Beet smoothie

https://www.wellplated.com/beet-smoothie/ 

I had a lot of beets I had roasted and lots of berries in the fridge, so this perfectly met my needs.  I was inspired by Aruna's beet smoothie that she brought for lunch last week.  I added agave, but if I had remembered to add the chia / hemp or oatmeal, it might not have needed it.  Or maybe a few ice cubes to water it down.  In any case, it was good!  Ingredients below are only for one small smoothie. 

Blueberry Beet Smoothie. Sweet, creamy, and packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants! This healthy breakfast smoothie is perfect for weightloss or for kids. Delicious, fruity, and the beets aren't too strong.

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PREP: 4 mins

COOK: 1 min

TOTAL: 5 mins

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SERVINGS: 2 small or 1 large smoothies

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
• 1  cup mixed frozen blueberries or mixed berries
• 1 small beet peeled and diced (about 8 ounces)
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt use non-dairy yogurt to make vegan
• Optional sweetener: 1-2 teaspoons honey plus additional to taste (use agave to make vegan)
• Optional mix-ins: chia seeds hempseed, and/or ground flaxseed (I like mine with a sprinkle of chia or hempseed; hempseed is what you see pictured in the photos); I also like to add 2 tablespoons oatmeal to make the smoothie even more filling.

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Instructions

 

• Place the almond milk, blueberries, beet, pineapple, and Greek yogurt in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix (if you do not have a high speed blender, I’d suggest microwaving, roasting, or lightly steaming the beets before using so that they are softer and puree more smoothly). 
• Blend until smooth. Taste and if you desire a sweeter smoothie, add a little honey or date and blend again. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Notes

• While I wouldn't describe this smoothie as being too "beet-y," you can detect the flavor of the beets. If this is a concern, you can try reducing the amount of the beets and increasing the amount of berries. I like using either all blueberries or a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Adding 2 tablespoons oatmeal also mellows the beet flavor.

Nutrition

SERVING: 1gCALORIES: 95kcalCARBOHYDRATES: 19gPROTEIN: 4gFAT: 1gCHOLESTEROL: 2mgFIBER: 4gSUGAR: 13g

Persian Style Tomato and Lentil Soup

From Washington Post 2/9/22

This was very good - but only followed the recipe loosely, so I'll give the ingredients as close to what I remember as I can.  I didn't notice the cinnamon - that would be interesting.  I'll add it to tomorrow's bowl.  

The lentils and farro combine for a hearty texture.  Can definitely be a meal with a salad.  I didn't have dried mint, so I added some mint chutney at the end, which gave it a kick.  But mint and cinnamon are enticing.  

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium / large onion, diced

2 small carrots peeled and diced

~ 1/4 of a green cabbage, sliced (~2" strips)

3/4 cup green or brown lentils

1/2 cup dry farro, cooked (instead of basmati rice; probably could put in raw as rice was supposed to)

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1+  tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp dried mint leaves (would have used if I had)

1/2 tsp fine salt plus more as needed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper - plus some

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped, divided and more for serving

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice plus more to taste.

Directions:

1) in a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium high heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion and carrots and stir occasionally until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes; during this time add the cabbage.

2) Stir in the lentils and rice ( farro) coating them in the oil.  Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, dried mint, salt, pepper and cinnamon.  Add about 2 cups of the broth and stir to dissolve the tomato paste and evenly disperse the spices.  

3) Add the remaining stock, stir well, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Decrease the Heat to medium low, stir, cover and simmer until the rice / farro and lentils are cooked through, 20-25 minutes.  If the soup thickens more than you'd like, add water, 1/4 cup at a time.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.

4) Stir in about 3/4 of the parsley and remove from the heat.  Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.  

5) Divide the soup month bowls, top with the remaining parsley and serve hot.

 

Sheet Pan Crisp Tofu and Sweet Potatoes

 

From NY Times Cooking

Hot Sesame Chile Oil, Sweet Potato, Tamari, Tofu, Dinner, Weekday, Main Course, Fall, Winter, Vegan, Vegetarian

Need to figure out how to coat the tofu better with corn starch.  Only the edges crisped, but it was very good.  The inside was very smooth.  I used all the toppings and it all blended well together.  Will definitely make it again. 

 

1,875 ratings 

INGREDIENTS

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  Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Chris Lanier. Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart.

  
  
• (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 4 1-inch thick slices
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch wedges
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces and thinly sliced lengthwise
•  Large pinch of sugar
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
•  Hot sesame chile oil, or red-pepper flakes, for serving
•  Salted, roasted peanuts, for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tofu pieces, cut sides down, on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel, and place a flat cutting board on top. If your cutting board is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes), then transfer to a cutting board. Cut strips into 3/4-inch pieces (1-inch thick), and transfer to a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, tamari, honey and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Toss half the mixture with the tofu, then toss in cornstarch. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
3. On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together potato wedges, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer; do not crowd the pan. If they don’t all fit, arrange extra wedges on the pan with the tofu.
4. Bake tofu and potatoes until browned, 35 to 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. If the tofu sticks (and this is likely), use a thin metal spatula to carefully loosen each one before flipping. A small offset spatula is perfect here.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine scallions, 1 tablespoon vinegar and a large pinch each sugar and salt. Let sit while tofu and potatoes roast.
6. To serve, toss tofu with some of the reserved tamari sauce, to taste. Serve with potato wedges, topped with scallions, cilantro and a drizzle of hot sesame chile oil or sprinkling of red-pepper flakes, and more tamari sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts if desired.