Mid-Summer Slaw with Roquefort

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.

Spring Fiesta Salad

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. 

Curried Coconut Borscht

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! 

Roasted Red Cabbage and Apple Pizzas with Carmelized Shallots, Walnuts, and Gruyere

There are some days when you just feel like you need a pizza for dinner...maybe a hard day at work perhaps?  Or just some comfort food in the form of a crispy crust with gooey cheese... today was one of those days for me.  I had some red cabbage and apples on hand, and since they pair so well together as a simple side dish, I thought they might be delicious on a pizza!  I like to try different toppings, and although I have probably tried hundreds of different combinations of fruits and veggies over the years, this one had escaped me.  But what to pair it with?  Some carmelized shallots sounded fabulous, and some nutty melty flavorful buttery gruyere was what I ended up chosing.  Toasted walnuts were a last addition for a textural contrast to all of the soft veggies.  When I pulled the pizza from the oven I knew it would be good...my mouth was watering from the aroma of the melted gruyere and roasted veggies!  The pizza was beautiful with the red cabbage, and it tasted even better!  Like the classic side dish of red cabbage and apples it was tangy, but it had saltiness and richness from the cheese, and with the crunchy walnuts and savory onions, it was heavenly!  Red cabbage and apples are easy to find this time of year, so if you enjoy venturing out of the realm of cheese and meat toppings on a pizza you should try this!

Roasted Red Cabbage and Apple Pizzas with Carmelized Shallots, Walnuts, and Gruyere

Makes 2 10 inch pizzas

1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 small tart sweet apples, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
6 small shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
balsamic vinegar
2 whole wheat pizza crusts store bought or home-made*
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz shredded Gruyere cheese

A good quality pizza stone is essential to a crispy crust. Place the stone on the highest rack in the oven, then crank up the heat as high as possible at least an hour before baking the pizza (but if you don't have a stone, still use the top rack, but you will need to leave the pizza on a sheet pan to bake). Line 2 sheet pans with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss red cabbage with just enough oil to coat and spread out on one pan, and roast until softened, and starting to brown at edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and set aside. Spread out apples on other sheet and roast until just softened, about 5 minutes, and set aside.  Meanwhile, in a medium non-stick skillet, heat a little olive oil, on medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes until browned, softened and caramelly. Add garlic and cook for a minute more, until fragrant, and add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat. To assemble pizzas, place one piece of the dough on a piece of parchment paper, spray rolling pin with non-stick spray and roll out as thin as possible (about 10 inches is best) Repeat with other piece of dough using another sheet of parchment. Sprinkle salt and pepper over crust, then thyme, then veggies, walnuts, mozzarella and gruyere. Using a pizza peel, or an upside down sheet pan, carefully slide the dough (keeping it on the parchment) into the oven. Bake for about 3-5 minutes, or until crust is starting to brown and cheese is bubbling. Carefully slide the parchment onto a sheet pan or pizza peel to remove from oven. Let cool a few minutes and serve!

*Amy's Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Makes 8 10 inch crusts

Crust:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp Salt

2 Pkgs rapid-rise yeast

2 cups warm water

To make the dough, in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water and then dissolve the yeast in the water. Gradually stir the flour into the water mixture, until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, then place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area, such as near the oven, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. When dough has risen, punch down and divide into 8 pieces. You can either freeze the dough in individual portions (just place in ziplock bags and take out the night before you want to use it, then it will be ready to use the next day), or set aside to use right away. If making the recipe above, you will need two crusts.

Red October Soup with Sourdough Croutons

At my work, I make a tomato cabbage white bean soup that is really simple, but very good.  It is hearty and satisfying and I like to make it during the summer and early fall because it is still light enough to enjoy when the weather is not quite cold yet.  I wanted to make some at home yesterday, but I realized that I didn't have green cabbage, which is what I normally use.  I also had some locally grown vegetables that needed to be eaten, and I thought what better way to use them in a soup?  This was quickly becoming quite different than the soup at work...leeks, shallots, and edamame were added in addition to the usual ingredients list.  I also added a bit of red wine I had on hand for flavor, and some tomato paste to make it a little thicker and give it a deeper flavor.  When it had all simmered together, it was a beautiful red hue thanks to the cabbage and tomatoes...hence the name "October Red" soup, because it was also made with veggies that are currently in season.  It was delicious as it was, but I like my soup with a bit of bread for dipping, or croutons, so I decided to make some to go atop it.  I cubed some sourdough, tossed it with a little olive oil, garlic and sea salt and baked it until crispy.  It was a wonderful textural contrast, and it was especially good when soaked in the flavorful broth!  If you would like a comforting soup, make some for yourself! 

Red October Soup with Sourdough Croutons
Serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced
4 small shallots, sliced
1 medium red onion, diced
4 medium carrots, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup red wine
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small red cabbage, chopped

1 cup edamame, shelled

2 cups cooked white beans (I used navy)

2 Tbsp tamari
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup tomato paste
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Croutons:
1 1/2 cups cubed sourdough bread
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt

To make soup, in a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add leeks, shallots, onions, and carrots, and saute until translucent and starting to brown slightly, about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, rosemary and thyme and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.  Add wine to deglaze and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.  Add tomatoes, cabbage, edamame, white beans, tamari, water, worchestershire sauce, agave nectar, tomato paste, sea salt and freshly pepper.  Bring soup to a low boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.  Taste for seasoning and add more sea salt if needed.  Meanwhile, make the croutons.  Heat oven to 475 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Toss bread with just enough olive oil to moisten, along with garlic and a little sea salt. Spread out on sheet, and bake until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly.  To serve, ladle soup into bowl, and top with a few croutons.