Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins and Capers

https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-cauliflower-golden-raisins-capers/ 

The prep time really was close to 15 minutes, as stated.  I would use a large head, or 2 small heads of cauliflower, and take it easy with the capers.  Great mix of flavors from the tarragon, agave and vinegar.  I used spinach just because I didn't have arugula.  Great side dish.  Would consider adding nuts or garbanzos with extra dressing to make it a  meal.  

Just arrived home from Italy, so it's a pleasure to have green on the plate! 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

This easy vegetarian side dish would be a great addition to a holiday table. Alternatively, toss it with a cooked grain to make it a full meal!

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Side dish, salad

Serves: 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces*
• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons agave or sweetener of your choice
• A few handfuls arugula
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins (soak for a few minutes if they’re not plump)
• 2 teaspoons minced tarragon
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Break or chop cauliflower into small pieces.
3. Prepare 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment or foil. Place cauliflower on baking sheets so the pieces are not touching. Drizzle with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and agave and toss with pinches of salt and pepper. The amount you use will depend on how much cauliflower you have and if you prefer to cook with more oil or with less.
4. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized (not burnt, but just before). Remove from oven. While the cauliflower is somewhat hot, toss with the arugula so the arugula wilts just slightly from the heat. Toss in a bowl with capers, raisins, and tarragon and serve.

Notes

*I like to break cauliflower florets apart with my hands to get little trees. This avoids uneven chunks of stalk that you can get from chopping it with a knife.

Peach Soy Sherbet

 From Vitamin website:   https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/Recipes/Peach-Soy-Sherbet?referer_st=sherbert&sc=recipe#nutritional-facts

The frozen peaches I purchased were not that tasty, so I needed to add some flavor.  The helpful additions were  sprinkles of dried basil (if I had mint on hand, I would have tried it; cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg, either together or separately; and makrut lime powder.  Ground pistachios were also good.  

Ingredients

• 1½ cup (360 ml) soy milk
• 4 (60 g) pitted dates, or honey, to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• 1½ pound (680 g) frozen peach slices (or mango or ....)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed, using the tamper to press ingredients toward the blades.
3. In about 30-60 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and four mounds should form. Stop the machine. Do not over mix or melting will occur. Serve immediately.

Chef's Notes

Blending frozen fruit makes a delicious creamy texture in seconds.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size	1 serving (122 g)
Amount Per Servings
Calories	60
Total Fat	.50 g
Saturated Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	25 mg
Total Carbohydrate	13g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugars	11 g
Protein	2g

Freekeh with Shiitake Mushrooms, Leeks and Edamame

 This is adapted from a washington post recipe by Joe Yonan October 13, 2021.  It caught my eye because it is made with freakeh, which I've had before, but thought it had an unusual flavor and couldn't figure out what to prepare it with.  Now I know that although there are competing stories about it, the end result is that it is the inner portion after the outside of the wheat has been burned and removed.  So the grain is relatively hearty and has a smoky flavor.  

This dish pairs it with mushrooms and leeks, and was supposed to be with sugar snap peas, snow peas or  green beans.  Any of those would have to be blanched and drained first.  For better or worse, the green beans I thought I purchased didn't make it home with me.  Instead I used a combination of frozen edamame and peas, so all I needed to do was defrost them by rinsing them in warm water.  

At the end I also added some extra lemon, pepper and mint, but feel free to garnish or not as you wish.  This is a great use of freakeh, a healthy 'broken' grain that cooks quickly and has some substance.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (5 ounces) freekeh (I didn't have enough, so I also used cracked bulgur, another quick-cooking grain).

2 cups water

1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt

2 cups frozen edamame or peas, or combo

1 leek, white and light green parts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 cups (5 ounces)  fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

2 cups (2 ounces) baby spinach

2 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste - just as you might on a green salad

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a medium dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the freaked, tossing until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the freekeh is tender, ~14-16 minutes.  Drain any excess water and transfer the freaked to a large salad bowl. 

2)While the grains are cooking, rinse the frozen veggies with warm water until the centers are defrosted.  Drain.

3) Rinse off the obvious dirt, cut the leek in half lengthwise, then slice into thin half moons.  Put all the slices in a bowl and cover with cold water to remove remained dirt.  Pour into a colander, then rinse again if there is any grit left. 

