Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Sixty-Seven (Sweet Trio-Spelt Right Dough, Figs, Walnuts)

Daily I am reminded of the gift in friendship.   This past month has been a testament to the value of friendship, both new and old.  Just before leaving for a 5 day journey to visit my dear friend Veronica of 32 years who lives in Mexico, I had dinner in NY with two friends of 3.2 months.   May, I just say that both encounters were precious.

Jess, Ruthie, and I had an evening of shared recipes, shared clothing, kvetching and kvelling.  Our newly formed sweet trio shared traditions from our respective cultures.  Thank you Ruthie for the Yiddish, and I shared some Lebanese cooking traditions.  For dinner, we collaborated to make my favorite recipe flayir bil-flayfli, walnut pepper pies.   We topped off the night with a sweet dessert for this sweet trio.

Here is the sweet trio recipe for you to share with your friends, old and new.

Spelt Right dough, fig paste, and walnuts.  Perhaps, we should name it, TRIBESSIE (for Beth, Jess, and Ruthie).

Preheat oven to 450F.  Thaw and rise Spelt Right dough in package.   Cut in 10-12 small pieces.  Flatten the pieces in rounds.  Set on well oiled baking pan.  Blend 1/4 fig paste, 1/2 cup walnuts together.  Place a dollop of the mix in the center of the dough.  Make into triangles.  Bake at 450 for  15-20 minutes.

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy.

Lunch Box Chronicles Day One Hundred Thirty-Eight (On Being Blunt - One Stunning Sauce on Spelt Pasta)

Blunt: adjective

3. (of a person or remark) Uncompromisingly forthright

Synonyms:

candid, forthright, frank….

Once in a while, everyone needs someone who is blunt…

Candid, Forthright, Frank….

I have the tendency to think that I can “do it all”:  build a business, manage a family, drive six hours at a clip, meet customers with a smile, hang out with friends, practice law, save the world…

But, there are the details I often forget – the details that I preach to others, but fail to practice myself – like getting enough rest, eating the right foods, taking iron and vitamins, slowing down just enough to get a glance in the mirror to gauge whether I am about to pass out or if I am ready to sprint.

I would like to think that I am Wonder Woman, but fiction is just fiction.  I lack super-human strength, the ability to fly, super-speed, and super agility, though sometimes, I do have super-stamina….until I crash….

And, when the crash happens, I am lucky to have a frank person in my life who becomes very blunt….

“You need to rest kid; the car runs only if it has gas in the tank.”

I heeded the frank advice, gave myself a few days to rest, and made a delicious recipe offered by one blunt ally in order to put a little gas in the tank.

RECIPE  - Homemade Grass Fed Ground Beef and Tomato Sauce Over Spelt Pasta

Ingredients:

One organic onion (finely chopped)

4-5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or minced with salt)

1/4 – 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Pomi – crushed tomatoes – all natural, no citric acid – in a carton (no BPA in packaging)

One Pound Grass Fed Ground Beef (from Maine)

1-2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt

Ground pepper to taste

6-10 leaves of Fresh Basil (chopped finely) (compliments of my neighbor Kendra)

One Package Vita Spelt Pasta

Put chopped onion and garlic in olive oil in large stainless steel pan.  Saute until onions are brown.  Add ground beef.  Saute until browned.  Add Pomi tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.  Add one teaspoon of organic sugar if desired.  Stir all ingredients. Cook on medium low for 20-25 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Add chopped basil. 


Make pasta according to instructions.  Drain.  Put back in pan with 1 cup meet sauce.  Lightly toss.  Put pasta on platter.  Cover with delicious sauce.  Garnish with fresh basil.  Tonight, we will be putting the sauce over some Spelt Right Pizza Dough...blogpost to follow.


Response on the pasta dish from the five children roaming my not-so-quiet house?  "YUMMMM!!"