vegetarian Archive

Hello there, 2012: It’s Time to Detox.

And just like that, life is suddenly normal again.

The holidays have come and gone. The Christmas decor is all packed away. I’m back to sitting at a desk in a cubicle for 40 hours a week. And, of course, since it’s the first week of January I’m doing what every other resolution-making, gym-membership-buying American is doing this week: I’m detoxing.

To be clear, I’m using the term ‘detox’ very loosely. Really, I’m just cutting back on sugar, alcohol, and carbohydrates (and all those other things that taste really good but aren’t actually good for you). Since life has returned to normal, my diet should do the same. It is officially time to say goodbye to holiday treats. As much as I love them, they certainly do not love me: I feel tired, old, and sluggish.

So, I’m going back to square one. I’m going to eat simple, whole foods. I’m going to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains. I’m going to be good to my body. There is no formula; this isn’t rocket science. I’m just going to do the best that I can.

If you’d like to join me, I’ve compiled a list of a few of my favorite “detox” recipes. These recipes have inspired me to eat better, and they’ve certainly made me feel better. Please do let me know if you have any detox recipes that you’d like to share! I’d love to hear your suggestions. Happy new year, everyone. Here’s to healthy, happy living!

POST-HOLIDAY DETOX RECIPES: A FEW OF MY PERSONAL FAVES.

Cleansing Ginger Chicken Soup from Bon Apetit: I made a big batch of this broth last week and I LOVE it. For the first few days after Christmas, I simply drank this ginger chicken broth on its own (alongside a simple kale salad). I still had quite a bit of the broth leftover (I made a giant batch), so I roasted some carrots, fennel, parsnips, celery and onions and added that to the broth, along with some leftover cooked chicken. It made for the best chicken and vegetable soup ever. It is full of flavor and nutrients, and it makes my belly really really happy.

Kale and Peanut Slaw from The Kitchn: I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for ages, but I didn’t get around to making until last week. It’s simple, fresh, filling, and wonderful. (It’s also reminiscent of my all-time favorite salad: Raw Kale Apple Salad.)

Coconut Black Eyed Pea Soup from Boulder Locavore: A new year’s tradition (black eyed peas), transformed into an amazing soup. This soup looks rich, yet bright and refreshing (and healthy!). I will be making this soon.

Detox Salad from Oh She Glows: I’ve not yet made this salad, but how could I not add a salad called ‘Detox Salad’ to my list of detox foods? This salad contains SO many wonderful things, and I plan on making it sometime this week.

Miso Soup from 101 Cookbooks: I’ve made Heidi’s miso soup recipe many, many times. I adore this recipe, as does my stomach.

Vegan Caesar Salad: This is my adaptation of 101 Cookbooks Vegan Caesar salad. It’s lighter than a typical Caesar and uses a mix of greens as opposed to iceberg or Romaine lettuce. It’s much healthier than a typical Caesar, and in my opinion – it tastes every bit as good. The secret? Capers.

Warm Chickpea & Butternut Squash Salad from Smitten Kitchen: I’ve also made this salad a zillion times. I like to eat it alongside hummus & pita, but it can be served on its own as a meal. The Tahini dressing is the key, as it really marries all the flavors together beautifully. This salad is also great leftover (and eaten warm or cold).

Balsamic Roasted Roots with Spinach Sauce from Sprouted Kitchen: I could easily include every recipe from Sprouted Kitchen in my roundup, but this recipe seemed particularly appropriate for the season. Plus, the photos are gorgeous.

Curried Quinoa and Apple Salad: What’s not to like about quinoa with apples, curry, coconut milk, golden raisins and almonds? This is such a simple salad, but it’s full of bright and bold flavors. This is also my favorite weekday lunch recipe.

Spicy Slaw with Shredded Chicken from The Unexpected Harvest: This is a recipe from my dear friend Mari that I’ve had bookmarked for ages. Somehow, I’ve never gotten around to making it! It is a simple cabbage slaw with a spicy dressing, served with shredded chicken and soft boiled eggs. It looks hearty, without being too heavy.

Carrot Soup with Orange and Lemongrass: This might be my favorite soup of all time. It’s spicy and powerful, bold and bright. And, it’s vegan!

