Guest of Honor: Filling Our Cup with Kole
Welcome back to Baking Bread Season 2! Today, we are kicking off this new season and new year by getting in touch with ourselves and what fills us up.
We are joined by Kole, a nutritionist and chef, and a dear friend of mine. Kole first entered and touched my life through his profound words and reflections as a yoga teacher. In our conversation today, we're combining this theme of getting in touch with yourself, your values, and your energy (much like it feels like in an amazing yoga class) with our love for food.
What does it mean to truly fill our cup? Whether in the kitchen, or in our life, we're exploring how you can create that "cup filling menu" to best align with you. Pull up a seat at our table, we can't wait to see you!
Listen to the episode below, and be sure to give Kole a follow on the gram!
If you’d like to follow along outside of the blog, it is also available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify, and other sources.
On the Table:
Spring Rolls and Cucumber Lemonade
Kole created the most beautiful, whole ingredient lunch and drink for us to share. We hopped on Facetime, and spent time cooking together and catching up before recording this episode.
Follow the recipe below for Fresh Spring Rolls and Cucumber Lemonade. And if you’re inspired for a bit of connection, call up your friend on Facetime and cook together. I can firmly say it was such an easy thing to do that absolutely filled my cup.
Fresh Spring Rolls
1 English cucumber (the long one in the plastic wrap)
Rice paper wraps (12 inches works great)
1/4 to 1/2 package Vermicelli noodles (ideally pre-cooked & cooled if they're cooking along with me)
2 - 3 very large carrots
2 shallots
Green or Bib lettuce (not iceberg)
1 bunch cilantro
1 Jalapeno or serrano pepper (optional)
Toasted sesame oil (optional)
Cooked Shrimp (optional, but super fun)
Dipping Sauce (optional, but super easy)
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky is super fun)
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce (Veri Veri Teriyaki brand is my fav)
1 Tbs Soy Sauce (San-J brand Tamari is worth the splurge if you loving making asain food)
Recipe:
These last for 3 to 4 days when covered in the fridge.
To make vermicelli noodles, simply boil them for about 3 - 6 minutes so they’re al dente, then immediately drain & cool in an ice bath.
Julienne the carrots & create thin slices of the cucumber. It’s super easy if you have a mandolin, but can use a knife & a vegetable peeler.
Soak the rice paper in warm water until the texture is still firm but slightly malleable, it will soften gradually as you build the wrap.
Less is more when it comes to filling. First fold in left/right edges over the toppings, then roll up!
Cucumber Lemonade
The juice of 4 lemons
½ english cucumber (same from above, peel if not organic)
½ cup sugar (or to taste)
Add water to desired strength
½ inch ginger (optional, but fun!)
Recipe:
In a blender, combine sugar, lemon juice, diced cucumber, (ginger if you choose) and some water and blend on high until sugar is completely dissolved and makes a smooth puree. Strain through a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add water until desired strength. Serve and enjoy! Maybe top with a sparkling wine if you’re feeling festive.
Take Home Tip:
This week, see if you can make a plan to try one new thing. Perhaps it’s in the kitchen, or outside of it. See how you’re feeling when you do it, how it goes. By spending a bit of time to say “hey, that maybe didn’t turned out as planned but I was able to try something new and have fun with it” OR “gosh this feels really good, let me get curious about that” we are able to further tap into different ways to fill our own cup, all in a way that honors our own beings.