Warm Fall Salad

I've thoroughly mourned the summer and come to accept that Fall is here. It has been stupid cold the last few weeks and there's no denying it now! In the spirit of embracing it, I've let go of cold salads and welcomed the warm comfort of an all cooked salad. Delicata squash is my all time favorite, so anything with that is going to lift my summer mourning spirits! Behold my improvisation / adaptation of Deb Perlman's Fall-Toush salad from smitten kitchen.

Salad

1 delicata squash sliced into approximately 1.5 inch slices (no need to remove the skin!)

1 large head of broccoli chopped into medium size florets

1 slice of pita bread sliced into crouton sized squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons of sumac

3 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tablespoon mint

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 talespoons of sumac, and 2 tablespoons salt into a covered jar and give it a good shake. Toss delicata squash, broccoli in oil, sumac, and salt mixture in a large bowl. Spread out over a large baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overchar the broccoli. Remove and combine with parsley and mint in a bowl. While that is cooking, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pita bread and sprinkle over with 1 tablespoon of sumac followed by the last tablespoon of salt. Place it in a toaster over to toast at 350 degrees. If toaster isn't available, simply wait until vegetables cook and then turn down the heat of your oven. Combine all dressing ingredients into the same jar you made the vegetable marinade and pour over the warm vegetables and pita combination. 

Summer Tortellini Salad

Summer is tragically over. Luckily there are still a few yellow squash and zucchini kicking around at the farmer's market and I decided to seize the opportunity for one more chance at one of my favorite summer recipes. The basil plant in my herb garden was still hanging on and goes so beautifully with this fresh summery dish. Elegant in its simplicity, this is a great quick weeknight option.Adapted from this recipe from cooking light. 

1 ~ 8 oz package of tortellini (I used local Silver Spring Maryland's La Pasta, delish!)

4 large basil leaves chiffoned

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 cup of frozen green peas

1 garlic clove, minced

3.5 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the tortellini for 4-5 minutes, don't let it overcook! Drain and add 1 tablespoon and a half of olive oil to avoid sticking. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and sautee the garlic for no more than a minute and a half or so. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and sautee until just about tender ~12 minutes. Then add the frozen peas to the pan the last 3 minutes of cooking. Toss together vegetables, pasta, lemon juice, basil, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and serve. 

Simple Daal with Rutabaga Relish

The dreaded rutabaga. I have to confess that I do cringe every time my CSA email proudly announces that yet another rutabaga will be in this week's box. I tried so many different recipes, but I was left with the conclusion that without copious amounts of butter, they just aren't tasty. That brassica bitterness is ridiculously hard to shake and roasting doesn't do it.

Then comes the best Christmas present of 2016, Vivian Howard's Deep Run Roots! If you are a fan of a Chef's Life, you know that Vivian exalts the simple ingredients of her native eastern North Carolina and the traditional recipes that pre-date widespread availability of processed food. She has a whole episode dedicated to the rutabaga as well as an entire chapter in this incredibly entertaining and functional cookbook.

When I got that first rutabaga in my CSA in 2016, I knew its fate! I set out to make her rutabaga relish. I did not process mine, so it will keep for 6 months. She advises it's best after a week in the fridge. I tried mine after 12 days on top of this daal and it was delicious! Truly the first time I have ever genuinely enjoyed eating a rutabaga.

Simple Daal adapted from the nytimes recipe here
1 cup lentils (I used red)
1 large sweet potato, roughly cubed
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 inch knob ginger, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons chili flakes (or more if you like more heat)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 cups water
Salt to taste (2 tablespoons worked for me!)

Heat the coconut oil in a pan and add the onions. After a minute or so, add the sweet potatoes and let them cook until they start to soften (5-7 minutes) then add the fresh ginger and garlic for 2 more minutes. Add remaining spices (including chili!) along with the lentils and stir to thoroughly coat the lentils with oil.
Add the tomatoes, the water, and salt before turning the heat up and covering the pan to bring the mixture to a boil.
Once it boils, turn the heat down and remove the cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes depending on how soft you like your lentils.

Keep an eye on the liquid level, if it simmers too hot you may need to add more water especially if cooking on the longer side.

