Cleaning out the fridge quinoa salad

I had a few things lingering at the bottom of my produce drawer from last week's box from Irv and Shelly's that were begging to be roasted and tossed together with some quinoa and harissa for a quick healthy dinner. I let the roast veggies and the quinoa cool before throwing it all together to make it feel lighter and more summery, but I think it would also be excellent hot.

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
5-6 small beets, sliced
1 1/2 c. cubed butternut squash (I had some already cut up and frozen leftover from a recipe a few months back)
1 small spring onion, sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
a healthy pinch each of cumin, coriander, aleppo pepper
a few grinds of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. roughly chopped swiss chard
1 c. roughly chopped beet greens
2 tablespoons harissa

In a medium bowl, toss the beets, squash, onion, some of the olive oil, cumin, coriander, aleppo, and salt and pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350F oven for about 35 minutes, moving them around with a spatula about halfway through. While the veggies are roasting, cook the quinoa according to package directions. When finished, rinse with cold water and set aside. Next, saute garlic, chile pepper flakes, and greens in the rest of the olive oil until greens are just beginning to wilt, put aside. When the beets and squash are finished, remove from oven and let cool. Toss greens, quinoa and roasted veggies together, with harissa and a bit more olive oil as needed. Enjoy!

Black Eyed Pea and Potato tacos!

Yesterday I went on an awesome date. That date involved an amazing spice shop in the East Village where there are also amazing bulk dried fruits, beans, jarred chutneys, etc. And, today there was amazing watercress at the farmer's market...So, this little gem of a dinner was born. These tacos (plus the spicy dark chocolate and trappist ale I washed it down with...) were the perfect end to a beautiful day and the satisfying meal I needed after a 30 mile bike jaunt! Sadly, I gobbled them down before taking a picture...But, I guarantee you that it was a BEAUTIFUL, colorful meal. These are light and surprisingly complex and flavorful for a super quick meal, and seriously satisfying. I think these would be great with sweet potatoes or squash in place of the yukon golds too! Dare I recommend pairing these tacos with your favorite beer and an evening on the porch with someone sweet? Bliss.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup cooked black eyed peas (Save the rest of your batch for another meal...I'm thinking tumeric scented empanadas!)
1 clove garlic, minced
smoked paprika
ground cumin
ground coriander
cayenne pepper
1 t honey or maple syrup
sea salt
lime


A healthy amount of rinsed and dried watercress
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1 large carrot, chopped small
A hefty handful of chopped cilantro (like 3/4 cup!)

1 avocado, sliced
whole grain tortillas (I like the Ezekiel ones, toasted over the stove until a bit crispy)


In a large nonstick skillet, heat some olive oil over low-medium heat and start caramelizing the onions. When they start to get clear, add the potatoes and let them sit until they begin to brown. Cook the potatoes and onions together for about 8 minutes and then add the cooked beans and chopped garlic. Let the beans brown for a minute or two and then add about 1/2t each of cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Stir lightly. Let the beans, onions and potatoes continue to brown. When they are getting a lot of color, add a dash of cayenne pepper, some salt and the honey or syrup. Let cook until dry...You want like a hash consistency, this takes some time and requires that you not stir too much. Remove your delicious pile of smokey carbs and beans from the heat and squeeze half a lime over the top.

While the beans and potatoes are turning into magic taco filling, toss the watercress with the carrots, peppers, most of the cilantro, a little olive oil and lime juice and some salt and pepper.

Assemble each taco with a bit of the salad, a scoop of the potatoes and beans, a slice of avocado and some more cilantro.

Carrot, Bean + Herb Salad

This is a riff on one of my 101 Cookbooks faves and it's as easy as it gets. Heidi's version calls for white beans + dill; I make this with whatever beans I have cooked and herbs on hand. My latest version was especially fantastic and here it is: with ramps, mini Yellow Indian Woman beans, cilantro, and chives. Instead of pan roasting carrots and adding raw shallots, I oven-roasted the carrots with a couple of chopped ramps. Holla! While the almonds may seem like a weird addition, they are lots of the reason this is so amazing. Great for vegans and those watching the calories!

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

2 T. olive oil
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots/garlic/ramps/other allium

3 cups cooked beans (from 1 c. dry - I often use Allubia Criollo from Rancho Gordo; most kinds work, just experiment)
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs - dill is what Heidi uses; I love this with cilantro or parsley, and some chives
Honey to taste, about 1 tsp to 1 T.
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper (optional)

Oven roast the carrots at 350 degrees with the olive oil and the chopped shallots/ramps/whatever for 30-45 mins, depending on the size of the carrots. They should be bright orange with some nice brown edges.

Toss the beans and herbs with the carrots and add a squeeze of lemon juice, honey, and salt + pepper. You shouldn't really need more olive oil but if things look dry, add a splash.

Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. A sprinkle of Aleppo pepper works really well too. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side.

BRAIN FOOD

Garlic roasted lima beans, wheat berries, and arugula salad with avocado, bell pepper, sprouts and lemon and garlic dressing.

A simplified version of my favorite Winter soup.

