Garlic and Sea Salt

Garlic and Sea Salt has moved!

2011-11-21T16:06:00.001-08:00

To all of my readers, I have decided to combine my two blogs so Garlic and Sea Salt will now be a part of my Fragrant Vanilla Cake and all of my savory posts and recipes will be a part of that page. I will keep this page here so that the past recipes will be available, but visit my blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake for future ones! Here is the link:

http://www.fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/

Roasted Squash and Carmelized Onion Soup Au Gratin

2011-11-10T16:35:00.001-08:00

We all have one of "those" days once in a while. You know, the character building type where you get home and ask..."Where is my big glass of wine and comfort food?" I had one yesterday. We were short at work, I wasn't feeling the best due to a cold, and I felt like I was wishing there were 3 Amys to do my job as it seemed like there was not enough time to get everything done. Alright, so maybe it wasn't so bad...at least my coworker's and I had time to laugh in between the chaos and joke about the glass of wine we would all be needing after work! I was tired when I got home, but was in a good mood at least despite the character building day at work. As I walked in the door I was feeling a bit chilled due to the cool weather that has found its way to Minnesota this week, and so I decided I needed a big bowl of something comforting and delicious for dinner. Afterall, I needed something to go with my wine. My favorite soup came to mind, roasted squash and caramelized onion soup au gratin. Who doesn't love a soup topped off with toasted bread and bubbly cheese?

I hadn't made it in a while, and it was about time! So I poured myself some wine and got to work. Little did I know that a bit of the sort of work day I had would follow me home...as I was trying to unclog the cooking spray so I could roast my squash to go in the soup I totally nailed myself in the face. So I admit, it was rather funny, and at least I didn't get my eyes...but really? I hadn't even drank but a few sips of wine either! Luckilly the rest of the soup making went smoothly and my kitchen was starting to smell of sweet onions and herbs from the pot simmering on the stove. By the time I had ladled the soup into a bowl, topped it off with toasted bread and cheese and broiled it to perfection I was about drooling. It was just as amazing as it always is. Sweet squash and caramelly onions, fragrant herbs, and crusty bread with ooey gooey cheese...pure deliciousness! I can't believe I haven't shared this one on my blog yet, but it is amazing, and sure to make you forget anything unpleasant that happened earlier in the day. What Wednesday? Did that really happen? Well, if you would like to enjoy some for yourself, here is the recipe!

Roasted Squash and Carmelized Onion Soup Au Gratinserves 4

This is the perfect fall soup, great for warming you up on a dreary fall or winter day! This is my absolute favorite soup recipe.

Ingredients:
1 large kabocha or buttercup squash, cut in half from top to bottom, and seeded
non-stick spray
2 Tbsp olive oil

3 medium red onions, halved and sliced thinly
6 garlic cloves, pressed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 cup white wine (of the quality that you would drink)
4 cups veggie stock
1 baguette, cut into 1 inch thick slices (there should be 12), and toasted
6 oz gruyere cheese, grated
6 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 475, and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with non-stick spray, and place squash cut side down on the sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then remove skin, and cut flesh into large cubes, and set aside. In a large dutch oven or pan, heat the oil, over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until starting to turn golden and carmelizing, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and herbs, as well as salt and pepper, and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add wine, and scrape up any brown bits or carmelization on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and squash cubes and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and let cook for at least 20 minutes until squash is falling apart. Add more salt if needed. Turn the oven on to broil. Ladel the squash into 4 large shallow bowls, and top each with 3 pieces of toasted baguette, and the gruyere and mozzarella cheeses. Place under the broiler, and broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 3 minutes more or less depending on the oven. Let cool a few minutes, then serve!

Melange of Roasted Autumn Veggies with Tempeh Bacon

2011-11-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

No use crying over spilt milk...or burnt carrots. Yesterday I had sliced 25 lbs of carrots for a salad at work, and thrown them in the oven to roast thinking they were going to come out all delicious and toasty, only to have my timer fail on me and smell burnt carrots about 45 minutes later. Oh the joys of relying on technology...but that is what happens when you are multitasking and can't keep an eye on the oven yourself! But you know what? I didn't get upset, in fact I found it kind of funny the fact that I went through all that work and would have to do it again. Sometimes I wonder with the amount of chopping I do with my right arm why it isn't twice the size of my left. I sliced more carrots, placed them in the oven and this time they emerged perfectly roasted. Success! I am not one to give up...especially in the kitchen. When I got home I did not simply heat up some soup I had in the freezer for dinner, instead I decided that I would like some roasted veggies! How odd, after my carrot burning experience, but that is what I craved. I had all sorts of delicious things to roast that I knew would make a delicious melange of sorts.

Some chanterelles and lobster mushrooms I was expecially excited to enjoy along with brussels sprouts, carrots (yes I didn't hate them), red peppers, purple potatoes, and rutabagas. I threw in some onions as well and roasted them all to deliciousness. I needed some protein, so some tempeh bacon was added as well, and to give it all a wonderful flavor a balsamic thyme vinaigrette with a touch of truffle oil. It was nice and hearty, which was nice for a cool night. Never mind the burnt carrots, when I have a plate of good food in front of me I don't remember the negatives of the day. Here is the recipe for my roasted veggies if you would like to try it. It is simple to prepare, but so good!

Melange of Roasted Autumn Veggies with Tempeh Bacon
Serves 2

olive oil
2 cups purple potatoes (or other small potatoes), halved if bigger
2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces if large
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup sliced rutabaga
2 large carrots, sliced
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp truffle oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Since the veggies take different times to roast, they need to be dine separately. Toss the potatoes and brussels sprouts with olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Do the same with the mushrooms, bell pepper and onion on another sheet. Then the carrots and rutabagas on another. Place the sheets in the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender and browned at edges (may take longer for potatoes) then remove from the oven and place in a large bowl. Meanwhile, Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook tempeh bacon until crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and when cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces. Place in a bowl, along with roasted veggies. Whisk together olive oil and truffle oil, balsamic, garlic, thyme and sea salt and pepper to taste, then toss it with the veggies and serve!

Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs

2011-10-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

When I was little and I would be begging for something I couldn't have, my Dad would sing me the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", by the Rolling Stones. It would irritate the crap out of me and I just hated hearing that song. I am sure I heard the song hundreds of times played or sung over the years. The funny thing is though, now as an adult, I appriciate it. It is true, as the lyrics go..."you can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." Life is misreable for anyone who doesn't believe this. If I didn't I would have been really upset last night when I went to make Vegan Italian meatballs but didn't have any canned tomatoes or pasta on hand. Instead of getting upset, I decided that it was not meant to be an Italian night, but instead and Asian night for dinner.

I had the ingredients for Asian flavored meatballs, so I made Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs with sauteed veggies. And you know what? They were amazing...and I happened to have some plum saki in my fridge to serve them with! Lesson learned, not getting what I wanted can lead to creativity and a delicious new recipe. Here it is if you wish to try it!

Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs

Serves 4

Meatballs:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 cup chopped red onion
3 cups chopped crimini mushrooms
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts
2 cups dried whole wheat bread crumbs, or as needed
2 Tbsp miso
2 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp sea salt
red pepper flakes

freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

red pepper flakes

1 1/4 cups apple cider

1/4 cup tamari

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water

Veggies:
1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 cups brussels sprouts, halved
2 large carrots, halved and sliced
2 cups mushroom, sliced

toasted sesame seeds
rice to serve

Preheat the oven to 475. To make meatballs, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and carrots, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute until fragrant, then remove from heat. Place mixture in a food processor along with walnuts, breadcrumbs, miso, tamari, sea salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. Add a little more breadcrumbs if too sticky, then shape into 16 little balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until heated through, and starting to brown. Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil and add the brussels sprouts, carrots and mushrooms. Saute until starting to soften, but still slighlty crunchy, just a few minutes. Add the sauce, and cook until thickened, just a few minutes. Remove from heat and add meatballs. Carefully stir to coat (meatballs are fragile, so be careful), sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice if desired.

Autumn Roasted Carrot and Apple Farro Salad

2011-10-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at work, a customer asked me how to prepare farro, as she was trying to incorporate more whole grains into her diet. Luckilly, I knew how to cook it and was able to help! One of my favorite parts of working in the deli at a health food store is being able to help people like her. It makes me happy to be able to give good advice on food, and help people eat healthier in turn. After the little tutorial on farro, I started to think about how good it would be in a salad for dinner. A leafy salad just wouldn't cut it as I was hungry, but a grain salad would be perfect! Not wanting to spend money I decided that I would make it with things I already had on hand. A carrot, a cipollini onion, and an apple. Perfect! I decided to roast them to bring out the flavor, then combine them with cooked farro, some fresh thyme and toasted walnuts in a cider vinaigrette. It was delicious!

All too often I forget about how tasty grains other than the usual rice and quinoa are. Thank goodness that lady asked me about the farro and gave me the idea to make it venturing out of the same old rut! Funny how that worked, I helped her, but she also helped me. Here is the recipe I made if you would like to enjoy it!

Autumn Roasted Carrot and Apple Farro Salad

Serves 2

2 cups water
3/4 cup farro
1 medium cipollini onion, cut into wedges
1 large carrot, sliced
1 medium tart apple cut into large dice
olive oil
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp walnut oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp dijon
sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water and farro in a medium saucepan. Add 1 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475 degrees, and line a large sheet pan with foil. Toss carrots and onions with just enough olive oil to coat and spread out on one side of sheet pan. Scatter apples on the other side and roast for about 10 minutes until the apples are starting to soften. Remove apples from pan, and add to bowl with the farro. Return carrots and onions to the oven and continue to roast until starting to brown at edges and carrots are tender. Let cool slightly then add to the bowl. Add walnnuts and thyme, then whisk together vinegar, oils, syrup, mustard and sea salt and pepper to taste and add to the bowl. Toss to coat, and serve at room temperature.

Sweet and Spicy Squash and White Bean Chili

2011-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

You would think that after making soups at work during the week when it has been 80 degrees in Minnesota, the last thing I would want to be making on the weekend would be chili...wrong. It may be hot outside, but for sime reason I decided that I had to have chili today. Maybe because it is Sunday, and the football game was on? Those two things go together right? I don't think that was what influenced my decision. Although I watched the game today, and was pleased to see that the Minnesota Vikings actually won a game for the first time this year...I would not consider myself a football kind of girl. Good for them though, hopefully they will win a few more before the year is up! Anyways, more than likely it is the feeling of autumn that I got when going for a walk this afternoon through the woods and admiring the beautiful firey colored trees and crunching the leaves beneath my feet that said to me "it is fall, you should make chili!" Nevermind the warm temperatures.

I had piles of ripe tomatoes from my Grandpa ready to be roasted and thrown into chili as well as a good selection of hot peppers and buttercup squash begging to be eaten. So chili it was! Being that I only had navy beans in my cupboard, this was to be white bean chili. In the deli where I work I always catch a hard time from all of my coworkers every time I use navy beans. This is because they know it is my favorite bean and more than likely it is what I am putting into anything containing beans. My friend Gabrielle even put a lable on the white beans that read "Amy's White Beans". So I had to laugh to myself when they were the only beans I found on my search through the cupboard this afternoon. I had all day to putz with this chili, so cooking the beans myself and using oven roasted homegrown tomatoes and squash in the chili were no problem. Some ingredients I don't normally put in chili found their way into the pot this time making it even more irrisistable when I snuck a taste...raisins, almond butter and red wine. My kitchen smelled wonderful as the chili simmered away! I couldn't wait enjoy a bowl!

I whipped up a batch of vegan cornbread and was ready for dinner! It was scrumptious! It was sweet and spicy, savory, and autumnal. Not bad for a throw together on a whim. If you would like to experience the chili for yourself, here is the recipe!

Sweet and Spicy Squash and White Bean Chili

Serves 8

1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 large onions, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 habanero, seeded and minced

1 cup carrots, sliced

8 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp smoky paprika

1/4 cup red wine

3 16 oz cans organic fire roasted tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp tamari

2 Tbsp almond butter

4 cups veggie broth
4 cups cooked navy beans
1/4 cup raisins

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 cups cubed cooked buttercup or butternut squash*

vegan sour cream
sliced scallions

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Add the onions, habanero, jalapenos, and carrots, and saute until softened, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, paprika, chipotle powder, and cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the wine, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cider vinegar, cocoa powder, maple syrup, tamari, almond butter, veggie broth, and bring to a boil. Simmer until flavors have blended, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add cooked beans, raisins and squash, and sea salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until heated through. Serve hot with vegan sour cream sliced scallions to garnish and cornbread if desired.

* Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Cut 1 large buttercup squash in half from top to bottom, and remove seeds. Place cut side down on baking sheet, and roast for about 25-30 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and let cool until cool enough to handle, then remove skin and cut into cubes.

Roasted Chanterelle and Leek Salad with Pears and Pecans

2011-10-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting Montréal last week, I visited a restaurant called DNA. The atmosphere was wonderful and the service excellent! They had the most beautiful orange decor, but more importantly the food was delicious!

I ordered some delicious pappardelle pasta scattered with local mushrooms including chanterelles. It was delicious and earthy due to the flavorful mushrooms.

I had every ambition to try and recreate the $30 plate when I arrived home, and I even found some locally grown chanterelles at the market, but my day had other plans. Instead of putzing with home made pappardelle today I visited a local winery, St. Croix Vineyards for some wine tasting. Of course I ended up buying wine there, as well as some late harvest riesling vinegar. Being that it was a warm day, and that I was feeling a bit lazy in the dinner department, I decided that the chanterelles would be lovely in a salad also using some of that vinegar that I had bought. So I roasted some chanterelles (as well as a bit of crimini mushrooms which are more affordable) and some leeks and tossed them with some ripe d'anjou pears and toasted pecans for a delicious salad!

I dressed it with a riesling maple walnut dressing with a bit of thyme and voila! Deliciousness! It wasn't a good day for pasta anyhow, and the salad paired perfectly with some dry riesling I had also picked up today. Maybe I will make pappardelle when the weather chills out a bit, but for now this salad did the trick to showcase the chanterelles! If you have access to them you should try making it yourself!

Roasted Chanterelle and Leek Salad with Pears and Pecans

Serves 2

1 large leek, sliced

10 chanterelle mushrooms, halved if large
10 crimini mushrooms, halved
olive oil
1 large D'anjou pear, sliced
1/2 cup toasted pecans

1 large head leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

Dressing:
2 Tbsp walnut oil
2 Tbsp riesling vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp honey dijon mustard

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Toss mushrooms and leeks with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on baking sheet. Roast in the oven until tender and starting to brown at edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then add to a large bowl along with the pear, pecans and leaf lettuce. Whisk dressing ingredients together, then pour over salad and toss well. Serve!

