Tag: vegetarian

Full Flavor Root Veg Mash

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This time of year, my mind wanders to thick hearty bowls of mashed potatoes; warm and cozy, wrapped in nostalgia. White potatoes, semi-unfortunately, aren’t a part of the high nutrient payload way we are trying to eat these days.

On the plus side, Idaho’s best aren’t the only tubers that purée into loveliness. This mash won’t win any beauty contests, but it is good. Thinner than starchy potatoes, and (at least this version) not as silky, these mashed turnips are still something to be reckoned with. Stout in their own way, with ribbons of decadent butter, homey garlic and a little something extra from stock.

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Full Of Flavor Root Veg Mash

1 lb. turnips, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. or less vegetable stock
1 tsp. granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil the turnips in a large pot of salted water 6-10 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to the bowl of a food processor with the butter and garlic. Let run, drizzling in vegetable stock until your desired consistency is reached. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 3 as a vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo-friendly fall side dish.

Tart and Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Salad

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This dish comes together in a flash and makes a nice, light, refreshing weekday meal. Vaguely Indian, vaguely not – big on flavor and low on fat.

Tart and Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Salad
Inspired by Wacky Chana Chaat from Herbivoracious

Salad Base
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. carrots, diced
1/2 c. black lentils (or any other lentil that stands up to cooking), cooked
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
6 scallions, sliced into thin rounds
1 colored bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 to 3/4 c. mixed color peppers – whichever you fancy)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. sriracha
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Big pinch salt

Yogurt Topper
3 oz. plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
Another big pinch salt

In a medium sized pan over medium heat, toast the chickpeas and carrots until browned. I did this in a dry pan and kept everything moving to prevent sticking. If you’re worried about having to babysit, add a Tablespoon or so of oil to the pan.

While the chickpeas/carrots are cooking, chop the pepper, slice the scallions, halve the tomatoes; toss into a big bowl along with the spices, lime juice, sriracha, and lentils.

Once the chickpeas/carrots are to your liking, add to the bowl. Toss and taste for seasoning.

In a separate small bowl, combine the yogurt, tamarind paste and a big pinch of salt. Stir. Taste and add more salt or tamarind as necessary.

To serve, top bowls of the salad with the yogurt mixture and mint chutney if you have any on hand. Extra splashes of tamarind or squirts of sriracha may be requested.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Eggplant Sauce

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This all-purpose sauce is a great addition to any fall dish and a good way to sneak eggplant past finicky eaters. Try it as a pasta sauce with some fresh ricotta or goat cheese, over a protein with a side of potatoes or greens, nestled in a bowl of polenta, or spread on a sandwich.

I’ve been putting a couple big spoonfuls in pretty much anything I think needs a little comfort food love – including into lunchtime tuna salad. Unexpectedly yum.

*Wtf is umami paste? Umami paste is one of those wing-ding ingredients that while not entirely necessary, lends a little extra something to a dish. Think of it like fish sauce. Fish sauce adds depth to dishes, and so does this stuff. I had half a mind to just add fish sauce instead but grabbed the tube of umami at the last minute. If you have fish sauce (or the original recipe’s tomato paste), by all means use them instead.

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Eggplant Sauce

Based on Yotam Ottolenghi’s Eggplant Sauce

Enough vegetable or other neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan

2c. diced eggplant – 1/4 to 1/2 inch. cubes

2 tsp. umami paste*

1/4 c. white wine

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

big pinch salt

big pinch brown sugar

1 tsp. dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sautee the eggplant for about 15 minutes, or until well wilted and starting to brown in spots.

Add the umami paste to the pan, stir, and cook about 2 more minutes. Add the wine, cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, juice, salt, sugar and oregano and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn the heat off the burner and let cool slightly.

Dump into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until your desired consistency is reached. This step is optional, but makes things more palatable for people with aversions to eggplant consistency.

Serves 2-4, depending upon how much you use and in what application.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I Know: Another Cabbagy Slaw Salady Thing

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know: I’ve posted a bunch of these cabbagey slaw salad-ish dishes, but I love them so. Red cabbage is such a good foil for tanginess that I can hardly resist creating something magnificent or terrible for lunch with leftovers.

This version lends a tangy, sweet, crunchy and spicy backbone to simple black bean burger with avocado crema and a fried egg leftovers (or any other leftovers that aren’t a balanced meal in and of themselves, really).

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Red Cabbage Slaw with Blackberry Honey and Spice

1/4 head red cabbage, sliced very thin

1 tsp. Whidbey Island Blackberry Honey (I realize you most likely don’t have this on hand – substitute regular honey, preferably with a kiss of fresh blackberry or blackberry jam alongside)

2 tsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. sambal olek (I use chicken brand chili sauce with garlic)

A dusting of chopped cilantro

Citrus salt to dress

Combine all ingredients but salt in a bowl, finger toss until everything is playing nicely together. Sprinkle with citrus salt and toss again.

