Butternut & Bleu Cheese Casserole

Move over, red lentils! Butternut squash is my new squeeze!

OMG, I could NOT wait til tomorrow to post this! I can barely keep my spoon out of this super tasty and super simple dish.

The Goods
2 lbs butternut squash
3/4 cup medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup bleu cheese (yum!)
3/4 tbsp sage
salt and pepper

1) Steam the butternut squash. I wish I could tell you how I did that. Uh...I cut it open and put it face down in the oven, on 375 degrees, for about 20 minutes. Then I peeled off the skin and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Afterwards, turn the oven up to 400 degrees for later.

2) Breadcrumbs. Cut up one piece of (multi-grain or oat-y) bread and dice it in the food processor. Makes between 1/2 and 3/4 cups. Toss the bread crumbs with about 2 tbsps olive oil. Set aside.

3) Combine squash cubes, sage, salt and pepper, and the remaining 2 tbsps olive oil in a large bowl. Coat a large oven dish with cooking spray. Pour in the squash mixture. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

4) Sprinkle the bleu cheese over the squash. Then mix in the breadcrumb mixture. Place in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the whole thing gets lightly toasted.

5) EAT IT!!!

(I found today's recipe here)

Mmm Good! Kitchen Sink Soup

Ok, this soup is the cat's meow, man! Just threw whatever I had into the pot and improvised as I went along.

The Goods
1 cup red lentils
1/3 cup veggie broth
2 cups water
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 medium cauliflower head, chopped
2 large carrots
1 cup frozen spinach
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
couple dashes of cumin
t tsp coconut oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
Red Hot Sauce
bleu cheese crumbles


To begin, brown the onions, spices, and garlic in olive oil til the onions are translucent. Then add the water, broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Then add the vegetables and turn down the heat to allow it all to simmer. Add the brown sugar and coconut oil.

Stop here and taste the soup. If you're a little skeptical of the bleu cheese and Red Hot, then leave the soup as is. If you're up for adventure, add the last two ingredients to your liking!

Veggie broth can take over a soup, which is why I put such a small amount in here. I just wanted to give my lentils a little extra flavor. The additional cumin, garlic and chili powder are to power up my curry powder. If you like yours just fine, then omit these ingredients. Brown sugar is my new secret ingredient. I've been adding brown sugar to my curry recipes lately because it seems to thicken up the sauce and give the dishes some nuance.

I've been on a bleu cheese and red hot binge lately so, of course, they found their way into my soup. I think it works. I've made this soup twice this week and it was delicious each time!

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is here which means it's SOUP SEASON!!! Yay!!!!

Today I tried out a simple butternut squash soup. It didn't knock my socks off but it definitely has potential.

The Goods
1 medium butternut squash
1/2 medium onion
2 carrots
1 red potato
1-15oz can veggie broth
2 cans water
curry powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut oil
cinnamon
nutmeg

First, I baked the butternut squash at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. I sliced it in half, scooped out the seeds, then put the halves face down in about half an inch of water. When it's done, the skin slides right off!

Next, I browned the onion and curry powder in some olive oil. Then I added all of the remaining ingredients. I let it simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes. Then I pureed everything in a (too-small) food processor.

Hmm, so it came out alright. What can I say? It gave me the feeling that it wants to go to the next level.

When I make it again, I'll use two sweet potatoes (the red was leftover), apple juice instead of veggie broth to make the soup sweeter, and I'll ditch the curry powder and use more brown sugar and possibly add raisins. Who knows, I might even add red lentils! ;)

Pineapples & Meatballs!

I sure do love the part-time life, folks! I found another fun recipe for my workday lunch!

The Goods
The sauce
1 ½ cup veggie broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hot mustard sauce (in place of 1/3 cup vinegar)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

½ package of veggie meat, ground beef style
¾ of 1 bell pepper
¾ cup of sliced pineapple with juice (almost ½ of 15 oz can)

Make small (1 inch-ish) balls from the veggie meat. I added a bit of curry powder and chili pepper to give them more flavor. Brown them in olive oil, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. You’ll finish cooking them completely later on.

Combine sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. Put aside.

Lightly sauté the green pepper and pineapple. Then add the sauce and the meatballs. Cook altogether over medium heat for another 7-10 minutes, if that. Taste, add a dash of salt or whatever strikes your fancy.


I served my meatballs over brown rice and topped with shredded coconut. Yum! As you can see, I added some stuff to it because I hate the taste of it plain. I always make it with 1/2 veggie broth and 1/2 water, and this time I added carrots and raisins to go with the overall sweet flavor of the meatballs and sauce.

