posted by Anjali on February 11, 2013
Since I started working from home, I’ve developed a minor obsession with lunches that can be pulled together in 15 minutes or less. We don’t usually keep cold cuts on hand, so that usually means some sort of canned fish salad (better than it sounds) or a mishmash of whatever odds and ends I have in the fridge.
Sometimes the mishmash is legit. This was one of those times.
Mix one aging package of Trader Joe’s kimchi — it’s pretty good! — with a container of leftover cooked quinoa, a handful of chopped kale and a swirl of Korean red pepper paste, and cover it all with some water. That’s it: a spicy, sour, warming stew perfect for a rainy day lunch.
A poached egg or some cubes of tofu would make this a more filling option for dinner. Whatever you choose, you’re better off eating this particular stew in the privacy of your own home. Kimchi has the power to make enemies in work kitchens. Of course, if you and your co-workers are already enemies, by all means — fire the next shot with this kimchi-based soup. Or bring a canned fish salad. People love that.
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posted by Anjali on February 8, 2013
February in L.A. Yup. (Follow me on Instagram: anjaliruth.)
What I’ve been reading:
Getting Into Your Exercise Groove - The New York Times
But a series of recent studies involving runners, walkers, metronomes and virtual reality curtains suggests that while the tug of physiological laziness is strong, it can be controlled, or at least tweaked, with some conscious effort — and perhaps your iPhone playlist.
The Lovely Hill: Where People Live Longer and Happier - The Atlantic
People who eat foods associated with a Mediterranean diet also experienced less negative emotions like being afraid, nervous, upset, irritable, scared, hostile, and distressed. The more people ate those foods that are more typically American — specifically, red meat, sweets, and fast food — the less of these positive emotions they felt.
Stone Age Stew? Soup Making May Be Older Than We’d Thought - NPR
Neanderthals, ancient human relatives that lived from around 200,000 to 28,000 years ago, would have needed boiling technology to render fat from animal bones to supplement their diet of lean meat, so that they could have avoided death by protein poisoning.
Betty on The Today Show! – Meet the Shannons
My friends Annie and Dan Shannon just came out with a book! Betty Goes Vegan is full of recipes for vegan comfort food and includes lots of fun stories from one of my favorite couples. And they were on The Today Show this week!
What I’ve been cooking (at The Kitchn):
Shaved Fennel, Roasted Tomato & Pistachio Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
Korean Chicken Sliders with Braised Kale & Kimchi
Roasted Feta Cheese with Fig-Thyme Compote
Creamy Dairy-Free Fish Chowder
…and thinking about cooking:
Mini Vegetarian Pot Pies – Flourishing Foodie
Lemon Curd Tart With Raw Coconut Crust – Whole Family Fare
posted by Anjali on February 4, 2013
I love January. I love that feeling of fresh starts, anything-is-possible and refocusing on what really matters. And of course I love that everyone spends the month talking about eating better and healthier, holiday regrets be damned.
It doesn’t bother me if everything I strive for in January isn’t done by December. What matters is the striving.
Last semester was really hard. Between school and writing, I filled myself to the brim, with no real day off during the week. The first thing to go when time was short was exercise. Rob and I had to cancel our membership at our beloved CrossFit gym when I started grad school and although my school has an incredible gym, I’ve come to the unfortunate realization that I’m not very good at motivating myself when it comes to fitness. I’m just a sedentary, introverted bookworm at heart. Movement and gym machines and leaving the house just don’t come naturally.
But I like running. I like running, but I’ve never stuck with running. In 2013, I want to change that. The first step: signing up for a 5k in March with my friend Meg. It’s small, it’s just a “fun run,” it’s nothing compared to what the triathloners at the same event have to do. But it’s still something.
And if these high school girls circa 1899 can get in shape while wearing long, woolen black dresses, I can suck it up and run 3 miles.
(Images: Library of Congress)
posted by Anjali on January 28, 2013
Give me a big bunch of vegetables, some softened onions, a good broth, maybe a few beans and baby, I got a stew going. Or more likely, a creamy soup. (I love my immersion blender, what can I say?)
This time it’s a pumpkin-y take on black bean soup, inspired by a ridiculously enormous kabocha pumpkin and a couple jars of slow-cooker black beans I made last week. The pumpkin and half the beans are simmered together and pureed until smooth before the other half of the beans are added, whole, for texture. I wanted to do something different from the usual cumin-chipotle-chili-powder black bean soup, so I incorporated some of the Thai garnishes I had lying around from Friday’s dinner of khao soi.
Lime juice and cilantro aren’t crazy-weird in the context of black bean soup, but it was the roasted, chopped peanuts sprinkled on top that turned out to be key — they add a texture and flavor that makes this soup a little different from the one you used to eat at Souplantation. (Hey, we’ve all done it.)
And since I’m back in school this week, I’ve packed up the leftovers in jars, to be frozen for future dinners. Because as you may know, the only thing I like better than getting my soup on is getting my soup on when I’m too busy to actually make a soup.
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posted by Anjali on January 9, 2013
Happy New Year! I took a much-needed two-week break for the holidays, spending a week in Seattle with my family, followed by Christmas week in Massachusetts with Rob’s family. I’ve returned home inspired to make the most of my remaining holiday break and excited for a fresh start in the kitchen.
The first semester of graduate school was a busy one, especially with my weekly recipe column for The Kitchn. When I was initially offered the slot, I thought, There’s no way I can come up with a totally original recipe every single week! But you know what? I did it — and there’s no way I would have done it unless I had said yes to a challenge that scared me a little.
So in celebration of fruitful challenges and saying yes to what scares you, here are 16 of my favorite recipes for The Kitchn from this year. (A link to each recipe can be found by clicking on its photo.) Enjoy!
My name is Anjali and I'm a food writer, former personal chef and current graduate student studying to be a registered dietitian. The recipes I share here are what I like to cook at home: healthy, economical, mostly vegetarian meals that are easy to prepare at the end of a long day of work or school. 
