Vegan Mashed Potatoes (w/balsamic caramelized onions and chipotle crema)

On January 1st, 2013, after a 30 day juice cleanse, I decided to embark on an entire year of pure veganism. That was also right after I discovered that my body is allergic to gluten...Crazy right? The person who used to eat sourdough bread and bagels like they were running out of style and who used to laugh and scoff when people said they were vegan suddenly decided to attempt one of the most drastic, difficult lifestyle changes possible.

Well, here's a piece of shocking news for all of the meat-loving, vegetable-haters out there: vegan food can be AMAZING. 

Before you all start throwing pieces of bacon at me, let me explain. If you gave me a plate of alfalfa sprouts and raw celery dressed with weird fake turkey and soy cheese, I would still be absolutely disgusted. That, in my opinion, isn't "real food". One thing I discovered when I was forced to cook without meat, butter, cheese or flour was that vegetables naturally shine when you allow them to. You shouldn't cover up a beautiful piece of broccoli by steaming it until it's mush and dunking it in velveeta cheese sauce. You should drizzle it with full-bodied, rich olive oil and slowly roast it until it's slightly charred and crisp, and finish it with a touch of himalyan pink salt and cracked black pepper. This may sound weird; but in my year of veganism I learned to treat food with respect.

This is a recipe for one of the first vegan comfort foods I cooked that made me feel like a human again. Vegetarians and carnivores alike have never left a single bite of these potatoes behind. Hope you enjoy!

Vegan Mashed Potatoes (w/balsamic caramelized onions and chipotle crema)

• 10 medium-sized (or appox 1 lb) organic red bliss potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• approx 1/2 cup Vegenaise (GMO, egg-free "mayo", made with heart-healthy oils)
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, sliced into arches (here's a good link on how to do that: http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-an-Onion)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp organic cane sugar, palm sugar or agave
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a sprinkle of salt. Chop the red bliss potatoes into small, 1-inch squares, and toss into the pot when the water has reached boiling temperature. Cover with a lid and stir every few minutes until the potatoes are fork tender (approx 15-20 minutes). 

While they are cooking, chop the adobo peppers into small pieces (this is a very messy process- I tend to use a piece of wax or parchment paper underneath). Then, in a small mixing bowl, combine the peppers and adobo sauce with the vegenaise and mix with a spoon. 

In a small skillet, heat up approx 1 tsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, 1 tsp rosemary, the sugar, and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper. As soon as they start to become slightly charred on the outside, add the balsamic vinegar, and turn the heat down between low and medium-low. Let them slowly caramelize, watching and stirring occasionally. They should be finished around the same time as the potatoes. When they're done; turn off the heat and leave them in the pan. 

In a large skillet, turn the heat to medium, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and toss in the minced garlic. When the garlic starts to become soft and fragrant, use a slotted spoon to add the boiled potatoes into the skillet. If some of the water from the pot gets in the pan- don't worry; the starchy water will help to soften the potatoes and bind the ingredients. Smash the potatoes with the back of a fork or wooden spoon and then season generously with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, and the rest of the rosemary. Then add approx half of the chipotle pepper mayo to the pan. Stir well, season to taste, and when you've reached desired flavor and texture, cover and turn the heat down to medium low for approx 4-5 minutes.  

Serve the mashed potatoes warm, garnished with the herbed caramelized onions, a fresh sprig of rosemary (to make them look extra classy), and a drizzle of the chipotle crema.

Oh, and if you don't tell people these are vegan....they'll NEVER know...muahahaha. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad

When my dad was in town a couple weeks back, he noted that I had an "obsession" with roasted vegetables. I cooked him oven-roasted cabbage rubbed with garlic for our first meal; ordered truffled, roasted cauliflower at the restaurant that night, and even requested a side of charred broccoli at brunch the next morning, without even realizing the pattern I was creating. When I was younger, while I was always willing to try anything that was put in front of me, I wasn't a big fan of veggies. I usually had them steamed or raw; and although those are certainly the healthier preparations, I've learned that roasting vegetables can bring out different textures and unique flavor profiles that make them taste almost as amazing as french fries (I said almost!). Last year, when I converted to veganism, my palate began to change and I really started appreciating vegetables that I had previously disliked.