Rutabaga Relish
1 large rutabega
2 quarts water for overnight soak
1/2 cup of salt to soak rutabagas
1/4 cup of salt fo peppers and onion
2 cups water for peppers and onion
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
1+1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspooons chili flakes
1 tablespoon turmeric

This way of cutting the rutabegas is a pain, but it's worth it! Peel and halve the rutabaga through the stem end. Lay the flat surface half on a cutting board and slice into 1 inch wedges, then slick them into triangles. Add half a cup of salt to the two quarts of water and stir until dissolved. Add the now triangle shaped rutabaga slices and let them soak overnight.

Combine 1/4 salt  and 2 cups of water with peppers and onions and let soak for 1 hour while you prepare the brine. After the hour drain and combine with rutabagas in the jar they will be stored. Make sure this is a heatproof container if you're going to process. I used a mason jar and didn't preserve.

Combine white and brown sugars, vinegar, garlic, and all spices to a boil and let cook for 1 minute Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the vegetables until completely submerged. Store in the fridge for up to six months.

Radishes, radishes, radishes

Daikon radishes two weeks in a row is not something I'm every going to be fully prepared for, but I did find a few creative ways to use them that I didn't know last year. I threw them in this radishes two ways avocado toast I came up with and I've eaten it more times than I can count this month.

When the first bunch arrived, I went with a variation on this pickling recipe from the NYTimes in which I used pretty purple carrots that came in the same week's CSA to get the beautiful dark rich color you see on the radish carrot mixture on the top of the avocado toast above. They are a great addition to any asian style rice bowl that I like to bring for lunch or a little snack all by themselves.

Avocado Toast with Radishes Two Ways
serves 1
1 slice of good quality bread (I used homemade wild culture sourdough)
1/4 of an avocado
8-10 mandolin thin slices of daikon radish
Juice of half a lemon
Sprinkle of fleur de sal to taste
Sprinkle of table salt
8-10 Daikon and carrot pickles

Place slice of bread in the toaster. Thinly slice daikon radish with mandolin or knife and mix with juice of half a lemon. Add a sprinkle of table salt and let sit while preparing the rest of your dish. When the toast is done slice the avocado in half and use a butter or other dull knife to slice the thinnest wedges you can imagine and spread one at a time onto the bread into a even layer. Sprinkle the avocado with fleur de dal. Add the lemon daikon radishes and then the pickled carrots and daikon to the top. Enjoy!

Winter Squash Carbonera

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit's.

This is the warm and comforting treat that is great for any cold winter day. I was motivated to explore different ways to work with winter squash when my CSA gave me so many acorn, kobucha, and butternut squashes I needed something new. I think that it's best with kobucha, but try it with whatever you have. This is not vegetarian, but I love how little meat is used to get so much flavor. I have been toying with what I could use instead of bacon though. If you have ideas, let me know!

Winter Squash Carbonera
serves 4
1 medium to large acorn or kobucha or other winter squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces or so
1 small onion diced
2 slices of bacon or pancetta if you can get it, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste
2 cups of vegetable broth
12 oz of spaghetti
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspoon chili flakes
up to 1 cup starchy pasta water

Put on a pot of water to boil for pasta.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until cooked through and to your desired crispness. For me this was about 12 minutes, but this wasn't particularly crispy. Leave all of the fat in the pan, but remove meat. Add onion to the bacon fat coated pan and saute until translucent before adding garlic for 1 minute and then the squash. Add a generous sprinkle of salt over the squash, chili flakes and broth before cooking uncovered stirring every so often so the squash doesn't brown, but cooks until soft and the liquid has been reduced by 2/3 (this took me about 25 minutes).
While the squash is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to your preferred texture (don't forget to save the starchy water!).
Add the squash mixture (including remaining liquid) to a blender and puree until smooth. A powerful blender is a real help with this.
Return the pureed mixture to the pan and assess thickness. Depending on the size of your squash and how liquidity you like your sauce, you'll add up to 1 full cup of starchy pasta water with cup of frozen or fresh peas and slowly stir to incorporate additional liquid into the sauce. Feel free to add even more pasta water (or even plain water) if the sauce is too thick.
Add spaghetti to sauce and serve with bacon bits you removed earlier sprinkled over the top. Enjoy!