Italian Stuffed Eggplant

2011-09-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

I had the urge to buy eggplant at the store last Saturday but I had no idea what I was going to do with it. That is the fun part I guess when you impulse buy produce. It was local and it looked really fresh so I couldn't resist. The thing I love about eggplant is it is a blank palette of sorts, able to soak up whatever delicious flavors you choose to add to it. So Sunday the question was what to make? Eggplant parmesan sounded too heavy and bready so I decided on stuffed eggplant. I guess I kind of wung it on this one having no recipe, which was a bit brave since I was making it for me and my boyfriend Scott who hasn't had a whole lot of exposure to eggplant. Good thing he is always a good sport and tries my experiments along with me.

I sauteed the inner part of the eggplant along with onions, bell peppers, garlic and Italian herbs, and combined it with cheese to make a delicious filling, then bathed it in my home made roasted tomato sauce (but in the recipe below I have just specified a can of tomatoes to make it easier on you should you choose to make it), and baked it until bubbly. It was beautiful!

I have to admit I was rather proud of how it looked and it smelled like a lasagna! It was delicious as well thank goodness, a successful experiment. I will definately be making it again if I get my hands on more eggplant before they go out of season! It is a lot easier to make than it looks, so I would encourage you to try the recipe as well!

Italian Stuffed Eggplant

Serves 2-4

Sauce:

1 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Eggplants:
2 medium eggplants
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 oz grated parmesan cheese
5 oz shredded mozzerella cheese

To make sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper and saute for 30 seconds, then add balsamic, tomatoes, herbs, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let simmer for 20 minutes to develop flavor, then remove from heat and keep warm.
To prepare eggplant, heat oven to 400 degrees, and line an 11x7 inch baking dish with foil. Spray foil with spray and set aside. Halve each eggplant lengthwise and scoop out middle of each halve leaving a 3/4 inch boarder. Chop insides for filling. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and add onions. Saute for about 5 minutes until softened and add garlic, eggplant, peppers herbs, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Saute until eggplant is very soft, another 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in 1/2 the tomato sauce, parmesan and 4 oz of the mozzerella reserving the rest for topping. Place eggplants cut side up in dish, and stuff each with the eggplant mixture dividing evenly between the 4 halves. Top with remaining sauce, then place in the oven and bake for about 30 min. Add cheese after they are heated through and eggplant shells are tender and bake until it is starting to bubble another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto

2011-09-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

A chill is in the air, and risotto season is here once again! There is nothing I love more than sitting down to a bowl of creamy comfort food for dinner on a chilly day, or just when I am craving a food hug. A few years ago when I first discovered the deliciousness of risotto, I would make it about 3 times a week in the cool months, not even counting the sweet risotto dessert I would make quite often. It was something that I would come home from work wanting, so creamy and rich, and the best part was I could make it with whatever I had on hand and in my pantry. Arborio rice is so delicious when cooked properly and it can be made very rich if you are in a naughty mood or veganized if not but still tastes just as delicious! In the last year however, I have fallen in love with barley risotto. Hulled barley needs a good soaking before cooking it if you want it to be ready faster, but I feel like I am getting more of a nutritional bang for my buck when I use it in place of the white rice.

Last weekend when I came across a large selection of local mushrooms at the market, I had to buy them, because in my head I was invisioning a creamy dreamy mushroom risotto! I thought it would be the perfect thing to make for me and my boyfriend Scott on Sunday for dinner. I also grabbed some locally grown kale and crimini mushrooms as well as some truffled cheese and I was already looking forward to the deliciousness that would result. Scott helped me grate the cheese and prepare the kale while I chopped the mushrooms and sauteed the crimini and it was wonderful to actually help me with dinner! I suppose most of the time I am a control freak and I just do it all myself, but he is rather cute in the kitchen so I welcome his help. Once the mushrooms were added to the risotto the kitchen was filled with the most wonderful earthy rich aroma...my mouth was watering and I couldn't wait for the barley to finish cooking. It smelled even better once the truffled cheese had been added and truffle oil had been drizzled over it!

It was as delicious as it smelled...hearty grains bathed in silky earthy mushroom sauce, dare I say it...heavenly! Scott enjoyed it as well, even if the kale was a new thing to him. I always appriciate that he is a good sport with my recipe experiments...luckilly this one was a success! If you would like to try some, I have included the recipe.

Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto

Serves 3-4

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup hulled barley, soaked for at least 2 hours in water

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup white wine

4 cups mushroom (or veggie) stock, heated to almost boiling

sea salt
freshly ground pepper
7 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced
2 cups kale, torn into bite sized pieces
4 oz grated Cacio Di Bosco Tartufo cheese or other truffled cheese, grated (if not available pecorino romano or parmesan will do)
truffle oil, for finishing
1 oz Cacio Di Bosco Tartufo shaved, for garnish

In a large stockpot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add shallots. Saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, herbs and barley and saute a minute more. Then add wine, 1 cup of stock, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer and stir occasionally until the barley has absorbed most of the liquid. Add another cup of stock, and let absorb. Repeat with remaining stock, and when last cup has been added, add mushrooms and allow to cook until they are tender. Add kale and cook until wilted and bright green. Add shredded cheese, stir in and allow to melt, then taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. When barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, spoon into bowls, drizzle with truffle oil, and top with the shaved cheese.

Roasted Tomatoes on Toast with Chevre, Poached Egg and Fresh Basil

2011-09-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes fresh from the garden are one of the most heavenly vegetables. I had a big pile of tomatoes on my counter that I had recieved from my Grandpa and I decided that they needed to be included in my dinner. I could have simply made a caprese salad and had them raw, but I love them so much roasted that that is what I did with them.

I had some crusty peasant bread to top with the roasted tomatoes which I decided to do up crostini style except for the fact that don't have a grill so I oven toasted them. Still just as delicious because what was important was the tomatoes. I sprinkled them with chevre for richness, basil for herby freshness and lastly a poached egg, which I love on just about any sort of toast. As a whole it was delicious, but what made it was the tomatoes. Roasting them brought out the essence of tomato...an intense sweet tart bright flavor which I love and you can only find in fresh summer tomatoes. I would encourage you to try this, it is perfect for a light dinner, or brunch and so simple to make!

Roasted Tomatoes on Toast with Chevre, Poached Egg and Fresh Basil

Serves 2

Tomatoes:

3 medium tomatoes, cut into eigths

olive oil

sea salt

Toast:

2 medium peasant bread slices

olive oil

1 garlic clove

Poached eggs:
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cups water

2 large organic eggs

2 oz chevre, crumbled

2 Tbsp fresh basil, cut chiffonade

balsamic syrup (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To roast tomatoes, preheat oven to 475 degrees, line two large baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Spread out tomatoes on one baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt and set aside.

To make toast, brush olive oil over each bread slice and place on other baking sheet. Toast in the oven until browned then cut garlic in half and rub over each toast slice using the cut side. Set aside.

To poach eggs, heat water to a simmer in a medium saucepan with the vinegar and salt. Crack an egg into a ramakin. Stir water with a spoon to swirl, and carefully pour egg into it. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or preferred doneness, and remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with other egg.

To plate, place a piece of toast on each plate, then top each with tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and a poached egg, and lastly basil and a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle balsamic syrup around the plate and serve!

Roasted Blueberry Salsa

2011-09-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how I decided that I needed to add blueberries to my salsa, but for some reason it had to be done. Afterall, many people add fruit to their salsa but it is usually something like mangoes or pineapple...not berries. My Mom said it sounded disgusting and thought I was crazy for doing such a thing, that is until she tasted it and was won over. Every summer we get a large amount of tomatoes from my Grandpa's garden and much of that goes to making roasted chipotle salsa. Many different things have been added to it my favorite of which is habaneros for a kick but never blueberries.

So last week when I threw the tomatoes, onions, garlic and berries on the pan and hoped that this experiment would be delicious. It sure smelled good...but of course it had to cool before we could properly taste it. Once cool, I added lime, basil, and chipotle and I was right about my premonition that this would be good. It had a deep tomato flavor with a hint of tart and sweet from the berries which lended almost a jammy note. I had blended it pretty smooth because that is the way my Mom likes it and I was to share it with her, but I think next time I would leave it chunkier were I making it for myself. It was perfect with some home made chips I had made in anticipation of the salsa making. My Mom admitted that it was good and I have to say, she has eaten most of it the salsa lover she is! So if you are looking for a salsa that is a little different here is the recipe!

Roasted Tomato Blueberry Salsa

Makes about 6 cups

6 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 8ths

1 red onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves

olive oil

2 cups organic blueberries

1/2 cup fresh basil
juice of 4 limes
sea salt
1 Tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil. Spread out tomatoes, onions, and garlic on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes until softened then add blueberries and continue to roast for about another 10 minutes until the berries have burst and everything is starting to caramelize and brown at edges. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in a food processor along with basil, lime juice, sea salt to taste, chipotle, freshly ground pepper to taste, and agave nectar. Process to desired consistency and chill before serving.

Blueberry Basil Quinoa Tabouli Salad

2011-08-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days where I felt like I needed a break from too much rich food. Too many sweets and indulgence on Saturday was the problem, but luckilly I had lots of fresh produce in my fridge. Nothing but fresh, cool vegetables or fruit was sounding good to me for dinner. I had a large container of blueberries from Wisconsin that were some of the best I have tasted in years, plus a large pile of cucumbers from my Grandpa's garden so I decided that those two things needed to be included in whatever I decided to make. For some reason quinoa tabouli came to mind. It is a favorite of mine in the summer, classic, or a twist changing up the veggies and dressing. Although I had some tomatoes from my Grandpa's garden as well, I decided swap them out for blueberries to be a little different and not make classic tabouli this time!

I threw in basil and toasted almonds, and it was delicious! It was a little like original tabouli in that it contained mint, cucumbers, lemon and garlic, but it was something a little different as well! I had used a mixture of black and white quinoa because I enjoy both, but it made the salad a little more appealing to the eyes as well as the taste buds. It was fresh, and like something you would enjoy at a spa, or a light dinner to leave you feeling healthy. The berries provided welcome little tart sweet pops of flavor among the savory ingredients! So much for feeling yuck from over indulgence. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it!

Blueberry Basil Quinoa Tabouli Salad

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed (I used a mixture of black and white)

1 cup fresh organic blueberries

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced small

2 scallions, sliced

1/2 cup fresh organic basil leaves, minced

1/4 cup fresh organic mint, minced

3/4 cup toasted almonds

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 large garlic clove, minced
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool. When quinoa is cool, combine with the berries, cucumber, basil, scallions, and almonds. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss dressing with salad, and chill.

Melange of Roasted Summer Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Basil Chevre Cream

2011-08-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

When summer is at its peak, I can think of nothing better than a nice big pile of roasted veg. Eggplant, corn, peppers, zucchini...I love it all, the beautiful colors like confetti on my plate. A few nights back I raided my fridge, and found lots of veggies to roast. I tossed them with a little olive oil, threw them in the oven, combined them, and what resulted was an intensely flavored beautifully colored dinner, just what I crave in the summer. I call it a melange, because it was many different veggies, contributing different delicious flavors and textures.

I topped my veggies off with poached eggs for protein, because I love the way they ooze silky rich yolks when you cut into them. They were the perfect accompaniment to my veggies with some crusty bread for dinner. I also included a bit of creamy chevre to add some richness and textural contrast to the veggies. It was a delicious hearty meal showcasing local prouce at its best! This is the way I feel I should eat every night. Whatever veggies you have laying around you should try this out, feel free to substitute for my list with veggies local to your neck of the woods!

Melange of Roasted Summer Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Basil Chevre Cream

Serves 3

Olive oil

1 large eggplant, cut into large dice

2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced thickly

1 cup fresh corn kernals

12 crimini mushrooms

2 red bell peppers, cut julienne

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

sea salt to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 Tbsp fresh oregano

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Chevre Cream:

3 oz chevre

goat milk (enough to thin)

2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced

Poached eggs:
1 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cups water

6 large organic eggs

To roast veggies, preheat oven to 475 degrees, line 2 large baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, corn and scallions with just enough oil to coat and spread out on 2 pans. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, until veggies are tender and starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add garlic. Saute for a minute until fragrant, then add balsamic, tomatoes, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and let simmer for 10 minutes. When other veggies are done roasting add them to the pot, along with the herbs and stir to combine. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To make chevre cream, mix chevre with just enough goat milk to make it the consistency of sour cream, then stir in basil.

To plate, spoon the veggie mixture between each of 3 plates dividing evenly, then top each with 2 poached eggs and a little of the chevre cream. Sprinkle eggs with a little fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve!

Thai Tofu Lettuce Cups

2011-08-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am all for simple things for dinner as of lately as it seems like I never have a free moment to just sit. So last week when I wanted something fast for dinner, I decided that the tofu I had in the fridge was a good option, combined with veggies I simply needed to chop.

I have seen lettuce wraps on restaurant menus, but they almost always have pork, beef or some other sort of meat...and being vegetarian I would never try them. But I would try and make some for myself which is exactly what I did with the tofu.

I combined it with a sweet savory dressing and some local peppers and scallions, then simply wrapped it in lettuce I had bought at the farmer's market. Super simple, but that is what was needed and it was delicious! I don't know why I waited until now to try making them!

I even made a Thai Pineapple Martini to go along with it...and if you are interested the recipe will be on my other blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake!

Happy Monday, and hope you all have a wonderful week, even if it may be busy.

Thai Tofu Lettuce Cups

Serves 2

Tofu:

10 oz tofu, cut into small cubes

1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp peanut oil

Dressing:

1 Tbsp tamari

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

2 scallions, sliced

6 large leaves of lettuce

To make tofu, preheat oven to 475 degrees, line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss tofu with tamari and peanut oil and spread out on pan. Roast for about 15 minutes until starting to brown and remove from oven. Whisk together dressing ingredients. In a bowl, combine tofu, pepper and scallions and toss with dressing to coat. To serve spoon tofu mixture into the lettuce leaves and eat taco style.

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Pecorino Romano, Toasted Pine Nuts and Basil

2011-08-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my Grandpa brought me over a bag of home grown cucumbers from his garden and I have been enjoying them all week. There is simply no substitute for growning them yourself, the ones from the store never taste the same! I love to simply eat them with hummus for a snack, or blend them up into a cold soup, they are so good! I was given a watermelon yesterday, and so I thought, what better to pair it with than the cool cucumbers!