If you would like to use ground beef, try this recipe.

Red Lentil & Artichoke Stew

Halfway through lunch I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture...



So I pulled out my camera. I thought I could do it. How hard could it be to snap a photo between bites?



Harder than I thought. This soup was too good, I tell ya!

You will have the same reaction, too. This red lentil artichoke stew is definitely where it's at! The biggest surprise? I used NO salt or curry powder, my two favorite condiments! I know, I was a bit skeptical, lol!

I found this soup while searching for ingredients and flavors besides my old standbyes. I wasn’t sure how to pull off Italian with no cheese, and whole grain pasta is wholly unappealing…So, clickety click click, I entered the ingredients I had on hand (red lentils, duh) and those I wanted to play with (artichokes and olives). Ta-da! Red lentil artichoke stew!

Lots of people refer to the Vegan Table for this recipe but I based mine off of this one here.

The Goods
1 cup diced yellow onion
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup dry red lentils
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 16-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1-15-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
black olives, sliced

Saute onions til golden. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lentils, bay leaf, lemon juice, tomatoes and tomato liquid, artichoke hearts (and some juice but not all of it), and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add water (or veggie broth) if stew becomes too thick. Remove the bay leaf. Serve alone or over rice or pasta. (I served mine over brown rice that I embellished with bell peppers and onion.)

Savory and simple! Two spoons up!

Give Those Brushes a Swirl!

When Afrobella recently asked her readers how they clean their make up brushes, I realized that for me, it wasn’t a matter of how, but how often! Umm, let’s just say that make up cleaner was one of those things I Lost In The Move.

Well, no time like the present, huh?

Now that I’m (mostly) all natural, I looked up homemade make up cleaner. Below is a youtube link by Kandee Johnson for an extremely easy method. All you need is olive oil and liquid dish soap. (I dabbed my brushes in tea tree oil before washing them with an all natural dishwashing liquid. Tea tree oil’s anti-bacterial properties make it a fantastic disinfectant!)



Easy, huh? My brushes came out cleaner than I expected! I like this method because it’s gentle and made with products I already have in my home.

Coconut Carrot Splash

Without further ado, my favorite summer soup--Coconut Carrot Splash! This soup is frigging delicious--I couldn't wait for lunch this week!



Coconut Carrot Splash is my own creation, the result of forgetting original ingredients and incorporating fringe elements--beets and kale. Personally, I just love beets and carrots together and kale's pungent flavor always reminds me of curries. And I'm trying to get my vitamins!

The Goods
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsps curry powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 medium bay leaf
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup kale
1/4 of 15 oz can of sliced beets
juice from 1/2 medium lemon
salt

Brown the curry powder in the olive oil.

Then add: onions, broth, carrots, beets, bay leaf and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add kale or other leafy green and simmer until the greens are wilted, no more than 5 minutes.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender. When it's all blended, add the coconut milk. Add the lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve hot or cold, by itself or over rice. Enjoy!

This recipe is inspired by the Curried Carrot Soup at Chow. Try this one if you don't like beets and kale.

Red Lentil Burgers

What’s a busybody’s dream food? RED LENTILS!



Let me tell you, these little things are cheap, versatile, and fast! I make a variety of dishes, from curries to chowders to variations of the traditional lentil soup. Thanks to Poor Girl Eats Well, I’ve discovered red lentil hummus, too! Her recipe is simple and you can easily personalize it. Red lentil hummus has become my go-to snack: I eat it as veggie dip, spread it on crackers, and use it in place of mayo on sandwiches.

But I digress. I got up this morning to tell you about red lentil burgers. Yes, yes, y’all! These are a tasty alternative to the ubiquitous veggie patty and bland black bean burgers.
















Because I buy vegan, my recipe omits eggs. Therefore, I make my patties a little smaller so they will be less crumbly. This recipe yields 8-12 patties. The recipe that inspired my own simpler version is here.

The Goods
¾ cup red lentils
2 ½ cups water
2 cups mushrooms
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery hearts, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves (ish) garlic
2 cups breadcrumbs

Seasonings (to taste)
Oregano
Salt n pepper
Cayenne pepper
Lemon juice

Bring lentils to a boil. (For more flavor, I prepare my lentils with veggie broth and a bay leaf.) Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain very well and set aside. You may want to use a wire colander because you want the lentils as dry as possible.

Saute the onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper in olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the other vegetables and all seasonings except the lemon juice. Saute it all til it smells good and the mushrooms are soft but not slimey. Drain excess liquid.