This salad is something VERY simple, filling, and inexpensive to make. It is made with organic, gluten-free, vegetarian, and local ingredients. The warm roasted veggies are paired with crisp, green leaf lettuce, creamy goat cheese, and a tangy homemade balsamic vinaigrette for a well-balanced meal. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS

Salad:

• 1 medium- sized organic sweet potato, cut into small chunks
• 6-8 organic brussels sprouts, halved 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher/himalayan sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 1 bunch of organic green or red leaf lettuce
• 1 oz goat cheese or feta (or if you're vegan- it's delicious w/o cheese too!)

Dressing:

• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• fresh herbs (opt) like rosemary, thyme, or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, garlic & onion powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of sea salt. When the oven is ready, place the sweet potatoes on the bottom rack and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally to cook evenly. After you put the sweet potatoes in, place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and place them on the top rack of the oven about 5 minutes after the sweet potatoes. This will ensure that they are done cooking at approximately the same time, as the sprouts only take 20 min to be cooked through. *The trick to perfectly roasted vegetables is to turn/toss them at least 3-4 times while they're cooking so they have a soft interior with a charred, roasted exterior. 

When the veggies are finished cooking, leave them out to cool on their baking sheets for 5-10 minutes. Right before you're ready to eat, grab a whisk and a small bowl and place the mustard, herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper in the bottom of the bowl. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar, and then continue to whisk as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified.

Place the greens in a bowl, and top them with the warm roasted veggies, crumbled goat cheese, and spooned dressing. Enjoy!

*Health benefits:  Sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene. Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise our blood levels of vitamin A, and they are also a great source of iron, magnesium, Vitamins C, D and B6, and potassium. Brussels sprouts are rich in many valuable nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K. folate, manganese, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, choline, copper, vitamin B1, potassium, phosphorus, and omega-3 fatty acids. Goat cheese has a chemical profile that makes it favorable for people who suffer from aversions to dairy products made from cow's milk. Goat cheese contains less lactose than cow's milk and cheese, and contains smaller fat globules, which make the cheese easier to digest. 

The Madness of Quantity

I just finished reading "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, which was phenomenally written, but there was one quote in particular that 100% accurately describes the state of the music industry today:

"Culture is perishing in overproduction, in an avalanche of words, in the madness of quantity". 

The debate about whether or not music should be free is a very heavy one that I try not to discuss. Personally, I have purchased every single mp3, cd, and vinyl record I own because I know about the hours, days, years and emotional work that go into making an album. However, I have close friends who are in the same industry that happily download music online without blinking an eye. They have their reasons; I have mine. 

Interestingly enough, though, while we all fight over whether or not we should be buying or downloading music, the conversations don't tend to focus on WHY music has suddenly become an entity that people don't care to pay for.

Do people not enjoy music anymore? Of course not! It remains in almost every aspect of our culture today. 

Is the economy affecting people's abilities to buy music? In a society where a majority of youth and adults own $200-$400 smart phones and spend anywhere from $3-$7 on coffee beverages throughout the week, I highly doubt that people can't afford to pay a dollar for a song that they will own for a lifetime. 

So what has happened in the past 10 years? Why are hard-working musicians extremely broke and record labels going under faster than almost any other type of business?

My personal opinion is closely related to the quote I posted above. In the past, before the "age of the internet", it was obviously much more difficult to create a following and spread your music to people who didn't live close to your hometown. You had to have something really special. You had to capture people and build an audience in the most organic way.

Fast forward to today: anyone in the entire universe with access to a computer that has a built-in microphone can go to www.soundcloud.com, create a free account (which takes about 5 seconds) and upload a recording of ANYTHING. It could be them playing a single flat note on a guitar string for 17 hours, but who's stopping them? Obviously that is an extreme example of the point I'm trying to make, but here's the gist of it:

If anyone can release anything and call it music and sell it online, where is the value? Kids in the generation younger than ours will grow up believing that what we do is easy and free and invaluable. Those of us that have spent years perfecting our craft and trying to create something unique and beautiful are being trampled by "Friday" by Rebecca Black. 

Free speech is a wonderful thing. The internet is a wonderful thing. I even think that the courage it takes for people with no experience in the music world to post a recording of themselves online is a beautiful thing.

But how can we add value back into the industry? How can we make people believe in our art and support it in the right way?

It's going to be an interesting decade in the world of music...

First

Well, I've done it.

I've created a monster.

Over the past couple of years, some very supportive people in my life have suggested that I make a blog about my life as a musician in Nashville and my transformation into a "healthy young adult" (who still eats french fries on the weekends). Although I'm sure that I will be the only person reading it, I've decided that this will be a great way for me to keep track of the organized chaos that is my life so that I can look back at it in 40 years and be really embarrassed.