I think I made that Kabocha squash and French lentil soup from 101 cookbooks at least 20 times in the months since Heidi posted it. I am obsessed. It is the best soup ever. (Okay, its tied with the white beans and greens soup and black bean soup that my mom has been making me since I was very wee.)But, it's labor intensive and uses a lot of dishes and squash season is over. So, I've re-done the recipe to make it a one pot, one cutting board, one knife kind of pantry recipe. The lovely thing is that this soup costs about $5 to make, thins out beautifully (so you can really stretch it), and lends itself to impulsive variations. It also makes its own tasty broth, so there's no need to whip up or buy veggie stock saving both money and time, things I am definitely short on lately! I've made it three times this week and have had it cold, over rice, with a salad, thinned out with water, thickened up with greens, topped with red pepper purée...and it just keeps satisfying me. So, I hope that if you try it, you'll like it at least half as much as I do.



Necessary Ingredients
(about) 1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, 1/4" dice
1 small sweet onion, 1/4" dice
1 medium size thin skinned potato, 1/4" dice (I like Yukon Gold and you could add 2 potatoes if you want it to be heartier.)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4- 1 cup French Lentils
2 dried bay leaves
1 star anise
1/2 tsp dried ginger
5- 6 cups filtered water
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste

Optional Ingredients
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, 1/4" dice (added in with the carrots and onions, this will add a rich sweetness to the soup)
any cubed vegetables that you have lying around. I think some quartered and roasted brusssels sprouts sound like they'd be good thrown in at the end.
puréed roasted bell pepper (1/4 cup) (as a drizzle on top)
chard or kale, chopped
cooked wheat berries or brown rice (to thicken the soup and add body)
a hefty wedge of warm bread (because soup is better with bread!)
cubed avocado (because its great on everything)
Chopped and toasted walnuts as a garnish (Omega 3's!)
...you get the idea.

Start with a large or medium soup pot. Heat the oil and add the onion and carrot, cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The onions can get a little brown, but you're going for clear, fragrant and that good caramelizing smell.

Add the cubed potato and garlic. Stir and cook for just another minute. Do not let the garlic get any color or it will be bitter.

Add the lentils, 4 cups of water and the bay leaves. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 5- 8 minutes (This is a good time to wash your cutting board and clean off the counter...Or, check your email or whatever...This is truly a procrastinatory soup!)

Reduce the heat to low and add the ginger and anise. Simmer partially covered until the lentils are soft. Then add the balsamic and salt to taste. It is important not to add salt or acid until the lentils are fully cooked! Remove the anise and bay leaves and set aside. (I like to throw them in with the left overs...But, you can probably thrown them out.)Add 1- 3 cups more water (depending on how brothy a soup you want) and simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes. At this point you can ladel out what you're going to store and add greens to the pot, but I wouldn't put the greens in the soup you plan to hold as leftovers.

Enjoy!

Farro with walnut and arugula pesto, spring asparagus and roasted mushrooms

This is a perfect spring main course, it is somehow light and rich at the same time. This makes a party sized serving and about twice as much of the pesto than you'll need...Which is great because it will keep for a week and be great on whole wheat pasta, veggie sandwiches, you name it.

Walnut and arugula pesto

1 cup raw walnuts
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 tsp toasted fennel seeds
1/2 tsp toasted yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup rinsed and dried parsely
1 tsp of whole grain mustard
2- 3 cups rinsed and dried arugula
3- 4 T apple cider vinegar
1 T lemon juice
walnut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse the shallot, garlic, and fennel in a food processor. Add the walnuts and a big drizzle of walnut oil, blend until you have a thick paste. Add the mustard. Then pack in the parsely and arugula and blend, adding oil to keep it smooth until you have a fluffy, bright green paste. Add the vinegar a tablespoon at a time, pulse to incorporate and taste. Add the lemon juice and a little zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Farro with walnut and arugula pesto, spring asparagus and roasted mushrooms

1- 2 lbs of assorted mushrooms, trimmed
1 lb of fresh spring asparagus
handful of chopped parsley
1/4 cup of walnut oil
1 shallot finely diced
2 cups of farro cooked in salted water and drained, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the mushrooms in the walnut oil and toss with the parsley and a couple shakes of freshly ground pepper. Do not salt them! Lay the mushrooms out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and roast them for 20- 30 minutes. You will know when they are done.

While the mushrooms are roasting, cook the farro. You can steam the asparagus over the boiling water.

Caramelize the shallot.

When the mushrooms, asparagus and shallot are done toss them all together and add a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

In the warm pot, mix the pesto with the reserved cooking water and toss the warm farro in the pesto.

Pile the farro in a big bowl and top with the asparagus and mushrooms. Serve warm.

Vegan Pea and Mint Soup

Bright green and so, so good! This soup could not be more simple and it is a light, healthy spin on the classic recipe which tends to include a substantial amount of cream or milk. The potato more than makes up for the lack of cream, and if you follow my recommendation and cook the broth and aromatics low and slow, the starch will get really sweet and the soup will become richly flavored. This makes a great first course or light lunch and would be spectacularly beautiful garnished with some edible flowers.

Ingredients
1 yukon gold potato (about the size of a fist), 1/4" dice (Could probably sub a yellow beet)
1 medium onion 1/4" dice
1 leek diced
High quality olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 bag of frozen spring peas, refrigerator thawed
1 cup fresh mint, loosely packed
lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

In a big soup pot with a tight fitting lid sweat the onion and leek in olive oil over very low heat for 10 minutes. Do not let the veggies brown. Add the diced potato and sweat for 5 more minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Add the water, continue to simmer for 15 more minutes and then add sea salt to taste. Drop in the peas and the mint and simmer for 5 more minutes. Purée, taste for salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serving suggestions: Top with sourdough croutons, a drizzle of roasted carrot purée, add some fennel bulb in with the leeks and onion...This soup offers itself up to many variations.