Makes a great kicky accompaniment to any kind of leftovers – if you want to turn it into a full lunch alone, add some salad greens or tuna and/or chickpeas.

Serves 1 for lunch

Red Cabbage and Fennel Slaw with Beet Horseradish

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This is a great little sturdy slaw that works great as a topping for pork burgers or sausages, or as a crunchy side for any other late-summer dinner.

Seriously? I think Lasik might be in my future… I thought this was in focus.

Red Cabbage and Fennel Slaw

1/4 Granny Smith apple
1/4 bulb fennel
1/4 head red cabbage
2 Tbsp. beet horseradish
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. spicy mustard
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Shred the cabbage, julienne the apple and slice the fennel into wafer thin arcs, depositing into a large bowl as you go. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, vinegar and horseradish into a dressing. Pour over the salad & toss. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for dinner as a side, 4 or more as a protein topper.

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

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Sometimes I try to pretend that I don’t wait for this season all year long with varying degrees of patience. Some years, I’d like to think that it’s the corn I’m really after. The berries. Burgers on the grill. But who am I kidding? It’s tomatoes. Tomatoes are what I crave in the deep recesses of winter – tomatoes are what I pine for. Sweet, umami-laden globules of liquid sunshine.

This salad highlights their peak season glory perfectly – and lucky for me, I’m the only tomato worshipper in the house. It’s a dead simple thing to whip up for lunch – barely a recipe, really.

Mine… all mine 😀

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

Mixed heirloom tomatoes – a cup, cup and a half – thinly sliced
1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced thinly
1 tsp. thinly sliced basil ribbons
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. sambal oelek (hot garlic chili sauce – I use the brand with the white chicken – it should be located near the squeeze bottle sriracha with the same chicken and comes in a clear plastic jar with a green lid) – sub for Whole30 sriracha if going that route

Your favorite finishing salt – I used some grey sea salt, but I could see black or Maldon salt being fabulous here, or even citrus-infused kosher

Arrange your tomatoes on a plate. Scatter peaches about until you have something that looks exciting and alive. Sprinkle with basil.

In a small bowl, mix the grapeseed oil and sambal oelek. Beat with a fork to combine.

Drizzle oil mixture over salad. Sprinkle with salt to finish.

Serves 1 for lunch. Feel free to scale up to feed a crowd. If you are making for a party, prepare as close to go time as possible. This salad is best at room temperature (I would never suggest refrigerating fresh tomatoes as it kills some of their taste) or even a little above.

Update: After writing this, my DH came home from work not hungry in the slightest for dinner. I ate this salad again for dinner beefed up with slivers of fennel, crumbles of feta and citrus salt. Yum. I might just have to hit the greenmarket this weekend so I can try a version with rosemary-infused olive oil, smoky cheese and orange….

Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

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If your household is anything like mine, fresh ears of corn dominates the shopping list every week this time of year. And while I absolutely love my corn on the cob and various corn salad permutations, sometimes you just need something a little different. That’s where this creamy, risotto-like side comes into play. This dish takes the best summer has to offer and transports it to near fall amounts of decadence. It’s creamy, it’s hearty, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to a protein main (like the too-dry pheasant in the picture).

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Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

4 ears corn
1/2 c. liquid – water, stock or milk
1/2 red onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. half & half
Salt & pepper to taste

Dice onion and set to sautée in the oil over medium-low heat.

Over a large bowl, de-kernel the corn and then run the back of your knife down the empty cobs to extract the milk.

Add the corn & 1/2 c. liquid to a food processor; whiz until the mixture looks like risotto.

When the onion is softened, add the corn. Raise the temperature to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, 20 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. You want a loose risotto texture.

Add the cheese and half & half. Stir and cook another couple minutes to fully incorporate. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Strawberry Chipotle Jam

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This low-in-sugar jam has a slightly smoky, slightly tangy taste in the background (don’t worry – it’s not enough to overpower the berry taste) and makes a great add-in for freezer pops, ice creams, etc.

Strawberry Chipotle Jam

1 lb. strawberries, washed and de-stemmed
2 Tbsp. sugar

In a large skillet over medium heat, mash the strawberries and sugar with a potato masher until the berries are broken up and well on their way to being somewhat smooth. The sugar should disappear.

