Tag: vegan

Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Categories Recipes4 Comments on Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Yeah, yeah, yeah – another salad. I’m on a homemade salad kick lately, and inspiration seems to be striking hardest during lunch. So: salads. This particular rendition combines my favorite salad green – kale – with sweet peppers, crunchy cabbage and a nice kicky, fatty dressing for something that is both healthy feeling and hearty enough to carry you through the afternoon.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

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Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

5 ounces or so chopped kale (I used half a bag of the organic chopped kale from Trader Joe’s)
1 medium carrot
1 orange pepper
1.5 – 2 cups shredded cabbage (red would be fantastic here, but all they had at the store was regular green – which was also tasty)

Dressing

2 Tbsp. tahini
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s ftw)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic
2-3 Tbsp. water

Julienne your pepper & carrot (I used a mandoline), chop your kale if needed, shred your cabbage and mince the garlic. Combine the veggies in a large bowl and all dressing ingredients in a shaker or bowl. Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients to combine, adding more water if needed to reach a pourable consistency.

I like to massage my dressing into my greens when I’m having a hearty green like this.

Optional add-ins: roast chicken, hard boiled eggs, sliced scallions, some sort of nut. I had chicken the first day for lunch and eggs the second. Scallions would have been great here, and nuts may or may not have added anything worthwhile to the party.

Makes 2 big lunch salads

Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

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Sorry about the hiatus, guys. If you couldn’t tell already from my Picture of the Day posts – we’ve moved! This past week has been full of not-cooking as my new kitchen has slowly taken shape. I’m finally back in business – and not a minute too soon. This lunch was the first thing I actually made in the new place, and it came together quick. Just the ticket for a healthy and vegetable-packed lunch.

Those of you that have been reading for awhile might recognize my favorite salad ingredient, broccoli slaw. I think I have an obsession issue with the stuff. I hate soggy lettuce with a passion, and home made salads always seem to disappoint – unless I use broccoli slaw. Then all is well with the world. I can’t get enough.

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Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

1 bag broccoli slaw (I use the organic broccoli slaw from Trader Joe’s in a 10 ounce bag. Dole also makes a good one)
2 baby endive, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 big handfuls pepitas, toasted
Leftover roast or grilled chicken – or what I had on hand, a chicken patty (1 portion per person) – Omit if you want a vegan or vegetarian salad

Dressing

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
3 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg)
2 tsp. mustard (I went for grainy here, but only had smooth Dusseldorf style)
1 clove garlic, minced

Chop your veggies and add to a big bowl. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the dressing ingredients & shake/whisk. Combine the dressing with the salad and toss.

Makes 2 huge lunch salads, or 3-4 more reasonable servings

Alternate seasonings: For lunch the next day, I decided to go a more curry route and added half a chopped apple and curry chicken to the salad mix plus 1 tsp. curry powder and 1 tsp. cumin powder to the dressing. Yum.

Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato

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This salad came about because, here in January, I couldn’t stand not eating tomato any longer. Enter Fresh Direct. They tempted me with a beefsteak tomato – that while fairly costly, was actually fresh and actually tasted like tomato. Not sure if it was hot house (there was no mention in the description and it certainly didn’t taste like it), magic fairy house, or teleported from somewhere warm – but it was delicious. Just the breath of warm I was craving.

I ate this for lunch on my second day of Whole30 Take 2 – and didn’t feel deprived in the least.

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Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato

2 cups arugula
1 tomato – I used a big beefsteak
1 orange – I used a Cava Cava orange, which was delicious – blood orange would also be great here, or clementine — any orange with a lot of taste
2 Tbsp. gremolata
2 tsp. grapeseed oil
4 ounces leftover pulled pork 

Supreme (cut off the outer rind and slice out each wedge individually – for video instructions, click here) your orange and cut the pieces into bite-sized chunks.

Cut the tomato into bite-sized chunks.

Warm your pork if needed.

