Recipes — Wellness Ceremony

REISHI MUSHROOM ELIXIR

Last week my friends and I packed up our gear and provisions and headed up to the lush Hudson Valley for the day. I could drive for hours looking at the canopies of mixed oaks, mist coming off the Hudson River and the spruce and birch trees. This time of year is perfect, with the dampness from the rain, the late spring water run-off and the warm sunny 75 degree days. There are so many watering holes and summer hideouts up here it's silly. Today we're headed to one of my favorite spots up here - Kaaterskill Falls. On the short hike in I spotted some young reishi mushrooms growing in clusters up the side of a dead Hemlock tree just off the trail path. Once I spotted one, more and more of the red/orange lacquered beauties popped into view. It was mesmerizing. The damp growing conditions seem perfect right now.

GRANOLA BARK

It's safe to say that I'm a crunchy granola freak. Like, a nutty freak. It fits right into my lifestyle. It's cheap, it's nutritious, and a good on-the-go protein and fiber filler that I can grab on my way to work or toss in some almond milk for a midnight snack or a camping trip. Good granola is just so comforting. I grew up eating my Mom's version from her Mennonite cookbook but recently I noticed something odd - combing through the confusing library of granola brands at Whole Foods that promised no oils or refined sugar, it amazed me how much these little 12oz bags sell for. When did something as simple as granola with cheap ingredients, popularized by a bunch of hippies get so expensive?

ALMOND COCOA ENERGY BALLS

The weather is warming up, Spring is here and the long strolls around the city have started. For as many cafes and cold pressed juice shops I've wandered through here in NYC, I keep seeing these energy balls - mostly priced around $3 which I think is just insane. THE ELK in the West Village has a good version of what I mean. This gave me a hankering to try my own energy balls while having the luxury of keeping them around the apartment but with a fraction of the cost.

RECIPESAlicia & NickApril 18, 2017almond cocoa balls, energy balls, vegan balls, sweet snack

BAKED OATMEAL

The inspiration for this humble slice of winter breakfast, which can double as dessert or a pre-baked camping treat, comes from the Delaware Baked Oatmeal at the Grey Dog here in NYC. It comes baked, streuselly on the outside and dotted with raisins and cinnamon on the inside and sits around a pool of warm almond milk.

CAULIFLOWER + QUINOA BALLS

Veggie balls like these are so easy to throw together, even with a small list of ingredients like I have here, I'm not sure why I don't make them more often! You might notice since my Super Bowl snack post, I can't shake the cauliflower train. They're so super tasty and versatile, so why not? At the Union Square Whole Foods lunch buffet I saw these cauliflower quinoa balls sitting in a Romesco sauce, which is a Spanish, smoky sauce made from roasted tomatoes and red peppers. It was as yummy as it looked.

THE BEST TURKEY MEATBALLS

Is there anything much more satisfying than a pot of meatballs slowly stewing in a simple Sunday marinara sauce? I like to make a big batch of these for the week. My Italian supermom, Camellia, deserves all the credit for leaving that taste in my mouth.

BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER "WING" BITES

Snow is blanketing New York City outside my window and as I was flipping through my recipe rolodex for the perfect indulgent snack for this weekend's Super Bowl, it came to me, like a little Steve Bannon on Trumps shoulder - Baked Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings"!

CRANBERRY INFUSED VODKA & The Russian Samovar

My first sip of puckery cranberry infused vodka came from one of my many nights at the Russian Samovar on West 54th Street. In this comfortably warm and perfectly bourgeois Theatre District hideaway (co-owned by Mikhail Baryshnikov) you can feel and smell that this place is straight out of the homeland even without ever stepping foot in Russia.

SWEET POTATO CHIPOTLE LATKES

HAPPY 2017 - the year of the rooster and vision board making! There's something to be said for the simple unadorned potato and onion latke, the kind Bubbe used to make. I started making them as passed hors d'oeuvres for gatherings around the holidays and played with ways to change them up because why not?

WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

To kick off the start of winter, a hearty & creamy white bean and kale soup will always have my heart. It’s so comforting in all the right ways. Preparing this spin on a French classic ‘garbur’ with a warm skillet cornbread or some toasted peasant bread and melted gruyere cheese can be just the cure for a blustering day.

MOM'S SKILLET CORNBREAD

Over the years my pantry has become a cast iron sanctuary. Unless I'm running a restaurant, what can I possibly do with 4 identical cast iron skillets? Certain foods take on a smoky hint of the outdoors that just can’t be replaced with cookware like enamel or steel and good ol' cornbread is no exception. The way the cast iron divides up the heat throughout, makes this dutch style of cooking ideal for something like cornbread.

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO

With the holidays in full swing, nothing seems more appropriate or more festive than some home brewed spirits. Limoncello, traditionally a warm weather after dinner sipper, kept popping up in my head. I thought it would be a nice escape from the blistering cold weather coming on.

PERFECT VEGETARIAN QUICHE

Quiche is quite possibly the perfect dish. I couldn't love eggs more and quiche is their most perfect form in my opinion. When it's tall, silky, and custardy and you have a crust that is buttery and flaky, you could serve it for a midnight snack, brunch, or a perfect dinner with a nice green salad and have a balanced meal.

Best Lentils with a 6 Minute Egg

The lentil is a small but powerful little thing. I haven't thought about the little legume too much but I realized I always have a pack of lentils sitting in my pantry that I'll make into a stew, soup or a cold salad at least once a week.

RECIPESAlicia & NickMarch 6, 2015spotted pig, lentils, soft boiled egg, 6 minute egg

Smoked Whitefish Chowder

RECIPESAlicia & NickOctober 17, 2014chowder, fish chowder, spotted pig, nyc, recipe, whitefish