Hello beauties! How are you today? Here we can’t complain – I was speaking at an online conference for International Women’s Day and I had been very nervous for the past few weeks: I was very excited about the invitation and also about sharing my research. But I am not good at all at public speaking, like that’s not my skill. However, I have also been invited to give a workshop with a colleague at an in-person conference in June. So I thought that if I can manage this online one, it will be good prep for the in-person one. Also, at this past online conference I prepared the presentation, I rehearsed it and it was an excellent chance for me to share my research project and my findings.

And you know what? I nailed it! Two of my colleagues were following the event and they both came after my talk to tell me that I did very well, they learned new things and also they gave a hug! The attendees at the conference left many lovely positive comments and one person also suggested that they can help progressing my research. I won’t lie: I was DRAINED after the event, but couldn’t stop because I had another event I had to attend with a colleague (that also went well!). Yesterday I was working too, so such a busy week!

And you know me, even if I’m busy I want something tasty, some kind of comfort food and it has to be easy and quick. I was so lucky to stumble upon this recipe for a Pear Almond Torte Tatin by Miyoko Schinner. I am not a fan of pears, but oh goodness this is such a great recipe! (Also, now the Pear Galette, my go-to recipe with pears, has some competition!)

Ingredients

• 3-4 pears, sliced
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar (plus 3-4 tablespoons for the caramelization)
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 2 tablespoons for the caramelization)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C;
2. Prepare an 8-9 in cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper at the bottom;
3. Brush the 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the paper and sprinkle the 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (this will help with caramelization);
4. Put the pears now: you can fan them out or just set them there without much attention (the fanning will make the end result prettier, but to be honest I just threw them there) and set aside;
5. Put the half cup of oil with the 2/3 cup of sugar and stir;
6. Sift the flour with the baking powder then add the almond flour;
7. Add half of the flour mixture to the oil mixture and stir;
8. Then add half the milk and whisk well;
9. Add the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour;
10. Add the vanilla extract;
11. Pour the batter over the pears and we’re going to put it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
12. Check with a toothpick if it comes out clean. Flip it upside down and let cool.
13. Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hi my beautiful cats! I hope you are well. Recently, I haven’t been much active here and there are many reasons:

• Since December, I’ve had an on-and-off cold: it seemed I got rid of it 2 weeks ago, but it came back with a vengeance. Definitely, it doesn’t help that at work we are still without heating and we are passing these bugs around with my colleagues, like playing tennis with the cold;
• Despite taking all of my “concoctions” (from tea with turmeric and black pepper, to oregano oil and apple cider vinegar) I can’t quite shake this cold off and I am currently on day 4 of antibiotics – before this, I hadn’t needed antibiotics, for years;
• I have let the current world events deteriorate my mental health: I am struggling to understand the people defending the criminal actions of the Israeli government and I am really losing hope in the human species. All the NATO/Russia is also not helping.

However, here I am today with some comfort food – I had a single eggplant waiting to be used in the fridge and this Spicy Eggplant Pasta by ConnoisseurusVeg was exactly what I needed.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed, divided
• 1 medium (1 pound or 450 gram) eggplant, salted if necessary, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving, optional
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving, optional
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander when it’s finished cooking.
2. While the pasta cooks, coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced eggplant in an even layer. (Notes 1 and 2)
3. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces only once or twice, until they’re browned on multiple sides.
4. Remove the eggplant from the skillet and transfer it to a plate when it’s finished browning.
5. While the eggplant cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot or skillet with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium heat.
6. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent, stirring frequently.
7. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
8. Stir in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, capers, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
9. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and allow it to cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until it thickens up a bit. You can add a splash of water if it becomes too thick.
10. Stir the eggplant into the sauce and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes more, until the sauce very thick and the eggplant is very tender.
11. Add the cooked pasta, parsley and basil to the sauce and stir everything well to distribute the ingredients and wilt the herbs.
12. Remove the pot from heat and season the pasta with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
13. Divide onto plates and serve. Sprinkle with additional parsley and basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hello kittens! I hope you’re having a nice weekend and managed to get at least 5 minutes to do something for yourself – we’re getting into one of the busiest times of the year, we just left Halloween and preparing for Christmas (and for the U.S. cats, Thanksgiving too!). Yesterday, my town had the first Christmas event of the season and it was so crowded! Plenty of lovely handmade stuff, though, from candles, soaps, and gin (!!!). Also, I had another Taek-Won-DO pre-grading, now going for a blue belt red tag! In addition to this, with my partner, we went to his brother’s birthday dinner: always lovely to see his family but at the end of the day I was happy to go to bed. And I won’t have a free Saturday until next year. I’m already tired.

Anyway, here is a recipe that has it in the name our favourite characteristics: Quick and Easy Miso Noodles by RunningOnRealFood.

Ingredients

For the Miso Sauce

• 2 tbsp white miso
• 2 tbsp tahini or peanut butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp chili-garlic sauce (sambal oelek or Sriracha)
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• ⅓ cup warm water

For the Noodles & Vegetables

• 250 g dry wheat noodles (Chinese-style lo mein), soba or ramen
• 3 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 3 cups sliced mixed mushrooms
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• Optional: 250 g tempeh or tofu, cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp tamari

Garnishes

• green onions, thinly sliced
• sesame seeds
• toasted nori, thinly cut 

Instructions

1. Make the Miso Sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
2. Cook the Noodles: Prepare noodles according to package directions. Once tender, drain and set aside.
3. Cook Tofu or Tempeh (Optional): If using tempeh or tofu, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan, over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tempeh or tofu cubes. Cook for 6-8 min, breaking apart into smaller pieces, until golden-brown.  Remove the pan from the heat, then drizzle over 1 tbsp tamari. Toss to combine. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 
4. Stir Fry the Veggies: Heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms, cabbage and onions. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4-6 min, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add green onions, reserving some for serving. Cook for another 2-3 min, stirring often, until tender-crisp.
5. Add Noodles & Sauce: To the pan, add drained noodles and miso sauce.  Cook for 1-2 min, tossing gently, to coat noodles in sauce. 
6. For Serving: Divide noodles between bowls.  Top with tempeh (if using), green onions, sesame seeds and toasted nori. Drizzle more chili-garlic sauce over top, if desired.

I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Love,

TVCL xx