In my never ending quest for spiritual growth, I’ve come across the same advice over and over and over again lately–think like a child. Do not taint your ambitions with the voices of skeptics. Do not live other peoples’ dreams. Do not fear the unknown, or the creative, or the supposedly obscure. Jump in. Feel. Embrace. Smile. Maybe even laugh. And then repeat. I had this down when I was a kid. I made a goal. And then I relentlessly pursued it. When I obtained my goal, I set another goal. If, on my goal-seeking journey I decided I didn’t want that goal anymore, I stopped pursuing it, and set, and usually attained, a different goal. With “adulthood” came complications. Now, I realize, mostly unnecessary complications, but complications nonetheless. Aspiration became harder, cognitions became more muddled. Doubts of whether “my” goals were actually mine sat on my left shoulder, while the rote behaviors of my day in and of my day out hung heavily from my right. A few months ago it became clear that I was no longer thinking like a child. So, I took some pretty explicit steps to work this out. One of those steps was setting up a meeting with Dara.

Dara is a career counselor–her job, to help people figure out whether they are ‘on their path.’ We are both transplants from the Northeast and share a love of food, forging an instant connection between the two of us. In thinking about Dara’s job, I recognized a pattern (totally not surprising to my friends I’m sure, and if you’ve been reading the blog for awhile, this is probably not surprising to you either given my “Torn” post)…

O.K. . . . Among the many meanings for the name ‘Dara’ are ‘star, leader, and nugget of wisdom.’ ‘Dar’ in spanish is ‘to give.’ And among the many meanings of ‘Dharma’ are ‘the teachings, the way things are, and purpose.’ Did Dara and I cross paths so that she would become a ” star leader giving and teaching me nuggets of wisdom so that I could  fulfill my true purpose?” 🙂 For now, I leave you in suspense as to the culmination of my contemplation on the subject 😀 … and … with a guest post from Dara, the second in the Triangle Love series.

But before reading all about Dara’s veggie terrine, I wanted to mention Spice Foodie’s February Your Best Recipe Roundup. Como Water’s Clementine Almond-Chip Cookies are featured, as well as a number of other culinary creations from food bloggers all over the world. And now, without further ado…

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Inspired by an article I read in the February 2011 issue of Real Simple Magazine, I recently decided to reduce my meat intake by following a “vegetarian” diet for 2 out of 3 meals each day. This dish is a spin on a dish my cousin Ali made years ago (I still have dreams about it). It’s comprised of 3 layers –mashed potatoes, spinach, and mashed carrots. There’s also a sprinkle of cheese in between each layer –this is optional depending on your diet. You can also substitute with vegan cheese.

Ali’s Potato & Veggie Terrine

Ingredients:

4-5 small red bliss potatoes
3-4 large carrots or 1/2 bag of baby carrots (16 oz bag)
3 cups of baby spinach
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup shredded cheese (sharp white cheddar or Colby works well)
½ tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method:

*Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

*Potatoes – after cleaning the potatoes, boil in salted water for about 25 minutes or until soft. Drain; add butter (optional), salt and pepper to taste. Smash with a potato masher until soft.

*Carrots – I used prewashed baby carrots; however, large whole carrots chopped into 3-4 large pieces will also work. In a medium pot, add ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of white wine (½ tbsp of vegetable stock or salt is optional). Bring to a boil, add carrots and cover for approximately 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and reserve any remaining liquid. Cool for a few minutes and then blend in a food processor or blender (using the reserved liquid if necessary) until a slightly pureed texture. Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

*Spinach – sauté crushed garlic in olive all, add spinach and sauté until wilted. Drain well.

*Line four (4) ramekins with parchment paper and spray the sides with a non-stick spray. Layer the ramekins with each ingredient starting with the carrots and ending with the potatoes. If using cheese, sprinkle a small amount in-between each layer. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

*Once done, remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Slide a butter knife alongside the outer walls to loosen then flip onto the plate.

*Variation for a large group: You can double up on the ingredients and use a meatloaf pan.