Green Bean Summer Salad

Adapted from Marie Simmons Fresh and Fast Vegetarian (this is a great cookbook and you should get it!)

This may be the best time of year for those of us who try to eat locally and thus with the seasons. Tomatoes are finally here! This along with everything fresh, bright, and crunchy that makes you think of summer (I'm looking at you corn!). This almost absurdly simple salad looked too boring to be delicious, but I was wrong! It really reminded me of an episode of the a Chef's Life on PBS in which Chef Vivian Howard opts to simplify her dishes in the spirit of letting the ingredients shine. There is something really beautiful about that concept and this salad is a great way to celebrate it.

Green Bean Summer Salad
1 pound green beans split into 1 inch pieces  (wax beans work here too!)
2 ears of corn, kernals cut off the cob
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup basil, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste (don't hold back!)

Combine all ingredients vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Make sure that the toss has spread out the basil thoroughly since it's the heart of the flavor profile Combine olive oil and lemon juice and give them a good stir before pouring it over the salad. The freshness of the ingredients is key here, so consider this a good option to make as soon as you get home from the Farmer's Market or store.

Kimchi Coleslaw

Sometimes you're craving the bite of kimchi but in a more approachable eat on its own kind of way. I think this is a fresh and bright, but still spicy satisfier that you can eat on its own or paired with a heavier entree. 

Kimchi Coleslaw

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 yellow/red/orange pepper julienned

2 watermelon radishes julienned
1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup red onion julienned

(If available, use a mandolin to slice all of the above vegetables nice and thin)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Kimchi

2 tablespoons sriracha

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon salt

Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings"

I have to be honest. I freakin love buffalo wings. When I started to really limit my meat intake, I think wings were one of the treats I missed the most, and I still give into temptation sometimes. This wonderful alternative of buffalo cauliflower really does satisfy the craving for warm, spicy, crunch dipped in a creamy sauce. It will not disappoint!

Buffalo Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup butter (use coconut oil for vegan version)
2 tablespoons hot sauce of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Break down the head of cauliflower into bite size short stem florets.. Mix the flour garlic powder, pepper, and water together to create a simple batter. If the batter looks thin, add a bit more flour until thick enough to drip very slowly off a spoon. Dredge the  cauliflower in the flour and water mixture to thoroughly coat each piece before placing  on a cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.


While the cauliflower is baking, you can make your sauce. Melt the 1/4 cup of butter into a bowl and combine with your hot sauce of choice. I used Annie Sharpe's Belizean hot sauce for half and sriracha for the other half. They were both delicious, so I think you can't go wrong throwing whatever sauce you like together with a bunch of butter.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and let cool until you can pick it up. Spoon the hot sauce and butter mixture over each piece until covered generously. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Lentils

What is better on a cold winter day than the warm comfort of mashed potatoes combined with a gravy and a lot of nutritious vegetables? This was my thought upon returning to harsh winter weather after a lovely trip to Belize last week. A tragic amount of vegetarian shepherd's pie dishes on the internet neglect to include the protein packed ingredient of lentils which is a crying shame.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Lentils
2 lbs potatoes (I like russets, but use whatever!)
1 cup dried lentils
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire (vegan Worcestershire to be truly vegetarian)
3 tbs soy sauce
3 cups veggie broth
2 tbs cup flour
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
1 clove of garlic (optional if you like your mashed potatoes garlicky)

Mashed Potatoes
My husband had the brilliant idea of cubing the potatoes before throwing them into a pot of salted boiling water and it made them cook so much faster! Boil them for approximately 25 minutes (until soft enough to push a fork through). While these are boiling is a great time to prep your other ingredients. Strain the potatoes  and set aside to cool. Mash in a large bowl along with the butter, greek yogurt, and garlic, if you are opting for garlicky.