It has been hot and humid all week afterall, and I think we are all in need of a bit of cooling from the inside out. Nothing complicated here, just the cukes and melon, to which I added a bit of fresh basil from my herb garden and some pine nuts and pecorino romano for richness. Then to top it off I drizzled it with a bit of lemon juice and basil oil I had on hand. So refreshing! Simple summer produce at its best! This is a wonderful combination you can only enjoy at the peak of summer. Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Pecorino Romano, Toasted Pine Nuts and Basil

Serves 3

1 medium organic cucumber, sliced into rings

1 1/2 cup organic watermelon, cut into chunks

3 Tbsp pine nuts

3/4 oz pecorino romano cheese, shaved

a few fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade

Dressing:

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp basil oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

On each of 3 plates, arrange cucumber and melon decoratively, sprinkle with pine nuts, pecorino and basil leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and basil oil and drizzle over the salads. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper if desired.

Mid-Summer Slaw with Roquefort

2011-07-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

One salad that is often seen on a picnic buffet in the summer is coleslaw. I can see why so many people love it due to its creamy dressing and cooling effect on the body. However, when I was younger I didn't have a taste for it. Even now as an adult, it has to be really good coleslaw in order for me to eat it, or at least the creamy homestyle kind. I am all about the ones made with light Asian dressing. It is the heavyness of the loads of mayonnaise in most classic recipes I don't care for. Which is exactly why when my Mom said I should make some classic coleslaw for her, and I agreed, I tweaked the recipe quite a bit.

First off, I figured if it was going to have richness it wasn't going to come from the mayonnaise so I added some local roquefort style cheese to it. I love how it adds so much flavor without having to add a large amount. Second, I made a vegannaise based dressing and laced it with lemon nstead of the usual vinegar to keep it summery and added some honey for sweetness instead of the large amount of sugar in most recipes. Fresh herbs were a must as well, so I picked some basil and chervil from my patio and added them for freshness. I thought it was delicious, the best creamy slaw I have ever tasted! The roquefort giving it that something special that other slaws do not have. The big test however was if my Mom would approve...and she did! She told me that I would need to make this a few more times before summer is over. I have included the recipe if you would like to try my version of creamy coleslaw.

Mid-Summer Slaw with Roquefort

Serves 4-6

Slaw:

1/2 1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, cut julienne
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chervil, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled roquefort cheese

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegannaise
juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, shallot, basil, chervil, and roquefort. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth, then pour over the slaw and toss well to coat. Serve chilled.

Black Raspberry Ginger Lemonade with Mint

2011-07-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

It feels like 105 degrees today and yet I still managed to spend some time outside. I was only out for an hour, and when I got back inside I felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over my head from sweating so much, as the dewpoint is at 79%. Why do I live in Minnesota again? Despite the humidity, my time outdoors was worth it. I went berry picking. Beautiful wild black raspberries to be specific!

They are like little delicious deep purple jewels of goodness! I actually prefer the flavor of the black ones to the red, they are sweeter and the flavor is more concentrated. I wish I could have a large bush of them growing in my back yard, but I have to settle for going elsewere to find them. That is ok though, it is more interesting that way.

So today when I came home all hot and sweaty, full of bug bites and scratches from the raspberry bushes and I needed something cold and refreshing to drink to cool off. I decided a black raspberry ginger lemonade with mint. I figured I might as well make something featuring the delicious harvest I had just gathered. It hit the spot and cooled me off. The drink was sweet and tart, refreshing and cooling, perfect for curing the effects of the nasty humidity! Hope it is cooler where you are, but if not, make one for yourself and enjoy!

Black Raspberry Ginger Lemonade with Mint

Makes 1

6 fresh mint leaves

about 6 ice cubes

1/3 cup black raspberries

2 Tbsp ginger syrup* or to taste

1/3 cup lemon juice

ice cubes
ice water

In a large glass, muddle mint with ice until mint is crushed up, then add berries and mush a bit to release juices. Add ginger syrup, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and a few ice cubes, along with enough cold water to fill the glass and stir until blended.

*Ginger Syrup

1 inch piece of ginger

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar and stir to dissolve agave nectar. Place in the fridge and let sit overnight, or a few days before using. Remove ginger and use to sweeten drinks with a kick!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken Style Seitan

2011-07-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

I always have to have a large industrial sized jar of peanut butter in my fridge. It is a staple, used for everything from on toast, to creating delicious desserts, to snacking on celery with. One of my favorite applications for peanut butter however, is in a dressing, especially one with thai flavors! It is great on a tossed salad with veggies, but I especially love it when paired with noodles! When I used to be a pescatarian, I made one with shrimp and veggies, and it was always something that I loved so much I licked the plate clean. I hadn't made it since becoming a vegetarian, but decided to this week with sauteed chicken style seitan in place of the shrimp. I was going over to my boyfriend Scott's house for dinner and wanted something that could be made a day ahead of time and taste delicious, since I didn't want to cook after work. It was a risk, as he is not a vegetarian and seitan is something that was new to him. But I had confidence that it would be good, afterall, how could anyone resist a silky peanut butter sauce on noodles! I added lots of crunchy local veggies, radishes, snap peas and carrots, with cilantro and scallions. I wanted to add red pepper, but local and organic ones weren't available and I wasn't about to buy an expensive pepper shipped half way around the world that wasn't even organic. I didn't miss the pepper, and there was plenty of veg as was. I laced the dressing with lots of ginger and spicy pepper, and it had a nice kick, spicy enough to warm you up, but not so much that you burn your face off. The salad was satisfying and just as I had remembered it...I even liked the seitan better than the shrimp! Best yet, I got Scott to try seitan. He may not be a vegetarian, but that's alright, at least he eats my food, and in his own words the thai peanut noodles were yummy! Try it for yourself if you are a peanut butter lover like me!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken Style Seitan

Serves 2

1 Tbsp peanut oil
16 oz chicken style seitan, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp tamari

4 oz linguini or other long noodles, cooked and cooled to room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1 cup carrots, cut julienne
1/2 cup radishes, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh organic cilantro, minced

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp tamari
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
sea salt (to taste)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

In a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat peanut oil and add seitan, ginger and garlic, and saute until ginger and garlic are fragrant and cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Add tamari and cook a minute more. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine seitan, noodles and veggies. In a medium bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth, then pour over veggies in the larger bowl. Toss to coat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve!

Strawberry, Snap Pea and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad with Basil

2011-07-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Some day I would like to learn how to make my own fresh mozzarella. I love its soft texture and richness perfect for serving in summer salad or on a caprese salad made from home grown tomatoes. Once you have tasted it, you will never want to go back to the flavorless rubbery bricks from the supermarket. Someday perhaps I will master the art of making it when I have more time on my hands. Until then I guess I will have to leave it to the experts. When I discovered that the coop I shop at makes their own last week I was very excited and had to buy some right away! I ended up buying 1 lb of it, some of which went into a pasta salad, and the rest of which I decided needed to be paired with some sort of sweet red fruit...no, not tomatoes. Strawberries!

I love the combination of the cremy cheese with the sweet and slightly tart berries. I could eat this for dessert, but since I was making dinner I added a few savory elements as well. I had some locally grown sugar snap peas, and fresh basil from my patio, and I thought they would go perfect with the berries and mozzarella. I made a basil lemon vinaigrette and drizzled it over the whole lot and it was delicious! Super simple to make, and yet so good! The cheese has a way of melting in your mouth and the berries cut through the richness with their sweet jammyness. The snap peas add some crunch and the basil adds a lovely herbal element. This is the way food should taste in the summer! I have a feeling buying this fresh mozzarella and creating new salads may become a weekly thing. If you can get your hands on some, try this salad out!

Strawberry, Snap Pea and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad with Basil

Serves 3

2 Tbsp basil oil*

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

8 oz buffalo mozzarella, cut into medium sized cubes

8 oz strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/2 cup baby peas

8 fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together basil oil and lemon juice and set aside. Arrange mozzarella, strawberries and snap peas on a plate in an attractive way, then sprinkle with snap peas, drizzle with oil mixture, sprinkle with basil and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve!

*to make basil oil, in a food processor place 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and process until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

Moroccan Potato Salad

2011-07-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

I went the entire 4th of July weekend without eating potato salad. Pasta salad I did enjoy, but potato salad was something I failed to make. It may sound like a sin to some to not eat it on the day of the summer when it seems the most common. I bet it is the most common summer picnic salad because have been selling so much of it at my work in the deli lately it is crazy! So yesterday after not having it on the 4th I was hungry for it, so I decided to make myself some. It is the peak of potato salad season afterall. No classic potato salad for me however, I decided I needed something a little exotic. So I decided to use a Greek yogurt based dressing and add some moroccan elements to it. I laced the dressing with tahini and lemon with a bit of cumin and garlic, and sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds and smoked paprika. For veggies I roasted some garlic scapes and asparagus I had in my fridge and added it to the potatoes along with some kalamata olives. It was delicious! I think I might even like this version better than the classic! So...who cares if I didn't eat potato salad 4th of July weekend. This more than made up for it!

Moroccan Potato Salad

Serves 2

Dressing:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup garlic scapes cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups baby potatoes, halved, or quartered
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
1/4 cup fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
4 hardboiled eggs, sliced
mixed greens of your choice (such as arugula, mizuno, dandilion, spinach, watercress)
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
smoked Spanish paprika

Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth, and place in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 475 and line a sheet pan with foil. Toss asparagus and scapes with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on pan. Roast for about 15-20 minutes until tender then remove from oven and let cool. In a medium pot, cover potatoes with water and add about 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large bowl, combine roasted veggies, potatoes, shallot, olives, mint, and eggs in a bowl, and toss with dressing until well combined. Place greens on a plate, and top with salad, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little smokey paprika.

Wild Iris Martini

2011-07-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just need to go for a walk by myself to unwind. My favorite place to go for a stroll and get lost in my thoughts is through the woods, or on a path filled with lots of lovely vegetation. It is a time when I don't have to do anything but think and walk, just enjoying my surroundings and forget about the cares and demands of the day. I was on such a walk when I came across some irises. I am sure at some point they had been planted by someone, as they are not a wild flower, but these appeared to be the way they were randomly among the other plants in the woods. I guess even irises need a little freedom sometimes and not be confined to fenced in landscaped yards...sort of the way I like to be alone on my walks and get away from noise, distractions and demands of any sort.

The wild irises inspired a cocktail that I made tonight, a refreshing gin base with fresh blueberries, a hint of lemon and floral lavander. It's color was every bit as lovely as the iris itself, and the flavor was refreshingly floral with a hint of tartness from the lemon and sweetness from the berries. The gin itself had a nice herbal note, which reminded me of nature and my walks through the woods. Here is the recipe if you would like to enjoy something wonderfully refreshing!

Wild Iris Martini (gin with blueberry, lemon and lavander)Serves 1

1/3 cup fresh organic blueberries
4-6 large ice cubes
1 1/2 oz lavander agave syrup*
4 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz fresh organic lemon juice
fresh blueberries
lemon slice

In a martini shaker, muddle the berries with the ice, crushing them until they are in small pieces. Add the lavander syrup, gin, and lemon juice, place top on shaker, and shake until well blended. Pour through a strainer into a chilled martini glass, adding a few fresh berries to your glass and a lemon slice for garnish and serve!

*Lavander Syrup:

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup boiling water

2 Tbsp dried lavander flowers

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar, and mix well. Cover and let sit for at least a day in the fridge to infuse, or up to a month.

Edamame Pasta Salad with Arugula Mint Pesto

2011-06-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

It is pesto season. The part of the year when our gardens and refridgerators are all filled with lots of greens and herbs just begging to be blended to perfection with nuts, garlic and oils. I love that the possibilities are endless when it comes to pesto ingredients. Afterall, there are no rules. Although the classic basil always gets made a lot at my house, all sorts of greens find their way into my pesto. Tonight when I decided that pesto pasta sounded delicious, I grabbed a bunch of arugula and a bunch of mint and got to work.

I had never combined these two ingredients before in a pesto, but an experiment was in order. I combined them with pepitas that I had in my fridge as well, because at the moment I was out of walnuts and pine nuts. The rest of the ingredients I added to the pesto were ones I would use in a classic pesto, but it had such a different vibrant flavor than any other pesto I have made due to the peppery arugula and fresh strong mint. I kept it vegan this time and skipped adding any cheese since the pepitas and the olive oil had already contributed plenty of richness. I decided that this salad needed to have lots of veggies as well in addition to the pasta, so I added edamame for protein, and radishes and carrots for color as well as crunch. It was all quite a delicious combination! If you are in pesto making mode as well, here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Edamame Pasta Salad with Arugula Mint Pesto

Serves 4

Pesto:

1/2 cup mint

1 cup arugula

1 cup pepitas

2 lemons
4 garlic
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

8 oz penne pasta
10 radishes, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, cut julienne
1/2 cup pepitas
1 12 oz bag frozen edamame, thawed

Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse with water, drain and let cool. In a large bowl, combine pasta, radishes, carrots, pepitas, and edamame. Add pesto and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

Cherry Pistachio Salad with Sweet Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Mint

2011-06-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Often times in life simple is best. I went on a walk last night along the Mississippi river with someone special after dinner, and although it was just a walk it was so much more than that. It It was one of the most enjoyable walks, not to mention moments I have had in quite a long time filled with lots of good conversation. It was a beautiful night, with a light breeze and lots of people watching of course with an awesome view of the river. Although I have to admit the company was more of the enjoyment than the act of walking itself. I guess it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it in good company. It was so much better than any movie we could have gone to, or something costing lots of money to do. I have always appriciated the simple, especially when it comes to spending time with those you care about. Afterall, without all the distractions you can just focus on each other, and that is always best! The same goes for food sometimes as far as simplicity goes. Tonight I made a wonderful salad with a few fresh seasonal ingredients, cherries, mint, and local greens topped off with some toasted pistachios. It was delightful! So simple and quick to make, and yet so good! The perfect accompaniment to a light tofu dish I had also made. I have included a recipe if you would like to try some! Take some time to enjoy the simple things in life, all too often we get lost in the details.

Cherry Pistachio Salad with Sweet Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Mint

Serves 2

Dressing:

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp agave nectar

sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
1 cup pitted halved fresh cherries
2 Tbsp fresh mint, cut in chiffonade
1 large bunch of arugula or greens of your choice
1/2 cup shelled roasted salted pistachios

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cherries, mint, and greens. Pour over dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad between 2 plates, and scatter pistachios over each.

