Grilled Pineapple Salsa

After we found out we're moving to Chicago, Nate and I came up with a california bucket list of things to do before we move. Although we've been less than loving LA for a while now, it's a bit unnerving to think we may never come back to the city we live in again. I may never visit our Trader Joe's or take class at my yoga studio or spend a date night at our favorite Indian restaurant ever again. I know, I'm being a bit dramatic, but once we pick up and leave we're closing this chapter of our lives, a chapter we're happy to close. But there's something about closing a chapter that brushes over the rough parts and washes over everything with nostalgia. 

I know this because when I think of the 5 years I spent living in New York, I don't remember the roaches or cursing MTA as I'm late for class and the damn train won't come. I remember the best days of my life in what I still fiercely describe as the greatest city in the world. I remember being surrounded by friends, brilliant teachers, and the pulse of a vibrant city packed with more charm than Los Angeles could ever muster. 

It's also a bit unnerving how much where you live changes you. Los Angeles has made me softer, that's for sure. I look back on the person I was when I first moved here over 3 years ago and I barely recognize her. It's both scary and exciting to think about the person I'll become as a Chicagoan. As a mid-westerner (something that still continues to fill my mind with stereotypes that don't feel like me). What will my life be like? What will I be like? 

I recently told Nate that after we move I want to spend the first few weeks cooking the meals we already know and love. And how comforting I imagine it will be to eat the same crispy eggplant with mango salsa we've been eating for years. He doesn't relate to any of this because he moved every two years growing up. He has quite literally mastered moving on. He doesn't have friends from childhood or a hometown and because of it he is the most adaptable person I know. 

So in effort to savor these last couple months and check some things off our list, we headed up to Ventura last weekend and ate at Beach House Tacos on the pier. We went there the morning we got engaged, so it's sort of special to us. They sell the cheapest best tacos I've ever had, hands down. They definitely have that street taco feel - no fuss, simple, good. So last weekend we ordered a side of grilled pineapple salsa for the first time. Spicy roasted tomato salsa with thick chunks of juicy grilled pineapple. I barely finished chewing my first bite before I said, "WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS". 

Cinco de Mayo is here so what better time? I'd never made a salsa like this before, so I figured why not go with the pro, Rick Bayless, whose famous Chicago restaurant XOCO we ate at the night I interviewed. This recipe starts with simple whole ingredients. Instead of using canned fire roasted tomatoes, I roasted them myself. It's really super simple. Dry roast everything on a sizzling hot cast iron skillet until blackened. Peel off the skins and blend into chunky salsa goodness with a surprising bite of juicy sweetness from grilled pineapple. It is taco stand worthy, simple, authentic, and delicious. 

Grilled Pineapple Salsa 
adapted from Rick Bayless via The Splendid Table 
makes about 1 quart 

1 pound fresh tomatoes (I used greenhouse tomatoes on the vine) 
2 large jalapeños
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled 
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 
1/2 white onion ~ 3 oz, finely diced 
1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
1 small pineapple, or 1/2 large pineapple 

Heat both a large cast iron skillet covered in tin foil and a grill pan over high heat. You could also use a regular grill. Remove the rind, and cut the pineapple in long, 1/2 inch thick slices. 

Place tomatoes, jalapeños, and unpeeled garlic in the cast iron skillet, place the slices of pineapple in the grill pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pineapple until dark brown grill marks appear on the bottom, then flip, about 12 minutes on each side - though it will depend on the temperature of your grill. Rotate the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeños every couple of minutes until they are soft, blistered, and blackened almost all over. For me, this took about 25 minutes. It's okay if the tomato skins stick to the foil. Remove from the skillets and let everything cool.  

Meanwhile, run cold water over the diced white onion and set aside. Roughly chop the cilantro. 

Remove the skins from the tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic. Discard the jalapeños stem and if you like your salsa mild remove and discard all of the seeds. I left about a dozen seeds and it was pretty spicy - so a little goes a long way. 

In the bowl of a food processor pulse the jalapeños, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until completely ground. You will need a scape the sides a couple times. Add the tomatoes pineapple and pulse until desired chunkiness is achieved. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in the onion and cilantro. Let sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours to let the flavors marinate. The flavors only get better with time.  

Homemade Horchata {dairy-free}

I've always been such a sucker for good horchata. And despite the fact that I'm now the proud owner of an Irish last name, my middle name's still Montes, and I'm still 1/2 hispanic. Also cinco de mayo is like really soon. 

