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Lentil Salad with Mustardy Vinaigrette

Chris — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 19:21:45 +0000

I love lentils. They are a staple part of my family’s diet. They cook up quickly and are tasty and versatile – you can eat them alone, on top of a bed of greens, with a nice piece of fish on top, and more. Lentils are a great source of fiber and plant protein. They come in many different varieties, including red, green, and black. For this recipe, I use the small french green ‘puy’ lentils. I usually soak my lentils in water for several hours before cooking, but you don’t have to. The mustardy vinaigrette is really delicious and can be used for any salad.

Serves 4, with leftover vinaigrette

Ingredients:

For the lentils:

1 cup French green “Puy” lentils
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Crunchy sea salt, such as Maldon, for garnish
handful of Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish
crumbled goat cheese or diced mozzerella on top (optional)

For the mustardy vinaigrette:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Pepper, to taste

Directions:

If you’ve soaked your lentils, drain and rinse. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water. Throw in a bay leaf.
Bring lentils to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes. Check for doneness: they should be soft all the way through, but not mushy. Add a pinch of salt in the last few minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the olive oil slowly to form an emulsion. Add pepper and more salt to taste.
When the lentils are done, drain in a fine mesh sieve and discard the bay leaf.
Using the same pan, sauté the shallot, carrots, and celery in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. After a minute, add the garlic and sauté briefly, taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat.
Add the warm lentils to the sautéed vegetables and toss.
Toss the lentils with about half of the salad dressing to moisten; use more if you like. Top with cheese, if using, and the crunchy salt and fresh parsley.
Serve alone, on top a bed of greens, or with endive spears, drizzled with more vinaigrette.

Adapted from the food blog www.jacksonholefoodie.com.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Quesdillas

Chris — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 23:59:24 +0000

It’s fall and everything I cook and bake seems to have sweet potatoes, squash, or pumpkin in it. I served these for dinner recently, unsure of what my kids would think of this riff on quesadillas – and they loved them! My daughter asked if I would please make them again. You can make these quesadillas with your favorite type of quinoa salad. I happen to love the chile-lime dressing and the sweet potatoes in this recipe. This dish is so versatile…you can serve it as a main course, a side dish, or even for lunch (you will have leftover quinoa salad). You can omit the cheese (both in the salad and on the quesadilla) if you are dairy free and/or vegan.

Serves: 4 – 6, with leftovers

Ingredients:

for the quinoa salad:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
olive oil, for roasting the potato
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 -15 oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
a few big handfuls of arugula or baby salad greens
a few big pinches of sea salt
3/4 teaspoon each chile powder, cumin, and paprika
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup pepitas, toasted

quinoa salad dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ancho or chipotle chile powder
a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
a pinch of sea salt & a few cracks of pepper

for the quesadillas:

4-8 organic corn or whole grain tortillas
shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
optional toppings (see below)

optional quesadilla toppings:

avocado slices
salsa
sour cream
cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine 1 cup rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. When done, place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, spread sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and tender.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is cooking, whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the cooked quinoa.
Add all of the remaining quinoa salad ingredients to the bowl and toss everything together with half the dressing. Taste and add more dressing and a few pinches of salt, if necessary (you will have leftover dressing).

Note: You can make the quinoa salad ahead and assemble the quesdillas right before serving.

To assemble the quesadillas:

Place tortillas in a big skillet over medium heat (you can do this in batches)
Add quinoa salad and cheese to each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and press down with the back of a spatula so the cheese melts.
Flip and cook for a few more minutes.
Remove from heat, slice in half, and serve with whatever garnish you like.

Adapted from the food blog Love and Lemons (www.loveandlemons.com).

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

Chris — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:32:17 +0000

I stumbled upon this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs. This pumpkin bread combines my love for pumpkin with my love for baking with whole grain flours. It calls for spelt flour – an ancient grain with a sweet, nutty flavor. It is so simple to whip up – no electric mixer needed.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups organic spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic pumpkin purée
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a loaf pan with butter.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt).
Using a whisk, combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, sugar, water).
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips (you can use more or less than 1/2 cup, depending on your preference).
Pour into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle with some chocolate chips.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out (almost) clean, except for the very middle. (Be careful not to overcook it. I like to take it out of the oven when the center is not quite all the way cooked). Cool on a wire rack.