Rhubarb BBQ Tofu with Roasted Asparagus and Green Garlic Quinoa

2011-06-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for BBQ! Just because I am a vegetarian doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it as much as the people slathering it on chicken, pork and beef! I love BBQ tofu, especially of the fruit based variety, so when I had a large amount of tofu last weekend, I knew what to do with it...make BBQ sauce for some tofu! The rhubarb contriubuted a nice tangyness that doesn't come from other fruit or veggies I normally inculde in sauce.

I decided to serve the BBQ tofu with roasted asparagus quinoa since I had bought some delicious tender locally grown asparagus. I laced the salad with green garlic, and lots of lemon for a pop of flavor. It was a nice accompaniment to the sweet and tangy tofu! As a whole it screamed SPRING without being a salad. I suppose it is nearly summer and the rhubarb and asparagus are nearly gone, so might as well enjoy them while they are available! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Tofu in Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Serves 2

1 10 oz block firm tofu, diced

peanut oil

1 Tbsp peanut oil

2 cups organic rhubarb, diced

1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp mustard of your choice
2 Tbsp mirin
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and toss tofu with just enough peanut oil to coat. Place on baking sheet, and bake until starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, Add 1 Tbsp peanut oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rhubarb and garlic, and saute until fragrant, 1 minute, then add orange juice, agave nectar, tamari, mustard, and mirin, along with sea salt to taste and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and starting to break up. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. Serve sauce over tofu!

Roasted Asparagus and Green Garlic Quinoa

Serves 2

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp lemon zest
juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 green garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool. Preheat oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss asparagus with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet. Roast until starting to brown and tender, about 10-15 min. Let cool to room temp. When quinoa is cool, combine with asparagus, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, green garlic, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Spring Chicken Style Seitan Salad

2011-06-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

In the deli where I work, I make lots of chicken salads, because there is a high customer demand for them. Being a vegetarian, I have always wondered what the appeal is. A bunch of meat in a salad has never been my idea of the ideal thing to eat in the summer months. Some of the other ingredients in the salads and the dressings sounded good though, so I decided to make a chicken style seitan salad to see what all the fuss is about. I filled my salad with the goodness of spring veg, green garlic, radishes, baby peas, and spinach joined the seitan, along with some pine nuts for crunch. I made a creamy dressing laced with garlic, lemon and fresh rosemary. For mine however, I decided to use vegannaise in place of mayo for a lighter vegan salad. It was delicious, and I guess now I can see what all the chicken salad hype is about. Although I will take my seitan thank you very much! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it!

Spring Chicken Style Seitan Salad
Serves 3

1 16 oz pkg chicken style setian, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sliced green garlic
8 small radishes, sliced

1/2 cup fresh baby peas

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 large bunch of baby spinach

Dressing:

2 tsp minced rosemary
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1/2 cup vegannaise
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine seitan, green garlic, radishes, peas, pine nuts, and spinach. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad and toss well. Serve chilled.

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

2011-06-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

If I am feeling too hot on a warm evening, honey lemonade is often my go to drink. I make many varitations of it, herbs happen to be my favorite! A butt kicking work day however...is another story. Then that drink might have to be a martini. But today happened to be both, so it was a tough descision! Today at work it was as if everyone came back from their labor day celebrations at the cabin hungry, and hit the deli where I work hard! I felt like I was running around like a crazy woman, and that is just the sort of day that calls for a delicious refreshing drink while relaxing at home afterwards! Since the refreshing gin of the martini and the tart sweetness of the lemonade both sounded good, I combined them and made honey gin lemonade. But not just plain honey gin lemonade.

Rosemary infused! I had some honey syrup infused with rosemary that I thought would be a nice addition to sweeten the drink and it was! The herby rosemary was perfect with the refreshing gin, not to mention the aroma was calming! The lemonade was just the right tart sweetness and the floral honey paired well with the rosemary! It was just what the doctor ordered for today. Butt kicking day no more after savoring every last drop of it! If you had a butt kicking day, or just wish to relax, here is the recipe for this concoction!

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

makes 1

1/3 cup lemon juice

4 oz gin
2 Tbsp honey rosemary syrup*
ice
a few sprigs rosemary
a few lemon slices
sparkling water

In a martini shaker, combine lemon juice, gin, and honey syrup (more if a sweeter drink is desired), and shake until well blended. Place a good amount of ice in a tall glass, along with a few sprigs of rosemary, and a few lemon slices. Pour drink into the glass, and top off with some sparkling water...enjoy!

*To make honey rosemary syrup, combine 1/4 cup boiling water, 1/4 cup honey and 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary in a container. Cool, cover, and place in the fridge and let sit at least a day or up to a few weeks. Works well in lemonade to sweeten as well as drinks!

Spring Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Dressing, Poached egg, and Crispy Sesame Panko

2011-05-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

I was extremely excited yesterday when I got my hands on local asparagus, radishes, snow peas and sunchokes! I have been waiting for what seems like far too long to buy these veggies, as I didn't want to buy some shipped from another part of the country.

So I thought for tonight what better than to create a salad showcasing them? I decided to roast the asparagus and sunchokes to bring out the flavor but leave the radishes and peas raw and crunchy! I was in the mood for something with a little middle eastern flavor, so a tahini dressing was to accompany them, as well as some toasted sesame seeds. I am a bit textural person when it comes to food, so I thought the crunch of some nice garlicy panko breadcrumbs would be perfect with the veggies and silky dressing! Lastly, wanting this to be a complete meal, a poached egg topped off the lovely pile of veg!

It was satisfying and delicious, plus quick to throw together! Here is the recipe if you wish to try it for yourself!

Spring Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Dressing, Poached egg, and Crispy Sesame Panko

Serves 2

Dressing:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
a pinch cayenne
1 garlic clove, minced

Sesame panko:
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt
a large pinch red pepper flakes

Veggies:
Olive oil
2 cups sliced sunchokes
2 cups asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces

Poached eggs:
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cups water
2 organic eggs

1 cup snow peas
1 cup radishes

In a small bowl, whisk dressing together, and set aside. For sesame panko, in a small nonstick skillet, combine breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, garlic clove, olive oil, about 1/4 tsp sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Saute until crumbs, seeds and garlic are toasted. Remove from heat and set aside. To prepare veggies, preheat oven to 475 degrees, line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss asparagus and artichokes with just enough olive oil to coat and spread out on pan. Roast until browned at the edges and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool to room temperature.
To poach eggs, heat water to a simmer in a medium saucepan with the vinegar and salt. Crack an egg into a ramakin. Stir water with a spoon to swirl, and carefully pour egg into it. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or preferred doneness, and remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with other egg. To plate between 2 plates, scatter roasted veggies, snow peas, and radishes about the plate, drizzle with dressing, top each with a poached egg and the toasted sesame panko. Serve!

Caramelized Fennel and Walnut Chevre Crepes with Fennel Beet Slaw

2011-05-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

When I was in highschool, I remember being in French class, and making crepes. We filled them with sweet things like jam, whipped cream and chocolate, and they were delicious. They are simple to make, and I love the fact that they can be filled with whatever you wish! Sadly as an adult I think I have made crepes only about 4 times. I decided that tonight they would be on my menu because it had been far too long. These crepes however were not to be filled with sweet things, but savory. I had a couple of beautiful fennel bulbs in my fridge, and decided they would be perfect to showcase in the crepes.

For the filling I caramelized them along with some shallots, and added a bit of fresh rosemary, garlic, and lemon, as well as some toasted walnuts and chevre for protein and a bit of richness. The filling was delicious, and was even more so when wrapped in the eggy delicate crepes! It had everything, smooth chevre, crunchy walnuts, caramelly fennel! I decided to throw together a fennel beet slaw to go with it as well, not being one to skimp on the veggies at any meal, and it provided a nice acidity to balance out the rich savory crepes. It all came together in less than an hour, but if I were only eating it and not preparing it I would have expected that it took much longer. I felt like I was enjoying something from an upscale restaurant without leaving my home. I think it is always more satisfying to enjoy delicious food when you have prepared it yourself! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it!

Caramelized Fennel, Walnut, and Chevre Crepes with Fennel Beet Slaw

Serves 3

Crepes:
3 large organic eggs
1 cup goat milk
1 Tbsp melted Earth Balance butter, or organic butter
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
Additional Earth balance for cooking crepes

Filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large fennel bulbs, sliced

2 large shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

2 tsp lemon zest

juice of one lemon

8 oz chevre

1 cup toasted walnuts

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

Slaw:

1 large fennel bulb, thinly shaved
1 cooked beet, diced very small
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp riesling vinegar

1 tsp honey

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make crepes, buzz together all ingredients in a food processor (or whisk), cover and set aside in the fridge for an hour. When ready to make crepes, re-whisk batter, and it should be about the consistency of heavy cream (if not, thin with a little milk). Heat crepe pan, or medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Wipe pan with Earth balance to grease, and pour about 2 1/2 Tbsp batter into the pan. Swirl to create a thin crepe, and let cook for about 1 minute, and flip crepe over to cook other side. Place finished crepes on a plate, separating with parchment while you cook the remaining crepes (you should have 9). When crepes have finished cooking, wipe out pan (if saute pan) and add 1 Tbsp olive oil, fennel, shallots, and saute until starting to caramelize about 8 minutes. Add garlic, fresh rosemary, and saute another minute until fragrant. Add lemon juice, zest, chevre and walnuts, and continue to cook until chevre melts and coats filling. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and set aside. To make slaw, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and toss to coat. To plate, fill each crepe with about 2 heaping Tbsp filling in the bottom left corner. Fold in half, then again to form a triangle. Place on plate, and repeat with another so you have 3 on each plate. Repeat with remaining crepes, and spoon a bit of slaw onto each plate.

Rhubarb Ginger Lemonade

2011-05-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

One of my coworkers today asked me if I was crabby. I hadn't thought about it before that, but I guess I was...and it is a mistake to ask someone you think is crabby if they are because it only makes them crabbier. It progressed for the rest of the day, every little thing annoying me. Needless to say, I am not proud of the fact that I was feeling crabby and feisty, but I guess we all are at some point. Nothing cured it, not even a post work stress relieving walk. So when I got home I decided that I must make myself a drink. But, I decided against alcohol this time, and opted for something a little different that would require a little bit of prep time. Being in the kitchen is relaxing afterall.

Rhubarb has been finding its way into everything at my house lately...desserts, salads, drinks. I am so crazy about it that I am always coming up with new ways to showcase it. Afterall, it is only in season for a short while! Since I love strawberry lemonade, I thought rhubarb lemonade would be delicious as well, and be a surefire cure for crabbiness! I have had rhubarb in cocktails, so I know it is wonderfully refreshing. First though, it had to be cooked, so I sauteed it lightly, along with some ginger, for a little bit of a kick. I added a good amount of lemon juice, sweetened my drink with a bit of honey, and voila! A delicious drink to cure crabbiness, or make anyone happy for that matter! It was so refreshing, and different than anything I have had, plus it sweetened my mood. So, for a change from the classic strawberry lemonade, and sweeten your day, try this!

Rhubarb Ginger Lemonade

Makes 1

1/2 cup rhubarb, diced

1/2 minced fresh ginger, or 1/4 dried

1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp honey, or to taste

2 cups water

1/3 cup lemon juice

ice cubes

In a small saucepan, place rhubarb, ginger, and water, and cook over medium heat until cooked and softened, about 4-5 minutes. Chill, then puree with honey, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Add to a glass with 2 cups water, 1/3 cup lemon juice and a few ice cubes, and stir until blended.

Spring Beet and Potato Salad

2011-05-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Potato salad is something that people start craving this time of the year. My Grandma always made it for our family when I was young, and it was always the same, bright yellow, topped with the hardboiled eggs, and red paprika! It was tasty, but full of mayonnaise in large amounts of course, so not the most healthy. We make a similar version at the deli I work in, and we always top it with hardboiled eggs as well...one of my cowoerkers Gabrielle lovingly refers to it as the "many eyed beast", and the customers love it! I have to admit I do love classic potato salad, there is a comforting element to it. But what I don't love is the unhealthy dressing that comes with it. So the other day when I was enjoying some Greek yogurt and its creaminess, I thought it would be perfect for a healthy potato salad dressing! So I created my own potato salad featuring spring ingredients. Beets, ramps, and radishes were a must! Maybe Grandma would have thought my shocking pink potato salad odd looking, but it was damn delicious! It was the perfect meal, filling but light with a tangy dressing just as good as the classic, but kind to the waistline. I loved the beets in there, they give it a nice sweetness that you don't get from just potatoes. I think if my Grandma tasted it she would approve of course! Here is the recipe if you would wish to try it!

Spring Beet and Potato Salad

Serves 2

Dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dried chervil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups cooked beets, diced large
2 cups baby potatoes, halved, or quartered
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 ramps, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 hardboiled eggs, sliced
mixed greens of your choice (such as arugula, mizuno, dandilion, spinach, watercress)

Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth. Combine beets, potatoes, radishes, ramps, shallot, eggs in a bowl, and toss with dressing until well combined. Place greens on a plate, and top with salad.

Italian Black Quinoa Spring Veggie Salad

2011-05-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

I always find it interesting the ways people find to pronounce the word "Quinoa". At the deli where I work, we have numerous quinoa salads, and customers are always at a struggle to pronounce the word calling it "Queena", "Kin-O-ah", and my favorite "the Q salad", or they will just say I would like some of "that" salad, not even bothering to try. It is confusing, but despite the confusion, people should not be discouraged from enjoying it just because they can't pronounce it. Because it is delicious, and of course packed with nutirition! My favorite as of lately has been the black quinoa. It takes slightly longer to cook than its white sister, but it is lovely, the way that thai black rice is.

I decided to use it in a grain salad the other day with spring veggies, carrots, radishes, and ramps. I added a dressing with a little Italian flair, and fresh basil and pine nuts, and voila, something to eat my tofu with for dinner on a warm night! The quinoa gave the salad a nice nutty background that rice just doesn't have, and was wonderful with the veggies! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it for yourself!

Italian Black Quinoa Spring Veggie Salad

Serves 3

3/4 cup black quinoa
1 1/2 cups water

6 radishes, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut julienne
4 ramps, (leaves and bottoms) thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 Tbsp fresh basil, cut chiffonade

Dressing:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsp dried oregano

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool. When quinoa is cool, combine in a bowl with radishes, carrots, ramps, garlic, pine nuts, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together, and pour over salad. Toss well to coat, and let sit for a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to combine, then serve!

