Asharae – Page 24

Thai Quinoa Bowl with Tofu

April 9, 2014 by Asharae 1 Comment

Lately I’ve been ruminating a lot on hospitality – what it means, who we choose to share it with, and how Tim and I are usually on the receiving end of it. When I think back, there are a few specific families who have been overwhelmingly warm, gracious, and inviting to us. Each one has had a profound impact on me. The unmerited generosity that others have shared with us has changed the ways I think about hospitality, the ideas and fears I carry about opening my home to others, and the thoughts I have about food and faith and the ways these two are intertwined.

In college, my friend Brandon’s family would have us down to his house every Thanksgiving, Easter, and Superbowl weekend. They extended the invitation to everyone who was willing to hop in a car and drive a few hours to their home in Indiana. Sometimes this meant their downstairs guest room had just a couple girls sharing the queen sized bed for the weekend. Other times their house was packed to the gills with 20-something 20-somethings ready to cheer on their favorite team for the big game. Lots of my favorite college memories took place at their home, cuddled on a couch with my roommates, playing ridiculous games and laughing till our sides were sore, sharing conversation over Thanksgiving dinner or Easter brunch with all the leaves in the table – every card table and spare chair wrangled up from the basement or a closet somewhere, to make room for everyone to squeeze in.

And then there’s my dear friend and college roommate Lauren’s parents. Her family bought us all Megabus tickets to visit them in St Louis for Passover one year – what a joy to share in so much tradition with them. One afternoon when they were in Wheaton to visit Lauren, I remember them taking us to Target. Lauren’s dad gave me strict orders, “THIS is a magical shopping cart!” he exclaimed, pointing at the red cart rolling along in front of him, “Anything you place in the magical shopping cart will get purchased!” I remember laughing at the ridiculousness of it and I tried to brush off his offer, insisting that I didn’t need anything. He gave me a serious look and added, “And you WILL put things in the magical shopping cart!” What a gift for a poor college student (who wouldn’t admit how poor she was) to receive! But that wasn’t the last of it. They also flew me home so I could surprise my parents during my first Thanksgiving away at college. And again when my dad was seriously ill in the hospital, just having been diagnosed with leukemia. My parents couldn’t afford to fly me home, and I don’t even really remember how it came about, but somehow I was on a plane to Raleigh to visit my dad at Duke – Lauren’s parents had paid the way.

There’s also the Pratt family who Tim and I love so dearly! Adam and I photographed our first wedding together several years ago and he photographed our own wedding the following summer. Cindy and Adam invited me to live with them and their four sweet kiddos the summer after graduation, before I headed back to North Carolina for our wedding. They taught me so much about using what you have to bless others, inviting people into your space no matter what, sharing meals and conversation and many late night snacks and chats in the kitchen before bed. They taught me to like figs and lamb burgers and fish sauce (and to NEVER under any circumstance sniff fish sauce straight out of the bottle). They showed me that kids will usually eat “weird” food if that’s what’s placed in front of them. They taught me that it’s okay to try new things. They showed me that living on one income, having a simple but beautiful home, homeschooling your kids, and feeding them well are all possible with great planning. Most of all though, I love that Adam and Cindy are great question-askers and great listeners. I remember so many late nights, sitting at their kitchen table and chatting through what I was learning about life and the Lord, about photography, about marriage, and sharing my dreams with them. They’re the kind of people that aren’t afraid to dig deep and ask the thoughtful and sometimes hard questions. What a gift.

These are just a few of the instances where we’ve been shown overwhelming and undeserved hospitality. I could share about the Haases who mentored us and walked alongside Tim and I as our friendship grew into dating grew into engagement and marriage, or the Wilcox family who opened their vacation home on Whidbey Island for us to live in for six weeks while we searched for jobs in Seattle, or even the Cockle family we just met this past weekend while shooting a wedding in Wisconsin – they welcomed us into their home like we were their own children, they were passionately curious about our lives and our dreams, and they encouraged us in more ways than I can even explain or comprehend right now.

Now I wonder what to do with this? I’ve been shown the ways of warmth and welcoming others in, now how can I do that for those around me?

