Prepping Leeks

A member of the Lily family, leeks look like overgrown green onions or scallions. 

They have a slightly sweet, mild onion taste. 

Ideally, they're used early in the cooking process to build a depth of flavor. 

Leeks are often braised, fried, sauteed, roasted, grilled, steamed and boiled.

• First, you'll want to start by chopping off the tough green tops. I like to save them for making vegetable broth, so I keep them in my freezer, in a bag full of scraps.
• Now slice the tender bottoms of the leeks in half and rinse them really well. Lots of mud and dirt like to hide in between the layers

• From here, depending on your recipe and desired cut your technique will vary. To dice the leeks small, I make several cuts longwise through the vegetable.

• Hold the leek carefully, while you slice width-wise to create a small dice.

Cinna-Apple Maple Banana Oats

1/2 c steel cut oats
1 1/2- 2 c water and/or milk (its nice to mix the two, if so add milk at end)
1 apple diced
1 T coconut oil
3 T almond or peanut butter
1 banana, chopped
cinnamon
raisins
pinch salt
serve with maple syrup

In a saucepan heat the coconut oil and add the oats, stir to toast the oats for 2min. Add water then bring to a simmer, add the apples, cinnamon, raisins, and salt then cover. Simmer on low for 20min. Add the banana and stir in the nutbutter, then continue to cook for at  least 5 more minutes or until you reach the desired consistensy. Garnish with maple syrup & enjoy

Chickpea Eggplant Puttanesca on a bed of Arugula

Spring is Coming!!! I picked these edible flowers at Green Gate Farms. I work there about twice a week doing all kinds of different tasks. Just about every time I go I do something different. I always get to pick some food and take it home with me. The white flowers are from the arugula plants and the yellow are from a more mild green called Mizuna.

2 c cooked Garbanzos (chickpeas)
1/4 onion
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
jar of good puttanesca sauce  (I cheated!! I had one in my freezer)
capers and green olives, if desired (too make it more puttanesca-ey)
1 eggplant roasted and chopped (see previous post Roasting Eggplant)
Arugula

Heat the olive oil and cook the onion until it softens and becomes translucent. Add the chickpeas & garlic then cook for an additional minute. Stir in the pasta sauce, eggplant, capers and green olives (if desired)

Serve very warm on a bed of Arugula.

Creamy Cran-Orange Pistachio Farina

1 c water
pinch salt
1/3c Cream of Rice Farina (Bobs Red Mill)
vanilla, dash
1 orange, supremed  (See post, Supreme Citrus)
dry cranberries
pistachios
maple syrup, light drizzle

Bring 1 c of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in the Rice Farina then add cranberries and a dash of vanilla extract. Turn the heat to low and while it cooks you can supreme your orange.
Once the water has cooked in, this should only take a couple of minutes, serve with the oranges, their juice, pistachios and a light drizzle of maple syrup. Then enjoy the rest of your day!!

Spiced Swiss Chard & Mung Bean Stew

Mung Beans cooking with a piece of Kombu

Mis en place, while everyting my broth and beans are cookin'

Onion and bell pepper cooking in sesame oil and lots of spices

Puree 1/3 of the the stew then add it back in!

6 c vegetable broth (see previous post Let There Be Broth)
1 c dry mung beans, cooked in 3 c water
sesame oil
1/4 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, mined
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems chopped and leaves chiffonade (see post Teach the World to Chiffonade)
**dry spices: tumeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, 1 clove, fennugreek, white pepper, mustard

Prepare the Vegetable broth. Meanwhile cook the mung beans in water and prepare the rest of your ingredients

Heat 1 T sesame oil in a pan. IF USING WHOLE SPICES add them to the heated oil and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. This will soften them and toast them. IF USING GROUND SPICES add them at the end, directly to the stew. I used about half whole and half ground.  Use what you've got.
**I didnt specify the amount of each spice because... it doesnt really matter. This is a great combo. I probably used about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each.. besides the clove and white pepper.. I went easier on those. Just toss in 1 or 2 cloves and a few cracked white (or black) peppercorns.
After your whole spices have cooked in the oil for a few minutes add the onion and red bell pepper. Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes.