Adapted from www.loveandlemons.com.

Edamame and Salmon Stir Fry

Chris — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:33:07 +0000

This delicious stir fry can be prepped, cooked, and ready in 30 minutes or less. Miso gives any dish, sauce, or soup an incredible depth of flavor. If you’re not familiar with it, miso is a fermented soybean paste. It’s available in different colors; in general, the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. Serve this stir fry over brown rice or brown rice noodles.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound salmon, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sliced shallots (about 3 medium)
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
8 ounces frozen shelled edamame (about 1 1/2 cups), thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Whisk miso, butter and water in a small bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add salmon and cook, stirring gently, until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallots, zucchini and edamame to the pan; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the miso sauce until well coated.
Gently stir in the salmon and basil.

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine.

Cashew Chai Milk

Chris — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:00:09 +0000

This tastes AMAZING! The ginger and spices combined with the cashews create the most delicious “milk” ever. You can turn this into a smoothie by adding bananas and greens, or any fruit of your choice. Stored in an airtight container, the milk will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. For a warm treat, Kris Carr (whose recipe this is) suggests heating up a cup on the stovetop and sprinkling with cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours*, rinsed, and drained
1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 1/4 cups water

Directions:

In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

*Note: you can soak cashews anywhere from 2 – 6 hours. If you want to make this drink in the morning, soak the cashews for 2 hours the night before, drain, rinse and store in the fridge in a glass container.

Adapted from Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Juice.

Cocoa Banana Cups

Chris — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:16:10 +0000

This dessert is like a healthy chocolate pudding. The chocolate/banana/nut combination is so satisfyingly delicious. You can whip this up in 5 minutes. Although I made this recipe with almond butter, you can make it using any nut butter.

Yield: 4 small cups/ramekins

Ingredients:

2 large, overripe bananas
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup organic cacao powder
1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup almond milk
pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, adding more almond milk if needed.
Transfer to 4 small ramekins and chill for at least one hour before eating.

Optional: garnish with cacao nibs, chopped banana, or toasted almonds

Adapted from Sara Forte’s the Sprouted Kitchen Bowl & Spoon.

Millet Cakes with Carrots and Spinach

Chris — Wed, 13 May 2015 21:29:50 +0000

If you’ve ever made quinoa cakes, you know it can be a little frustrating – they tend to fall apart. Millet cakes are a nice alternative in that they bind together really well. And they are absolutely delicious. Millet is an ancient, naturally gluten-free grain that cooks up quickly. These cakes are packed with carrots and spinach and flavored with curry powder and garlic. Both of my kids love these. The original recipe calls for pan frying them, but I like to bake them. You can eat them plain or dress them up with a sauce of your choice. I like to use chimichurri sauce or tahini dressing on mine.

Ingredients:

1 cup millet, rinsed
2 cups water
sea salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach, chopped
2 medium to large carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
¼ cup + tablespoon almond milk (you can use 1/4 cup plain yogurt)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
any sauce or chutney you like

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine millet, water, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Off heat, let millet sit, covered, for 10 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and carrots and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with millet.
Stir almond milk, egg, and cilantro into millet mixture until well combined.
Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, packing firmly into ½-inch-thick cakes, and place on prepared sheet. Refrigerate cakes until chilled and firm, about 30 minutes.
Drizzle a tiny bit of oil on top of each cake and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and cakes are cooked through. Flip once about halfway through.
Serve with your favorite sauce.

Adapted from the blog Love and Lemons (originally adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen).

Salmon Burgers with Ginger and Cilantro

Chris — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 17:52:52 +0000

These salmon burgers are so good – way better than any I’ve ever bought. And they’re a snap to make. I love the ginger and cilantro combination – they are perfect complements to the salmon. The original recipe calls for pickled ginger, but I like to use fresh ginger. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Definitely allow time for the burgers to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can even make them the day before or the morning of.