Miso Dressed Spring Radish and Carrot Salad with Toasted Almonds

2011-05-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was recently at a Japanese fusion restaurant, and I had a salad with the most delicious miso dressing. I had no idea what it was composed of besides the miso, but it was the perfect balance of salty and sweet lightly and coated the greens perfectly. It was so good that I have been wanting to recreate it ever since then, and finally decided to do so. I am a big miso lover, I use it in everything from the obvious, such as soups, and marinades, to the not so obvious such as in desserts, to which it gives a lovely salted caramel like flavor. It is one ingredient that I always have to have on hand. Although there are many varieties of it, I prefer the white miso. It was no wonder that dressing at the restaurant was delicious, miso makes everything more tasty! When I tried to recreate the dressing, I kept with the Asian theme and added some peanut oil, because I love its nutty quality, some rice wine vinegar for acidity, and agave nectar for a bit of sweetness. Tamari was needed for a bit of salt in addition to the saltiness of the miso, so no sea salt was needed in this dressing. Lastly, garlic was important, I love its flavor in salads, especially Asian ones. What to pair with this delicious miso dressing? Well I thought the veggies of spring would be appropriate, so the radishes, carrots and ramps in addition to the greens I had on hand were perfect! Lastly I topped it off with almonds for crunch! It was very simple, but so good! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Miso Dressed Spring Radish and Carrot Salad with Toasted Almonds
Serves 2

Dressing:
1 Tbsp white miso
1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
1 clove garlic
2 tsp tamari

4 cups mixed greens, such as arugula, spinach, dandelion, mizuna
1 carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
6 radishes, thinly sliced
4 ramps, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. In a large bowl, combine greens, carrots, radishes, and ramps. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat. Place mixture on a serving plate, and top with toasted almonds.

Whole Wheat Roquefort and Toasted Walnut Rolls

2011-05-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Roquefort cheese and toasted almonds are a heavenly combination...one that I often use in salads, but this weekend I used it in a little different way, in a bread! I wanted to make special rolls for Mother's Day to go with the meal. There is nothing like fresh baked bread to accompany a meal for a special occasion, and rolls containing melty savory cheese and crunchy toasty nuts are even better!

I used my whole wheat baguette dough for the base, because I wanted the outside to be crispy and hearty. It made for delicious rolls with the add ins! They smelled wonderful while baking, and of course tasted even better than they smelled. The rolls were soft on the inside, filled with sweet and salty creamy roquefort and toasty crunchy walnuts, and crispy on the outside as well as a little salty due to the sea salt.

They needed no accompaniment...butter would have been inappropriate, they were so good as they were! Mom approved saying they were the best savory rolls I had ever made! They were perfect for Mother's Day along with a fritatta and salad I had made! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some of the deliciousness for yourself!

Whole Wheat Roquefort and Toasted Walnut Rolls

Makes 16 rolls

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 3/4 cups warm water, divided

1 pkg (1/4 oz) rapid rise yeast

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup toasted walnuts
4 oz crumbled roquefort cheese
olive oil for brushing
Coarse sea salt

Combine flours and sea salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add all the water but 1/2 cup. Add yeast and stir in just enough of the flour a little at a time to make a sponge (a wet dough mass, but there will still be plenty of flour around it), then cover with plastic wrap and let sit until the sponge starts to get bubbles, about 20 minutes. Stir in the rest of the flour and enough additional water to make a soft but not sticky dough. Turn out onto a board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes). Knead in walnuts, then shape into a ball and place in a well oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise. When doubled in bulk, punch down, and let rise again. When doubled in bulk again, punch down, and place on a lightly floured surface. Stretch dough out into about a 15x18 inch rectangle, and scatter roquefort over it. Roll up the long side, and cut into 16 rolls. Place cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to rise, and turn on the oven to 400 degrees, with the rack set at the center position. When the rolls have almost doubled in bulk, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and done in the center. Cool on a rack until warm and serve!

Vegan Kitchen Sink Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Almond Mole Sauce

2011-05-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo REQUIRES 2 things, margaritas, and enchiladas at least for me! I love enchiladas...they have to be my favorite Mexican dish! Especially when filled with vegetables and when made with a delicious flavorful mole sauce! My friend Gabrielle, who I also work with makes THE BEST enchiladas that I have ever eaten. And I have sampled quite a few. They have the most wonderful rich deeply red sauce that is the perfect balance of spicy, savory and slightly sweet, and they are filled chalk full of vegetables and beans between crisp tortillas that she layers stacked style! Although I know I can never recreate hers, and she will never divulge the recipe, which I respect her for...I have created my own, which I enjoy almost as much. I made a variation of them recently which turned out wonderful...vegan kitchen sink enchiladas!

I used the veggies I had on hand at the time which happened to be a mix of local Minnesota produce (rutabagas, carrots, ramps, mushrooms and shallots), and an eggplant I had gotten at work for free. Hence the "kitchen sink". It may sound like an odd mix, but I roasted the veggies and they were delicious! I know...rutabagas in enchiladas? Yes, they were good in there! If you decided to make these you could use whatever you happened to have on hand, keeping in mind some things take longer to roast than others. I also included chicken style seitan and threw in some almonds with my veggies for protein. I like my enchiladas stacked as well, between crispy corn tortillas!

These contained no cheese, because I actually don't require it in my enchiladas, and don't even miss it the sauce is so flavorful and rich! For my sauce I included a blend of the usual mexican spices as well as a few not so common add ins, almond butter and cocoa powder for richness, golden raisins and cinnamon for sweetness (this I picked up from Gabrielle), and chipotles for a pow of flavor! As a whole the dish is delicious, loads of flavors and textures, maybe not classic mexican, but it is awfully good! A beautiful tower of tortillas and confetti like veggies in a lovely deep red sauce! Here is the recipe if you are interested, Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Vegan Kitchen Sink Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Almond Mole Sauce

Serves 2 very generously

6 cups assorted vegetables, cubed, or thinly sliced
(I used cubed eggplant, sliced carrots, sliced rutabagas, and sliced mushrooms)
Peannut oil
cooking spray
sea salt

Sauce:

2 tsp peanut oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots (or red onions)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp dried ground chipotle pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Filling:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1/2 cup shallots (or red onion), chopped
1 bunch ramps, (or scallions) sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg chicken style seitan cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

6 six inch corn tortillas
vegan sour cream for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss vegetables with peanut oil (keeping in mind that they need to be roasted on separate sheets if you are doing quick cooking vegetables as well as hard ones, generally things like eggplant and mushrooms take less time than rutabagas or carrots so roast them on separate sheets), spread veggies out on sheets, and roast until they are tender but not squishy and starting to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes for soft veggies and 15-20 for hard. Set aside and lower the oven temp to 375. To make sauce, heat 2 tsp peanut oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add shallots or onion, and saute until soft, then add the chili powder, cumin seeds, cinnamon, chipotle, and garlic, and saute about a minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, salt, vinegar, agave nectar, cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Add almond butter and golden raisins and lower to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat and add the cilantro. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the shallots (or onions) and ramps (or scallions), saute until softened and add the roasted veggies, garlic, seitan and toasted almonds. Saute until heated through, then spoon about 3/4 cup of the sauce over to coat the mixture. Remove from heat. To assemble the enchiladas, spoon a bit of sauce onto 2 large shallow bowls, then top each with a tortilla. Spoon half the filling onto the tortillas, dividing evenly between the two bowls, then spoon a little more sauce over each. Top each with a tortilla, then the rest of the filling, and a little more sauce. Top with another tortilla, and the rest of the sauce. Place in the oven and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with vegan sour cream!

Pecorino Romano Waffles with Sauteed Ramps, Mushrooms and Poached Eggs

2011-05-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I was thinking about how long it had been since I had made belgian waffles and I was getting pretty hungry for them! There is nothing like a hot, fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside large belgian waffle to make your day more delicious...I used to always make them with strawberries when I was younger and have plenty of butter to melt over the hot waffle! Although most people usually have them for breakfast or brunch, I often times end up making them for dinner when I am the most hungry. Afterall, nothing wrong with having breakfast for dinner, or "Brinner" as my friend Matt likes to call it...I love that word! So last night I decided that brinner was in order, and belgian waffles were it! However I did not feel like the usual sweet waffles, as I was a bit sweeted out from eating a large amount of chocolate cake the day before...so savory seemed like the perfect option!

I had seen a recent episode of Martha Stewart, where she made savory cheese waffles topped with sauteed veggies and a poached egg. I loved the concept, so I went with my own version of it! I had some pecorino romano that I thought would be perfect in the waffles, since it has such a delicious nutty salty flavor, and I had some ramps and local crimini mushrooms that I could sautee and top the waffle with! I am so excited to finally be able to use ramps again, since they are available in stores for the season, so I use them quite a bit! Lastly I topped the waffle and veggies off with a perfectly poached egg, which is my favorite way to cook them! It was a delicious meal...the crispy cheese enhanced waffle topped off with the savory flavorful veggies and delicious egg with a nice runny yolk to add to the deliciousness, almost like a flavorful built in sauce! It all had me thinking I should make stuff like this more often! My waffle maker doesn't get used nearly enough and I need to change that! It is quick to make, and the waffles are wonderfully fluffy due to the whipping of the egg whites before adding them to the batter! You should try it out...here is the recipe!

Pecorino Romano Waffles with Sauteed Ramps, Mushrooms and Poached Eggs

Serves 4

Waffles:
1 cup goat milk
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, divided
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded pecorino romano cheese

Poached eggs:
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
6 cups water
4 organic eggs

Veggies:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 bunches ramps, ends sliced and leaves kept in tact
about 16 crimini mushrooms, or whatever is locally available
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make waffles, preheat belgian waffle maker, and preheat oven to 250 degrees. Whisk together goat milk, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and egg yolks in a large bowl. Place egg whites in a medium bowl, and with an electric mixer and clean beaters, whip to stiff peaks and set aside. Whisk baking soda, baking powder, whole wheat pastry flour, and cornstarch into the milk mixture. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites and whisk to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites and pecorino romano until just blended. When waffle maker is heated, Drop batter by the 3/4 cup onto the iron and cook according to package directions. When waffle has finished, remove to the oven to stay warm while you prepare the other 3 waffles and toppings. Repeat with remaining waffle batter.
To poach eggs, heat water to a simmer in a medium saucepan with the vinegar and salt. Crack an egg into a ramakin. Stir water with a spoon to swirl, and carefully pour egg into it. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or preferred doneness, and remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with other 3 eggs.
To make veggies, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick pan, and add mushrooms and bottom part of ramps. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add tops of ramps, and cook until just wilted. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
To plate, top each waffle with the veggies, then a poached egg, and serve!

Cashew Carrot Meatballs with Silky Coconut Curry Sauce

2011-04-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

I was going to make veggie burgers the other day, but then decided that burgers were boring, and I decided to make veggie meatballs instead! Afterall, who can resist little vegetarian meatballs...certianly not me! I normally make a walnut mushroom meatball in a red sauce, very Italian, but went a little different direction with these. I already had the burger mixture made, and it was a carrot cashew mixture that was just begging to be put into some sort of curry sauce, not a traditional red sauce that would be served with classic meatballs. I decided that silky coconut milk would be perfect with the savory meatballs, so that is what I made.

The sunny little orange meatballs went perfectly with the silky sauce. They were filled with the goodness of cashews and sweet carrots enhanced of course with onions and garlic as well as some miso and tamari for that something special! I think I may just like these better than the Italian style meatballs, they are deliciously exotic, and perfectly spiced! I served them with rice, and they made for a delicious dinner! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Cashew Carrot Meatballs with Silky Coconut Curry Sauce

Serves 4

"Meat" balls:

1 Tbsp coconut oil
3 cups shredded carrot

3 large shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup toasted cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup white miso
1 Tbsp sea salt

1 Tbsp dried basil

2 cups whole wheat panko

Sauce:
1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
1 tsp agave nectar
sea salt to taste
2 Tbsp arrowroot dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
juice of one small lime
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro, optional
cooked rice for serving, optional

To make meatballs, heat coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet, and add carrots, and shallots. Saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes, then add garlic and saute another minute until fragrant. Remove from heat. In a food processor, combine cashews, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and process until very finely ground and almost turning into nut butter. Add tamari, miso, sea salt, basil and carrot mixture and process until well combined. Remove to a large bowl, and stir in panko. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Form the carrot nut mixture into 12 balls, and place on the baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat coconut oil in a small saucepan, and add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes. Saute for a minute until fragrant, and add curry powder and tumeric and saute another 30 seconds, then add coconut milk and agave nectar and bring to a low simmer. Add sea salt to taste, and let simmer about 5 minutes, then add arrowroot mixture, lime juice and cilantro and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and keep warm. Serve meatballs with sauce and some rice if desired.

Spring Allium Chevre Filo Rolls

2011-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Some people are afraid of onions and garlic...I am definately not one of them, and have never been onionphobic! Yes, they may be quite...aromatic, but that is part of the beauty of them! I don't care if I have onion or garlic breath...it is well worth it for the deliciousness I enjoy while alliums! I love the wide variety you can get of alliums in the spring...leeks, ramps, spring onions, shallots, I love them all!

So I was thinking it would be wonderful to make a delicious appetizer on Easter using them! I decided that they would be delicious wrapped in crispy filo dough along with something creamy. I had a bit of chevre that I thought would be perfect with the alliums. So I sauteed some leeks, shallots and ramps, along with some garlic a quadruple whammy of alliums, and added a bit of lemon for freshness. I combined them with pecorino romano for a bit of saltiness, and the creamy chevre.

It was a very tasty filling, but even tastier when wrapped in crispy filo brushed with olive oil! They were delicious warm, the filling gooey and oozy, filled with the savory deliciousness of alliums! They were a wonderful accompaniment to my Easter spread!

If you love onions and garlic as well you should definately try these while the spring alliums are at their most abundant! If you don't, well don't let the fact that these have onions and garlic detract you, as they are cooked and therefore much more mild. The filo is actually not difficult to work with either as long as you are gentle! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter, and here is the recipe for the delicious rolls if you would like to try them!

Spring Allium Chevre Filo Rolls

Makes 10

Filling:
1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1cup ramps, leaves and bottom part, thinly sliced
1cup shallots, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp lemon zest
16 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)
2 oz shredded pecorino romano cheese

about 3/4 cup olive oil (for brushing
10 sheets filo dough
sea salt

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil, and add leeks, ramps, and shallots. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute about a minute more until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then add to a bowl with sea salt, pepper, lemon zest, chevre and pecorino romano. Mix until well combined. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil. Lay out sheets of filo dough, and cover with plastic wrap (so it doesn't dry out, since you will be using a sheet at a time. Place olive oil in a bowl. Lay out one sheet of filo, and brush it with olive oil. fold in half like a book. Brush with olive oil and place 2 Tbsp filling about 1 inch from the bottom, in the shape of a log about 3 inches wide. Fold in each side over the filling, and brush the top with olive oil. Roll up egg roll style, and brush with olive oil. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 9 rolls. Sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and heated through. Keep a close eye because they brown quickly! Let cool slightly before serving.