Add

1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from a can of chipotles
2 Tbsp. Jack Daniel’s Honey

Bring up to a low boil, drop the heat and simmer (slow tiny bubbles every once in awhile) about 20 minutes or until thickened and sludgy. When you drag a wooden spoon through the mixture, you should have clear tracks left.

Pour into sterilized glass canning jars (making sure to leave some head room) and screw on the lid.

Boil the jars a good 5 minutes to seal.

Makes 2 8 ounce jars.

‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad

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I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but in mine, we’ve been having a heat wave. And I thought it got hot in South Florida — It does, but this heat is something different. In Miami, you have a nice-to-annoying breeze continually wiping the land clean – dragging humid air in its wake. In NYC, you have humidity as well, but asphalt everywhere and tall buildings that alternately create wind tunnels and block all air from moving. It’s taking some getting used to, especially when the mercury tops out at 103, a temperature I haven’t seen since living in northern Florida.

So, what do you cook for dinner when going outside means flirting with immolation? Watermelon salad. This salad is cool, sweet, hot, savory, and delicious. I’ve been eating big bowlfuls by itself for lunch and dinner, but you could serve alongside some form of quick-cooking meat in tube or patty form to round out a meal for more than one if you can stand the heat.

A note on buying watermelon: This recipe is easiest when made with a seedless varietal, but I wasn’t thinking about that when selecting my melon – I was more excited by seeing something new – the deep green Sugar Baby Red variety – than I was concerned with practicality. If you don’t happen to remember seedless watermelon, no biggie, just more prep work will be involved to pick the seeds out.

‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad

4 c. watermelon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (bite sized)
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped fine
Most of a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, diced
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 jalapenos, de-seeded and diced
1/2 – 3/4 c. feta, crumbled if in a block (optional)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. the best (thickest) balsamic vinegar you can find

Combine everything in a large bowl, stir to combine, and set back in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to marry.

Makes a ton – I’ve gotten at least 3 big bowls out of the batch I made.

Banana Pudding Pops

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Banana pudding. ‘Nanner puddin’. Whatever you call it, it brings back childhood memories of deep bowls of sweet goodness, quick gobbling up of leftover Nilla Wafers, of licking the spoon clean. Nostalgia in a bowl.

If you’re not familiar with banana pudding, it’s a (mostly Southern) layered trifle-style dessert made from pudding (vanilla or banana), fresh banana slices, Nilla Wafers or ladyfingers, and some sort of meringue or Cool Whip topper if you’re fancy. There are a thousand recipes and philosophies surrounding the dish, and it seems like every little old Southern lady has her own tried-and-true recipe – some even come out a radioactive shade of yellow and are still fabulous.

My version takes the essential ingredients for a successful ‘nanner puddin’ – pudding, bananas & Nilla Wafers – and transforms them into a cold summer lactose-free dessert. It works. It’s not quite the same as tucking into a huge bowl of silky goodness, but it is a good treat nonetheless.

A note about using dairy-free milk in making pudding: Your box (if you buy Jello brand at least) will say that instant pudding cannot be made with soy milk. It lies. The box also calls for 2 cups of cow milk. Forget that too. If you halve the milk, soy sets up just fine. If you were to use the full 2 cups, the result would be a watery mess; but if you use 1 cup, the pudding sets up nice and stiff. You won’t get as much yield, but if lactose isn’t your friend, this is a small price to pay.

Banana Pudding Pops

1 package fat free instant Vanilla pudding
1 cup Silk soy milk (I would imagine almond milk would work too)
1 large handful Nilla Wafers
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 banana, sliced thin

In a medium bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk. Stick in the fridge and let set up at least an hour.

When your pudding is set and ready to go, crush the wafers and put into a small bowl. Melt the butter, add to the wafers, and mix well. We’re essentially making pie crust crumbles. I suppose you could omit the butter, but I wanted something that would help bind the crumbs and hopefully make them freeze in a pop without crumbling and dumping half in my lap. Success!

Slice your banana and set close by.

Fill your popsicle receptacle in layers, starting with a little pudding and adding layers of crust and banana as you go until you reach the top. Make sure each layer of crust is anchored in a layer of pudding and take care to not make these layers too thick or you risk creating an un-structurally sound pop. I made sure to end with pudding as well for the same reason. Also, make sure to bang your molds in between layers so you don’t get a bunch of empty bubbles. This isn’t the most easy thing to do with something like a rocket mold, but we work with what we have.

Freeze a few hours to overnight.

Makes 2 full and 4 almost full rocket pops. Next time I might add a drop of extra vanilla to the pudding and maybe experiment with an additional 1/4 cup of milk – I think the pudding mix can support it (it was on the thick side), but I have not tested that theory yet. If things are looking a little slack, add more banana to fill the space.