4) In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil until it shimmers.  Add the cleaned leeks and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their liquid, darken and soften, 4-5 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to the salad bowl and let cool.

5) Roughly chop the spinach and add it to the salad bowl. 

6) Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl.  Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a thin, steady stream, while whisking vigorously.  Whisk in the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.  Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to combine.  Taste and season with more salt, and or pepper and/or lemon juice if needed.  

7) Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.  

Cilantro Cashew Dressing

Cilantro-Cashew Dressing

https://www.forksoverknives.com/print/print.php?id=49088&email=mjssmd%40yahoo.com

Inspired by the flavors of Indian green chutney, this creamy vegan dressing recipe tastes great drizzled over salads, rice bowls, and roasted veggies. Not a fan of Cilantro? Try some of our other vegan dressings.

This was delicious.  I soaked the cashews in the morning - used hot water, then let it sit in the refrigerator until I returned to work.  It took about 5 minutes, as promised in the directions. 

I started out with just a drizzle of Agave Sriracha as the hot sauce but ended up adding, little by little, probably 1-2 teaspoons.  This evening, I served it over steamed broccoli and red pepper, but woke up dreaming about what else we could use it on.  Just about anything!  The consistency is dressing-like.  Next time, I might decrease the water to make it more like a dip.  It's a thin dip as is.  

By Darshana Thacker

Makes 1 cup
Ready In: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1⁄2 cup cashews - soak in 3/4 cup water

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1⁄2-inch piece of serrano pepper, seeded

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional) 

Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. 1  Blend cashews and 3⁄4 cup water into a creamy texture. Add cilantro, lemon juice, serrano pepper, garlic, hot sauce (if using), and salt to taste. Blend until smooth.

2. 2  Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

Tomato, chard (or collard greens) and spinach with toasted almonds

Adapted from Ottelonghi Simple - my latest in cookbook addictions.  I have one of his other cookbooks, Jerusalem, which also has delicious recipes, but way to complex for weeknights.  In this book, the ingredients are limited, and there are generally only a few steps to complete.

This is REALLY good!  Same day and next day.  The combination of limes with fresh herbs is delicious.  I picked the first few leaves of mint that sprouted this week.  And treated myself to some new caraway seeds that have so much more of a kick than the ones sitting in a McCormick container from whenever.

I had it over barley yesterday and millet today.  Millet is a gluten-free grain that I hadn't tried before.  It reminds me of couscous, but has to cook for 20 minutes.  The almonds should be reserved to top the dish the day it is served.

(See photo 4/23/21)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 cup sliced almonds - (I had slivered almonds, and needed more for the 2nd day)

1/2 tsp paprika

1.5 tsp caraway seeds

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

28 oz plum tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)

1 lb 2 oz (500 gm) Swiss chard, stalks thinly sliced and leaves roughly chopped (I had collard greens)

4.5 oz spinach, roughly shredded

2 limes, finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 Tbsp (I used the zest of most of 1 lime ~ 1.5 - 2 tsp)

1 3/4 cup mint, roughly chopped - 35 grams (I only had a few  sprigs)

1 3/4 cups dill, roughly chopped - 35 grams

8 green onions into 1/2" pieces (1 cup)

Directions:

1) In a large sauté pan with a lid, head 2 Tbsp of the oil, the almonds, and paprika.  Fry for 2-3 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown, then transfer to a bowl, discarding the oil once cooled.

2) Return the pan to medium-high heat with the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil.  Once hot, add the caraway and garlic and fry for 1 minute, until they start to sizzle and brown.  

3) Add the tomatoes with their juice, chard, and 1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt and stir through , crushing the tomatoes as you go.  Cover the pan and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until the chard wilts and the tomatoes break down.  

4) Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach, lime zest, lime juice, the mint, dill and green onions.  Serve with the almonds sprinkled on top.

No Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars (gluten free)

This is from Melissa Nicalaou.  I can no longer find it on the website balanced platter.com.

Makes12 small bars or 24 squares.