Once your mung beans have cooked, add the vegetable broth and spice/onion mixture to the beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chard at the end.

Teach the World to Chiffonade

Start by placing similar leaves in a pile 

Then roll them up!

like this

Next, slice the leaves into strips.  

Chiffonades vary in size from large to very fine. 

This one is somewhere in between

This cut is great for soups, salad, sandwiches, pizzas..

Tangerine Quinoa Slaw

1/2 c red quinoa
1 c filtered water
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
8 sugar snap peas, sliced thin longwise
1 scallion, sliced very thin
2 tangerines, supremed (see previous post Supreme Citrus)
1 small avocado, diced
cilantro, minced
salt


Rinse the quinoa well. Grains and beans are often pretty dirty.
Bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa, and cook until all of the water has cooked into the grain.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and once the quinoa has cooled, stir it into the mix. Adjust the salt to taste.The flavor of this salad is best if you let it marinate and get happier overnight.

Roasting Eggplant

Set the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the Eggplant in half and score the back of each half with an X. If you wish, you can thin slice garlic and shove the pieces into the slits of the X. Rub the flat side with a high heat oil and generously sprinkle with salt. Let her roast for at least 30 minutes.

Mmmm sweet juicy eggplant : ) At this point you should be able to poke the eggplant and feel how soft it is.

Flip em over.. and bask in the glory. Those aren't burn marks baby, that's caramelized eggplant and it's going to add a sweet depth of flavor to your dish and is guaranteed to make you a happy cook.

At this point I usually let them cool before separating the flesh from the skin. This is a great addition to pasta sauce, spreads, flat breads and sandwiches.

Supreme Citrus

To "supreme" citrus is to remove the skin, pith, and seeds while leaving each individual segment intact. 

 

Slice off the top and bottom so that the fruit has a flat surface. Then carefully remove the skin with a very sharp knife. If you don't have a sharp chef knife, use a serrated bread knife.

This is called a Honey Tangerine.. they taste like Orange Hi-C!! They're my current fave this citrus season. We've had at least a dozen varieties of mandarins and tangerines come through the market this month. 

Once you've removed each segment squeeze the rest to extract all the sweet juicy glory.

Basic Butternut Squash Soup

3 small-med butternut squash
2 c vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Roast the Squash. Scoop out the flesh into a blender. Combine with broth and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is the shortest blog recipe I've ever written.

See these previous posts for tips on some of the steps in this recipe.
Roasting Winter Squash
Let There Be Broth

In the above photo I garnished with black truffle oil and Italian breadcrumbs. There are so many great additions to this soup. Check out the list below!

try adding one or more of the following..
-coconut
-nutmeg
-ginger
-cumin
-apples
-herbs (especially Sage, although most common herbs would be nice!)
-cheese; parmesan, fontina, gruyere, pecorino..
-maple extract
-bourbon

Roasting Winter Squash

This technique is so much easier than trying to peel a winter squash.

Set the oven to 400. Wash and halve the squash. Rub oil on the flat side of each piece then salt generously..
Lay each piece flat side down on the pan and bake for 30minutes or until soft.

You should be able to easily scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Flip em over and let em cool.

Once they're cool you should be able to easily remove the seeds and separate the flesh from the skin. YES!


ALSO!   If you want cubed squash for the dish you are preparing... you don't have to peel it at all! Just scrub the squash well, get out your sharpest chef knife and cube that sucker. The skin is totally edible and loaded with nutrients. It isn't going to be tough or chewy or whatever you would assume... its actually quite lovely
: )

Let There Be Broth

The Super Bowl is on. I really couldn't care less. Except one of my very favorite people looooves the Patriots. So I actually made an attempt to join her and watch the game, but the bar was "at capacity."
That'll be fine.
I'll just make some soup : )

I  have 3 butternut squash on my counter.. so naturally they'll be the star of this evening's soup.
I start by making a broth... I look through the fridge, through the pantry, and OH. MY. OH. NO!! There are NO onions in this apartment!!!! I only have 1/2 of a very very small onion. I'll admit I freaked a little. I reallllyy didn't want to run to the store tonight. My anxiety rose when I realized there is also. no. garlic. I gave up. Watched an episode of The Office on Hulu.. and THEN decided that I would NOT be defeated.