Combine your lentils and veggie mix. Add the lemon juice. Add the breadcrumbs. Adjust seasoning to taste. Then chill the mash in the fridge for 30 minutes. Afterwards, make small patties and brown them on the stove, about 5 minutes each side.

Top with your favorite fixins. I suggest avocado, red bell pepper and hot mustard. Enjoy!

P.S. For all you playful flirts, this recipe is great to make with your date or sweetie!

My Loc Journey

What a jolt it was to see my own face staring back at me from my laptop!

Karen over at Naturally Beautiful Hair posted my essay, Bold Cuts, about my loc journey! I'm so grateful that she's allowed me to share my relationship with my hair with even more people. Thank you, Karen!

Naturally Beautiful Hair is a lovely site dedicated to black women and our natural hairstyles. The interviews and testimonies are my favorites, while the photos always make me proud to be black and natural! Go check out Naturally Beautiful Hair and get inspired!

Shortly after I submitted my essay, I chopped my locs! This is me now!

Ode to Coconut Oil

Friends, I found the mother lode of all beauty products! For all you looking for answers to dry hair and skin, COCONUT OIL is the best thing out there. Online reviewers rave about it, POC people in tropical regions have been using it for years and it apparently it is more multi-functional than a Swiss army knife. I had to give it a try.

I stumbled upon coconut oil while looking for alternatives to lotion. Lotion left me high and dry while other oils and butters made my skin break out. They didn’t keep my skin moist for too long, either. With a simmering DC summer in the forecast I had to find something fast. I ran across coconut oil and couldn’t stop reading.

THE LOW DOWN
--Your skin absorbs it better and retains it longer than many other oils.
--It’s anti-septic, killing bacteria, viruses and fungi. When ingested regularly, it boosts your immune system.
--Use it for baking, spreads on toast, or add a dollop to oatmeal, smoothies and drinks for added flavor. It has a low smoke point, though, so be careful when frying and sautéing.
--It’s affordable and accessible. Everyone from Giant (Safeway alternative) to Whole Foods carries it. It runs between $10-$16.
--it lasts forever, so you can take your time using it up, not that you’ll need it!

Use #1: Body Moisturizer
Right after the shower, I just rub it all over. It sinks in beautifully and gives my skin a delicious polish that doesn’t leave me greasy. The best part? It actually moisturizes!!! After applying coco oil in the morning, I don’t need to retouch all day. Not even the coldest air conditioned buses could bust a crack on my skin. Even my trouble spots—my shins, which only petroleum jelly could conquer—held up fantastically. Another bonus: In the three months that I’ve been using it, it has not once made my skin break out. My shoulder blades, arms and thighs are blemish free.

Surprise Bonus #1
My feet don’t stink. It’s hot and muggy over here on the East coast and that could spell stinky problems for an active, carless person such as myself. But my feet are odor free!

Use #2: Loc Butter & Hot Oil Treatment
I use coco oil when I palmroll my locs. It makes my hair shine and doesn’t build up. For a hot oil treatment, I combine it with an equal part of olive oil and a couple drops of lavender essential oil. Oh.my.goodness. Heavenly! My hair comes out incredibly soft and smells sooo good.



Surprise Bonus #2
My scalp doesn’t itch as much anymore. I recommended it to my boyfriend for his itchy skin and scalp and wa-la, his curls are soft and flake-free!

Use #3: DIY Deodorant
Now, hold on folks! You know I wouldn’t include it here if I hadn’t tested it out. I’ve been searching for a new deodorant for a while. [TMI ALERT] See, I’ve been skeeved out ever since I discovered what I thought was a pimple in my armpit a couple years ago. Against the advice of every beauty advisor out there, I popped it. And ICK! ICK! ICK! a humongous plug of deodorant came out! It became super clear that deodorant isn’t absorbed into the body but instead just accumulates under your skin. I decided that all those chemicals just cached in my armpit cannot be healthy for me. So I switched to one of those granola deodorants. And it stank. O_o So, I tried another one. And I was sweaty and I stank. Reluctantly I went back to my old standby.

Fast forward to 2011. I am experiencing yet more issues with my deodorant, which I won’t detail here. Emboldened by the good results of coconut oil so far, I decided to try another tempting recipe I’ve seen online: homemade deodorant.

The results? Stink free and, I swear, I sweat less!

Surprise Bonus #3
The smoothest, gunk-free armpits ever! I added a tablespoon of Jane Carter’s Nourish & Shine butter to my deodorant recipe because I like the smell of it.