Chuck the arugula, pork, tomato and orange into a big bowl and toss to combine.

Sprinkle with gremolata, the juice from the orange middle, and grapeseed oil.

Serves 1 for lunch.

Asian Pear & Celery Salad

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This is a nice little bright salad that is quick to whip up and uses the best that Fall has to offer. It’s fresh, goes with pretty much anything, and makes a great accompaniment to something light – like the pictured Spicy Tuna Cakes from the soon-to-make-it-to-my-hot-little-hands cookbook Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans. If this recipe (and everything on author Michelle Tam’s site, really – she’s never steered me wrong) is any indication, I’ll be cooking each and every dish from the book – and loving them.

And yes, that’s a snowman tuna cake, thankyouverymuch. Because I’m an adult, and have adulty things, like non winter-related cupcake tins.

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Asian Pear & Celery Salad

4 stalks celery, cut on a bias
1/2 an Asian pear, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Dressing

2 tsp. rice vinegar
Zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. grapeseed (or other neutral) oil
Big pinch Kosher salt

As you cut the things that need cutting, add to a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add dressing to salad and toss.

Serves 2 for dinner as a light side or 1 for lunch as a nice sized salad.

This would most likely also be tasty with a tangle of pecorino romano or other aged hard cheese added before serving, with a few cracks of black pepper.

Lazy Baked Squash with Goat Cheese, Arugula & Lime Vinaigrette

Categories Life, Recipes1 Comment on Lazy Baked Squash with Goat Cheese, Arugula & Lime Vinaigrette

Thank you so much, Molly Hays of Remedial Eating, for posting the methodology for this squash. This squash is truly a revelation – no longer will I have to endanger limbs and make my Darling Husband cringe in terror as I attack hard squash with a meat cleaver.

If you’re not familiar with Remedial Eating, check the link out. Molly’s writing is full of beautiful prose and her recipes are homey and comforting with interesting flavor combinations/takes on flavors – plus, she lives in (one of) my home town(s). So, there’s that.

I made this squash on a busy weeknight and the whole thing took 48 minutes from start to table. I will be repeating this dish’s success many times over the course of this winter – and see visions of weekly squash roasts in my Monday nights future. I’m dying to try some of the flavor combos listed at the end of Molly’s post – and am itching to add a few more of my own like:

Aged balsamic vinegar & pecorino cheese

Toasted garlic, chili or chipotle powder, egg & stout cheese (pecorino? glouchester? aged sheep gouda?)

Toasted cashews, curry, cilantro & lime

Apple, toasted pecan & lemon/lime vinaigrette

Bacon, toasted pecan & bleu cheese

Apple, sage, bacon & toasted pecan

The possibilities are endless.

This side is fantastic when served alongside a nice London broil – or a minute steak – or alone for lunch; whatever your fancy.

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Lazy Baked Squash with Goat Cheese, Arugula & Lime Vinaigrette

Adapted from Lovely Squash for Lazybones from Remedial Eating

1 acorn squash
1-1.5 ounces goat cheese per squash half (omit if strict paleo, vegan or doing Whole30)
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice (I used my go-to bottle of salvation, Nellie’s Key Lime juice)
1 tsp. spicy mustard (I used Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard)
1 big pinch kosher salt
A few cracks fresh black pepper
Chipotle to sprinkle
1 big hand full arugula per squash half

Preheat your oven to 375. Place your squash on a cookie sheet wrapped in tin foil and slap into the oven. Let bake 30-45 minutes, or until your knife goes in with minimal effort.

Slice the squash in half and place cut side down on the prepared sheet. Slip back into the oven until you can pierce the thickest part of your squash and it gives absolutely no resistance – like a knife through hot butter. This should take 15-30 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool until handleable – or if you’re impatient like me – let cool for 2 minutes and then pick up with a dish towel,  and scoop the squash guts out.

Sprinkle with goat cheese, vinaigrette and chipotle powder. Top with arugula.

