it falls into that perfect space right in between. The best part is that the leftovers get better and better as the flavors meld, which leaves you with especially delicious dinners for the week ahead. xo

Veal Stew with Rosemary and Lemon
From Food & Wine, April 2003
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add half of the veal, season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining veal. Pour off the oil.

In the casserole, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the celery, onion and carrot and cook over low heat until softened and golden, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and boil over moderately high heat until almost evaporated, about 12 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, rosemary, and veal, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice, until the veal is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, polenta, or pasta noodles.

Can be made a few days ahead!