I love the fact that horchata is naturally dairy-free. It's the perfect combination of creamy and refreshing; definitely a treat. And until yesterday I had never made my own. I did a bit of research and found 1. it's super simple. 2. basically all of the recipes call for the same ingredients, just varying in their proportions 3. it's shockingly similar to homemade almond milk, though much more flavorful. 

Basically you soak almonds, rice, water and a cinnamon stick overnight, blend them all up the next morning (yes, cinnamon stick and all. I was skeptical too), pour the mixture through a cheese cloth, add water, sweeten, and wah lah! The result is much creamier and much more decadent than what you would get in a restaurant. 

Homemade Horchata {dairy-free} 
Makes 4.5 cups 

2/3 cup uncooked long grain brown rice (see notes), washed 
1 1/4 cup almonds, blanched 
4 1/2 cups water, divided 
3" cinnamon stick 
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon agave, or sweetener of your choice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) 
cinnamon for garnish

If you are unable to find blanched almonds (skins removed), boil a medium pot of water and toss your almonds in for about 1 minute. Transfer the almonds to a bowl of cold water and pop off the skins. Note - this is actually the most time-consuming part of the whole recipe. 

Place rice, blanched almonds, 2 1/2 cups hot water, and the cinnamon stick in a medium bowl. Cover, and let sit over night or up to 12 hours. Pour the ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth (yes cinnamon stick and all). Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer/cheese cloth/milk bag (I used a milk bag) and discard the pulp. 

Pour the liquid back into your blender, add two cups of cold water, vanilla, and agave. I recommend starting with about 1/4 cup agave then adding more one tablespoon at a time if desired. I found 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon was enough for me but if you're used to the super sweet restaurant style you could add up to a cup. 

Serve over ice with a generous dusting of cinnamon. 

Notes: 

• I used long grain brown rice but you could use any type of white or brown long grain rice. What exactly is long grain rice? I had the same question. Examples include basmati, carolina, jasmine, or texmati. The Kitchn has a great article discussing a taste test they did using different types of rice. They concluded that brown rice provided a more nutty flavor, while the white tastes more authentic but a bit chalky. Feel free to try whatever you have on hand. 
  
  
• I couldn't decide whether I liked the horchata with or without the vanilla extract, so it's totally optional. 
  
  
• You could definitely sweeten with maple syrup or honey instead of agave. I even considered coconut sugar. If you wanted to, you could use regular sugar, though I'd probably recommend incorporating it into a simple syrup with some of the water.  
  
  
• I want to find a way to re-use the leftover almond/rice/cinnamon mixture. I'm thinking bread pudding of some sort? Has anyone ever done anything like this?

An Announcement + Chocolate Doughnuts with Real Strawberry Icing {vegan}

We're moving to Chicago!!! 

I'm starting a doctoral Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology the end of August. I've wanted to do this for what feels like forever, at times the vulnerability of actually admitting it felt overwhelming, but it's been in the works for a very very long time. I get to specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and I hope to one day integrate my work in mindfulness + meditation into working with clients facing mental health challenges.

Aside from loving the program, we were really quite smitten with Chicago, a city neither of us had very high expectations for. The pulse of the city made me feel like I was back in New York, but with a fresh new mid-western perspective. Although reminiscent of it, Chicago doesn't try to be New York. It holds it's own and has a lot to offer. Also it has really good food, costs way less than LA, snows (I know we are crazy, but we miss snuggle/soup weather), and enables me to sell my car and hopefully rely solely on a bike (I've already got one all picked out!), all of which excite me to the point of elation. 

I knew in my gut right after the interview this is where I'm supposed to be. I found out I was accepted just over a month ago, felt like the weight of the world had lifted, and have been riding the high ever since. I submitted my deposit and made it official a couple days ago and I am so so excited. 

That being said, we have less than four months left in LA, which somehow feels daunting and exciting at the same time. It's an odd feeling to know that your current life has an expiration date. I've found myself both "checked out" and trying to savor these last months here. We made a bucket list of all the things we need to do before we leave, most of which just includes restaurants. But this I know for certain, my students will be the thing I miss most about my time here in LA. They fail to mention two things when you do a teacher training. 1. That you pretty much take a vow of poverty when you commit to a career as a yoga teacher. and 2. That you will absolutely come to love your students, they will inspire you, push you, and teach you more than you could ever know. 

Also, my husband will most likely be sailing for the first year we're there, which means he'll be gone for weeks at a time. If you have the secret to making two careers work simultaneously, please let us in on it, because it's been rough. Ultimately it's going to be a good move that brings us both closer to the life we want, even though we have to take one step back in order to take two steps forward. 