So, here's my story:

I was born in an adorable little suburb of Elmhurst, IL in 1992, surrounded by some of the best people I've ever known, and, almost as important, some of the best restaurants in the country. I don't like the word "foodie", but that's probably exactly what I was. Around the ripe young age of 4 or 5, my parents told me that I used to request foods like hummus, goose liver pate, and calamari. I know...super weird. I had also been diagnosed with Reflux at the time, which meant that I constantly got sick for the most insignificant reasons (i.e. being overly nervous/anxious/excited, eating acidic foods late at night, eating too much chocolate).  Sometimes, I would even get sick for weeks at a time but even specialists couldn't figure out exactly what the issue was.

The year I turned 7, we moved all the way to a slightly larger but equally adorable suburb outside of San Francisco called "Danville". I spent the next few years slowly falling in love with California; taking weekend trips to sandy beach hotels in Monterey, eating crusty baguette sandwiches next to stunning wineries in Napa, exploring the best tiny coffee shops and used book stores in SF... I was brilliantly lucky to grow up there.

At the age of 12, my parents bought me a small classical acoustic guitar and found a teacher that was one of those bald, tattooed, "cool" rock-and-roll types. Although he was super awesome, I didn't make it past a few lessons because I hated being told what to play and when to practice. I decided to learn guitar on my own terms, which eventually led to 1-2 hours of rocking out in my room almost every single day (MUCH to the dismay of my family...sorry guys!). That year I also started writing songs. My first-ever completed song was called "I'm Livin' Small" and it's probably one of the worst things ever written (unfortunately my parents have it saved somewhere for future blackmailing purposes).

As I began to improve as a musician and writer, my eating habits were actually getting worse. Although the reflux was mostly under control, my love of food was causing me to gain weight pretty rapidly, even though I was eating like every other teenager around me. I couldn't accept the fact that my body worked differently than all of the super skinny girls I hung out with who ate the same things, so I did very little to try and improve myself. I would complain and get really depressed and try "fad diets" like Weight Watchers and Atkins for a few weeks, but nothing ever lasted because it made me even more miserable.

Then, there was college. I worked on my application for the Berklee College of Music for 3 months before I sent it in, and I was BEYOND excited when I found out I was accepted early decision. I knew that between my parents helping and some money my grandma set aside for me that I could only afford to go for 2 years, but I decided that the knowledge and experience would be absolutely worth it. It's probably too early to tell, but I think that was the best choice I've ever made.

I lived in a dorm on campus, worked 30-40 hours a week at Boloco (a local burrito place), took 9-10 classes per semester, practiced 3-5 hours every day, and therefore slept very little. My friends and I basically lived on fast food and cheap carbs. Even though I didn't drink alcohol even one time in college, my habits caused me to be in the absolute WORST shape of my entire life. I was extremely overweight, tired and sick all the time, and too focused on school/music to do anything about it. My heart had also been broken by the first man I ever loved, which was even more harmful to my health and well-being (although I totally pulled a T.Swift and wrote an entire album about it). There were also some positive things happening, though: I auditioned for every major songwriting competition in the school and somehow won all 3 of them (whaaaat?). I was chosen as a recipient of the Jack Maher Award/Scholarship and selected to be a performer at Paula Cole's masterclass. I had also saved up enough money slingin' burritos to drunk students to move to Nashville and put a deposit on an apartment. I just needed to figure out how to make my health a priority again.

In May of 2012, I made the difficult move to Nashville, TN. During my first week, I had my wallet/ID/purse stolen, got into a small accident with my brand new leased Honda Civic, and moved into a place that was infested with small cockroaches. It was probably the worst week of my life. I knew exactly one person and didn't have any clue how to begin; so all I could do was make a list, which looked a little something like this:

• Find a job
• Find a gig
• GET HEALTHY

None of those things started out as simply as I'd hoped; but I started to slowly accomplish them while calling friends and family almost every day to cope with the loneliness of being in a strange new place. 

I got a job at a local health store, cooked my own meals most of the week and started forcing myself to go out to local writer's nights to meet people. 2 years later, after playing hundreds of gigs (some great, some awful), discovering a gluten allergy, completing a 30 day juice cleanse that changed my life, and getting to know the wonderful people in the Nashville community, I am 60lbs lighter with a decent chunk of change in my bank account, a few super exciting music opportunities, and a crazy life that I'm starting to be proud of. 

If you were able to get to the end of this, you're incredible (but probably mostly really bored). 

Here's to the start of another small adventure. 

Cheers,

-Kylie