3/15
A Simple Dal
Serves 4
2 tablespoons ghee, oil or butter, or a combination
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup dry red lentils
½ pound greens (spinach, chard, kale…), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Heat the ghee or oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, around 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lentils and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Stir in the greens and cook until they are tender, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add lemon and salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.
Nettle & Herb Soup
Serves 4-6
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ jalapeno chili, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
5 cups water
10 cups of nettle leaves and stems (about ½ pound)
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 cup roughly chopped mint
¼ cup roughly chopped tarragon
3 tablespoons roughly chopped marjoram or oregano
1 large avocado, roughly chopped
2 limes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, smoked paprika and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 8 minutes. Be sure the onions do not brown.
Add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes then stir in the nettles, herbs and avocado and turn off the heat.
Using an immersion blender, process the soup until it is smooth. Alternatively, carefully purée in batches in a traditional blender, then transfer the soup back to the pot.
Bring back to a simmer over low heat. Stir in the juice of one lime and add salt and pepper to taste. Add water if needed to thin soup to desired consistency. Serve with wedge of lime and garnish with additional avocado and a pinch of herbs.
Serving suggestion – with warm tortillas.
If you don’t like a smooth blended soup, add sautéed mushrooms and cooked beans (I like garbanzo beans or canned or fresh fava beans).
Quinoa
1 cup dry
Rinse the quinoa in a sieve, then transfer it to a medium pot over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the quinoa is dry and fragrant, then add two cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and the water is absorbed, about 18-20 minutes.
Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out in an even layer on a baking sheet to let it cool.
Baked Frittata Bites
*Adapted from Heart Creative
This is a great recipe for using up any leftover cooked or fresh veggies that may go bad soon. You can use: onion, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, potato or sweet potato, greens, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc. (You get the idea).
6 SERVINGS
1 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil, divided (if using cooked vegetables, you only need 2 teaspoons of oil)
1 cup chopped leftover fresh or frozen vegetables (for greens, pack the cup full)
6 eggs or equivalent in vegan egg replacer
1⁄2 cup (2oz) shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, etc.) or vegan cheese (optional)
1⁄2 cup milk, nondairy milk, or plain yogurt (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, basil) or 1 tablespoon dried herbs
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
1⁄4 tsp black pepper
For a heartier breakfast, add up to 1⁄2 cup chopped leftover cooked chicken, canned tuna, or salmon.
The added milk or yogurt gives the frittata a slightly softer, creamier texture, but it is completely optional.
Make this dish ahead of time for breakfast or snacks during the week, or turn it into a quick dinner and serve with a salad.
For cuter frittata bites, portion the egg mixture into an oiled mini muffin tin.
Freeze them tightly wrapped in plastic.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 ̊F. Oil 6 muffin tins with 2 teaspoons oil.
If using fresh or frozen vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, until softened, and set aside. If using leftover cooked vegetables, skip this step.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese and milk or yogurt if you are using, herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir in cooked vegetables. Pour egg mixture into oiled pan. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
Chia Pudding
4 ½-cup servings
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup (more or less to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl or add them to a large jar and shake well. The seeds clump together!
Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours). The chia pudding should be thick and creamy. If not, add more chia seeds, stir, and refrigerate for another hour or so. Enjoy as is, or with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds, spices. Keeps for 5 days in airtight container in the fridge.
Feel free to portion them into jars other smaller containers.
Broiled Maitake Mushrooms
Broiling is good for more delicate, less dense/hard vegetables because it’s very high heat coming only from the top of the oven. We want to make the ingredients get cooked through all the way. So carrots, potatoes, and radish (for example) are better off roasted at 425, because the heat is coming at it from all around so it will cook through.
Turn the oven on to the high broiler setting and place the top rack 6 inches from the broiler element. Tear the mushrooms into bite sized pieces and place on a baking sheet. Using your hands, coat the mushrooms with oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and spread them out in an even layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden brown, then stir or shake the pan and return it to the oven for another 2-4 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through and consistently crispy and golden brown around the edges.
We did this with the broccoli rabe, too!
Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Radishes
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees on the convection roast setting.
Chop the vegetables into even sized bite sized pieces and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to coat them with oil, salt and pepper. Cook for as long as it takes for them to turn golden brown around the edges and cooked through in the center. Cooking time will depend on how big the pieces are and how dense the ingredients are. Here is a chart with time estimates.
2/7/22
In addition to the following recipes/techniques, we steamed cabbage, carrots and broccoli, cooked noodles, and sauteed chopped up chicken breast with garlic and coconut aminos. For the chicken, first brown it a bit in oil, then add the garlic and coconut aminos.
Lamb and Sweet Potato Stew (Stew if thicker, soup if thinner)
Adapted from Nina Simonds’ book “A Spoonful of Ginger”
1 Tablespoon high heat oil (like avocado or grapeseed)
Seasonings:
6 garlic cloves, smashed lightly and sliced thinly
8 whole scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch sections, smashed lightly
8 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly
2 sticks cinnamon
1-teaspoon star anise seed
Broth (mixed together):
5 cups water
1/3 cups shoyu
1-tablespoon maple syrup
3 pounds lamb shoulder for stewing, trimmed of any fat or gristle, and cut into 1½-inch cubes
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
To serve:
½ pound fresh spinach, stems trimmed leaves rinsed and drained
Sriracha to taste
Heat a dutch oven or heavy pot, add the oil, and heat until hot. Add the seasonings and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the meat and brown. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 1 hour, until the lamb is just tender, skimming the surface to remove any fat or gristle.
Add the sweet potatoes and continue cooking, partially covered, for another 30 minutes, or until tender. Skim the surface to remove any fat or impurities. Remove the cinnamon stick and discard.
Add the spinach leaves, carefully mixing them in but leaving some on top. Cover and cook until wilted about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and serve the dish with steamed rice, quinoa, etc.
Sweet Miso Garlic Sauce
Makes about 1/3 cup
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or 1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons chickpea miso
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, divided
Whisk together the vinegar, miso, honey and garlic in a jar. Continue whisking, and slowly drizzle in the oil. Mix in half of the sesame seeds and sprinkle the sesame seeds over whatever you are serving with the sauce.
Miso Soup
Heat water until it steams – no need to boil it. Turn off the heat and stir in the wakame, tofu, green onion and miso. Add vegetables if you wish. If you want to, you can poach (cook) small pieces of chicken or fish in the water before adding the other ingredients, or add them pre-cooked.
Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
Rinse the quinoa in a sieve, then transfer it to a medium pot over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the quinoa is dry and fragrant, then add 1 ¾ - 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out in an even layer on a baking sheet to let it cool.
Broiled Lemon Cabbage
This very simple preparation will turn anyone into a cabbage lover. It’s buttery, sweet, and has an addictive quality.
1 small or medium head of cabbage, sliced into thin wedges, keeping the core intact
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, halved crosswise
2-3 Tablespoons roughly chopped delicate herbs (like flat leaf parsley, cilantro, chives, mint), optional3-4 Tablespoons roughly chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts, pistachio nuts, almonds), optional
1. Turn the oven on to the high broil setting.
2. Place the cabbage on a rimmed baking dish and use your hands to gently coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Nestle in the lemon halves cut side down.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the top oven rack until the cabbage starts to turn brown in spots and remove from oven. Flip over the cabbage and the lemon with tongs or a spatula and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes. The cabbage should turn more of a vibrant hue and golden-brown around the edges.
4. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to smoosh the juice out of the lemons, removing any seeds. Sprinkle with herbs and/or nuts if you are using. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.