Ingredients:
8 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or dry rolled oats)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup unsalted smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup, date syrup, molasses to keep vegan - up to 1 Tbsp molasses)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used hemp hearts instead)

Directions:
1)  Add the dates to the bowl of a food processor and process until chopped.
2)  Add the nuts, quinoa (or dry oatmeal) and seeds, including hemp and process until a meal has formed.
3)  Add the peanut butter and honey (or maple syrup) and process until a thick dough forms.
4) Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking pan. A square baking dish works well.
5) Place the bars in the freezer until set, about 1-2 hours.  Remove from the freezer and slice into bars.  Store in the freezer until you're ready to eat them.  They're tasty when they reach room temperature, but extra special when eaten soon after removing them from the freezer.

NUTRITION FACTS per 1 square of 24, using maple syrup as sweetener:

Total Fat  5.7 grams

Sat fat  0.8 gm

poly Unsaturated fat 2.3 gm

Mono Unsaturated Fat 2.3 gm 

Total Carbs 11 gm

Dietary fiber 1.9 gm

Sugars 8 gm 

Protein 2.8 grams

Mushroom Burgers

From Canyon Ranch Nourish

This is a bit labor intensive, but excellent taste.  Only 4 small burgers result, so probably should double the recipe to get more than one meal out of it.  Served with braised red cabbage and onions.
Great on a tortilla with hummus or avocado and the cabbage topping.

I only had portobello caps on hand, so next time I'll try with the 3 mushrooms.  I'm guessing it'll be even better, since I like oyster mushrooms a lot!

Ingredients:

2 tsp EVOO
2/3 cup minced yellow onions
2 Tbsp minced garlic
10 oz portobello mushrooms, gills and stems removed
2/3 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
2/3 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp low sodium tamarind sauce
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder (we only used 1 tsp)
1/2 cup oat flour (make by processing oats in spice grinder)
1/4 cup roasted, chopped cashews
2 Tbsp brown rice flour (we used whole wheat)
2 tsp minced flat-leaf parsley

For serving - tortilla or multigrain rolls, lettuce, tomato, red onion (or braised red cabbage)

Directions:
1) Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.  Sauce the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.

2.  Add all the mushrooms and cook to release their liquids and slightly caramelize them.  Add the salt, pepper, tamarind, Worcestershire and chili powder and cook until dry.

3.  Remove from the heat and stir in the oat flour, cashews, rice flour and parsley.  Immediately pulse in a food processor, until the mixture comes together.

4. Form the mushroom mixture into 3-oz patties.  Grill the patties on a flat-top grill or in an electric skillet at 350 until slightly brown on each side.  I put them in the oven - but watch carefully to just brown, a few minutes on each side.

Hearty butternut squash lentil soup

Adapted from  https://www.acouplecooks.com/lentil-and-butternut-squash-soup/

This is the first time I've seen this site, but I'll be going back for more!  I had leeks from HH to use up and wanted a hearty protein-filled soup to feed the family, so this version seemed perfect.  I adjusted their recipe by referring to other lentil soups, and added coriander, bay leaves and switched out the greens for baby spinach.  The butternut squash I was planning to use had already gone bad, so I switched in sweet potato.  The lemon and some salt and pepper are essential to make the flavor sing.

The original blogpost also has videos for preparing a butternut squash and leeks for cooking

---

SCALE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 carrots - diced
• 2 large leeks or 1 large yellow onion (or a combination; 1 leek and 1yellow onion works well) 
• 1 medium butternut squash (3 cups diced; use frozen diced as a time saver) or sweet potato - cubed
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale or Swiss chard - or baby spinach - coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 cups vegetable stock (I used 6 cups broth and 2 water)
• 1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils
• 1 generous teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 generous teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 bay leaves
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

---

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic. Peel and chop the carrots into half moons.
2. Chop the leeks: chop off the dark green stems and the bottom roots, then slice each in half length-wise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin half-moons. Rinse thoroughly in a colander to remove any dirt.
3. Chop the butternut squash (watch the video!): Slice off the neck of the squash and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Peel the base. Slice the base in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice the neck into thin rectangles, then into long slices. Turn the slices the other way and dice. Cut the base into thin slices and then dice into small squares. 
4. Wash and chop the kale or spinach (watch the video!). You can also wait to do this step while the soup simmers in Step 6.
5. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil; add the leeks or onions and sauté until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
6. Add the squash/ sweet potato, vegetable broth, lentils, thyme, oregano, coriander, bay leaves and kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils and butternut squash are soft (taste test a few). In the last few minutes, add the chopped chard/ spinach and simmer until tender. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the lemon juice.  Have extra lemon juice at the table and add as desired.