Making a good broth is a lot like making tea. You find flavorful ingredients and cook them in water until all of their goodness steeps out. I organized my spice cabinet recently (alphabetical order and categorized by peppers, blends, herbs, and roots/seeds) and remembered that I had some dried onion flakes and a jar of dried shaved garlic that my momma put in my stocking a couple years ago. Thanks Mom!  So I checked the fridge again and came up with tonight's broth.

This is a pretty basic vegetable stock. It can be used to add depth to a wide variety of dishes. If I was making a corn chowder, I would add the cobs and any other scraps from that soup. Broccoli soup? Add the stalks to the broth. You can save mushroom stems in the freezer for broths and if you cook a lot, you could save up several days worth of veg scraps, make broth, and store it in your freezer for later use.
Here's an idea: Freeze it in an ice cube tray, pop out the cubes, and keep em in a ziplock bag. Bam.

2 parsnips
3carrots
3 celery stalks
1/2 small onion
2 bay leaves
few white peppercorns
salt
1/4 c dry onion flakes
2 T dry garlic flakes

 To extract the most flavor from your vegetables, cook them in a bit of oil. Stir frequently for about 5minutes, then add water.

 Boil the heck out of it. And keep a lid on, unless you want it to reduce. Boil for a minimum of 30minutes, and no longer than an hour.

Strain. Here I fit a strainer over a pot and mashed the veg to release as much of the liquid as possible.

 Finished Product. 2 cups of beautiful,delicious nutritious broth.

Grass Grows Fast

 Day 1 Spread the soaked wheat berries in a thick single layer across the soil. Then lightly sprinkle soil on top so you can barely see the wheat (this step is not shown)

Day 3 These sturdy sprouts shoot up quickly.. this photo was taken in the morning. By the time I got home from work at 6pm they were twice as thick!

 Day 4 Can you believe it?? Whether I'm just waking up or coming home from work, the first thing I do is check the wheat grass. Every time shows progress.

Day 5 Yep.

Day 6 I'm going to juice it in the mornin!!

Tips on Preserving Avocado

This avocado has been halved, refrigerated and in a ziplock bag for 2.5 days. Whereas normally it would be oxidized and brown, this avocado still retains its fresh green hue and flavor. How?

First, I saved the half with the pit. The pit helps retain freshness. Infact, if you make a batch of guacamole keep the pit & toss it in whole! It will take your guac at least twice as much time to oxidize and brown.

Second, I rinsed this half after slicing it. Rinsing the sliced fruit removes the enzymes that quickly brown.

 And just so you know...

• Avocados have 35% more potassium than bananas
• they can weigh up to 2.2lbs
• and the leaves, skin, and pit of the fruit are toxic to most animals
• thanks Wikipedia!!!

Lentil Walnut Burger

 yum yum served on a poppyseed bun with onion, local greenhouse tomato and homegrown sprouts

 Onion, garlic and carrot prior to adding all the dry ingredients

 Mixing up the dry ingredients, everything is in the pan besides the lentils

 Lentil Walnut Burgers
1 c red lentils
1 3/4 c water
1 small onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 c walnuts, chopped
1.5 t coriander
2 t cumin
1 t tumeric
2 t mustard powder
1.5 t oregano
salt and pepper
2 T ground flax
water/milk product if needed
1/2 c almond flour/meal
1/2 c bread crumb