Serves 2

Jicama, Pear & Grapefruit Salad

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This little side salad is as delicious as it is versatile. It’s bright, kicky, crunchy and can please a crowd. I served it along side some quick pork chops for dinner and then topped with chicken breast for lunch the next day.

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Jicama, Pear & Grapefruit Salad

Adapted from a recipe I saw while rifling through a cookbook … which one? I was too busy day dreaming after reading the ingredient list to remember things like that

1 jicama
1 pear
1 grapefruit
2 medium carrots
1 lime (zest + juice)
Fresh mint/cilantro/basil (you’re looking for 6 Tbsp. total here)
1/4 c. grapeseed oil
1-2 tsp. sriracha (use Whole30 approved if necessary)
Flaky salt
Cracked black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 c. toasted nuts (I had macadamias on hand)

Peel and julienne the jicama. Julienne the pear. Grate the carrots. Add each to a large bowl when finished.

Supreme & chop the grapefruit into bite sized pieces, squeezing the extra juice into a small bowl. Add the grapefruit pieces to the julienne bowl.

Zest the lime, adding the zest to the julienne bowl. Squeeze the juice into the dressing bowl with the grapefruit juice.

Finely dice the herbs. I did 4 Tbsp. combined mint & cilantro with 2 Tbsp. basil chiffonade. Add to the julienne bowl.

Add the grapeseed oil & sriracha to the dressing bowl and whisk to form an emulsion. Taste and add more acid or sriracha as needed.

Sprinkle two generous pinches salt into the julienne bowl, with a few cracks of black pepper and the toasted nuts. Toss well to combine. Pour the dressing over (you might want to start with half) and toss well to combine (I used my hands). Taste and add more salt or dressing as needed.

Makes enough to serve 4 for dinner or 2-3 big lunch bowls.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Fauxtatoes (paleo)

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This is a new spin on the typical cauliflower mash – a little gussying up, as it were. I served alongside some mini meatloaves topped with a paleo-fied ketchup and dinner was a smash success. Meatloaf & mashed “potatoes” – what’s not to love?

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Caramelized Onion Mashed Fauxtatoes (paleo)

1 head cauliflower
Good quality stock (chicken, vegetable or turkey)
1 medium onion
1 scant 1/2 tsp. 100% maple syrup
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. grass fed butter (or vegan butter substitute)
Kosher salt & white pepper to taste

Thinly slice your onion and add to a medium pan over medium/medium-low heat with the grapeseed oil. Sautee, stirring occasionally and adding the maple syrup about half way through – about 15-20 minutes or until caramelized. Add the onions to the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth, adding splashes of the liquid from the pot of needed to get things going.

While the onions are caramelizing, chop your cauliflower into smallish pieces and add to a medium pot. Add stock until the cauliflower is covered by an inch or so. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook 10 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserving half a cup or so of the cooking liquid.

Add the drained cauliflower to the food processor along with the butter, 2 tsp. kosher salt & a few shakes white pepper. Puree until smooth, adding reserved stock as needed. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed.

Serves 3

Butternut Squash Mash (paleo, whole30)

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Mmmmm….. comfort food. A nice heaping bowl of warm is perhaps my favorite thing about the colder months and meals featuring this side (or a side very like it) sustain me through the cold and the dark like none other.

Try it: under a moroccan tomato ragu with sausage and a fried egg, as a base for a nice thick meaty traditional-style tomato sauce, under some firey shrimp & bacon in place of grits, as a sturdy starchy side for a steak, with a bright gremolata & crunchy almonds, as the “anchor” for a topping of crisped veggies, or pretty much anywhere else you need something substantial to make up a meal.