Golden Beet Chevre Gnocchi

2011-04-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Better to try something and fail than to never have tried at all...afterall I can always try again, I don't give up! This has been something that I have been saying to myself reguarding the making of gnocchi! I had attempted making gnocchi quite a few times in the last month and almost given up, because my gnocchi always turned out like dumplings, too sticky to be shaped, or too full of flour. But I don't give up. So last weekend I attempted to make them again...and succeeded! Ok, so part of the problem was I wasn't following recipes, because I never do. Also I wasn't making the traditional potato gnocchi, so that might have been why the dough was more sticky. But whatever the case this time I made them with golden beets and chevre and they turned out delcious! Pillowy and soft as gnocchi should be! Not tough and heavy like my failed attempts.

I had thought that chevre would have less moisture than the traditional ricotta, therefore needing less flour...and I was right! The gnocchi dough itself only had 4 ingredients, chevre, golden beets, eggs and flour, and proved to be easy to shape! The only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that the lovely yellow color of the beets was lost in the gnocchi. But I got over it when I tasted how delicious they were! I could be sneaky and serve them to beet haters and they would love them not even knowing they contained beets! I decided to serve them with a caramelized shallot and fennel mixture laced with garlic and lemon and topped off with crunchy walnuts. It was all delicious once it was plated, and quite beautiful, especially to me since it was a sucess! The gnocchi were like little delicious pillows, toasty on the outside, soft in the middle, and the fennel and shallots were almost jam like, deliciously savory with the garlic and tart lemon. It was the perfect dish for a chilly spring day! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Golden Beet Chevre Gnocchi with Caramelized Fennel and Toasted Walnuts

Serves 3

4 oz organic local chevre (soft goat cheese)
1/2 cup roasted organic golden beat puree*
2 cups all purpose flour (sifted), plus additional for flouring work surface
1 large organic egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 large organic fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
4 large shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
2 large organic lemons
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

In a large bowl, beat together the goat cheese beet puree and mix until evenly combined. Add the eggs, followed by the salt, and pepper. Slowly add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until it is all incorporated into the dough. If your dough seems a bit too wet, feel free to add an extra 1/4 cup of flour. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface and knead for a few minutes. The dough will still be fairly wet, but you should be able to handle it. Working with about a handful of dough at a time, roll out a long snake about an inch thick. Use a floured knife to cut out the gnocchi every inch and a half or so. Roll each gnocchi along the tines of a fork (or simply indent by gently pressing the back of the fork into the side of each nugget). Place the formed gnocchi on a floured baking sheet. When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the gnocchi in batches. Let cook until they bob to the surface and then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to pull out of the pot and set aside on a plate. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add fennel, shallots, and saute until caramelized and soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove fennel and shallots from pan and set aside. Add additional 2 Tbsp olive oil to the pan, and add gnocchi. Cook until golden on each side, about 4-5 minutes total. Add shallots back to the pan along with 1 Tbsp zest, juice of 2 lemons, a little more olive oil if desired, walnuts, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, and serve warm with a salad!

*To roast beets, preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Wrap 2 large beets in foil and roast in the oven for about an hour or until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, peel, and puree in a blender.

Asian Root Vegetable Tofu Stew

2011-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

It was fabulous at the start of this week in Minnesota, gorgeous, sunny and up to 70 degrees, but not so much at the end. Today it is a bit windy and there are a few sprinkles starting to fall...snow is possibly in the forecast for overnight tomorrow. Yuck! I thought spring was supposed to be here? I was making salads and wraps on Monday and Tuesday, but now I want something warming and substantial to take the chill away. I can tell the weather is affecting other people as well because our customers in the deli I work in are buying lots more soup today! I don't blame them. We have a soup at work called "Spring Chicken" and it is funny because people request it year round, no matter what season it is. I have never tried it being a vegetarian, but it always smells amazing! Tonight I decided to create a stew using some of the same veggies that are found in that soup. Most importantly rutabagas and carrots in a delicious broth. But I have swapped out the onions for leeks and shallots and the cabbage for kale, because that is what I happened to have in my fridge.

I also gave mine a little bit of an Asian flair with some miso, mirin and tamari. I love these three ingredients in a broth, they give it so much flavor! Since my soup had no chicken I added some baked tofu for a protein source. The stew was delicious! Delicious just tender veggies in a rich vegetable stock with meaty tofu...it definately warmed me up! I am bummed that I won't be hot soup again because it is going to be too warm outside after this week... just kidding. I want it to be warm and can live without hot food, I will be happy to be outside! On the off day though when it rains, and the wind is blowing and I want something warm, I can make this again! Using whatever is in season at the time of course! Here is the recipe if you are in a cool part of the country and need a little warm up!

Asian Root Vegetable Tofu Stew

Serves 3

1 10 oz block firm tofu, diced

peanut oil

1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 large shallots, sliced
1 large leek, sliced
2 cups carrots, sliced on the diagonal
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 cup mirin
2 Tbsp tamari
2 cups potatoes, cut into medium cubes, or sliced if very small
2 cups rutabagas, cut into medium cubes
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper
1 small bunch kale, torn into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp arrowroot, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and toss tofu with just enough peanut oil to coat. Place on baking sheet, and bake until starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, Add peanut oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, leeks, and carrots, and saute until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mirin, tamari, potatoes, rutabagas, stock, sea salt, freshly ground pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tofu, and kale, and cook until kale has just wilted, then add miso and arrowroot mixture, and cook until soup thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve hot!

Roasted Potato and Celeriac Salad with White Truffle Oil

2011-04-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

Celeriac is like the ugly stepsister of the veggies...it looks like a tangled mess of roots and I have to admit the first time I came across it I had no idea what it was and was rather intimidated. I now know that it is delicious when peeled and thinly sliced to go raw into a salad or roasted and pureed eaten like mashed potatoes.

It was funny, the other week I was picking some up, and a cute guy who happened to be standing next to me in the produce department picking up some beets said to me, "What the heck is THAT?" I explained to him what it was but he still seemed skeptical about how tasty it could be. However he still asked for my advice on how best to prepare the beets, as he was buying them for the first time. I should have gotten his number...oh well. Back to the celeriac, I thought it would be wonderful roasted with some potatoes in a warm salad along with some leeks. I figured all of the earthy flavors would be friendly and delicious with one another.

The veggies would have been delicious simply roasted with olive oil and seasoned with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper, but I tossed them in a truffle oil vinaigrette, further adding to the earthiness, and deliciousness of the salad. I still thought it needed something to finish it off so I shaved some pecorino romano over the top and sprinkled a few toasted pine nuts. It was amazing! The crisp on the outside tender on the inside veggies were full of flavor, and the truffle oil set them off. The salty pecorino romano was a perfect match for the earthy vegetables, and the pine nuts added a nice toasty crunch! So much for the celeriac being an ugly stepsister, it is awefully delicious! Here is the salad recipe if you would like to try some!

Roasted Potato and Celeriac Salad with White Truffle Oil
Serves 4

1 large celeriac, cut into large cubes
3 cups baby potatoes, cut into 3rds
2 large leeks, thickly sliced
olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 Tbsp fresh
1 Tbsp white truffle oil
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 oz shaved pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil. Toss celeriac, potatoes, and leeks with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender and browned at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, whisk together thyme, truffle oil, 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Place veggies in a large bowl, pour dressing over, and toss to coat. Place on a serving plate, and sprinkle with pine nuts and pecorino romano.

Spring Fiesta Salad

2011-04-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

It is above 60 degrees today in Minnesota and I am loving it! It is nice to be able to get out for my post work stress relief walks and enjoy the sun again! The fact that it is so nice calls for a celebration! Well, celebration in the form of a pretty salad at least. So, I raided my fridge to find the most colorful veggies I could and got to work composing one! What I found was a golden beet, some red (purple) cabbage, and some orange carrots. But let's not forget the green, I added a bit of cilantro as well. With the cilantro the salad was taking on a southwestern or mexican theme so I decided to go with it and give it an agave lime vinaigrette laced with garlic, cumin and chipotle.

The salad looked like a fiesta, as if someone had tossed a bunch of ribbons and confetti in different colors together. But it needed something to finish it off. So I added some golden raisins for sweetness as well as some sweet and spicy pepitas I had on hand and then it was perfect! Incredibly refreshing and delicious and the perfect accompaniment to some bbq tofu I had also made. Here is the recipe if you would like to enjoy some for yourself!

Spring Fiesta Salad
(Beet, Carrot, and Cabbage Salad with Sweet and Spicy Pepitas and Golden Raisins)
Serves 1-2

Nuts:
1/2 cup pepitas
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp maple sugar
1/4 tsp ground chipotle powder
1 tsp sea salt

Dressing:
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/8 tsp ground chipotle, or to taste
1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:
1 cup golden beets, very thinly sliced (paper thin)
1 cup carrots, very thinly sliced (paper thin)
1 cup red cabbage, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
1/4 cup golden raisins

To make pepitas, preheat oven to 375 degrees line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss pepitas together with agave, sugar, chipotle and sea salt, then spread out on the baking sheet and toast until nuts are starting to lightly brown and are fragrant, about 10-15 min. Remove from oven and let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, combine veggies and cilatro and pour over dressing. Toss well to coat. Place salad on a serving plate, and sprinkle with pepitas and golden raisins.

Sweet Potato Dumplings with Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort

2011-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago I had attempted making sweet potato gnocchi and failed misreably as they disintegrated in the boiling water. I could have cried, but instead tossed them and made a salad for dinner. I decided to give it a go again today, but this time simply make dumplings so I wouldn't have to go through the shaping process...that will be saved for another time. This time the dumplings made with they simmered in the water and I removed the first few to sample, I could have cheered I was so happy they held together. Instead I settled for a sip of my red wine and smiled, since nobody would have heard me cheering anyhow. This time I believe the sweet potatoes in the dumplings were a success, due mostly to adding enough binding elements!

When they they would be delicious in a soup, but tonight I decided to simply saute them with a little olive oil and shallots, and finish them off with toasted walnuts, spinach for color, and some roquefort cheese, which is one of my all time favorite cheeses. It has such a wonderful salty yet sweet quality, perfect with walnuts and vegetables! It was all delicious, and I was happy that I decided to stay home and prepare dinner rather than pay a large amount for it tonight. Here is the recipe if you would like to try them! Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you wish to make less.

Sweet Potato Dumplings with Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort

Serves 4-6

2 cups roasted sweet potato puree*

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder

3 large organic eggs

3 cups flour

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup toasted walnuts
juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups baby spinach
4 oz roquefort cheese, crumbled

To make dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Beat together eggs, sweet potato puree, garlic, sea salt, and chipotle in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in flour until well combined. Use 2 teaspoons (silverware, not measuring spoons) to form dumplings, scoop up a rounded teaspoon of batter, then use second spoon to scoop mixture off spoon and into boiling water. Make 9 more dumplings. In the boiling water, simmer briskly until dumplings are just firm in center and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate and cool, covered with damp paper towel. Continue making dumplings in batches of 10.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, then add shallots, and saute until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add dumplings, and cook dumplings, turning gently, until heated through and golden on each side, 5-8 minutes. Add walnuts, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted. Remove from heat and stir in roquefort. Serve hot!

*For puree, sweet potatoes that have been pricked with a fork a few times on a baking sheet in the oven at 450 degrees until very soft, about 1 hour and 10 minutes for large potatoes (or less if smaller). Allow to cool, remove skin and puree until smooth.

Curried Coconut Borscht

2011-03-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a large amount of beets and cabbage in my fridge that needed to be eaten, and was in the mood for some soup! So of course the first thing that came to mind was borscht, but I was not in the mood for the typical flavors of borscht. Something more exotic however sounded good! What I really wanted was some really good Indian curry with tofu. So I decided to make a hybrid of the curried tofu I normally make with borscht! Of course all of the usual borscht suspects were involved...beets, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.

But instead of the usual red onions I would normally use, I used shallots and scallions. I also added some jalapeno and ginger for a kick, some mild curry, tumeric, and a good amount of garlic! I made the soup silky with coconut milk, and added lime and cilantro to finish it off. But not to forget the tofu, which I crisped up in the oven before adding it to the soup! It was delicious! Very warming, and all of the good qualities of both dishes! It was as well beautiful due to the beets, and their ability to dye anything deep magenta! For some reason spring makes me think of borscht, and this was the perfect warming dish for a cool spring day! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Curried Coconut Borscht with Tofu

Serves 3

1 10 oz block firm tofu, diced

coconut oil, warmed to liquid

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 large shallot, sliced

1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 cups red beets, cut into large dice

2 cups carrots, sliced on the diagonal

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
2 cups potatoes, diced, or sliced if very small
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 15 oz can lite coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1 Tbsp agave nectar
juice of one large lime
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp arrowroot, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and toss tofu with just enough coconut oil to coat. Place on baking sheet, and bake until starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, Add coconut oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add scallions, shallot, beets, carrots, and saute until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, ginger, curry powder, tumeric, and saute until spices are fragrant, about 2 minute. Add potatoes, cabbage, coconut milk, stock, sea salt, and agave nectar, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tofu, lime juice, cilantro, and arrowroot, and cook until soup thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve hot!

Beet and Celeriac Hashbrowns with Fried Egg and Garlicy Mustard Greens

2011-03-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Minnesota woke up to a blanket of white powdered sugar frosting outside today...as it decided to dump snow after being nice and finally up to 50 degrees last week. Kind of an evil tease on the weather's part if you ask me! I was a bit bummed about it being cold and all, wanting to run outside today, but opting for the treadmill instead since they did a horrible job of plowing around my neighborhood. Just looking at the snow makes me feel chilly! The deli where I work sold gallons of soup and tons of hot food today to the brave souls that felt like venturing out. I needed some warmth as well and maybe that is why I thought a bit of warming breakfast for dinner tonight might be just the thing! I was sittting on my lunchbreak trying to figure out what I could make from the ingredients I had at home. Not something sweet like pancakes, which I always have the makings for. Something savory and a little salty like hash browns sounded perfect! But there was one problem. I didn't have any potatoes. I did however have celeriac and beets!

