Trade in your green beer for a green smoothie this St. Patrick’s Day!
I was a skeptic of drinking my greens until recently, and now I’m hooked. For the fellow skeptics, start with just a few greens and then slowly add more each time. We’ve been aiming for a ratio of half vegetables and half fruits, with most of the vegetables being leafy greens. Many people ask, “Why smoothies instead of juice?” I have two main related reasons: less waste and easier clean-up. I like knowing that I’m getting all the nutritional benefits of the whole fruit and vegetable. Also, I hate cleaning up. The vitamix blender I use has a clean setting, so all I have to do is rinse out the soap at the end. Any variation of this smoothie makes for a very filling breakfast or snack.
Today’s smoothie included the following ingredients, many of which were available at this morning’s farmer’s market. It’s fun and healthy to vary the ingredients daily, and pretty much any combination is good.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup kale (assorted)
- 1/4 cup vitamin greens
- 1 carrot
- 1 green apple, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1/2 cup frozen peaches
- 1 banana, chopped
Directions:
- Blend 2 cups of water with the kale and vitamin greens until you have a gorgeous green water.
- Put the rest of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
- Drink right away, or put some in the fridge for later or the next day.
Here’s another vegan winner from Crazy Sexy Kitchen. It was refreshing and well-balanced, with a little bit of heat (especially since we kept all the seeds in the serrano pepper). This salad can be a meal by itself, but we had some edamame with it for a little more protein.
Ingredients:
- One 8-ounce package of buckwheat soba noodles
- 1/2 cup thinly shredded Napa cabbage
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly julienned
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly julienned
- 1/4 cup thinly julienned snow peas
- 2 carrots, thinly julienned, or shredded
- 1/2 cup buckwheat sprouts, sunflower sprouts, or pea shoots (my choice), plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted (just realized I didn’t toast mine…oops!), plus more for garnish
For the dressing: Whisk the following ingredients in a small bowl and set aside:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave (I used honey, so this recipe is only mostly vegan)
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
- a tiny bit of minced chile pepper
Directions:
- Cook the buckwheat according to the package instructions. Do not overcook; buckwheat is very temperamental and falls apart if cooked too long. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the noodles from cooking further.
- Toss the cooked noodles with cabbage, red and yellow bell pepper, snow peas, carrots, sprouts, and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl. Set aside some sprouts and sesame seeds for a garnish.
- Pour the dressing evenly over the salad, toss gently, and serve.
- Before serving, garnish with leftover sprouts and sesame seeds.
I finally got a picture of this one!
This is a special edition “request” post (thanks, A.H.) for a dish I made for a dinner party last week. I wasn’t planning on posting it, so there is no photo. If anyone makes this–can you please take a picture and forward it to me?
It comes from Jack Bishop’s A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. It’s vegan and delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice (I actually used almost 2 sweet potatoes)
- 6 pitted prunes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves (I minced these and then forgot to add them, so I guess feel free to leave them out)
View original post 107 more words
This recipe comes from Crazy Sexy Kitchen, the creative vegetarian cookbook by Kris Carr and Chad Sarno. Not only is this chili delicious and filled with vegetables, but it can be made in under 45 minutes from start to finish. Serve with your favorite chips. We tried Lundberg’s rice chips–Fiesta Lime flavor. We crushed them up and sprinkled them on top for added crunch and flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Tbs. cumin seeds
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño chile, finely diced (omit seeds or use less jalapeño for a milder chili)
- 2 Tbs. chili powder
- 1 1/2 cups ground seitan, crumbled tempeh, or finely diced mushrooms (I used frozen Quorn crumbles)
- 1 zucchini, diced (I used 2 small zucchini)
- 1/2 cup diced potato
- 1 15-oz. cans of black beans, rinsed (The recipe called for 2 black bean and one kidney, but I reversed it because that’s what I had on hand)
- 2 15-oz. can of kidney beans, rinsed
- 1 14-oz. can of crushed tomatoes, such as San Marzano
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 cup kale, chopped
- Diced avocado, for garnish, optional
Directions:
1. Toast cumin seeds in dry soup pot over medium heat for 2 minutes or until aromatic.
2. Add oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir until onion is golden and translucent. Add chili powder, seitan, zucchini, and potato, and stir well. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, 2 cups water, maple syrup, sea salt, and cilantro. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove from heat; stir in kale. Garnish with diced avocado and sprigs of fresh cilantro, if using.
I’ve started this post multiple times, but keep deleting the first sentence. I wanted to lead with how the runny yolk makes the rice velvety. However, “runny yolk” just doesn’t sound as good as it tastes. Trust me on this one. You can prepare the egg however you like, runny or sedentary. We tried over easy and poached.
Ingredients:
I don’t know how much of each rice bowl topping you want. You decide. The amount listed for each dressing ingredient was enough for 2 rice bowls.