Vegetarian African Peanut Stew from Big Girls, Small Kitchen: A hearty winter vegetable stew with sweet potatoes, peanuts, edamame, spinach and more.

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey, Brown Sugar, Cayenne and Rosemary

I absolutely hated sweet potatoes when I was a kid. Or, at least I thought I did. Really, I think I was misinformed about sweet potatoes. My only real experience with sweet potatoes was with the famed Thanksgiving side, “Sweet Potato Casserole”. You know the dish I’m talking about, right? The bright orange casserole, which was usually made with canned sweet potatoes and was topped with some sort of marshmallowy substance. The whole thing was devoid of texture and sickeningly sweet. (I apologize if I’m stepping on any toes here, I do know that there are many out there who love this classic Thanksgiving dish. I’m just not one of them!)

This is what I knew of sweet potatoes, and I did not like it one bit.

But then I grew up and figured out that sweet potatoes are awesome. They’re a surprisingly versatile little root vegetable, and can be used in various sweet or savory applications. In addition, they’re classified as a “superfood“. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I’d like to pretend it means that sweet potato fries aren’t bad for you. Fried superfood is still a superfood, right?

But, I digress.

The point is, sweet potatoes are fantastic. I could eat them a million different ways; in pies, biscuits, soups, stews, gratins, and more. But of all the ways to enjoy sweet potatoes, there is one recipe that is my clear favorite. I like to sauté them with butter, whiskey, rosemary, shallots, brown sugar, and cayenne. Just take a moment and let your eyes wander back over that sentence. Yep. There are a lot of good things in that sentence. And when you combine all of those good things with sweet potatoes, it’s downright magical.

The potatoes are buttery, salty, sweet, and a little bit spicy. The whiskey and the brown sugar work together to give the sweet potatoes beautiful brown, caramelized edges. (I’m making myself hungry as I type this. Seriously.)

And the best part about these potatoes? They’re really, really easy to make. And, you can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time. If you boil your sweet potatoes a day ahead of time, they only take 10 more minutes to cook. TEN MINUTES. I used to over-complicate the holidays and make ridiculous dishes that required me to slave over the stove all day. I’ve since learned my lesson, and I try to relax and actually enjoy the holidays. That’s one of the reasons I love this recipe, it allows me to do just that.

All of that to say, these sweet potatoes will be making an appearance on my Thanksgiving table this year. And who knows, maybe they’ll end up on your table as well. :)

(P.S. In the spirit of “Thankful November” I would like to mention that today, I’m thankful for the company of a good book and a snuggly cat. Oh, and I’m thankful to have a working heater. It is COLD out there!)

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey, Brown Sugar, Cayenne and Rosemary
Serves 4-6

4-5 medium (red flesh) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 small shallots, diced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons whiskey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt & pepper, to taste

This step can be done ahead of time: Place sweet potato cubes in a medium size pot and cover with water. Add a dash of salt, and place over high heat. Allow the water to come to a boil, and then reduce heat and allow the potatoes to simmer until soft (20 minutes or so). Drain water, set potatoes aside. If you do make the potatoes ahead of time, store them in the fridge in a sealed container until you need them.

In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add in sweet potatoes, and gently stir to coat with butter. Allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Sprinkle cayenne, brown sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper over the potatoes while they cook. Be careful not to over-stir, so that they potatoes retain their shape (and don’t get mushy. You want them to remain in cubed form!). Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with half of the whiskey. Allow the sweet potatoes to caramelize. Once slightly browned on one side, turn the potatoes over (or give a quick stir) and sprinkle with more brown sugar. Add in the rest of the whiskey, and cook until potatoes have caramelized and have light to medium browning. If the potatoes begin to stick at any point, add in more butter.

Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. I like them to pack a punch, so I use more cayenne than indicated. Sprinkle a bit more fresh rosemary over the top of the potatoes and serve immediately. If you really want the potatoes to pack a bit of a punch, drizzle just a touch more whiskey over the top of the potatoes before serving.