Filling
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add coconut or olive oil to a large pan or wok on medium heat. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery for 10 minutes until soft and the onions are translucent. Add the broccolli and stir another couple of minutes before tossing in the lentils, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire and let cook until the lentils are tender. This took me about 15 minutes. If there is not a lot of liquid left at this point, add more veggie stock before throwing in the flour to thicken the remaining liquid into more of a gravy and stir stir stir. Once the remaining liquid has thickened, remove from heat and pour into a rectangular 1 quart baking dish. Layer the mashed potatoes on top until covered. Drizzle with a little olive oil if you like a nice crust and place in the oven for 15 minutes. 

Cooked Forever Broccoli from Food 52 Genius Recipes

I am so completely in love with this new cook book, you guys. I got the most incredible wedding gift from my dear friend Christine of 6 of the best cook books I've ever seen and it has become my new favorite past time to flip through them and try whatever I have the ingredients for. The winner of this fine selection of knowledge has so far been the Food 52 Genius Recipes from the editor of Food 52.com. It's an assortment of the most successful recipes from the internet from all different types of cooks and chefs. When I found myself with an abundance of broccoli to use this week, I headed straight for the book and found the Cooked Forever Broccoli Recipe from the great Mark Bittman. I was skeptical of the lengthy cook time, but it was so incredibly delicious and super easy to execute.

2 lbs Broccoli
3 cloves garlic
2 hot chili peppers
3 anchovy filets (I plan on experimenting with kalamata olives for a veg version of this)
1/4 cup olive oil

Begin by carefully chopping your broccoli into a combination of small florets and 1/2 - 1 inch stems. I was really precise this time and I'm glad I took the time because the lengthy time on the pan means everything really needs to be close to the same size. Slice the anchovies into small strips, mince the garlic, and slice the chili peppers in half before setting aside.

Blanche the broccoli for five minutes and set aside to cool. Add the olive oil to a skillet and begin to heat up the garlic and chili in the oil. Once they are simmering, add the anchovies and begin to stir until they are mostly disintegrated. Add the broccoli and begin stirring so that all pieces get a healthy coat of the olive oil mixture. Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours (the recipe calls for 2, but I was really happy with it after an a hour and a half), stirring every 20 minutes or so. Can be served hot or room temperature.

Healthy 5 Layer Dip

This post is probably a little late in the game since outdoor bbq season is largely over, but this dip is really appropriate for any kind of gathering and I've never brought leftovers home with me. It has all of the texture and richness of a traditional 7 layer dip, but with a very light bean dip and greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Black Bean Dip

1 medium red pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsps Chalula sauce

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsps salt

1 can black beans

2 tsp olive oil

Add 1 tsp olive oil to the pan and sautee onions and red peppers with a pinch of salt. When the onions are translucent and soft, add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, then add the can of beans with Chalula and cayenne pepper. Cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly before adding it to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Pico de Gallo

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup onions, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, diced

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp jalapeno, diced (more if you like more heat)

Combine all ingredients.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocadoes, diced

1/4 cup onions, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1.5 tbsps salt

Combine all ingredients and continue to stir until consistency is as smooth as desired. 

Five Layer Dip

2 cups black bean dip

2 cups pico de gallo

1.5 cups guacamole

1 cup greek yogurt

1 cup cheddar cheese

Set aside 1/4 cup of pico de gallo to save for the very top. Begin layering the bottom of the bowl with the black bean dip and don't be shy! Top that with a layer of greek yogurt, followed by cheddar cheese, guacamole, and lastly pico de gallo. Repeat until you run out (this will vary based on the size of the dish). Whatever winds up on top, finish with the reserve pico de gallo for an attractive top layer. Serve with tortilla chips or celery sticks, enjoy!

Panang Curry

Panang Curry is my culinary white whale. I've been working at it since getting back from Thailand and it never turns out quite right. This last version is not 100% perfect, but I got so close I'm excited enough about it to post. For those of you in the DC area, you should know that the goal Panang Curry can be found for sub-$15 at Ruan Thai in Wheaton, Maryland. Run, don't walk if you have not been there yet. 

This recipe is adapted from the Basil Cooking School of Chiang Mai, Thailand's cookbook provided at their cooking class. If you find yourself in Chiang Mai, I highly recommend it! 

The Paste

The paste is the core of the curry. I suggest making a bunch of it and freezing so that you can pull it out on a weeknight and whip up a quick curry dish. The paste is the labor of love and once that's done, it's all downhill. Plan on at least 45 minutes to make the paste.