A beet and celeriac hash, how beautiful would that be with the bright red color?! So that is what I made. I topped it off with a fried egg, and some garlicy mustard greens, which are my favorite green right now, so I had bought a bunch of them last weekend. It was beautiful, with the red and green, but most importantly it was delicious! Salty hash browns crisped at the edges full of veggie goodness and spicy mustard greens with the richness of the egg...yummy! Made me forget about the icky snow for a bit! If you think potatoes are the only way to go with hashed browns you should try some other veggies, you just might like them! Here is the recipe if you would like to try mine!

Beet and Celeriac Hashbrowns with Fried Egg and Garlicy Mustard Greens

Serves 2

1 large shallot, minced
1 large beet, peeled and grated
1 medium celeriac (celery root), peeled and grated
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Earth Balance butter
1 Tbsp olive oil, or more if needed

2 large organic eggs

1 medium bunch mustard greens
1 clove garlic, minced

In a bowl, mix together the shallot, beet, and celeriac along with pepper. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a medium non-stick skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Place the beet mixture into the pan and press down with a spatula. Let cook a few minutes, then break up, flip over the pieces and press back together to brown other side. Do this a few times until the veggies are starting to get browned. When browned, remove from pan, sprinkle liberally with sea salt, and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the chunks from the pan, and either spray with non-stick spray or add a little more olive oil. Place back on heat, and when hot, add eggs. Cover pan, and reduce heat to medium low until eggs reach desired doneness (or you could do over-easy and flip them to cook the other side, in which case don't reduce the heat or cover with the pan). When eggs are done cooking, remove from pan, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and keep warm. Place pan back on the heat, return heat to medium, and add a little more olive oil to the pan, along with garlic and mustard greens. Saute greens until they are just wilted, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and remove from heat. To plate, place a half the hash browns on each plate. Top each with an egg and half of the mustard greens. Enjoy!

Moroccan Salad with Crispy Jerusalem Artickokes and Sesame Yogurt

2011-03-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities, La Belle vie serves up a wonderful Moroccan Salad with Crispy Artichokes and Sesame Yogurt. I have ordered it the last 3 times I have been there I love it so much! They spoon a bit of creamy sesame cumin laced yogurt onto the plate, top it off with mache, kalamata olives and artichokes so crispy they are almost like a chip! The plate is dusted with Moroccan spices that give just the right amount of seasoning to the salad. Since I can't go to La Belle Vie every weekend, or every time I am craving this salad, I thought this would be the perfect weekend to try and recreate it! I put my own spin on it however, and not wanting to deal with frying artichokes, or cleaning one of them (since it is quite the process), I opted for some crispy roasted jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) instead! I wasn't able to get my hands on any mache, so I used baby arugula, wartercress and a bit of spinach for my greens, and dressed it lightly in a lemon juice vinaigrette. I am not exactly sure what all goes into the sesame yogurt at La Belle Vie, but it is so creamy that I guessed it was a Greek yogurt and that is what I used. I whisked in tahini to make it even more creamy, a bit of cumin, garlic, and lemon juice for flavor, and it was the same delicious flavor as theirs! My salad also contained kalamata olives, and i decided that smoked Spanish paprika would be perfect for dusting the plate! My salad was just as wonderful as theirs, and now I am happy that I can recreate it at home for a lot cheaper. That said, I still think the food at La Belle Vie is amazing and I am sure I will still order their verison of the salad as long as it is on the menu. If you would like to try my version of this delicious salad for yourself, here is the recipe!

Moroccan Salad with Crispy Jerusalem Artickokes and Sesame Yogurt
Serves 2

4 large jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) thinly sliced on the diagonal
oilve oil
sea salt

yogurt:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 Tbsp sesame tahini
1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Greens:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large bunch of baby arugula (about 1.5 oz)

1 large bunch of watercress or baby spinach (about 1.5 oz)

To plate:

smoked spanish paprika

toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil, spray with non-stick spray. Toss artichokes with enough olive oil to coat and spread out on sheet pan. Roast until crispy and starting to brown at edges. Remove from oven and let cool. To make yogurt, whisk together yogurt, tahini, cumin, lemon juice, sea salt and garlic and set aside. In a large bowl, place 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add greens and roasted artickokes toss well to coat. To plate salads, dallop a large spoonfull of the yogurt onto each plate, and smooth out with a spoon. Sprinkle the yogurt and the plate with a little spanish paprika, then top with the dressed greens and artichokes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with kalamata olives.

Irish Mac and Cheese with Mustard Greens

2011-03-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Irish cheddar was on sale last weekend at the store, so I decided to buy a nice hunk of it thinking I could come up with some creative way to use it this week, being that it is St. Patty's. I am not a big cheese person, and only eat it about once a week or on special occasions, but I figured since it was a holiday...I could splurge. I had visions of some sort of vegetable pot pies, or a creamy potato cabbage cheese soup in my head, but then life happened and I had far less time this week to make anything that took any large amount of time. But that cheese was still in my fridge begging to be used, and mac and cheese came to mind. Now, I know most people when they make mac and cheese simply make a cheese sauce, and toss it with pasta, maybe a bit of breadcrumbs on top. It is my firm belief however that it must contain lots of veggies along with all of that decadence.

Yesterday's meal was no exception! I was talking to my friend Gabrielle recently who is also a vegetarian and a wonderful cook who I often swap recipe and ingredient ideas with, and she gave me the brilliant idea to add mustard greens to my mac and cheese! I knew I loved them in dal, or a salad with a creamy dressing, but she told me that they went wonderfully with the cheese cutting the richness. So last night I decided to give the combination a try. I also added some peas, sticking to the green veggie theme. I used whole wheat fusili, which made for a beautiful mac and cheese as well as a delicious one! It was so rich and creamy, full of flavor from the Irish cheddar, and the mustard greens were wonderful with a slight spicy flavor! It was delicious! Maybe not traditional Irish, but would be perfect for St. Patty's Day, especially if you are feeling decadent! Here is the recipe if you would like some comfort food for a rainy spring day (since the snow is finally melting here in Minnesota)!

Irish Mac and Cheese with Mustard Greens
Serves 4

8 oz whole wheat fusili or penne pasta

3 Tbsp organic butter or Earth Balance
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups organic milk or soymilk
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp dill seeds
1 Tbsp dried dill
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp dijon mustard
8 oz Irish Cheddar, grated
1 cup fresh or frozen baby peas
1 bunch mustard greens or kale, washed, dried and torn into small pieces

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add flour and whisk into butter. Cook a few minutes, then slowly add milk while whisking to prevent lumps from forming. When all milk has been added and is incorporated, add caraway, dill seeds, dill, sea salt, and pepper and dijon. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes, then add cheddar and whisk to melt until well incorporated. Add the peas and mustard greens, and cook until greens have wilted, then add pasta and toss well to coat with cheese sauce. Serve hot!

Squash and Red Lentil Dal Hummus

2011-03-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

I have been in love with a red lentil dish that I make as of lately. It is dal with roasted squash, and the flavors are so warming and perfect for a cool evening with rice! I decided to make some hummus today and was thinking that my squash dal's flavors and ingredients would be perfect in the spread! So I cooked off some lentils, combined them with some squash puree I had on hand, and some ginger, garlic, tumeric, and cumin, as well as a little chipotle for heat! The hummus was delicious! Such a warming and exotic flavor compared to the usual hummus I have made in the past! It is wonderful with veggies, but even better with toasted pita chips! I spread some on a veggie wrap I was having for dinner nd it was wonderful! If you are a hummus lover, but don't like how long beans take to cook for it you should try this!

Squash and Red Lentil Dal Hummus

Makes 6 cups

1 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups water

4 cups buttercup squash puree

1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
1 tsp dried ginger
2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried chipotle pepper or cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 garlic cloves, minced

Combine lentils and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are soft and almost mushy. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then pour into a food processor, along with all other ingredients and process until smooth. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping!

Black Quinoa and Root Vegetable Stew with Tofu

2011-02-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

I came across some black quinoa recently and decided to buy it thinking something interesting could be made with it! My favorite way to use quinoa would have to be in a tabouli, but since I enjoy tabouli more in the warm months I decided to use the quinoa in a little different way than I normally would. My friend Gabrielle, who cooks wonderful vegetarian dishes, and who I work with at the deli had told me about using quinoa in a soup she had recently made, and I loved the idea so I decided to borrow it! I thought the black quinoa would be a nice change from the usual grains used in soups and stews.

I was in craving Asian flavors so I decided to make my stew with a miso and mirin laced broth, and throw in some delicious roasted root vegetables. I finished the stew off with some mustard greens and baked tofu I had made and although it wasn't the prettiest to look at it was amazing to eat! I was sharing it with my Mom who was skeptical about how tasty it would be, her not being a fan of root vegetables, but she loved it! It was one of those things where you taste it and go this is good. Take another bite and go this is really good, and finally this is awesome! The savory flavors of the broth combined with the nutty quinoa, chewy tofu and sweet root vegetables is a perfectly composed symphony of a stew! It is warming and comforting, and dare I say it comfort food! Without being unhealthy of course. Here is the recipe if you would like to enjoy it for yourself!

Black Quinoa and Root Vegetable Stew with Tofu

Serves 2

Tofu:

1 10 oz block firm tofu, cut into small triangles

1/4 cup vegan worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup tamari

1 tsp minced garlic

Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup black quinoa

Veggies:
1 1/2 cups sliced rutabagas
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced on the diagonal
peanut oil

Stew:
1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 cup mirin
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp white miso
a few large leaves mustard greens or kale
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line 3 sheet pans with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss tofu with worchesetershire sauce, tamari, and garlic until well coated, then spread out on one of the sheet pans. Place in the oven and bake until crispy and starting to brown at edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, to prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside.
To prepare roasted veggies, toss rutabagas and carrots with peanut oil, then spread out on 2 remaining sheet pans. Roast for 15-20 minutes until starting to brown at edges and tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large stockpot. Add shallots, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and saute until fragrant about 1 minute more. Add mirin, stock, and tamari, and bring to a simmer. Add root vegetables and cook for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Add cooked quinoa, tofu, and mustard greens along with sea salt to to taste. Cook until tofu and quinoa are heated through and mustard greens have wilted. Serve hot!

Tempeh Bacon Kale with Fire Roasted Tomatoes over Soft Polenta

2011-02-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was pretty wiped out when I got home from work. I didn't feel like cooking anything that took a significant amount of time, but going out wasn't something I wanted to do either because dining in my PJs sounded marvelous. I didn't have much to work with. Just a bunch of kale, garlic and onions for veggies. I could make pasta I thought...but no, I didn't feel like pasta either. Polenta! That was perfect, some smooth comfort food that cooked up quickly! I also had some tempeh bacon in the fridge that I had opened earlier in the week and needed to use up, so I thought I could combine it with the kale, some canned fire roasted tomatoes I had and the garlic and onions to create a delicious saucy saute to go over the polenta. Perfect! Just the thought of it was making my mouth water because I was pretty hungry at that point. It was delicious! The sauce had almost a smokey quality with the fire roasted tomatoes and bacon, and it paired perfectly with the smooth creamy polenta! I was feeling much more relaxed and happy after I had enjoyed every last bit of it! It was a wonderful hearty meal with minimal effort! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Tempeh Bacon Kale with Fire Roasted Tomatoes over Soft Polenta

Serves 2

Polenta:

4 cups water

3/4 cup polenta

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese

Kale:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 large shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes

sea salt

2 good sized bunches kale, washed and torn into pieces

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet, and add tempeh bacon strips. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until browned. Remove from skillet, and cut into pieces, then set aside. Add shallots to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes until softened, then add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and sea salt to taste. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15-20 minutes to allow flavor to develop. Meanwhile, place 4 cups water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add polenta, salt and pepper, and whisk constantly to prevent sticking and lumps. Cook at a medium heat until polenta thickens to the consistnecy of porridge, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan and keep warm until ready to serve. Once polenta is done cooking, add kale and bacon to tomato mixture, and cook until kale is heated through. To serve, spoon polenta onto each plate, then top with kale mixture. Serve!

Fried Egg and Tempeh Bacon Sandwich with Avocado Chipotle Mayo

2011-02-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

When I was about 10 during the summer I would go over to my Grandparent's house for the day. When I arrived there in the morning, Grandma was usually cooking. Much of the time I was greated with the aroma of smokey bacon which being fried on the stove for breakfast. Then came the eggs, which were later made into a denver sandwhich with the bacon and some onions on toasted bread. I loved the sandwich...the crunchy salty bacon, smooth eggs and savory onions. Grandma was always such a good cook, and I always enjoyed watching her while she prepared meals. I have since become a vegetarian, so no more pork bacon for me. I do however still crave the flavor once in a while, so I am glad there are options such as tempeh bacon! Tonight I decided that an egg and bacon sandwich sounded delicious, so I got to work making one. Not that it was much work, it was a quick meal to throw together!

I could have simply scrambled my eggs, but I decided to fry them instead. There is something I enjoy about seeing that sunny yellow yolk staring up at me that I enjoy. Plus I like the way the silky yolk runs when you cut into it and soaks into the toast! I had an avocado sitting on my counter, so I decided to make an avocado chipotle "mayo" to spread on my sandwich as well! I also added some greens for color, and sauteed onions to make the sandwich even more delicious! It was wonderful with all of the different flavors and textures! The smooth avocado mayo, the crispy salty tempeh bacon, the silky eggs, and the crunchy toast! It was the flavors of that denver sandwich my Grandma made, but with my own twist on it! Here is the recipe if you would like something quick, but delicious for dinner, or even brunch:

Fried Egg and Tempeh Bacon Sandwich with Avocado Chipotle Mayo

Serves 1

Mayo:
1 small avocado
1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp agave nectar

1/8 tsp ground chipotle powder

Sandwich:
3 strips tempeh bacon
1 small shallot, sliced
2 organic eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 pieces toasted whole wheat bread

a small handful salad greens

Buzz all mayo ingredients together in a food processor and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small non-stick skillet, and cook tempeh bacon until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove bacon from the pan, and add shallot. Saute until very soft, and almost caramelized, then remove from pan. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and crack one of the eggs into it. Cover and cook for a couple minutes until the yolk is set (or at desired doneness. If you prefer over easy, flip it and cook the other side). Remove from pan and keep warm. Repeat with other egg. Sprinkle eggs with sea salt and pepper. To assemble sandwich, spread one piece of toast with avocado mayo. Top with greens, tempeh bacon, eggs, then onions. Place other piece of bread on top and enjoy!