Green Beans with Blackberries, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

It’s Thursday evening. I’m wrapped in a blanket, drinking coffee, and watching the rain fall outside my living room window. It’s so gloomy outside, and yet I’m so cozy. It is the perfect fall evening.

And here I am, posting a bright and summery recipe for green bean salad. You know, sometimes a girl just wants green beans and blackberries in the middle of October. To be fair, I did get the berries at the farmer’s market. I’m sure we are at the (very!) tail end of blackberry season, but they are technically still in season. As for the green beans? I bought them at the regular old grocery store. They were probably shipped from California (or Mexico!), but I’m not sweating it. You can’t be perfect all the time.

This particular salad was inspired from a similar salad I had during the Montavilla Harvest Dinner. The salad was the brainchild of Chef Adam Sappington from The Country Cat, and it was fantastic. The salad was the second course in a six course dinner, and I thought it was the highlight of the evening. It was simple, but stunning. I liked it so much that I decided to re-create it at home!

I’m not kidding when I say this salad is simple. There are four ingredients, not counting the dressing. But each of the ingredients work so well with the others. The flavors are spot on. It makes me wonder why I’ve never tried this combination before. Green beans, blackberries, caramelized onions and goat cheese. I can’t get over how good it is. It’s good enough to justify posting a summer salad in the middle of October. ;)

Green Bean and Blackberry Salad
1lb green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1 medium-large yellow onion, sliced into thin rounds
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tablespoons olive oil (+1 tablespoon for caramelizing the onion)
1.5 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a medium sized pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook green beans in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until bright green. Remove green beans from the boiling water and plunge into an ice bath (or rinse well with cold water, to stop the cooking). Pat dry and set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the onions and cook over medium-low heat until caramelized. I like a deep golden (almost brown) color on my caramelized onions. I cook for 20-30 minutes (or longer) over low heat and stir occasionally. Once onions are caramelized to your liking, remove from heat and set aside for later.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Take a couple pieces of caramelized onion and using the end of a wooden spoon (or any other kitchen tool that will work), muddle the onion in the dressing mixture.

Toss the green beans and caramelized onions in the dressing mixture (be careful not to overdress, toss just to coat!). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow flavors to meld.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, sprinkle the blackberries over the green bean mixture. Either crumble or place small dollops of goat cheese on the salad. If you so desire, drizzle a bit more balsamic vinegar over the salad (I drizzled a bit of high quality aged balsamic over the whole salad, and it was superb.)

Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

I’m not making any claims that this is the best tomato sauce of all time. If you’re looking for the best tomato sauce of all time, you may want to consult Scott Conant, Mario Batali, or some other famed Italian chef. This isn’t one of those tomato sauces.

However, I can claim that this is a good tomato sauce recipe. A really good tomato sauce recipe – one that I invented myself, with a little help and inspiration from others. At the end of the day, it’s a basic tomato sauce made with the last of the ripe tomatoes from my garden.

All that to say, I’m not going to go on and on about tomato sauce as if I’m an expert on the subject. I’m not. But, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to making (and using) tomato sauce. First of all, I figured out a way to make tomatoes peel themselves. You see, I hate (hate!) blanching, peeling and de-seeding tomatoes. It is a tedious and obnoxious task. So, then, I figured out that if you quickly roast the tomatoes underneath your broiler, the skins pretty much just come right off. I simply halve the tomatoes, sqeeze out the seeds, and then broil them for 8-10 minutes (or until the skins blacken and loosen from the tomato flesh). It’s a win-win situation: the tomatoes get a bit of smokiness from the ‘fire roasting’ and the skins come off easily. No blanching required!

Secondly – and this may sound painfully obvious – use high quality or heirloom tomatoes when making tomato sauce. Your sauce will taste as good as the tomatoes you put in it. Those sad, bruised, unripened Roma tomatoes at the grocery store? Don’t use those. It’s as simple as that.

And lastly, I want to share with you my new favorite way to enjoy tomato sauce: baked with rounds of goat cheese, and enjoyed with a fresh baguette. And yes, of course, I eat a lot of tomato sauce with pasta. But I made a giant batch of this sauce and was looking to use it in a number of different ways. And let me tell you, baking goat cheese in tomato sauce is dangerously delicious. I made it one evening while Nich was at work and I may have devoured it al by myself. Oops?