I believe it’s immensely important to invite others into our stories, to walk alongside us, to support and encourage us, so that we might learn from one another and spur each other on to better things. This is easier said than done, but it’s something I want to strive toward. I’d love to hear what you’re learning along these lines as well. How have you been shown overwhelming hospitality? How do you try to share it with others?

Remember how we talked about tofu a couple weeks ago? Here’s an opportunity to use your new-found tofu-pressing knowledge. You don’t have to put tofu in this recipe by any means – feel free to leave it out if you’d rather! But if you’re up for trying something new, I definitely recommend it in this protein-packed meal!

Feel free to mix up your veggies as well! Try adding some yellow bell pepper for extra color, leave out the edamame if you don’t have any on hand – do what you like! This recipe is by no means authentically Thai – I’m just currently obsessed with the Thai-inspired combination of green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and lime juice. Mmm. I could eat it all day long. Enjoy you guys!

Thai Quinoa Bowl with Tofu

Inspired by How Sweet Eats

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Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Dressing

3 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp canned coconut milk
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
Dash of red pepper flakes
Juice of 1-2 limes

For the Quinoa

1 package extra firm tofu
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa rinsed
1 cup chopped carrots
1 jalapeño seeded and diced
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
3/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Instructions

For the Dressing

Place peanut butter in a small bowl and microwave 10 seconds at a time until melted.
Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Place in fridge till ready.

For the Quinoa

Press the tofu for 20-30 minutes. I like to build my tofu-pressing station in this order - cutting board, clean towel, tofu, towel, cutting board, cookbooks. Make sure the books are evenly weighted. I use the extra cutting board on top to keep my books from getting soggy. Once the tofu has been pressed, cut into bite-size pieces.
While pressing the tofu, rinse and drain the quinoa and cook according to the package directions. Usually 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (1.5 c quinoa, 3 c water in this case) Set aside when finished.
While quinoa is cooking, chop carrots, jalapeño, green onions, and cilantro. Heat edamame in a pan of water, according to package directions, and drain. (You can cover with cold water and drain again to keep them from overcooking while you assemble the rest of the meal.)
Lightly oil pan and sauté tofu, turning occasionally until browned and heated through.
In a large bowl, toss veggies, peanuts, cilantro, and tofu in with the quinoa and pour the dressing over the top. Stir to combine.
Serve topped with additional green onions, peanuts, and cilantro, as well as lime juice and Sriracha (if you like it spicy.)

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 4, 2014 by Asharae 9 Comments

These cookies. You guys. These cookies are so worth the extra little bit of effort it takes to put them together. Brown butter – sounds crazy right? Sounds high maintenance? Or fancy pants? Or some other term you may not prefer to be associated with? Well let’s all just take a moment to get over ourselves and change our minds about this. Browning butter is NOT hard to do. It does give these cookies a little dose of magic though. Learning a little something new to end up with magical cookies? I’d say that’s worth it.

The first time I made these, I started heating the butter and quickly remembered I didn’t actually know how to brown butter. YouTube to the rescue – I pulled up this video and watched it as the butter melted. It’s definitely worth the watch if you’re unfamiliar with browning butter and are going to let that stop you from trying this recipe.

I’ve made these cookies several times now, and I especially love making them for groups – they always get a good response! Sometimes I use semi-sweet chocolate, sometimes milk chocolate, but I always recommend buying the good chocolate chips. We’re a little partial to the Ghiradelli brand because that’s what our little podunk grocery store carries. Just don’t go for the cheapest ones. Your taste buds will thank you later! You could also buy bars of semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate and chop them up if you’re wanting chocolate chunk cookies instead – that’s next on my list to try!

