Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bursted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

This is an easy, hands off meal that’s done in 45 minutes top to bottom. Sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts and tart, oven-bursted cherry tomatoes tangle with spaghetti in a cheesy, buttery sauce. Make the most of those veggies that quickly move past their prime with this delicious pasta dish!

You know how some days you never feel like you're doing enough? Never knowledgeable enough? Continually falling down bruised, all throughout the race, while dropping behind the pack? I do.

 I'm a sensitive and emotive person but rarely do I ever exhibit any sort of suffering around anybody other than my husband. Let's just say that in the past two weeks I've had the first-time embarrassment of calling my dad, sobbing. Every day I spend my hour lunch break forsaking yoga and just sleeping it out. I'll dash off during the quiet moments of the day to hide and have a quick, uplifting pep talk with myself that usually, regrettably, ends up with welling tears instead of feeling better. 

Everyone goes through a period like this some time or another. If life is zooming along at the pace of a high-speed train and you feel as if you're pointlessly chasing after it barefoot with arms outstretched, doing all you can to catch up as it bullets past...you're not alone. I feel you.

If you feel the unrelenting urge to suddenly drop everything and quietly slip away to live in a tiny, remote cabin in the Scottish high country with your loved ones and furry companions, live off your vegetable garden and spend your days reading books and baking at the local cafe...I hear you. Alas, that won't happen and I wouldn't want it to.

I am exhausted with excitement for the near future, but that doesn't mean I'm not utterly silenced by the weight of it all. It doesn't mean I haven't been a zombie-like, cantankerous little asshole just trying my best to keep it together and be cheerful. I'm so grateful for the awesome opportunities I've been granted but good heavens, I think it's crushing me! I just tell myself that we've all been there and it's not shameful to feel this way. #endthestigma

All of Us campaign

If you've ever been a distant friend, mute co-worker, emotional spouse, dreary employee, or an irritable, worrisome ghost of a person wearing your hair in front of your face so people won't notice you and ask you what's wrong...I hope you know you're not alone. Lift that chin up, put on those rose-colored glasses, and wait for this massive wave of anxiety to tide out. Don't be crushed by change. 

Bloggers (and people in general) often put on a good face and act like nothing is wrong. That their life is the stuff of dreams and envy and everything is just perfect and they are always sunny and happy as can be! That isn't real life. And it's what drives stigmas. That ain't the way over here at Produce On Parade!

Should you desire support, there are a multitude of professionals that are ready and waiting. Find resources here. 

“We don’t all struggle with a mental illness, but we all have mental health.”

— The mission statement from the All of Us campaign to rethink mental health

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bursted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

This is an easy, hands off meal that’s done in 45 minutes top to bottom. Sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts and tart, oven-bursted cherry tomatoes tangle with spaghetti in a cheesy, buttery sauce. Make the most of those veggies that quickly move past their prime with this delicious pasta dish!

Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups of Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1 heaping cup of cherry tomatoes, whole
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• dash of salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lb. spaghetti pasta, dry

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F and wash the veggies.
2. Slice off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and discard it, along with any outer leaves. Cut in half lengthwise, then again to quarter. Place the sprouts along with the tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
3. While the veggies cook, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Add the garlic and sauté about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. When there is about 10 minutes left for the veggies to cook add the pasta and boil until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
5. Stir the sauce into the pasta as well as the roasted veggies. Be sure to get in any juice that has escaped from the tomatoes while cooking.
6. Serve hot with a glass of red wine.

A big thanks to Whole Foods Market who sent me this excellent vegan, organic red wine. What a perfect pairing for this pasta dish.  It's "a delicious Spanish import that is made with 100% certified organic grapes that come from Jumilla, a region near Valencia that is said to be the birthplace of the Monastrell grape.” So if you're looking for a smooth, Spanish wine that's vegan and organic, look no further. No fish bladders here! 

Dutch Word of The Day

Overwhelmed --> overweldigd (over-velldigt"

Information for The Day

All of Us campaign

All of Us: A Campaign to Rethink Mental Health is a program founded by UCLA undergraduate students with the goal of shifting the way people and the public perceive and treat individuals with mental illness, through education and advocacy. 

BBQ Kale Baked Potatoes

Sometimes you just need a baked potato! Who would have thought that kale dripping in BBQ sauce and sweet caramelized onions would make such a scrumptious combination? This is a easy and uncomplicated meal that just takes a bit of time for the potatoes. It's a perfect introduction to a more summery mood.

Hello there, my sweet doves! Sorry it's been so long, but as you know (if you follow on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter) I've been in Kauai! It was a complete dream. There was lots of Hawaiian farmer's markets attended, playing at the beach, eating at delicious vegan restaurants, and even a nude beach adventure! It got a little creepy, but that's a story for another time. 

I'm happy to be home though, even in the full swing of everything that's happening. It's a crazy busy life and I often have to remind myself that life can't always be a relaxing day at the beach, or a serene ski through the woods. Change is necessary. Even if at the time it feelings overwhelmingly worrisome, exhausting, and stressful. I know that the payoff is big and 110% worth every nerve-wracking minute!

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

— Anais Nin

Before we left on vacation I whipped up these baked taters, while trying to use up the last of the vegetables in the house. Boy did they hit the spot! It's a great spring time dish to kind of help get you in the mood of summer strolling on down the lane. Todd and I can't wait to do  a lot of BBQing this summer! #grillalltheveggies

BBQ Kale Baked Potatoes

Sometimes you just need a baked potato! Who would have thought that kale dripping in BBQ sauce and sweet caramelized onions would make such a scrumptious combination? This is a easy and uncomplicated meal that just takes a bit of time for the potatoes.