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Butternut Squash Mash (paleo, whole30)

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
Good quality stock (vegetable, chicken or turkey)
1 Tbsp. grass fed butter (or vegan butter substitute)
1 tsp. ras el hanout (optional)
Kosher salt & black pepper – to taste

Place your peeled butternut squash into a medium pot and add enough stock to cover by an inch or so. Bring to a boil over high heat. Drop the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Drain, reserving half a cup or so of the cooking liquid. Add the drained squash to a large bowl, along with the butter, 2 tsp. salt, a few twists pepper and ras el hanout (if using). Mash, adding splashes of stock, until the mixture is smooth and almost soupy. Re-taste and add salt & pepper as needed.

Serves 2-3 as the main anchor of a dish.

My Fall Addiction – Pumpkin Spice Latte (paleo)

Categories Life3 Comments on My Fall Addiction – Pumpkin Spice Latte (paleo)

It’s fall, and here in NYC the mercury is finally sort of starting to agree with that statement. Not that I’m complaining about the lack of brisk coolness (much), since I’m dreading winter, but fall is my favorite season. No more blazing hot sweat fests! Boots! Jackets! Cute Scarves! Not freezing to death!

And with all of that comes my love and my nemesis … the pumpkin spice latte. I have a seriously love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with the mermaid coffee shop. Their coffee on its own sucks. It’s bitter and burnt and undrinkable without a metric ton of sugar and other fillers, and that’s just no good and not what I desire to be putting into my body. But … they’re everywhere. And they have pumpkin. And the pumpkin. Lucky/not lucky for me, they have never made a “skinny” sugar-free version of the syrup they use & the sugar content of their full fat/sugared coffees makes me sick, so for the last few years I’ve limited my consumption drastically.

This home made version, I’m happy to say, is tasty. Really tasty. I’m still working on the sweet ratio – for me, 1 tsp. of maple syrup is a bit too sweet — I may drop it completely from subsequent batches — but it is solidly good. And it has a vegetable in it, so score there.

For my inaugural run, the version in the picture, I used Earl Grey tea as the base – mostly because I was too lazy to grind coffee. Feel free to use coffee instead. 🙂 The amounts of tea to coconut is also scaled to fit my tea container, which I think is 12 ounces.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte (paleo)

1 1/4 cup brewed Earl Grey tea
1/2 cup coconut milk
1.5 Tbsp. canned 100% pumpkin
1 tsp. 100% Maple syrup
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (equal parts cinnamon, ginger, allspice & nutmeg)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Brew the tea. While the tea is steeping, heat the coconut milk + all other ingredients in a small pan until just bubbling, whisking to combine fully.

Combine the brewed tea with the milky mixture and go to town. If you’re looking for a fancier drink, top with whipped cream and extra grated nutmeg. I drink all hot beverages out of a travel mug (sippy cup for grownups – don’t let me fool you; that pretty latte in the picture went right into the mug), so whipped cream is a no-go. But, were I having company similarly obsessed with pumpkin, whipped cream would not only be a go, but a necessity.

Serves 1

Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette (paleo, Whole30)

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Reformed beet-hater now occasionally craves the color and majesty that is a perfectly roasted beet every once in awhile. When I have those days, I’m happy someone in the health food biz decided to offer pre-roasted beets for sale at Whole Foods.

The recipe is written with a single lunch serving in mind. Feel free to scale up to feed your desired number.

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Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette (paleo, Whole30)

1 small roasted beet (I took the lazy way out here and bought some pre-roasted beets)
1/2 avocado
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds
3-4 ounces leftover rotisserie chicken (optional but delicious)
1/2 grapefruit
Citrus salt (or other flaky finishing salt)

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp. almond oil (or other neutral oil like grapeseed)
1 tsp. grainy mustard
1/2 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar (Braggs ftw)
1 big squirt grapefruit juice

Slice your beets wafer thin, shred the chicken, slice the avocado thin, and toast the almonds in a dry pan until lightly brown. Supreme the grapefruit.

Either add all to a bowl or lay out pretty for a composed salad. Both are equally tasty.

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients and pour over the top. Finish with some tasty salt and eat.

Serves 1 for lunch, but can easily be scaled up to feed more.