Sautéed Fennel with Couscous and Lemon

From Vegan Everything - 100 Easy Recipes for Any Craving --from Bagels to Burgers, Tacos to Ramen  2019
by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer.

I think the flavor of fennel or anise is very interesting taste.  It pairs well with citrus flavor.  In this dish, the lemon and the chopped greens definitely make the dish!  This is a quick dish to put together. The greens can be prepared while the fennel is cooking.  It smells delish too!  With the beans, it can be a main dish.

Fresh fennel should be bright green with no brown marks on its outer layers.  A tip from this book is that it is delicious raw when thinly sliced or grated.  They also recommend it in a Middle Eastern-inspired salad with lentils.

Ingredients:
1 cup instant couscous
2 fennel bulbs (~ 1 pound each)
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked white beans
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley chopped

Directions:
1) Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

2) Trim the stalks from the fennel.  Chop the fennel fronds and set aside.  Quarter the bulbs and cut out the cores.  Cut into slices 1/2 inch thick.

3) Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the sliced fennel and cook for about 8 minutes, turning over the slices after 4 minutes, until golden brown.

4)  Remove from the heat.  Mix in the beans and let sit in the warm pan for about 3 minutes.

5) Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and top with the fennel and beans.  Drizzle with the lemon juice and the remaining 3 Tbsp oil.

6)  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds and the parsley.

Eggless Salad Sandwich

Adapted from Neal Barnard and Jennifer Reilly, The Cancer Survivor's Guide - Foods that help you fight back!

This takes about 2 minutes to make, and makes for a delicious lunch.  Add anything to the sandwich that you normally would for a tuna or egg salad sandwich.  The recipe calls for vegan mayo.  Because of the bad reputation of vegan cheeses, many people avoid the vegan mayo as well.  I agree about disliking vegan cheeses.  The only one I like is a Trader Joe's option with mixed 'mozzarella and cheddar.'  It tastes good and melts like real cheese.

However, all the mayo brands I have tried are soy-based and have been good.  The one I'm using currently is Trader Joe's, but several others from other stores have been perfectly fine as well.

Ingredients:
1 pound firm, reduced fat silken tofu
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp pickle relish  (I didn't have this, so I used capers)
2 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin or coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Whole grain bread
Lettuce and tomato

Directions:
1) Squeeze water out of the tofu between paper towels.  You don't need to be too gentle, since you'll be mashing it up anyway.  Then mash the tofu with a fork, leaving some chunks if possible.

2) Stir in the scallion, relish, mayo, mustard, salt and spices.

3) Serve on toast and top with lettuce and tomato.

Cashew Cucumber Dip

From Veganomicon 10th Anniversary Edition by Moskowitz and Romero   2017

My sister-in-law loved the initial version of this book, published 10 years ago.  So when I noticed this on the new book shelf at the library, I pulled it out.  The beautiful photos, and the interesting but not too complicated / not too many ingredient recipes drew me in.

This recipe is different from most other dips, in that it is creamy, but without any dairy products.  The cashews and cucumbers, softened and diluted with a minimal amount of oil and some fresh lemon juice did the trick.  The dip was perfect with veggies, soft tortilla or skinny pretzels.  The recipe called for processing everything but 1/2 of the cucumber, then adding in that 1/2 at the end, as well as a 1/4 cup of chopped dill.  The dip tasted so good and rich though, that I opted to leave out the rest of the cucumber and most of the dill.  I didn't want to dilute that rich, lemon/garlic taste.  See what you think!

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 pound seedless cucumbers, such as hothouse or English cucumbers (use 1/2 of one English)
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 large cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
A few twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lightly packed chopped fresh dill (optional)
A few kalamata olives, for garnish

Directions:
1) Plan the cashews in a small bowl, cover with 2" of warm water and soak for ~20 minutes.  Drain ad discard the water.
2)Meanwhile, peel the cucumber and grate on the large hole side of a box grater.  Put the grated cucumber in a colander over a plate.  Squeeze water out and save to add to the dip.
3) In a food processor, pulse the drained cashews, lemon juice, half the squeezed grated cucumber and the garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Blend until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl down frequently.  Add 1-3 tablespoons of reserved cucumber juice to the sauce to thin it out slightly.
4) put in a bowl - so here's where I think it's perfect as  is.  However, you are supposed to add in the rest of the cucumber and 1/4 cup of dill and mix it through.  Cover and chill.  If serving as a dip, swirl into a shallow serving bowl, top with a drizzle of quality olive oil and garnish a few olives in the center.  Serve immediately with warm pita (or anything else listed above).

Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce

Washington Post 8/21/2019

The recipe said it would take no time - which is usually a lie - but in this case, it was the truth.  I had lots of tomatoes and some onion from our morning at Oasis farm, and we were told we should use them quickly.  I also had some tomatoes in the refrigerator, which we always do, since my husband is a tomato addict.   This time of year, you can get good looking tomatoes at the farmers markets.  Even though most look better than they taste, this recipe makes the most of them.  You can refrigerate the sauce up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.

So there went all my tomatoes, into the sauce.  There was hardly any liquid in the pot initially, so I thought I'd need to add some, but in no time, it was a mushy mess.  And quite delicious.  I put in all different tomatoes, even though plum tomatoes were recommended.  It was all good.  I didn't remove the skins, which you can do by briefly tossing the tomatoes into boiling water, but that adds more time and effort (and pots) to the process.  This way, it was easy as could be.  Once the tomatoes are cooked,  if you choose, you can press them with the back of a large spoon, and the skins come off easily.

Ingredients:
5 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
12 large fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more as needed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered

Directions:
1) In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper, tomato paste and olive oil.  Heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds.  You should be able to smell the ingredients, but they shouldn't be burning.  Add the tomatoes, breaking ghtem up a bit more with your hands as they go into the pan.  Bring to a lively bubble, uncovered, and cook 30 minutes, or until the same is thick and reduced by half.  Stir often, watching for sticking or scorching.

2) Remove the pan from the heat, and cover.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

3) If you prefer a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or process it with a blender, immersion blender or food processor until in small pieces.  Serve warm, with pasta or roasted veggies, or your dish of choice.

Big Italian Salad

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/big-italian-salad.html#tabrecipe
By Jennifer Segal
This Italian salad pairs nicely with Italian comfort food. You’ll love the homemade dressing!

As with many other recipes, this definitely gets better with age.  It's very good from day 1, but 3-4 days later it was even better.  It's easy enough to make, and my latest favorite dressing!


Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons honey

FOR THE SALAD:
1 large head romaine lettuce (or 3 hearts), washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers
1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
Handful grape tomatoes, halved
Handful pitted olives
Ricotta Salata (see note) or Feta, crumbled to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.

Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl.

Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland.

Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
GLUTEN-FREE ADAPTABLE NOTE

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

Roasted Carrots and Thyme

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/roasted-carrots-with-thyme.html

Simple and very tasty! The carrots do shrink.

By Jennifer Segal
Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients: 

2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can use a little less)
1/2 (use less) teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) - good with combo of basil, thyme, Herbes de Provence

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) Slice the carrots on the diagonal about 1-½” thick. Make sure all pieces are approximately the same size to ensure even cooking.

3) Combine the carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme in a large bowl and toss well. Transfer the carrots to the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once mid-way through, until nicely caramelized and tender, 20-25 minutes (cooking time will depend on thickness of carrots). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

One Pan Frozen Fish Dish

I read an article recently about how flash frozen fish is as fresh, if not more fresh, than what you buy in the fish department at even the best grocery stores.  Those fish too, although sold thawed and ready to cook, have previously been frozen.  Then you're obligated to purchase and cook them within a day or two.  I had tried frozen fish before, but wasn't happy with the outcome.

This time, I bought a Costco-size bag of frozen mahi mahi, individually wrapped, thinking that if it worked, it would save me a special trip to Whole Foods to prepare dinner.  And it worked!

Tonight I defrosted some fillets - as directed on the package.  I just soaked them in their packaging in water for 20 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, I chopped onion, shred a yellow squash, grated some ginger and covered it all with Rao's sauce.  I heated that in the oven while the mahi mahi defrosted.  Delicious dinner with little fuss, and no trips to the store.  Perfect!