Yield: 4 potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, whole and unpeeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into half-moon slices
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 large kale leaves, destemmed and chopped
• ½ cup vegan BBQ sauce, divided
• ½ tsp ground mustard powder (or regular mustard)
• dash of salt
• dash of ground black pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Scrub the potatoes and dry them. Poke with a fork about six times per potato, all over. Place them in a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Next, place the potatoes directly on the center rack in the oven and bake for about 1 hour. Put a baking pan on the rack below the potatoes to catch any oil drippings. When done, the potatoes should be fork tender.
2. While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed soup pan over medium. Add the onion slices to caramelize. This will take about 40 minutes over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When they are darkened in color and taste sweet, add the garlic and reduce heat to medium.
3. Next, add the kale leaves to wilt. You may have to wilt them in batches if there isn’t enough room in the pan, but they wilt down quite a bit so don’t be scared of overflowing the pan. Once they are completely wilted and tender, stir the mustard powder into a ¼ cup of BBQ sauce. Next, stir the ¼ cup of sauce into the kale mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. When the potatoes are done baking, Poke a dotted line with the fork from tip to tail of each potato. Push on the sides to crack it open, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each potato with about 1 tbsp (remaining ¼ cup) of BBQ sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next, place ¼ of the kale mixture in the middle of the each potato.
5. Serve hot!

 Dutch Word of The Day

Vacation --> vakantie (vah-kon-zee)

Information of The Day

If you occasionally indulge in McDonalds french fries (no judgement, fries=delicious)..they are in fact...surprising not vegan. Or even vegetarian! Check it out in it's ridiculousness here. They assure us nothing they have is either vegan or vegetarian. Good to know. Word has it Burger King's fries are the same, but Wendy's apparently are A-okay! 

Curried Noodles

Chewy rice noodles coated in a zesty curry sauce paired with savory minced broccoli and mushrooms, with a little spicy Thai kick!

The days grow longer up here in The Last Frontier and I relish in the evening light. Somedays, if it's sunny out, I don't even have to use the artificial lamp! Now that, is a wonderful thing. Natural light is so easy. It's moody and authentic and it's beauty always surprises me. It permisses my creative spirit to shine. Moods lift and souls sing. Is there nothing a little ray sunshine can't do?

However, with summer on my heels, like a glass of spilled milk...worry slowly slinks and seeps into every nook of my brain, pooling heavily in each chamber of my heart. It creeps along until it's completely encompassing and before I knew what hit me I'm utterly freaking out about summer's imminent arrival.

I'm usually not so candid...but it's been a stressful and overwhelming time over here. Not in a bad way though. In a very good way, in fact. Terribly delicious and happy things have been in the works for Todd and I, and they all culminate this summer. A dream home on a dream piece of property, for one. We are just beginning to clear the land now! And something else...more secretive.  Life changing, both of these things. Both pressing on me to rush, rush, rush, but my decisions and efforts must be top notch, but still, please... the deadlines, get ahead while I can and make it easier on my future self! I don't do well under pressure. I can't. I need time to digest things and research the best way to do this and the most rational method for that. It's a nuisance at best and incredibly taxing at worst, but it's a part of me that I wouldn't wish away. 

So, crushed under the weight of all these menacing and bullying whispers, what do I decide to do? Take a vacation. Yep, it's probably the worst timing I could have chosen but I'm telling that little voice inside my head that panics, "Katie! What are you doing? You don't have time for this! You can't go to Kauai! This is a mistake. Oh dear, you'll regret this later. I told you so." to talk to the hand. I'm only able to justify this trip as quasi-necessary because I'm going for a radiology conference (work is paying for a portion of the trip)...and well, my sanity is at stake.

For now, I'll leave the dramatics at the door and lend you this recipe for my curried noodles. A soul soothing dish for even the most frazzled of stressed-out worrywarts.  When in doubt, eat your feelings. Oh wait, no...don't do that...

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

— Nelson Mandela

Curried Noodles

Chewy rice noodles coated in a zesty curry sauce paired with savory minced broccoli and mushrooms, with a little spicy Thai kick! Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 6 oz pad thai rice noodle sticks, dry
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large head of broccoli, florets only
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan sugar
• ½ tbsp lime zest
• ½ tbsp lemon zest
• 1 lime, juiced (2 tbsp)
• ½ lemon, juiced (2 tbsp)
• 4 green onions, cut on the diagonal
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the noodles. Allow to soak for about 20-30 minutes, until tender. Once ready, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium. Add the onion to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to the skillet and sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic. Sauté about 5 more minutes.
3. Now, add the curry powder through and including the tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until browned and shrunken, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Pulse the broccoli in the food processor until finely chopped and transfer it to the skillet. Stir well. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and stir to combine. Add the broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally while cooking for about 15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the citrus zest and juices. Add the tender noodles to the skillet and stir well to combine. Top with the green onions and cilantro.
6. Serve hot.

So we are going to Kauai in a few days! Any tips and/or food suggestions, beach recommendations, etc.?

Dutch Word of The Day

Farming --> landbouw (land-bow*) *like as in "take a bow"

Information for The Day

"You don’t have to be a vegan to be repulsed by an account in The Times revealing the moral depths to which the federal government — working as a handmaiden to industrial agriculture — has sunk in pursuit of cheaper meat and fatter corporate profits." Our government hard at work. Vote with your fork and be informed. A quick article from the New York Times, "Farming Science, Without the Conscience."