Along with our simple bread recipe, these cookies made it into a styled wedding photo shoot we did a couple months ago! Check out the feature on The Lovely Find!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Bliss

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 52 mins

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 ¾ sticks
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon kosher salt for garnish

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Continue to heat as butter starts to bubble - the bubbling sounds will get louder as the butter heats up. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula as you go. Keep a close eye on it as it will change color quickly. Once the butter turns a nice dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, remove it from the heat. Transfer butter to a heat-proof bowl and let cool. You may place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to speed up the process.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
Once butter is cooled, but not hardened, place in the bowl of a stand mixer, along with both sugars, salt, and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.
Mix in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula.
Scoop 2 Tbs of dough at a time onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You'll need to do at least two separate batches in the oven. Should make about 24 cookies.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, till the edges just start to brown. [UPDATE: Definitely aim to bake these on the lower end of that timeframe, depending on how big your cookies are and how your particular oven bakes. I usually bake mine 8 minutes, check on them and rotate the pan and only bake them one additional minute. These cookies are divine when removed from the oven when the edges are starting to brown. Letting them cool on the pan for a bit while salting them will ensure they're baked through.] Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional salt, and let cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Cumin Roasted Carrots

April 2, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

I’m currently obsessed with roasted vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots are all delicious when roasted, and soon asparagus will be in season too! I much prefer the smoky, crispiness of roasted vegetables to soggy, mushy veggies that have simmered in a pot of water for too long. Those are what I grew up with – I never knew there were so many other (more delicious) ways of cooking vegetables!

These little carrot fries are just delicious. They’re a little smoky-spicy and a little sweet, and you can adjust the spice level to whatever you prefer! If you want them to really have a kick, add some cayenne pepper and maybe a tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes. That’s up to you! They can be eaten alone or dipped in a sauce like the lime crema used in this recipe over on Two Peas and Their Pod. I made these carrots again yesterday for lunch and stood in the kitchen, hovered over the stove when they came out of the oven, and ate the whole pan all by myself. I even forgot to add the green onions and they were still delicious, especially with the lime crema. Mmmmm. Feel free to share. Or eat them all by yourself.

Cumin Roasted Carrots

Adapted from familystyle food

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Ingredients

2-3 large carrots peeled and cut into fries
1 Tbs olive oil or coconut oil, melted
Juice and zest from one lime
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse carrots, peel them, and carefully cut into fries. Try to keep them around the same size, but don't get worried about being perfect.
Pat dry and place the carrots in a large bowl and stir in with olive oil, lime juice and zest, honey, salt, and spices.
Place on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use aluminum foil or a silpat for easier cleanup) and roast for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through if you wish. Carrots are done when they start to color and are just tender.
Garnish with green onions and serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 31, 2014 by Asharae 2 Comments

This past week or so I’ve been learning so much about reaching outside of myself, getting out of my comfort zone, and reaching beyond my computer screen and the safety of my home. I’m naturally a very introverted person. I like a quiet home, I’m perfectly content to be left alone with my thoughts most of the day, I take great pains to avoid answering the phone when it’s a number I don’t know (and sometimes even when it’s a number I do know), and I need major time to recharge after being around people all day while shooting a wedding.

Don’t get me wrong – I love people, I love connecting with them, hearing their stories, and sharing my own. I love learning from others and looking back to see where my story intersected with someone else’s, the effect that had on both of us, and how we grew from it. If left to my own devices though, I would probably hole up in my house, drink my coffee, do my own thing, and in the end be rather selfish with my time. While I think it’s completely necessary to rest and recharge, I also think (especially for myself) that I often need more encouragement to get out, reach beyond the four walls of my house, and be okay with being outside my comfort zone.

This actually reminds me of a blog post my dear friend Lauren wrote recently (side note – you should go check out her blog! She has such beautiful thoughts!) She wrote about a quote she saw on Pinterest – “Taking time to live will only inspire your work.” I feel like that really embodies these thoughts that are rolling around in my head.

Lately, we’ve been going non-stop – meeting new people almost every day through a variety of opportunities that have come our way. And even though seeing and meeting so many people has drained this introvert of much of her people-energy, it has been SO so good for me. I’m learning that it’s okay to be uncomfortable at times, and to just roll with it.

Confession time: I HATE small talk. It’s not that I can’t do it, but rather I feel like I start rambling and I don’t do a great job at listening while small-talking. Give me your story though, and I’m happy to talk for hours. Share with me what you’re passionate about and ask me what I love to do – we’ll be best friends. But chat about the weather at length, the latest you-tube videos for too long, or give me one word answers to my questions and I won’t know where to go from there. I’d rather hear your life story and try to understand what makes you who you are than chat about something fluffy and gossipy any day.