- brown rice
- raw peanuts
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 T chopped mint
- 1 T chopped cilantro
- 1 t soy sauce
- shredded carrots
- chopped scallions
- seeded and diced cucumbers
- bean sprouts
- steamed and chopped baby bok choy (or other greens)
Instructions
1. Prepare brown rice as directed.
2. Roast peanuts in a heavy, dry skillet, stirring constantly. Let cool. Chop peanuts (I put them in a bag and used the side of a large wooden spoon to crush)
3. Combine the next 6 ingredients (through soy sauce) in a medium bowl, and stir.
3. Divide the rice into the number of servings you’re making. Top with the carrots, scallions, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and bok choy. I think it looks pretty to make sections for each vegetable. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of the dressing over each bowl of rice/vegetables.
4. Prepare the egg as desired. Place it in the center, on top of the vegetables.
5. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately. If you like it spicy, serve with a side of chili garlic sauce.
Im posting this again for two reasons. 1: Peter Berley was on WNYC last night explaining this ricotta recipe. 2: The use of the word yummy is reaching epidemic levels these days. Enough is enough. Other words you can say: tasty, delectable, delightful, appetizing, mouthwatering, delicious, scrumptious….you get the point.Yummy is a kids word and it makes me cringe to hear adults use it.
There’s something I’ve been wanting to say: I am now over 50 posts into a food blog and have avoided using the word “yummy.” It is on my list of most hated words for adults to use. Now that I got that out of the way, I’m excited to share this ricotta technique with you.
Making fresh ricotta is so easy that it makes me wonder why EVERYONE isn’t making their own ricotta. So far, I’ve enjoyed it on fresh ciabatta with honey and on homemade pizza with eggplant. Other ways I plan on trying (recipes to follow throughout the season):
- with mint and spring vegetables on pasta,
- in pancakes,
- in lasagna,
- by the spoonful…
If you have an interesting way to prepare ricotta, please forward your recipe!
I learned this technique at Peter Berley’s cooking weekend in February, and the picture below is from his beautiful kitchen on the…
View original post 209 more words
I have a funny feeling that you want more kale recipes. Here you go! I used curly kale for this one. Also, disclaimer that I didn’t measure anything, so please adjust amounts to make it the way you like it. Have a good variation of this recipe? Let me know!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups kale
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 large parsnip, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parsnips on a sheet pan and toss well with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes, or until soft.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the onions for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned. You can add a bit of water if the pan starts to dry out.
3. Combine basil, garlic, mustard, lemon, vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth, adding small amounts of water as needed until the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
4. Now the fun part: Place the kale in a large bowl and gently stir in onions and parsnips. Use your hands to coat the kale evenly with the dressing.
This Epicurious recipe is a great way to use the vegetables you can find at the Farmer’s Market even after a week of below freezing temps. Thanks to LF for bringing this over for brunch and then leaving the leftovers so I could have it for dinner, too. It went well with a vegetable frittata and sourdough bread. Although this recipe calls for Tuscan, you can use any kale that is available.
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
- 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup finely grated Pecorino
Although this salad doesn’t highlight local ingredients (for those of us in the northeast), it is a great way to beat the winter blues. To turn it into a meal, try adding some chopped avocado and putting it over a bed of farro. Happy New Year everyone!
From Food and Wine, December 2012 (makes 8 servings)
Ingredients:
- 6 oranges
- 2 red grapefruits
- 2 limes
- 1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream (I used Vermont Creamery’s crème fraîche)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- Salt
Directions:
- Using a sharp knife, carefully peel the oranges, red grapefruits and limes, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a small bowl to catch the juices from the fruit, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Cut the lime and grapefruit sections into thirds and leave the orange sections whole. Transfer all of the citrus to a serving bowl and add the sliced shallot and chopped parsley. Reserve the citrus juice for another use.
- In another small bowl, whisk the lemon zest with the lemon juice, crème fraîche, maple syrup and poppy seeds. Season the dressing lightly with salt. Pour the dressing over the fruit, toss the salad gently and serve right away.
While I haven’t been able to get creative in the kitchen lately, I look forward to cooking for the upcoming holidays. Here are some suggestions to make my favorite holiday even better:
1. Avoid the butterball turkey. Instead, try to find a free-range turkey. You may need to have ordered this in advance. WARNING: The following video is quite disturbing, but worth taking a look before you eat the butterball.
http://gothamist.com/2012/11/14/butterball.php
2. Load up on vegetables. Now that you are totally grossed out and you realize you won’t be eating the meat on the table, get creative with the vegetable “sides.” I plan on making a few of these dishes from the New York Times Well blog for the upcoming holiday season. The squash and spinach lasagna looks incredible, as does the quinoa carrot kugel.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/12/health/20121111_vegetarian-thanksgiving.html
3. Make some festive cocktails. There are a bunch of good ones to choose from here:
fresh from brooklyn 