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet, skin discarded, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
2 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp coconut oil or sesame oil

Directions:

Place salmon on a sheet pan or a plate and stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes, just until it gets very cold but isn’t frozen solid. While you’re at it, place the bowl and blade from your food processor in the freezer too.
Blitz the ice cold salmon in 2 batches, using your ice cold food processor blade, until completely minced but not a paste. The cold temperature helps you grind the salmon evenly without it turning into a paste. Place the ground salmon in a large mixing bowl.
Put the ginger, red onion, cilantro, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper in the food processor’s bowl and pulse the mixture until it’s very finely chopped.
Add these aromatics to the salmon and use a rubber spatula or your hands to thoroughly combine.
Form the mixture into 4 patties. At this point, it’s ideal to refrigerate the burgers for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight, to really get the flavors into the salmon, but they’ll still be okay if you don’t have that extra time.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub the burgers with the coconut (or sesame) oil and cook until browned and firm to the touch, about 4 – 5 minutes per side.
Serve plain or on a bun (I like the Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Burger Buns) with any of your favorite toppings.

Adapted from It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen.

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup

Chris — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 17:30:20 +0000

I love this soup. Curried split peas really hit the spot for me. And the addition of the sweet potato is brilliant – it adds a nice depth of flavor and thickens the soup. You could also use pumpkin puree, if that’s easier. And don’t skimp on the garnishes. I particularly like the microgreens. You can buy those cute microgreens clamshells at Whole Foods.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (not including roasting the sweet potato)

Cooking Time: about 60 minutes

Serves: 4 – 6 people

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
1 small red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 cup roasted sweet potato*
12 ounces dry yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk, (use the rest of the can for garnish)
1/3 cup orange juice
chopped cilantro, black sesame seeds, micogreens for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, warm the ghee or butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry, sweet potato flesh, yellow split peas and broth. Stir and bring the mixture up to a boil, down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 50-55 minutes until the peas are very soft.
With an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, puree until mostly smooth. Return to the pot.
Stir in the coconut milk, orange juice and taste for seasoning. Add cayenne or more ginger if you’d like it spicy.
Serve each bowl with dollop of coconut milk on top, cilantro, black sesame seeds, and microgreens for garnish.

* To roast the sweet potato, poke several holes in the potato with a fork and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. Let cool, peel, and mash the flesh with a fork.

Adapted from www.sproutedkitchen.com.

Southeast Asian-Style Vegetable and Nut Butter Stew

Chris — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 19:37:54 +0000

You’ve probably figured out by now that I love one dish meals. This stew is my idea of the ultimate one-pot meal. It is another recipe that my family loves. The assortment of vegetables combined with the ginger and almond butter make a creamy, flavorful, and satisfying meal. You can substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes, cauliflower for the broccoli, and collard greens for the kale if you like. You can make it as spicy or as mild as you want. I like to serve it over brown rice.

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
One 15-to-16-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger root, or more as needed
3 cups water, or more as needed
3 cups (about 8 ounces) small broccoli florets
1 or 2 small Thai chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped (may substitute other small peppers or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
1/2 cup smooth almond butter (may substitute peanut or cashew butter)
3 cups lightly packed lacinato kale leaves (about 8 ounces), thick stems discarded, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1/2 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped, for garnish (optional)
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Pour the oil into a soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook until the onion has lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, the tomatoes and their juices, the ginger (using more if you want the dish to be spicier) and the 3 cups of water. Let it slowly come to a boil, then reduce the heat so the water is barely bubbling; cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add the broccoli and chili pepper (or peppers, if you want the dish to be spicier). Stir in the almond butter a little at a time until it melts into the broth. Cover and cook until the broccoli loses a little firmness, a few minutes.
Stir in the kale and cook, uncovered, until it is wilted and all of the vegetables are just tender but not mushy, 5 minutes. Add a little more water if needed for a moist but not soupy consistency.
Stir in the cilantro, salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve in bowls over brown rice. If desired, garnish each serving with peanuts and/or scallions.

Adapted from Joe Yonan’s recipe in The Washington Post.