Last week we met with a bunch of photographers who are local to our area. Tim and I don’t really follow a lot of local artists – we tend to do our own thing and not think too much about what others around us are doing or offering (maybe that’s a fault, I’m not sure.) I tend to compare myself to others easily though, and I get discouraged when it seems like they are doing more beautiful work, or doing crummier work and getting paid more, or they simply seem more “successful” than we are – whatever that means. That being said, we weren’t super familiar with the local photographer scene. We decided last week to get outside ourselves and go to a local meet-up we’d been invited to – it was such a good decision!

We loved chatting with everyone and sharing our hilarious wedding stories, but most of all I loved hearing about them. Why they became a photographer, what they loved most about shooting weddings, how they chose the name for their business. Those were the stories I wanted to hear. A few of us stayed late into the evening, after the group dwindled down to just us, and we laughed and sipped our drinks and nibbled on the crumbs of what was left of our fancy taco dishes and hummus plates.

We talked about life and owning our own businesses and working with clients and relationships and marriage and college and not getting jobs in our area of study and having dogs and planting gardens amongst many other things. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances, but we opened ourselves up to one another and shared our stories, the beginning of our fears and our struggles, the excitement of finding what we love to do, and the hopes we have for the future. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances and we walked out into the cool breezy night, exchanged hugs, and bid one other good night and exchanged “let’s do this again soon”s. It’s so hard to be vulnerable, to open yourself up to new experiences and new people, to get out of your comfort zone and ask about more than just the weather – but it’s so so worth it in the end.

If inviting people into your home to share a meal at your table sounds like “getting outside of your comfort zone,” then this recipe is for you. You don’t have to work too hard and you will be a hero at the next get together you host, I promise. This recipe is simple enough to throw together, and it will keep you out of the kitchen so you’re able to spend more time with your friends, chatting and munching on chips and salsa until you’re ready for dinner. The morning-of, sauté up a few veggies and then throw everything in the crockpot, set it on low for 8 hours total. Check on it around hour 5, take the chicken out and shred it, then toss it back in and let it get happy a couple more hours till you’re ready to enjoy it!

I made this when my college roommates came to visit a couple weekends ago – we tossed it all together and then went to the park for a picnic lunch and a little walk in the sunshine! We’ve been having the most glorious weekends lately, but pretty crummy wet weather during the week – I’m so ready for spring really arrive! Until then I’m going to keep making soup to keep me warm and happy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Asharae Kroll

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 15 mins

Servings 6 -8

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion diced
1-2 jalapeños diced (with seeds for spicy flavor, without for mild)
4 cloves of garlic minced
6 c chicken stock
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 15 oz can corn drained
1 small can diced green chilies optional
1.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 1-2 limes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
Garnish: cheese tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro

Instructions

Saute onion over medium heat until slightly tender 2-4 minutes.
Add jalapeño and garlic, sauté 1 more minute. Add to slow cooker.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except lime juice, cilantro, and garnishes.
Turn the slow cooker on low for 5 hours, remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and leave on low for 2-3 more hours. (UPDATE: Depending on your slow cooker, this may go much faster! I've found that mine cooks hot, so it only takes 3-5 hours for the chicken to cook on low. I then shred it and place it back in for 30 minutes or so. Adjust your cooking time accordingly so you don't end up with tough, dry chicken.)
Add cilantro and lime juice right before serving.
Serve garnished with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, additional lime and cilantro, and even sour cream or hot sauce if you wish.

Notes

If you don't like spice, you can omit the jalapeño and the diced green chilies for a more mild flavor. This recipe is very adaptable to your flavor preferences and what you have on-hand - I'm not sure I've ever made it the exact same way twice. Sometimes I add more spice or less, use frozen corn instead of canned, or omit an ingredient or two because I don't have it in the cabinet that day. This soup is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover chicken or turkey - just shred it all ahead of time and toss it in the crockpot for the flavors to get happy for a few hours.