Ingredients:
MahiMahi fillets - defrosted, sprinkled with salt and pepper
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped in large pieces
1 yellow squash shredded spaghetti style (I used a zester - you can use a vegetate)
2 Tbsp grated ginger
Rao's sauce to cover

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the vegetables for about 15 minutes, until bubbly.

2) Turn heat down to 375 degrees.  Add the fillets to the casserole and cover with sauce.  Bake for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

That's it!
For more info and recipes for mahi mahi, check this out :
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/mahi-mahi-healthy-5223.html

one pan fish dinner - 7/9/2018

Unstuffed Cabbage - Vegetarian

In an attempt to share Jewish style recipes with vegetarian friends, I tried to adapt a few parts of three different vegetarian burger, stuffed cabbage and unstuffed cabbage recipes.  Some parts were successes, other parts not so much.  The sauce part of it definitely came out with that sweet and sour taste, familiar from mom's cooking, thanks to a combination of lemon, golden raisins, honey and brown sugar, each in moderation.  The 'meatballs', mostly made up of cannelloni beans and chickpeas, that I attempted to cook in tomato sauce -- sort of disintegrated.  But no great loss - they added to the texture of the sauce.  I decided against trying to steam large cabbage leaves and roll a vegetarian stuffing into them.  Too many opportunities to tear the leaves and have to start over again, and again....

The recipe I ended up with was mainly based on a post on allrecipes.com, called Grandma Elaine's Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage.  I tried switching out the meat part of it, but may need to either use faux meat crumbles to add to the sauce, or to make 'meat'balls.  The overall recipe takes about 3 hours, but most of the time its simmering on the stove and does not need any attention.  Stay tuned.

2/18/18 - The recipe below seemed good, with a sweet and sour tang, but I needed to freeze it.  When I defrosted it a few weeks later, it seemed to have lost its taste.  I needed to add a LOT of lemon and brown sugar to restore it, but my guests did seem to enjoy it.  I'll have to try it again without freezing.  Also, since the original 'meatballs' fell apart, I made different ones from www.karissavegankitchen.com - appropriately called Vegan Chickpea Meatball Recipe.  They were not bad, but didn't have enough taste.  I might try some fennel sautéed next time to add into the mixture.  I baked them separately and they seemed to have a firm enough outer crust, so they tolerated being reheated gently on the stove in the unstuffed cabbage.

1/29/19  Tried this again when I had lots of carrots to use.  Made the recipe as noted below, with Rao's as the tomato sauce, 2 medium onions, about 1 lb carrots sliced and one small green cabbage.  Ended up adding about 1 tsp of salt (total) and about 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, I think.  Very tasty!


Ingredients: 
1 large white onion
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds green cabbage, cored, and cut into 3 inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3+ tablespoons fresh lemon juice - to taste
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:
1) Place the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sliced onions, and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes.

2) Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, using a spoon to slightly chop the whole tomatoes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Stir the cabbage into the tomatoes. It will initially look like there is more cabbage than can be absorbed, but it shrinks substantially.  Cover, and simmer 1 hour until the cabbage is tender and mixes easily with the tomatoes.

4) At this point, I made a mixture meant to be chickpea burgers.  I suppose I could have cooked them separately coated with flour as instructed, but I added them to the tomato mixture as you would regular meatballs.  They fell apart --

5) Cover the pot and continue to simmer 45 minutes more. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding additional lemon juice if required. Stir in the raisins, and honey. Add the brown sugar, a little at a time, tasting after each addition. Cook mixture over medium heat 15 minutes more.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/143362/grandma-elaines-unstuffed-sweet-and-sour-cabbage/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=search%20results&clickId=cardslot%201

http://www.amuse-your-bouche.com/easy-chickpea-burgers/

Cauliflower Steak

Here's a simple recipe adapted from Nutrition Action Newsletter.

Ingredients:  
1 head of cauliflower
1 lemon, cut in half
sprinkle of salt and pepper
Marjoram or other spice/ herb of your choice, sprinkled lightly


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray oil in a rectangular casserole dish.  Cut the cauliflower from top to bottom into ~3/4 inch thick slices.  Some of the sides will come off as florets, which is not a problem.

2) Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any other herbs or spices.  Marjoram worked well tonight.