So, then, the actual recipe that I’m posting is for my fire roasted tomato sauce. But my helpful suggestion is to bake some goat cheese in that sauce. Just make sure that someone else is around to ensure you don’t gobble it all down by yourself. :)

FIRE ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
(Inspired from recipes from Smitten Kitchen and Vie La Table)
5lbs of tomatoes
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup red wine
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pepper, to taste

First, halve the tomatoes (from top to bottom) and cut off stems. De-seed the tomatoes, by either squeezing them over a bowl (or trash can) or by using a spoon or your fingers to remove seeds. I find that fingers work best!

Turn on your broiler. Place halved tomatoes, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet (be sure to use a rimmed baking sheet, as there will be a lot of tomato juice!). Place baking sheet under the broiler and roast the tomatoes until the skins have blackened (about 8-10 minutes). Repeat this process until all tomatoes have been roasted. Set tomatoes aside and allow to cool. Once tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove their skins and pour off any juices. The skins should come off very easily (the roasting does the work for you).

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat butter (or olive oil) over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown (10-15 minutes). Deglaze the pan with red wine, and add in the bay leaf, rosemary and oregano sprigs. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, and then add in the roasted tomatoes, dried basil, and salt & pepper. Allow to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or more. The longer you let this sauce simmer, the better it will be. When you feel the sauce is ready, remove from heat. After 30 (or more) minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Blend with an immersion blender (or food processor) until smooth. Serve over pasta (or bake with goat cheese!). The sauce will keep in the fridge for a week (or more).

Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones

This past week, my lovely little niece Jubalee was born.

At the exact time of her birth, I was having lunch with my family at a nearby cafe. We had been waiting patiently at the hospital, but the nurses told us to go get lunch as it would be hours until Jubalee made her entrance. After all, she was already 10 days late…why not stall a few more hours? But, of course, she decided to arrive while we were having lunch. Life is funny that way.

We quickly made our way back to the hospital to meet the little one. My sister was a champion (16 hours of labor!), but her and the baby are happy and healthy. Jubalee has a full head of black hair, powerful little lungs, and the cutest chubby pink cheeks. I may be biased, but I happen to think I have the cutest nieces on the planet.

So, after a long day of driving, waiting, cooing, picture-taking, baby-gazing and the like, we finally headed home. I was exhausted, but my heart was full. It was a really wonderful day.

When I got home, I did what any normal person would do after a long and emotional day: I baked raspberry scones. I probably should have collapsed onto the couch and zoned out in front of the television, but I just couldn’t help myself. Call me a little crazy, but I find that cooking (and baking) is my favorite form of relaxation. For whatever reason, I’ve found that when I step into the kitchen, my outlook on life changes.

So after the birth of my niece, I cooked. I celebrated her entrance into the world by making a whole host of goodies, including these raspberry scones. The reason I’m writing about the scones now – as opposed to the other goodies I made that evening – is simply that they were my favorite creation of the evening. They were simple, flavorful, and a joy to bake. The dough came together easily, the scones cooked quickly, and when I finally sat down to relax – I munched happily on warm scones and all felt right with the world.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (plus a little more) fresh raspberries
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup heavy cream

Optional: Raw or large grain sugar to sprinkle on top of the scones.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. In a large bowl, whisk together the white and wheat flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Add the butter and use a pastry blender (or knives, or fingers) to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. Toss in raspberries and use the pastry blender (or knives) again to break up the berries into smaller chunks.

Add the ricotta and heavy cream to the flour/butter mixture. With a spatula, stir together until a loose dough has formed (the mixture will be thick and wet). Using your hands, gently knead dough into an even mass, right in the bottom of the bowl.

With as few movements as possible, transfer the dough to a well-floured counter or surface. Flour the top of the dough and pat it into a 7-inch square (about 1-inch tall). With a large knife, cut the dough into 9 even squares. Transfer the scones to prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.

