BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGGS

I used to journal all the time. It helped me process. Especially in high school when boyfriend problems were a huge deal, you fought constantly with your mother, and who gets to ask who to the winter formal dance was high drama. A girl's got to get through those hard times. Journaling made thoughts and feelings seem legitimate once they were down on paper. Later, I started journaling in letter format, writing in a voice as though someone may read my words. This felt more natural, more "like me." I love letters. I stopped about a year after college. I know this only because my last journal is in the back of my car. I keep wanting to throw it away because it makes me feel awkward when I flip through and read old stuff, but that awkward feeling may turn to endearment one day. Which is why it lingers somewhere between a box of keepsakes in the garage and the trash... my car.

Writing here has taken the place of the writing I used to do for me. At least for the time being. I think I always wanted someone to read what I was thinking, even if it wasn't fully fleshed out, emotional stuff, just the casual chatter. We've been journaling on Sprouted Kitchen, by way of recipes, photos and stories for almost four years, and much like personal journals, I don't really go back and look at older stuff. I know I will at some point years from now, so I try to weave our real life into this space as to have memories within the collection of recipes. Our first book was nominated for a James Beard award a few weeks ago, and I want to mark here how honored I have felt because of that (hey, future self reading this, this was/is a big deal!). I have wrestled with myself about food writing being "my career" and the timing of this nomination marked the first time in a while that I felt I didn't have to defend my work to myself. Writing a blog and book and working at a market and teaching classes and infrequent catering is a long answer when someone asks "what do you do?" Long answers aren't such a bad thing. It would have felt wonderful at any time, but there was something really special about it coming during this season for me. I'm humbled and grateful, and I do a happy dance when I think about it. I know this nomination is a high honor, and I won't forget it. 

This is a simple, modest bowl of a meal. Made of very affordable ingredients, delicately spiced, and pretty easy to tweak to your tastes. Clearly I am still clearing out my pantry. It is not the most creative recipe that's come out of my kitchen, but sometimes it's the less fussy stuff that is quietly satisfying. Leftovers nest well in a burrito with melty cheese. A comfy, warm meal before we roll into a season of salads and fresh fruits and tender asparagus. 

P.S. I forgot to mention last post that Hugh is planning on doing a few portrait sessions while we're away. He says he has to work to keep his croissant budget in check. If you happen to be in Paris, Antwerp or Amsterdam, he mentions the dates on his site.

BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGG // Serves 4

The texture comes out like a stew and you want some of the liquid to be in the pot. Once you break the yolk from the egg, it makes a sauce with the bean broth. Add more broth to the pot if needed, it absorbs moisture as it cools, and adjust the spices to your liking.

I cooked my beans from scratch and drained off the excess liquid before adding the broth from there. They don't need to be completely drained by any means, but I wanted my broth flavor to not taste too strongly of bean. I'd guess you could use canned beans in a pinch, the texture will just be a bit less substantial.

• 1/2 lb. dried black beans (rinsed and soaked overnight)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. chile powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1'' cubes
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• 4-8 eggs (use 1-2 eggs per person)
• cilantro and hot sauce to finish
• cotija, queso fresco or goat cheese optional

Drain and rinse the beans from soaking. Place them in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are cooked through and just tender (one to one and a half hours depending on freshness of beans), avoid overcooking. They should still have a tooth to them. Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt. Let the beans cool for about ten minutes before draining. Add the cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chile powder, hearty pinch of salt and broth. Bring the mixture to a low simmer.

Add the sweet potato to the warm beans, give it a stir and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the tomato paste and olive oil and taste for salt, you'll likely need another pinch or two, and spices. You could add heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes or chipotle. Cover and keep warm until ready.

Bring a large pot of salted water with a splash of vinegar to a low boil. Poach the eggs to desired doneness (two eggs at a time is what I can manage. I deliver the eggs to the water in a ramekin, seems to help them stay together well).  For a medium poach, simmer them 2-3 minutes. If you like the yolk more firm, take them 4-5 minutes. Serve each portion with a hearty scoop of the beans and poached egg on top. Finish with hot sauce, cilantro and cheese if using. 

MULTIGRAIN WAFFLES

The amount of time it took me to purchase a $25 waffle iron makes complete sense in the scope of my personality. I get anxious about making good decisions and wise choices. I try not to waste or have things I don't need or use. If you allow them too, and I regret that I do, little decisions can become big ones getting you caught in the rip current of yes or no, pros and cons, risk vs. gain. I find myself in that current by default - like part of my hard wiring. I swim straight into worry when I could so easily swim around it in the calm, lapping water on the periphery of this angst. Life just happens and mistakes are made. The worry doesn't protect from those truths, it just makes them a bigger deal than they need to be. Ah, yea, I'm not just referring to waffle iron purchases anymore.

