the underwear diet

It’s only during the past few years that I’ve developed an affinity for bitterness. Now it’s a taste that I crave, namely in the form of alcohol–IPAs, Campari and sodas, Negronis–but also in grapefruit. Since winter is the time for citrus, I suppose I’m pushing it by posting this during the first days of spring. But, what the hell:

Serves 4, as a starter for brunch (serves 2 as a main course for breakfast)

2 grapefruits
2 oranges
1 small jicama
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 lime
Pinch salt
Pinch sugar (a drizzle of agave also works very nicely here)
1 avocado

1. Supreme 1 of the grapefruits and 1 of the oranges: cut off the tops and bottoms of the fruit. Cut off the skin, making sure to remove all of the white. Cut in between the membrane to create “wedges” of fruit.
2. Slice the remaining grapefruit and orange: cut off the tops and bottoms of the fruit. Cut off the skin, making sure to remove all of the white. Cut the fruit into slices.
3. Julienne the jicama: peel, thinly slice, and cut into matchsticks.
4. Gently toss the citrus fruits with the jicama, juice of 1/2 a lime, salt and sugar.
5. Slice the avocado: Cut into quarters, remove the pit, peel away the skin and slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Squeeze juice of the other 1/2 of the lime over the slices to prevent browning.
6. Serve the avocado slices on the side. You can arrange the slices on the top of the salad, which would make for a beautiful presentation, but I like the bit of interaction your guests have by finishing their own plates.

edamame hummus

March 16, 2013

appeteaser, the underwear diet

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1 medium or 2 small garlic cloves
1 bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed, small handful reserved
2 tsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Black pepper, for garnish

1. In a food processor, pulse garlic until it is broken down into bits.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whirl, adding water as necessary to achieve desired consistency, until smooth.
3. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with reserved edamame, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a healthy crack of freshly ground black pepper.

mujaddara

March 6, 2013

the main event, the underwear diet

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Mujaddara, though humble, inexpensive, and not terribly attractive, should be the star of your vegetarian dinner. Nobody puts mujaddara in a corner.

1 1/4 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
1.5 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
greek yogurt, for serving
parsley sprig, for garnish

1. Prepare brown rice and lentils according to the package directions.
2. When both are done, combine and gently toss with cumin, chili powder, scallions, mint, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to become translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Then increase the pan to high heat to char the onions and crisp them a bit.
4. Serve the brown rice and lentil mixture warm, topped with the caramelized onions and a dollop of Greek yogurt and parsley sprig.

roasted curried carrot soup

December 12, 2012

appeteaser, somethin' on the side, the underwear diet

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With this first recipe since my hiatus, I will take baby steps to actual recipe testing. In Phase One–to last as long as I allow it–recipes will not include exact measurements, but will be significantly more structured than all previous recipes. Here we go:

1 pound carrots, peeled
1.5 tablespoons curry powder
0.5 teaspoons salt
0.25 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, medium dice
1.5 tablespoons butter
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1-inch segment of ginger, peeled and minced
Lime zest (I dunno, like, 2 big strips?)
Avocado
Cilantro, rough chop
Scallion, whites/greens/whatever, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roughly chop the carrots into uniform size pieces. Toss with curry powder, salt, pepper, and 0.5 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

While the carrots are roasting, sweat onions in butter and the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Once the onions start to soften, add garlic and ginger and continue cooking over low heat. When the carrots are finished roasting, add them to the pot with the aromatics, toss in lime zest, and cover with water.

Cook the soup for 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with avocado (slices, chunks, or scoops) and scallions.

quinoa salad

March 22, 2012

somethin' on the side, sweet thang, the underwear diet

—eating in your underwear

real, simple food for a sustainable, balanced lifestyle

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