5 large red chillies, chopped into the tiniest of pieces (dried or fresh, if using dry soak them first)

2 tbsp shallot, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tsp galangal, chopped (available at most asian markets and no, there is no substitute)

1 tbsp lemongrass, chopped

1/2 tbsp lime skin (kaffir if you can find it)

5 pepper corns

10 coriander seeds

1/2 tsp roasted cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp shrimp paste

In a large mortar, pound cumin, coriander seeds, and pepper corns. Once they are largely mashed, add chillies and salt. The more you've finely chopped the chillies, the easier this step will be. Once the chillies are resembling a paste, add all remaining ingredients except shrimp paste. Continue to pound until it forms a paste.

Panang Curry

2 tbsp panang curry paste
1/2 cup protein of your choice (chicken, tofu, etc)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce (you can substitute a tbsp of salt if you don't have fish sauce)

1 tsp sugar (preferably palm sugar)
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 small eggplant, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup broccoli
1 tbsp coconut oil (use olive oil or vegetable oil if you prefer)
1 tsp salt

Sautee the vegetables in coconut oil with tsp of salt until cooked to desired texture, remove from pan.
Add 1/2 cup (that's only 1/2 of the coconut milk!) to a wok on high heat and bring to a boil. Add panang curry paste and stir until red oil droplets start to appear on the surface of the coconut milk (about 3 minutes) Add protein and cook about 6 minutes until meat or tofu is all the way cooked, add the remaining coconut milk and the cooked vegetables and keep stirring. After 5 minutes of cooking everything together, add the fish sauce (or salt) and sugar. Serve immediately over rice of your choice.

This is where I will confess that I ate it all before I could take a picture! I will update the post with a picture the next time I make it, but wanted to post the major milestone in my pursuit of the elusive panang curry ASAP. Enjoy!

(Mostly) Vegan Bolognese

I owe you a photo, I know. I promised myself I'd make this again and catch a photo this time, but I've failed you and am posting without one. This is such a wonderful comforting while still remaining decently healthy recipe, that I couldn't wait any longer to post. Make this the next time it is awful outside and you need something comforting to cheer you up!

(Mostly) Vegan Bolognese

8 oz package tempeh (I like Lightlife Organic)
4 white button mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire (sub with vegan Worcestershire to make this truly vegan/vegetarian)
2.5 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
Feel free to use your favorite jarred tomato sauce
- OR -
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
4 leaves fresh basil, diced
1.5 tablespoon tomato paste

The key here is that you are flavoring the tempeh before you do anything to try to create a sauce. Start by sauteing the onions, celery, and carrot in your tablespoon of oil while crumbling the tempeh with your hands until it starts to resemble texture of ground turkey. Add the tempeh and mushrooms and sautee until the mushrooms release their liquid. Add Worcestershire and soy sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes. At this point you can simply add your favorite jarred tomato sauce or continue on if making your own.
Tomato Sauce
In a separate pan, start sauteing minced garlic in olive oil, be careful not to burn your garlic! After about 3 minutes, add the tomatoes, with salt, herbs, and tomato paste. Let everything simmer for at least 20 minutes prior to pouring it over the tempeh mixture. Serve immediately, although it all does heat up nicely the next day too.

Apple Pie Quinoa

Full disclosure: I invented this recipe in a desperate need to figure out ways to use a gallon of apple juice that was purchased to make cider for a party that never got put out. I found myself with a giant glass jug of apple juice in a two person household that never drink juice. You know I love a sweet quinoa, so when I woke up on this cold and rainy morning craving something warm and comforting, inspiration struck! Why not cook the quinoa in the cider and see how the flavor gets absorbed? I have to say it turned out even better than I'd imagined, and I think this could be a really healthy, gluten free, vegan alternative to an apple pie (if one were so inclined). It also made for that warm and comforting breakfast I craved.

