Ryan and I have a problem. We are hopelessly addicted to Brussel Sprouts. I know, weird, since they’re probably the number one vegetable to induce dry heaving in small children upon mention of their name. But somehow, about 6 or 7 months ago we happened upon the little cabbage heads and discovered that they’re actually delicious. 

This is one of our fav recipes when we’re craving a healthy veg dinner [usually after we’ve indulged in a night of pizza, burgers, or something else we feel guilty about]. It’s really simple:

• Brussel Sprouts, sliced in half and trimmed of the top layers of leaves
• Other diced veggies as desired [we usually go for white onion, mushrooms, kale, or this time, bell pepper and carrots]
• Olive Oil, enough to lightly cover the veggies
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Garlic Salt, or whole garlic cloves if you got ‘em
• Lemon Juice, to taste
• Hot chili sauce [Ryan’s fav is Sriracha]

Mix the above together in a medium bowl, and place on a cookie sheet or glass baking dish, sprayed with non-stick. Broil in the oven at about 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes, depending on size of the sprouts and how cooked you like them. [The longer they go, the softer and easier to digest] Be sure to turn them with a spoon a few times during the bake.

We also had a butternut squash on hand that needed eating,

• Cut in half, place face down on greased cookie sheet and bake [ with sprouts] at 450 degrees for about 40-50 minutes until soft in the shell

as well as some turnip greens which I had bought without having a clue how to cook them. I soon learned that they are a key ingredient in typical Southern dishes, but they’re often cooked with Pork Rind or Bacon. [Shudder!! I’m very much not a fan of anything pork..]

So I amended a recipe sans the carnivorous element, and here’s what I came up with:

• Turnip Greens [i had only one bunch, but I would recommend using several because they shrink when they cook]
• Kale - one whole bunch
• balsamic vinegar
• honey

After washing the greens and patting them dry, I started them in a wok over medium heat, and then added a mixture of the vinegar/honey [which was about several tablespoons of each, until I got it to be equally sweet and tangy]. Stir the mixture around to make sure everything is coated, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the greens start to lose their bitterness. Beyond that, it’s up to you how ‘done’ you like them. 

I put the greens in the hollow of the squash, and then drizzled the remaining honey-vinegar sauce over everything, which made for an awesome flavor-combo with the butternut. 

Ryan is the sprouts maestro, and I did the squash/greens. I’m also responsible for the bad photos, or rather, our pathetic kitchen light is to blame. 

I bought a bunch of zucchini from Sunflower Market last week with the intention of making one of my fav breads, and Ry and I finally got around to it yesterday. I like to make mine less sweet than I usually find it at a cafe, so I found a healthy recipe and tweaked it a bit to cut down on sugar and kick up the subtle taste of the zukes.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread:

2 and 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 Cup vegetable oil

1 and 1/4 Cup sugar [I used Organic evaporate cane sugar]

1/4 wildflower honey [bought from our local farmer’s market!]

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325 degrees [I did not adjust this for high-altitude baking and the loaves came out to a normal height]. In a medium bowl, sift together first 5 ingredients [Flour through Cinnamon]. Set this aside, and in another large bowl combine the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat these well [Most recipes call for an electric mixer, but I use a wire wisk and it works great] before adding the zucchini. Add the dry mixture as you stir until everything is combined [but don’t over mix]. If you want to add some extra crunch to your loaves, you can throw in some chocolate chips and/or walnut pieces at this point. I did not have any on hand, but I’ve done this in the past and both are tasty!

Spray 2 regular size loaf pans with nonstick spray on the bottom and sides. I go an extra step and sprinkle flour onto these greased pans to make sure nothing sticks. Divide the batter between the two, and place in the center of the oven to bake for approximately 65-75 minutes.

When they’re done, you can run a knife around the edge to release the bread if needed, although if you’ve floured the pans ahead of time this usually isn’t necessary - they will slide right out when turned upside down after they’ve had a chance to cool. Seal in a container or plastic to avoid loosing moisture. OR just eat them all right away!

Here are the loaves on their way out of the oven:

Behold the deliciousness, cooling under an open window:

**If you want to make this recipe vegan, all you need to do is replace the eggs with an appropriate vegan substitute.

-Mackenzie

Thanks to http://hiphostessblog.com/2008/07/20/whole-wheat-zucchini-bread/ for this recipe, which I altered slightly [no applesauce, less sugar].

All photos by Ryan Luikens

Today Kenz and I drove west from Denver to Grays Peak and Torreys Peak, two of Colorado’s 55 mountains with an elevation of 14,000 feet or greater.

Grays and Torreys are part of the Continental Divide.

For sustenance we brought burritos. 

tinfoil-wrapped goodness

Spending last week at sea level in muggy Puerto Rico killed our lung capacities which gave me the perfect excuse to poop out early.

naptime

We didn’t summit, but we got about half-way before stopping for some gnomz in the Sun.

goes great with 14ers

Mackenzie’s veggie spinach burrito was packed with eggs, potatoes and wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Mine (not pictured) came with tofu Chorizo. We grabbed the burritos from Pablo’s Coffee, who gets them from some guy. I need to find out who this guy is because they were big and oozing, surprisingly grease-free and full of delicious. 

After we scarfed our burritos we made our way down the mountain as dark storm clouds quickly followed.

At $3.50 a pop the veggie burritos are slightly more expensive than what you might find at your neighborhood taco truck, but these puppies come without the bloated after-gut and feelings of regret. Recommend.

//Ryan

All photos by Mackenzie