Chioggia Beet Salad with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette and Feta

So, a couple months back I wrote about my newfound love of beets. And while I was enjoying the wonderful world of beets, I also made sure to apologize to all the beet haters of the world and promised that I would cool it on the beet posts for awhile. I did mention, however, that I had just planted a bunch of chioggia beets and said that I would probably post about beets again when I harvested my beets. Well, my friends, that time has finally come. My beets are ready!

But let me back up for a second. As you can probably tell from the above photo, this is no an ordinary beet. Chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom varietal of beet, known for their gorgeous red and white striped flesh (they are also called candy cane beets, which makes perfect sense!). I first heard about this type of beet when I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. While I had mixed feelings about the book, I did come away from it with a clear understanding of what it means to cultivate heirloom vegetables. Currently the term ‘heirloom’ gets thrown around a lot in trendy restaurants and high end food stores. However, there really is something to be said for planting (and eating) heirloom foods.

I won’t attempt to take on the whole of the American food system today (I’ll save that for another day!). Instead, I would simply like to point out a few major changes that have taken place in the agricultural system. As you can see in the diagram below, the availability of different types and varieties of vegetables has greatly dwindled. Just take beets for an example: 100 years ago, there were 288 varieties of beets. Today, there are just 17 varieties of beets in existence.

(Graphic from Prana.com)

If nothing else, these figures are incredibly sobering. Fruits and vegetables are now bred and modified to be resistant to pests, to last longer on grocery store shelves, and to look more appealing to the eye. While the nutritional value of heirloom vs. genetically modified produce is often debated, I happen to believe that heirloom vegetables simply taste better. I also love the variation and beauty that is often found heirloom varietals: purple, yellow and green tomatoes; black zucchini; candy cane striped beets, and more.

It is for these reasons (and more) that I am personally a fan of heirloom vegetables. If nothing else, I find that they are often much prettier than their hybrid counterparts! (Note: To learn more about heirloom varietals and ongoing attempts to save and share heirloom seeds, visit the Seed Saver’s Exchange)

As for the recipe, I made this salad when I was home alone one evening. I went to my backyard, picked some raspberries, mint, and beets…and an hour later I had an incredibly fresh and tasty dinner (I ate the salad alongside a baguette and Salted Molasses Butter). Sadly, the chioggia beets lose a lot of their candy cane brilliance once you roast them, but they still taste amazing!

Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette and Feta

4-6 small to medium sized beets (If you can’t find chioggia beets, red or golden beets will also work)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh mint
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (could substitute lemon or lime juice)
1 small shallot, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Method
Roast the beets: To roast the beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim beet greens off (reserve for other use), leaving 1/4 inch of the stems in tact and leaving the skins on. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and bake until tender when pricked with a fork or knife (30-45 minutes). The times will vary depending on the size of the beets. Set beets aside and allow to cool. Once cooled, peel off beet skins. The skins should come off easily when rubbed with a paper towel (or you can just use your fingers).

To make the vinaigrette: Macerate raspberries and mint in a small bowl. Whisk in shallots, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if you desire a thinner consistency. Allow vinaigrette to set for 30 minutes or more, to allow the flavors to meld together.

To assemble the salad: Slice cooled beets into quarters, and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle crumbled feta over the beets, and drizzle raspberry vinaigrette over the beets and feta. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately. (Note: this beet salad could be served atop a bed of arugula, spinach, etc.)

Happy Thursday: Grapesicles!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a birthday party for my favorite little two year old, Lillian. Not having kids myself, I wasn’t sure what to snacks make for a child’s birthday party… but then I saw these gems on Pinterest. Grapesicles! So pretty and so clever.

To make these darling grapesicles, I simply skewered red and green grapes and froze them. They take an hour or two to freeze completely, but that’s really all the time they require. Easy as pie. I did make sure to cut the sharp ends off the skewers. I didn’t want to be “that girl” – you know, the one girl who doesn’t have children who then gives all the kids sharp skewers so they can poke their eyes out? No thank you.

And let me just say…the grapesicles were a hit. The kids quickly figured out that the grapesicles were tasty and they could also double as swords. It was a win-win situation for all. I refrained from using my grapesicle as a sword, but I did eat one or two (or three or four) and enjoyed every delicious icy bite. Move over, popsicles. Frozen grapes are my new best friend.