So, friends. I’m enamored with coconut oil. Coconut oil is easily the best product I’ve ever tried. It feels so good to know that what I’m putting into my skin and body is chemical free, edible and healing. One container does so much, which makes it a very practical and moneysaving product. I hope you give it a chance, too.

For more recipes and ideas for coconut oil, see Crunchy Betty's article.

For more on the health benefits of coconut oil, start here.

**Be sure to buy unrefined coconut oil that has been cold pressed. Mechanically/expeller pressed products use heat which lessens the healthy properties of the oil. Also, hydrogenated and bleached versions are out, too.

**Coconut oil also been touted as a weight loss supplement and energy boost. However, I haven’t tried it consistently enough to give solid feedback on these points.

**if you try Crunchy Betty’s deodorant recipe, please be warned about baking soda. Many people online said it irritated them so you might want to try a reduced amount. I use 3 tablespoons instead of ¼ cup. To avoid a nasty burn, shave at night so you won’t have to apply the deodorant til morning. You don’t want to put baking soda on sensitive skin.

When I discover more miracle products and solutions, I’ll pass them on. Feel free to post questions and feedback in the comments!

A Great and Mighty Walk

The film above is called A Great and Mighty Walk. John Henrik Clarke--an esteemed, self-taught historian and Pan African--talks about the history of Africans and our entanglements with Europeans, how our spirituality became their conquering religion, criticisms of the civil rights movement and Islam, and what is truly necessary for liberation. I found this 90 minute film totally riveting. Hopefully, it will resonate deeply with you, too.

http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/clarke3.html

Click this link to read his autobiographical obituary. These are his last words before he passed in July 1998. (The film was made in 1996.)

Enjoy and, please, pass it on.

Love Fest: Review of Cristina Orbe-Okanamode-Toni Hill

Cristina Orbe-Okanamode-Toni Hill
Chop Suey
March 13, 2009

So, last night I was at the Chop with, it seems, everyone from the Hidmo/Fuzzy Friends Network. I'm not even hating on who all wasn't there because everyone who showed up was love personified. I mean, how often do you go to shows where people actually DANCE? These folks looked like your older relatives at weddings who say, fuck it, i feel like moving and then get up and just start doing their own thing. A crowd of people spontaneously formed to do the electric slide and later they were two-stepping! Several people were in their own lil world--you could tell by their ridiculous grins or faded expressions--and everyone else was happily watching and cheering. There were no haters.

Unfortunately for me, I came in on the last two songs of Cristina Orbe's set. For real, I wish I had seen the whole thing. She was bringing some new material and I remember thinking to myself, I've never seen her like this before. Gone was the folksy, seated singer strumming a guitar. Last night, she had on her full, red lips and was standing, reaching into the crowd with her voice. Next time, I'm coming on time!

Then Soul Childe stepped out in his standard accoutrements--glitter, black feather boa, and tight, sculpted body--with the sassy Ms. Serious, and their band, Carousel. They had us all feeling their hip-swiveling groove. Up front, the crowd was cutting up, getting down and funky, reveling in the sexy, full-bodied funk that emanates from Soul Childe's performance. My first favorite part was when Mr. Sensual himself called me out--I was wearing that singularly stunning (I'm just sayin) yellow spaghetti- strapped dress--and we blew each other kisses. My second favorite part was when the petite Ms. Serious did her song, Chitty Bang Bang. She stepped to the front with her studded bra and shades and rocked that shit! Go 'head, girl!

Gracefully, Toni Hill let us catch our breath before she came out. The crowd had caught the spirit during the break and was chanting "To-ni Hill! To-ni Hill!" She smiled as she always does, warmly, radiating love and light, all throughout her set. If you didn't know, last night was the Seattle debut of her long-awaited album, Only Love. The crowd was full of fans who knew her from her old crew, Old Dominion, and female hip hop duo, Sirens' Echo. Miss Toni didn't disappoint us as she sang craftily of the various facets love. She romanced us, let us in on an intimate reflection on her father, and crushed with us on friends. Blacque Butterfly and Miss Floes kept it grown and sexy with some lines that won't be repeated here (but will be well remembered in case a certain someone wants to get to know me better).

Yes, it was a memorable night! I hope you copped yourself a copy of Only Love before the night was over. I'm pretty sure you can get it from the Hidmo (20th & Jackson) if you spent all your money at the bar or on condoms .

There are several things that I'm leaving out--tap-dancing phenom, Mia, for one--so leave a comment about the things that struck your eye at last night's love fest. Til the next show--cheers!

blackroot