Apple Pie Quinoa (serves 2) 
1 cup quinoa
2 cups apple juice
1/2 apple (sweeter varieties work best)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Slice the 1/2 apple into bite size pieces (about an inch thick). Add quinoa, apple, and apple juice into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. After boiling, turn burner to low and add cinnamon and lemon juice. Let the mixture simmer until quinoa and apples are soft (about 15 minutes). If you are not concerned with this being particularly low in sugar or vegan, I imagine a dollop of whipped cream on top would make it a really pretty and extra delicious dessert.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Ah the Brussels sprout! It has to be the #1 vegetable in the category of once hated and then loved. How many people dreaded the sight of this steamed plant on their plates as children and have come to love it in its far better conceived perfectly roasted variation? I am one of those people that used to hate Brussels sprouts until I discovered Ina Garten's recipe of simply dousing them in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasting them for 20 minutes. That being said, I never really do anything else with them, until I came across several recipes that suggested shredding them. I decided to start off with the simple and very french idea just sautee those shredded leaves in butter and see what happens. Man it worked! This is an excellent side dish and the sprouts take on an almost green bean like flavor. Definitely a crowd pleaser to bring to a potluck or even an alternative to a traditional Thanksgiving dish.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts
1 pound Brussels Sprouts
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Begin sliding the Brussels sprouts on the mandolin to shave them into thin little shreds. You will inevitably lose some of that pound of sprouts, and that's ok! You can compost those nubby ends and the recipe assumes you'll lose a lot. Once you have your little hill of shredded Brussels sprouts. Begin sauteing the butter in a large frying pan until mostly melted. Toss in the shredded Brussels sprouts and turn the burner to medium-low. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (don't be shy with that salt!) and once the shredded sprouts are soft and just starting to brown, they're done. Serve hot!

Breakfast Quinoa

It's that time of year when all that I want when I get out of bed in the morning is something warm to fill my belly. The only problem is that oatmeal gets old. That processed instant crap that is full of sugar is just no good for you and sometimes there's no level of flavor change up that gets me passed the boredom with that steel cut oat texture day after day. Luckily I attended a fantastic nutrition workshop at Yoga District Tea Lodge this past spring that had a fantastic idea for changing it up, breakfast quinoa! It's hearty and comforting the same way that oatmeal is, but can be a nice switch up to the texture routine. You can add a lot of different flavor combinations to it, but below is my favorite maple almond blueberry combo. If you're generally weirded out at the idea of a sweet flavored quinoa, just try it once and I have a feeling you will be sold.

Almond Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa
(serves 2)
1 cup quinoa
1.75 cups water
15 dried blueberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup (make sure it's really maple syrup and not corn syrup in disguise!)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Boil water and then add quinoa and dried blueberries to the pot. Note that the sweetness of blueberry is going to permeate all of the grains, so if you are choosing a tarter berry you might want to hold off on adding it until the quinoa is cooked. Let it simmer until quinoa is soft (about 12 minutes). The quinoa doesn't need a lot of attention, so feel free to spend this time making your lunch or other morning routine activities. After the quinoa is cooked, scoop it into a bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of maple syrup and quarter cup of almonds in each bowl. Enjoy!

Garbanzo Bean "tuna" Salad

I'm back to my whatever I can smear on a cracker phase. For years I was a huge tuna salad eater. It was one of the first things my mom taught me to make and it was a quick and easy meal on my shoe string college budget. Then I learned about mercury poisoning, over fishing, dolphins in nets, you know the list and sought to drastically reduce my seafood consumption (or at least save it for really special sushi restaurant occasions, see Sushi Taro). While learning more about vegan and vegetarian alternatives, I stumbled across the approach of using macerated garbanzo beans (or chick peas as I've learned to call them on the East Coast) in lieu of tuna for a great "tuna" salad. The inspiration for this particular recipe came from Sticky Fingers former menu item the "tuna" melt. I don't know that I've fully recreated their amazing dish, but it's pretty close. As you can see above I usually pile the salad on a cracker along with some sliced up cherry tomatoes for a really delicious and filling lunch.

Garbanzo Bean "tuna" Salad
1 can garbanzo beans
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons mayonaise or veganaise

Combine garbanzo beans and carrots into a food processor and mash on high until it's a nice thoroughly mashed substance. Scoop mixture into a bowl and add diced celery and onion, mayo/vego, garlic powder, paprika, celery seed, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until all the mayo/vego chunks have been thoroughly spread out. Serve with crackers, tortilla, chips, or make into a sandwich. Essentially do anything you'd do with tuna salad, enjoy!