And although I'm totally terrified and excited, I think a lot of what being an adult is is constantly working to fill shoes larger than our own. I remember a couple years ago not even being able to admit to people that I secretly wanted to be a yoga teacher. It felt big, scary, and vulnerable, and when I first attempted teaching full-time I felt like I was awkwardly trying to "fake it until I made it" in shoes that were way too big for me. Flash forward a couple of years and those same shoes are snug and comfortable.

Then I started the whole application process, took the GRE, awkwardly asked for letters of recommendation, and poured my heart into my essays; I felt like I was once again awkwardly trying to fill those giant shoes. And starting classes this August, then working in the field through practicum and internships will probably feel the same. But I'm learning to be okay with it. To accept that the awkward, unsure, "fake it till you make it" phase is a part of growth. It's a sign that you're moving into a new level of power. And I think patience is the greatest thing we can offer ourselves as we stumble to figure it out, because those shoes that felt enormous, we'll eventually grow right into. 

I think ultimately Brené Brown says it better than I ever could:

“The bottom line is, if you’re going to go into the arena, you’re going to get your butt kicked. But as scary and dangerous as that sounds, I don’t think it’s as scary and dangerous as spending your entire life on the outside wondering what if I would had shown up. To me that’s far more dangerous. And I know it’s seductive to stand outside the arena, and think to myself ‘I’m going to go in there and kick some ass when I’m bullet proof and when I’m perfect.’ And that is seductive. But the truth is, that never happens. And even if you got as perfect as you could, and as bullet proof as you could muster, when you got in there that’s not what we want to see. We want you to go in and we want for ourselves and for the people we care about and the people we work with to dare greatly”

— Brené Brown

So I made doughnuts to celebrate moving to the city that makes the best dang doughnuts I've ever had. They are simple, baked, and vegan and they have a strawberry coconut glaze made with real strawberries, because duh, it's April, so why not? 

Oh and if you're wondering I still have every intention to keep this little space on the internet while in school, because honestly there are few places I'd rather escape to than in my own kitchen. I'm hoping this new city will only channel a greater sense of foodspiration. So now I'd love to hear from you. Have you been to Chicago? Maybe you're from there or have family there? Where should we live? What should we do? Where should we eat? Seriously give me everything you've got! 

Chocolate Doughnuts with Real Strawberry Icing {vegan} 
makes 18 doughnuts 

For the doughnuts: 
2 cups bread flour (see notes) 
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup brown sugar 
1 can full-fat coconut milk minus 2 tablespoons 
2 tablespoons lemon juice (~1 lemon) 
2 flax eggs (1/4 cup water + 2 tablespoons flax seed meal + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder ) OR chicken eggs 
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons instant coffee 
1/4 cup (1.5 oz) chocolate chips 
1 teaspoon vanilla 

For the icing: 
1/2 pound strawberries (~1 heaping cup), quartered 
1 teaspoon coconut oil 
pinch of salt 
2 tablespoon canned coconut milk 
1/4 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small prep bowl, prepare the flax eggs by combining water with flax seed meal and let sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients. In a medium bowl combine coconut milk with lemon juice and let sit. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Warm the coconut oil until melted and very warm. Stir the chocolate chips and instant coffee into the hot coconut oil until the chocolate melts and the mixture is cohesive. Add baking powder to the flax eggs and stir. Combine coconut oil mixture, coconut milk, flax eggs and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until completely combined. 

Spray your doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray (I used Trader Joe's Coconut Oil Spray) and scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into each doughnut mold. I used a cookie dough scoop to do this. Cook each batch of doughnuts for 14-17 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes then invert the pan over a cooling rack. They should come out pretty easily. 

While your doughnuts are cooking, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan, cook strawberries, salt, and coconut oil for about 5 minutes over medium/low heat until strawberries have softened and their juices have thickened. Blend strawberries, coconut milk, and powdered sugar in the a blender or food processor until completely smooth. 

After doughnuts have cooled completely, dip each doughnut into the icing and serve. 
  

Notes: 
Here's the thing with the bread flour. I tried this recipe with a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour the first time around and the resulting doughnuts were light and fluffy like sheet cake. The problem was they were so light and fluffy you could barely pick them up, let alone dip them in icing, without them completely falling apart. They hold together much better with bread flour and also taste much closer to traditional fried cake-style doughnuts.