So. By way of investing in quality kitchen equipment, I don't expect this iron will last a lifetime. I wasn't sure if we would go in and out of a waffle phase, so I didn't want to buy a super nice one. Do the $200 irons make a significantly superior waffle to the $25 one? I am quite happy with my dinky little guy and don't plan to know the alternative high-end waffle. I've been playing around with flours, butter vs. oil, toppings etc. What I have below is our "everyday" waffle. It's a mixture of a few different flours, nuts and oats to keep them hearty and fiber filled - something not so indulgent that it has to be saved for a Sunday morning. The coconut oil helps them to get a crispy exterior while everything stays moist inside. Breakfast is kind of "a thing" around here, so I suspect there will be variations in my future, but I found this recipe worth sharing from the waffle experiments thus far.

FLAX WAFFLES // Makes 4 seven inch waffles

Inspired by The Fauxmartha and Oh, Ladycakes

Hugh requests chocolate chips in all possible breakfast sweets. It's a tight ship over here. I'll make the mixture, make two without chips then add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to the remaining batter and finish cooking the rest. I wrap up the extra waffles, keep them in the fridge and toast them in the toaster oven the following morning to warm and crisp them back up.

If you don't have these flours on hand, a 1 1/2 cup total of your preferred flours, or GF All Purpose flour will work fine here too. Your milk to flour ratio should be more or less equal regardless of what you use. Almond and oat flours aren't as absorbent as a wheat flour, so my dry ratio is slightly higher here.

• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup milk (great with buttermilk or non dairy beverage of choice)
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. flaxmeal
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 Tbsp. muscavado or brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Heat your waffle iron.

Whisk the egg, milk (or non dairy beverage), orange juice, vanilla together. Whisk in the melted coconut oil.

Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well, pressing out any clumps. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir until just combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes for the flaxmeal to absorb some liquid. Add enough batter to fill your waffle iron, don't over stuff it. Remove cooked waffle* and enjoy warm.Don't stack them, they'll steam each other. You can keep waffles warm on a cookie sheet in a 200' oven if waiting for remaining waffles.

Top with real maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream, jam, nut butter or my consistent stand by, goat yogurt and pom seeds. 

* Some irons have timers or a light that turns off to tell you the waffle is done. I have been judging mine by waiting until the iron stops steaming, then I know the outside will be crisp. By using about 3/4 cup batter, the waffle takes roughly 4 minutes until it stops steaming. This will vary by iron.

COCO BANANA DATE SHAKE

There is a little fruit & nut shop en route to Palm Springs that is famous for their date shakes. They only have date or date-banana and they are delicious. They are made with the creamiest of ice creams. I remember getting them with my mom and sister when we'd drive out to see my grandma and we swore we each needed our own. We would drink them fast, the cold sweetness being just the refreshment driving through the hot desert. I could get through about half of it before the heavy cream coated my insides and the thought of finishing the whole shake seemed like a task. I can still see the cup they came in in my memory. A taupe-ish color with swooshes of pink and purple and a big thick straw so the chunks of date could get through. I guess I've always had an affinity for all things ice cream. 

Speaking of, in an effort to cool it on the ice cream habit we've come to around here, I am finding alternatives for a more nutritious frozen treat. We're having some warm days this week, so this coconut-banana-date shake is just the thing for an afternoon snack. I don't usually go for bananas in shakes/smoothies, but it keeps everything cohesive and smooth here. The combination is sweet and creamy, without too much of either. This is the shake I have no problem polishing off. 

COCO BANANA DATE SHAKE // Makes 2

I included a note for a bit of protein powder here because the times I am needing a shake is usually when I am a just moderately hungry - early morning before a workout or afternoon slump time. Adding a bit of protein to a shake or smoothie helps it "stick to my ribs" until a real meal. It is by no means necessary. I don't want to pump a particular brand of protein powder, but there are a plethora of plant based options, as well as good quality whey proteins (such as Tera's Whey) that don't have a bunch of junk fillers in them. Read your labels and know you usually get what you pay for on this one. I also like the addition of oats in smoothies and think this would pass for a quick breakfast if you added them here. They make a lot of sense with these ingredients. Let me know if you try it.

If you want it similar to a milkshake or ice cream, use regular coconut milk. The light kind will still be creamy, but much thinner and a coconut beverage (the sort you find in the fridge) will be like an everyday smoothie. Up to you. 

2 cups coconut milk

4 large pitted Medjool dates, chopped up

1/2 scoop vanilla protein of choice (optional)

one small banana, preferably frozen

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 cups crushed ice

splash of orange juice

In a blender, combine the coconut milk, dates, protein (if using), banana, cinnamon, ice and splash of oj. Blend everything together well until the dates are in tiny pieces and everything is smooth. Adjust with as splash of this or that as desired. Enjoy cold.