Delicious Green Juice

I try not to be too over the top with the weirdo healthy stuff on this blog (and believe me that I have had many failures that I never subjected you to), but when done the right way, green juice can be so delicious! This is the prime time of farmers market abundance in the DC area to make really tremendous green juice and I wanted to share my tried and true formula for a sweet and pleasant tasting juice that is loaded with all of the healthy nutrients from lots of green veggies.

Delicious Green Juice
1/4 organic water melon, cut into slices with rind (If you are not able to find an organic watermelon, cut the rind off)
1 bunch kale with stems still on
5 stalks of celery cut into 1 inch pieces
1 apple, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
If watermelon is unavailable, simply add 3 additional apples for sweetness. The core of this ratio is one part sweet, one part green, one part celery, and one part citrus (can be lemon or lime).

My best piece of advice for juicing is to prepare everything before you turn the juicer on. Have everything handy and available and make sure the pieces are small enough to prevent overloading your juicer. Mine is particularly finicky around the stringy celery stalks, so I cut those extra small. Once you're ready, start feeding all ingredients through the juicer with the exception of the lime. Once all ingredients are juiced, squeeze the juice of one lime and enjoy.

Recipe Round Up

Recipes from around the internet that I'm currently getting excited to try:


Sunchoke Kale Hash with Farro from Food and Wine

It looks so hearty and this is just in time for the first week sunchokes will be available at several markets in the area. Local and fresh is always best!












Cauliflower and Leek Puree from Every Day with Rachel Ray

A variation on this dish with no breadcrumbs and less butter is all the rage on several paleo recipe sites. I have had moderate to 0 success with most paleo options, but apparently failure does not deter me!







Turnip Green Salsa Verde from Dan Barber via Food and Wine

This actually comes from a very interesting article Chef Barber contributed to the magazine regarding eating more sustainable vegetables from a soil degradation perspective. I was ignorant to the fact that tomatoes and carrots are soil nutrient drainers while brassicas and turnips are great for returning nitrogen to the soil. It's a great read.

Apricot Breakfast Popsicles from Serious Eats

Just in time for this warm start to September. 

Lunch on the Go - Kale Wraps

Sometimes it's time to bite the bullet and go uber healthy. For example, you spent the end of your summer eating and drinking your way from Charleston to Hilton Head and back and it's time to reel it in and make some responsible dietary choices for a while. This is my favorite delicious lunch that is loaded with tons of vegetables, proteins, but super low-carb. Wrapping them up tightly and storing them in a small tupperware with no extra room as you see above is the key to making to work with them still in tact. I also think using the delicate lacinto/dino kale instead of the curly leafy varieties really cuts out that bitter raw kale taste. If you prefer a different combination of vegetables to tomato, cucumber, carrot, scallion, and avocado feel free to mix and match. The only limit is how much you can stuff in that kale leaf. They are so tasty you won't even notice you're eating something so healthy.

Kale Wraps

3 leaves of lacinto (dino) kale in tact with bottom stem removed

1/2 avocado

1/2 medium sized tomato, sliced and then divide each slice into quarters

1/4 cup carrot shavings (use a vegetable peeler to shave off slivers)

1/4 cup cucumber, sliced and then divide each slice into quarters

1 tablespoon spring onions, diced

1/4 cup hummus

Start by preparing everything as listed above so you're ready to just assembly line this task. I recommend making each wrap one at a time and placing them into the tupperware as they are rolled up. Spread a tablespoon and a half or so of hummus onto the kale leaf. It should cover the whole thing. Start arranging your veggies. I prefer slicing the avocado on the bottom layer, then drizzling in tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and scallions. Start rolling from the bottom end where the stem was removed and then immediately place in tupperware. Repeat that process for remaining two wraps and pack them up very tightly! If this all falls apart, you can always mix it all up into a salad when you are ready to eat it. It's all still delicious in whatever form it winds up in, but there's something nice about the wrap shape if you can achieve it.