This recipe makes about 4 or 5 med- large burgers

Wash the lentils thoroughly. Bring water to a boil, then add the lentils. Cook until all the water disappears.. about 20-25 min.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Add the onion, cook until soft, then add the garlic and carrot.. cook an additional minute then add all the ingredients except the lentils. Turn off the heat, this mixture should be quite dry. Once the lentils are cooked, combine them with the spice mixture. If it is too wet, add a bit of flour, a little at a time until you reach the consistency you desire. Don't add too much... because then they'll taste like flour. If your burgers are too dry and they wont form.. add water/broth/milk until you can form patties.
Once you form a patty, you and heat a little oil in a pan and brown each side, or you could bake it in the over. I usually crisp mine in a pan with a little sesame oil.

I like to keep this mixture in a tupperware container and shape the patties to order. Or you could pre-form the patties and freeze them.

You won't need condiments with this burger (except maybe some creamy mayo) bc it is so flavorful on its own! The burgers don't last long.. I usually eat mine with fresh sprouts, tomato and onion. Enjoy!

PBJ Banana Bread Pudding a la Mode

STAY TUNED FOR A COMPLETE RECIPE

PB choco Sauce
1/3 c Peanut butter
1.5 T cocoa powder
1/3 c milk product
pinch salt
honey, to taste

Heat the milk in a skillet. Once it is warmed, whisk in the peanut butter, then cocoa, honey and salt.

Jam
1/2 lb Strawberries, chopped
6 oz blueberries, smashed
1 orange, juiced
splash balsamic vinegar
pinch salt

Heat the orange juice in a small pot. Add the berries, balsamic and salt then and bring to a simmerand cook until the sauce thickens and reduces.


Breadpudding
half loaf 10grain bread
milk product
arrowroot powder
maple syrup
vanilla
cinnamon

Serve with a baked banana and ice cream!

Orange Blossom Porridge

In this recipe I used Creamy Brown Rice Farina by Bob's Red Mill. Once you boil the water, or milk, the farina cooks in 5minutes. Farina is a milled cereal grain, like polenta or cream of wheat. You can actually make your own by toasting rice (or almost any grain) then milling it in a good blender or spice grinder.

1/4 c brown rice farina
3/4 c milk product, or water
pinch salt
1 tangerine, I used Neopolitan which I think is the best of the season!
1/2 t orange blossom water, or to taste
1 T orange blossom honey
toasted pistachios, chopped
heaping teaspoon of Cashew creme or Marscapone

Bring your liquid to a boil. Stir in the farina, salt and orange blossom water then cook for 5-8 minutes. Top with the pistachios, tangerine, honey and creme.

Growing Wheat Grass Is Easy

This Wheatgrass is ready to harvest. A small pot like this is plenty for one person for a couple weeks. Once you trim off the first growth, it all grows back one more time. Then you replant.

This is some trimmed grass that is ready to juice. If you don't have a wheat grass juicer, you can add it to your blender with a small amount of water. This is quick and easy. Also, I chew it like gum! I know it may sound crazy to some of you, and I wasn't sure that I'd even like it, but its delicious and the wheat grass fibers surprisingly mimic the texture of chewing gum

Good Morning! I've noticed that on mornings I drink my wheat grass I have much more energy throughout the afternoon and am in a far happier mood at work :)

Instructions for growing your own!
1. Buy Wheatberries and soak them over night. You can find them in a bulk department at your local health food store. Wheatberries are a whole grain and the seed for the wheat plant. They can be used in pilafs, salads, and any number or entrees that you can imagine.
2. Spread the seeds thickly over soil so that they are all touching. Then sprinkle a small amount of soil on top of the seeds so that you can barley see them. You can use a medium sized pot or almost any type of container that you have on hand. It doesnt even need a drain.. you could even use a lunch tray or a cookie sheet, with a very small amount of soil.
3. Water them every day! Water immediately after you plant , then again every morning. Keep them in a sunny window. They should be ready in 5-7 days. If you want you can trim them and keep the grass in a produce bag in the fridge.