Vanilla and Beets

2011-02-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Whenever I encounter the lovely scent of vanilla it makes me happy. This is why I often dab on a bit of vanilla essential oil in the morning so I can enjoy the scent throughout the day! Afterall vanilla is the base of many delicioius things such as sugar cookies, cakes, or ice cream. But it is actually quite good in savory applications as well! Such as in a vanilla squash risotto, or in pureed rutabaga with a little coconut oil, or with beets in a salad! I had a few beets last night and I decided to combine them with something vanilla laced.

I roasted up some beets and rutabegas, and combined them with some dried tart cherries and salty sweet pecans in a salad, then whisked together a vanilla citrus vinaigrette and tossed it all together. It was wonderful! The vanilla gave the dressing a wonderful light scent and flavor to the salad without overwhelming it. I suppose it was a little dessert like, but savory as well, and so delicious for the little amount of time it took to prepare! Here is the recipe if you would like to try vanilla in a little different way than the usual!

Roasted Beet and Rutabaga Salad with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cherries with Vanilla Citrus Dressing

Serves 3

3 medium beets, thinly sliced

3 small rutabagas, thinly sliced on the diagonal
olive oil

sea salt

Pecans:

1/2 cup pecans
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp maple sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground chipotle powder

Dressing:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp riesling vinegar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
seeds of one vanilla bean

1 Tbsp agave nectar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 cups mixed flavorful greens such as arugula, mizuna and dandilion
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line three baking sheets with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Toss beets and rutabagas with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet pans. Roast until starting to brown at edges and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and let cool to room temp. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Toss pecans with agave nectar, maple sugar and sea salt and spread out on one of the sheets. Roast in the oven until fragrant and starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine greens, shallots, and roasted veggies, in a large bowl, pour dressing over, and toss with hands to coat. Divide salad between 3 plates and top with toasted nuts and cherries.

Single Lady Martini

2011-02-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

It is Valentine's Day, but I am not drinking red wine, the usual drink of the holiday, but my latest favorite cocktail. It all started with the Rio Star pink grapefruits coming into season about a month and a half ago and me wanting to make a martini out of them using something other than vodka. Bourbon and whisky have always been around at my house in the winter for hot toddies, and since they pair well with lemon, I thought grapefruit would be even better! So I laced some grapefruit juice with some Crown Royal and I was hooked. The slight tartness of the grapefruit as well as the sweetness are wonderful with the smooth whisky. Although it was wonderful just like that, I decided to add some of my bourbon soaked cherries and their liquid one day as well as a splash of a little fresh orange juice I had left over from another recipe. That combination was perfection, and it has since become my favorite winter drink. I hadn't yet named it though. That is until today... I decided on the "Single Lady" because this drink would be wonderful for any single lady to sip on Valentine's Day as I am while I work on dinner. That said, ANY lady would enjoy this drink single or not...and guys, I have a feeling you wouldn't pass it up either! It is seriously refreshing as well as comforting, and perfect for winter! Set aside some time for yourself and mix one up, kick back and relax!

Single Lady Martini

Makes 1

4-6 large ice cubes
3 oz Crown Royal
1 oz cherry soaking liquid*
4 oz Fresh Rio Star Grapefruit juice
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
4-5 bourbon soaked cherries*

orange or grapefruit slice or zest for garnish

In a martini shaker add the ice, Crown Royal, cherry liquid, grapefruit juice, orange juice, and place top on shaker. Shake until well blended. Place about 4-5 bourbon soaked cherries onto a skewer, and place in a chilled large martini glass. Pour drink through a strainer into glass, and serve with a citrus garnish!

Bourbon Soaked Cherries:
In a glass jar, cover 1 cup dried bing cherries with enough bourbon to cover. Place lid on jar, and let sit at least overnight before using. Store in the fridge.

Walnut Apricot Wheatberry Salad

2011-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

When I hear the word "wheatberry" it conjures up thoughts of health food...not in a good way unfortunately. Flavorless healthy food that you would have to force yourself to eat and remind yoursef that it is good for you and that is why you are eating it. This is most likely because when I first became a vegetarian, about 8 years ago, I had been in a health food store and decided to buy some, figuring I would cook them up and serve them like rice. I wasn't the greatest cook at that point, and I undercooked them. They were too chewy and flavorless, and being that I wasn't very experienced with grains at that point, I did not know how to fix them and make them tasty. So I have pretty much avoided them ever since, which is unfortunate and immature of me. When I was in the bulk department of the store the other day (where I work in the deli), there they sat in front of me in a bin...almost like they were calling to me. All the bad memories I had of them were overridden by my compulsion to buy them and try making them into something delicious. It might be a challenge, but I was up for it! This time I soaked them to speed the cooking process. Once they were cooked off, properly this time of course so the texture was to my liking, I decided that they wiould make a wonderful grain salad. I combined them with toasted walnuts and sweet apricots and tossed them with a light citrusy dressing laced with curry powder. It was delcious and flavorful! Very hearty for a salad, and the leftovers made for a perfect lunch the next day! I am happy to report I have since forgotten about my grudge with wheatberries, and I will have to experiment with them some more! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it!

Walnut Apricot Wheatberry Salad

Serves 2

3/4 cup wheatberries, soaked in water overnight
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup baby spinach
1 small shallot, minced

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, and 1 Tbsp zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp zest
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp mild curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium stockpot, cover wheatberries with water until it covers them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cook about 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and let cool. Place in a bowl, and add walnuts, apricots, spinach, and shallot. Whisk dressing ingredients together, and toss with salad to coat. Serve!

Amy's Buccatini All' Amatriciana

2011-02-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

A few years back, for my Mom's Birthday we went to an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities that was supposed to be the best. The food was expensive, but I was not impressed. I ordered the vegetarian special, and it was as if the person who made it did not know what they were doing, or how to cook vegetarian food. It was flavorless...that is except for the garlic powder they had sprinkled on top of it before broiling it. I wasn't going to say anything, but my Mom complained and we got it for free. She loved her food on the other hand. She had ordered a dish called Bucatini all' amatriciana, a spicy pasta with a red sauce laced with red pepper flakes and guanciale (bacon). She kept begging me to go back to the restaurant with her so she could order this dish, but I would never go back there after my bad experience with their food. Afterall, if you mess up vegetarian food, you really don't know how to cook in my opinion. So, I felt bad, and I told her I would try and recreate the dish. I nailed it spot on, and I never had to go back to the restaurant with her since she liked my version better. It has been a few years, and I have made her the dish quite a few times, since she likes to request it. I decided I wanted to try it...minus the guanciale of course. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about! So I made it exactly the same with tempeh bacon. I have to admit, it was pretty darn good for a simple pasta dish! The light spicyness in the bright tomato sauce, the smokyness of the bacon and textural bite to the bucatini that you don't get from other pasta, it was delicious! It was funny, she told me it was even better with the tempeh bacon than the real stuff! I will be making this often now for myself now that I know how delcious it is, and easy to make! Here is the recipe if you would like some!

Amy's Bucatini All' Amatriciana

Serves 3-4

Sauce:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 tsp (or more if desired) crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp red wine (good quality, what you drink) or balsamic vinegar
1 15 oz can crushed organic tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp fennel seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
sea salt
water
8 oz dried bucatini pasta

vegan parmesan to serve, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
To make sauce, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Place tempeh bacon in pan, and brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and let cool slightly, then cut into small pieces. Add shallots to the pan and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant 1 minute. Add wine to deglaze, then tomatoes, paste, herbs, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let simmer about 15 minutes to let flavor develop. Meanwhile, add pasta to salted water and cook according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, add it to the sauce, along with tempeh bacon and cook a few minutes until bacon is heated through and pasta is coated in sauce. Serve, along with some vegan parmesan!

Avocado and Roasted Carrot Ravioli with Toasted Almonds

2011-02-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

I had grabbed a couple avocadoes while I was at the store last weekend hoping to do something wonderful with them some time this week. They were on sale so I figured it was a good idea, knowing I would need to use them in the next couple days before they got to mushy. But they got mushy faster than I expected, and I wasn't in a guacamole sort of mood (although I suppose that is why they were on sale due to it being superbowl weekend), so I had to come up with another use. It wasn't hard to figure something out, I love avocadoes, they are like nature's butter, so silky when they hit the tongue. So I thought why not use them in a way that would showcase their smoothness. I was in the mood for ravioli, so I thought why not incorporate them into the filling? It may sound wierd, but really it is not. They add the richness that a cheese filling usually would provide. I paired them with pureed roasted carrots and almonds and garlic in my filling, and it was rich and delicious but heart healthy at the same time! This may have been the most unusual ravioli I have ever made, but it was amazing! Not wanting to distract from the delicate flavor of the filling, I decided a red sauce was not an appropriate accompaniment to this pasta. I instead used a simple combination of olive oil and orange scented with a little basil and garlic. I added some more roasted carrots, spinach, and shallots for color, as well as some additional toasted almonds for crunch. It was a colorful, beautiful dish, and a creative use for the avocadoes! Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Avocado and Roasted Carrot Ravioli with Toasted Almonds

Serves 3-4

Pasta:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp water

Fillling:
1 cup roasted carrot puree*

1 medium avocado, pureed

1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp dried basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 large carrot sliced on the diagonal

olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, sliced

juice of one small orange
2 cups baby spinach greens

A few fresh basil leaves, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

To make pasta, mix together flour and sea salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, and crack the egg into it. Add 1 Tbsp water, and start slowly mixing in flour and incorporating it into the wet ingredients. Mix until all flour is incorporated and a soft but not sticky smooth dough is formed (if you need to add more water if dough is too dry). Divide dough into 2 pieces, and flatten each slightly. Lightly flour each, then send through a pasta maker until the dough is a very long thin sheet. (alternatively, roll each out until very thin with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface). Cover with plastic, and set aside.
To make filling, combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. To fill pasta, lay out one sheet, and drop filling onto sheet with at least a 3/4 inch boarder around the filling. Cover with the other pasta sheet and press down around each filling mound to seal the filling in. Cut into squares (in about a 1 inch boarder around each filling mound) using a pizza cutter. Discard extra scraps (or you can attempt to re-roll them, but it doesn't always work so well). Set raviolis aside. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss carrots with just enough oil to coat, and spread out on sheet. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until starting to brown at edges.
Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil (for pasta). When boiling, add ravioli and cook until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes.

To finish, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan, and add shallots. Saute until softened and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant, then add another 2 Tbsp olive oil, ravioli, roasted carrots, orange juice, basil, spinach, sea salt, and freshly per ground pepper to taste and almonds. Mix well until heated through, then transfer to plates and serve!

*To make roasted carrot puree, cut about 1 1/2 cups carrots into slices, toss them with olive oil, and roast them on a sheet pan for about 15 minutes at 475 degrees until starting to brown at the edges. Let cool, and puree until smooth.

Stuffed Celery

2011-02-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

It was a Lyons family tradition. Every year at family gatherings or holidays my Grandma Lyons would have stuffed celery somewhere included in the spread. She would sometimes even just make it special if she knew you were coming to dinner, as it was one of the favorites! I don't know of anyone in my family who didn't like it, everyone in fact loved it, and the last piece was often fought over! My Grandma has since passed away, and sadly I have not had any stuffed celery in over 5 years, because she was the only person I knew who made it.

But that all changed last weekend, because I had leftover tofutti cream cheese from a dessert I had made, and I decided that stuffed celery sounded awfully good! I don't have Grandma's recipe, so I put my own twist on this Lyons family classic. I made it vegan, since I was starting off with tofutti cream cheese. Grandma used to use Miracle Whip, but I used vegannaise to make the stuffing creamy, and swapped out her dried onion for fresh garlic. She used to sprinkle her stuffed celery with sweet paprika, but I decided to give mine a kick and use chipotle powder.

The stuffed celery turned out awesome, and I think grandma would be proud...as long as I didn't tell her it was vegan, since she never quite understood me being vegetarian! It was just as good as hers, but I could call it my own! It was nice to enjoy this tradition in my family's food that I haven't expirienced for a while. Here is my recipe if you would like to try it for yourself to see what all the fuss in my family is about!

Vegan Stuffed Celery

Makes about 30

10 medium stalks celery cut into 3 inch sections
8 oz tofutti cream cheese

1/4 cup vegannaise

1 garlic clove, minced

sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
ground smoked paprika or chipotle powder

Beat together cream cheese, vegannaise, garlic, sea salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl with an electric mixer until very smooth. Place in a pastry bag, and pipe decoratively into the middle of the celery pieces. Sprinkle with smoked paprika or chipotle powder (if you like a little spice). Serve!

My favorite winter salad

2011-01-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

I tend to get stuck in ruts... I am a very monotonous person sometimes when it comes to things I do every day, or when it comes to cooking dinner. It is something I am not proud of, being such a creature of habit but oh well. For this reason however I have been making a certain salad very often. I have appologized to those who have had to share it with me, but luckilly they like it too and have no complaints, so I keep making it. It is so good I cannot go without making it at least a few times a week, at least as long as the vegetables I use in it are in season. I have come to love sunchokes this year, especially thinly sliced and roasted. Right out of the oven with sea salt they are like chips! In this favorite salad of mine, I combined them with carrots and rutabagas roasted in the same way, and they are delicious together. I used my standard toasted pecans to top off the salad as well as some golden raisins, which I don't think are used enough, but I love! Everything is dressed in a light maple balsamic vinaigrette, and it is so delicious I could eat it all myself! I listed this recipe as serving three, but it is actually two Amy sized servings. Even if you are skeptical about root vegetables and don't care for them, this salad could change your mind. I served it to my Mom who is not a big fan of root vegetables, and she looked at it and gave me "the look", saying "You know I don't like rutabagas..." But once she tasted it she actually loved it and there wasn't a rutabaga left on that plate! I love it when I can change people's minds about liking veggies! Here is the salad recipe if you would like to try it for yourself!

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Toasted Pecans and Golden Raisins

Serves 3

2 large carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 large sunchokes, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 small rutabagas, thinly sliced on the diagonal
olive oil
sea salt

Pecans:

1/2 cup pecans
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp maple sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground chipotle powder
Dressing:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp riesling vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 cups mixed flavorful greens such as arugula, mizuna and dandilion
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line three baking sheets with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Toss root vegetables with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet pans. Roast until starting to brown at edges and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and let cool to room temp. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Toss pecans with honey, maple sugar and sea salt and spread out on one of the sheets. Roast in the oven until fragrant and starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine greens, shallots, and roasted veggies, in a large bowl, pour dressing over, and toss with hands to coat. Divide salad between 3 plates and top with toasted nuts and golden raisins.