I looked up the following Nutritional Information on the MyWheatgrass website.

Wheatgrass Nutrition Facts

Vitamins
Wheatgrass contains high amounts of vitamins A, E and B. It also contains many minerals and trace elements: Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and Zinc.

Amino Acids
Wheatgrass also contains twelve amino acids including the eight essential amino acids: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, and lysine. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot create, they must be obtained through one's diet.

Predigested Food
Wheatgrass juice is considered a predigested food. It does not require enzymes for breaking down proteins. Wheatgrass juice contains both amino acids and glucose therefore it is readily assimilated in the body.

Chlorophyll
Wheatgrass juice is rich in Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a molecular structure almost identical to the hemoglobin molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll in the wheatgrass juice helps the blood carry Oxygen to all the cells.

Chlorophyll cleanses the liver, tissues and cells and purifies the blood. Wheatgrass juice helps remove toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, aluminum, that have become stored in the tissues of the body.Wheatgrass juice aids in detoxification by breaking up impacted matter in the colon. It also helps fight infection therefore aiding the body’s natural self healing process.

Sprout Master

My new Sproutmaster and set of sprouting seeds.. Merry Christmas!

I have a few blends, plus seed packets of Clover, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Broccoli, Radish, Mung Bean and Green Lentils. You don't have to buy packets like these to start sprouting. You can find lentils, grains, beans, nuts and some seeds in your local health food store's bulk department.

My first Broccoli Sprouts! They're strong and beautiful.. and they taste quite a bit like broccoli! These are about a week old. On day 5 I set the tray in the sun to develop Chlorophyll.


I found this Nutritional Info on Sprout People's website:

Broccoli Sprout Nutritional info:
Vitamins A, B, C, E and K
Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc
Carotene, Chlorophyll
Amino Acids
Trace Elements
Antioxidants
Protein: 35%

Stay tuned for directions on how to grow your own tasty & healthy sprouts!

Potato Cannellini & Cabbage in a Mustard Dill Stew

I'm crazy about Mustard & Dill. I am constantly trying to use my favorite flavor combinations in new ways. I was so happy with how this turned out.

3 small Russets, diced small
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c cooked Cannellini beans, reserve cooking liquid *
1/2 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced
6 large crimini mushrooms, quarter
1 very large roasted tomato or 1 can roasted toms
1 1/2 c veg broth**
1/2 c veg milk***
2 T mustard (to taste)
1 T dry dill or 2 T fresh

Feel free to omit the tomato as it is out of season.. we have some gorgeous local greenhouse tomatoes so I could not resist.

Start by small dicing the potatoes and cooking them over med-high heat in a bit of oil and salt until crisp and brown. Set aside

If you are going to roast your tomatoes yourself, set your oven to 325, slice the tomato into sixths toss in oil and salt and place in oven on cooking sheet. After a half hour or so, the tomato will start to deflate, the flavor will intensify, and you can easily peel the skin off. Set aside.

In the same pan you cooked the potato.. saute the diced onion with garlic and salt. Cook for a few minutes, then add the cabbage, bean cooking liquid, milk and veg broth. Bring to a simmer, add the tomato, mushrooms, dill and mustard. Season to taste.

*soak 1/2 c beans in water over night. Drain & rinse the beans. Cook the beans in a 3-1 water-bean ratio. (I always toss a bit of kombu in the pot to add mineral content and aid digestion)

** Keep onions, carrots and celery on hand for making broths quickly. If you arent making broths often, you can always juice any excess carrots & celery. To make a delicious quick broth heat a bit of oil, dice the onion, carrot celery and add them to the pot. Cook for several minutes with a bay leaf, salt & a couple of peppercorns. Once the vegetables are good and soft add water to cover. Cook for at least 30min. You have broth!

***I stopped buying milks at the store several months ago. Instead I buy cashews. Soak the nuts for an hour, then blend 1part cashew with 3 parts water, strain, and voila you have 3 cups of creamy, healthy, delicious milk!