3) Cook the cauliflower in a pan with the lemon cut side down until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Then squeeze the lemon onto the cauliflower.  Done!  Salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Chicken in Lemongrass and Ginger Caramel Sauce

Adapted from "Lemongrass, Ginger and Mint   Vietnamese Cookbook; Classic Vietnamese Restaurant Favorites at Home" by Linh Nguyen; 2017

This sauce is amazingly delicious!  There are similar recipes for salmon and tofu dishes - see pages 169-172.

Traditionally, bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces whacked into small pieces with a cleaver are used, but any boneless sliced chicken is fine.  I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but didn't notice that they were to be cut into 1/2" pieces, so I only cut them into thirds.  Smaller pieces would cook more easily and be served more easily on pasta or rice.

The second time I made it, I did use small pieces.  They cooked easily but were a little dry.  Served with plain couscous and it was great at soaking up the sauce.  Also mixed peppers and red onion stir fry with some cilantro.

Lemongrass is tough and should be bruised (pounded with a meat hammer, e.g.) to release the oils.  It has a great aroma and is often used in Vietnamese spas or as a digestion aid.

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken parts cut into 1/2" pieces
5 lemongrass stalks (about 3" of the roots only), finely chopped, divided
2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced, divided
1 tsp minced hot chile (optional - I forgot to add this)
3 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp room-temperature water
1/4 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Steamed rice or pasta for serving

Directions:
1) Toss the chicken with half of the lemongrass and half of the ginger; hot chile if using, fish sauce and season with pepper.  Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes

2) In a saucepan combine the sugar and room-temperature water without stirring.  Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar starts to turn honey-colored.  (This never happened).  Swirl the pan to distribute the heat and the sugar evenly.  When the sugar is consistently honey colored, reduce the heat to low.

3) Very carefully, ladle the boiling water over the caramelized sugar.  Stir constantly until the crystallized caramelized sugar is fully dissolved in the water, then turn off the heat.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4) Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining lemongrass and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the chicken and sauté for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Ad the caramel sauce and stir to mix, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5) Serve with steamed rice (or summer squash pasta).

According to the book, if you don't have lemongrass available, just double the ginger.

Summer Squash and Basil Pasta

From epicurious - https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/summer-yellow-squash-zucchini-and-basil-pasta#reviews

 I searched for a recipe to help use the many summer squash that came in my Hungry Harvest box.  This was very good with caramel chicken, even with my forgetting to reserve the pasta liquid and forgetting to add Aleppo-style pepper (or paprika:cayenne at 4:1, as suggested in the comments).  Will definitely try it again.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 pounds assorted summer squashes and zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper, plus more for serving (or paprika:cayenne at 4:1)
12 ounces paccheri, ziti, or other large tube pasta (used chickpea pasta)
2 ounces Parmesan, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup basil leaves


PREPARATION

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes.

2) Add squash; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until squash begins to break down and gets jammy (they may start to stick to the skillet a bit, which means you are there!), 12–15 minutes.

3) Toss in 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper.

4) Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente.  Transfer pasta to skillet using a slotted spoon or spider and add 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook pasta, adding 2 oz. Parmesan in stages along with more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente.

5) Toss in lemon juice and most of the basil.

6) Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and Aleppo-style pepper and remaining basil.

Pistachio Soup

From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

This is a traditional Iranian Jewish soup.   I was fortunate enough to have saffron that a friend brought home from Iran.  The intro to the recipe warns not to judge the recipe until the orange and lemon juices are added at the end.  I agree - they make the soup delightful!  I tried Meyer lemons today from Trader Joe's, which are considerably sweeter than regular lemons.  If they are available, they're worth a try.

Ingredients: 
2 Tbsp boiling water
1/4 tsp saffron threads
1 2/3 cups unsalted pistachios
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 shallots finely chopped
1 Tbsp peeled and finely chopped garlic
1 leek, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup freshly squeezed OJ
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
sour cream to serve - optional

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the boiling water over the saffron threads in a small cup and leave to infuse for 30 minutes

2) Removing the pistachio skins will make the soup a brighter green but won't affect the taste.  I did not do this, but if you care to, blanch the nuts in boiling water for a minute, drain, and while still hot remove the skins by pressing the nuts between your fingers.

3) Spread the pistachios out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for ~5 minutes - watch carefully to avoid burning.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

3) Heat the butter in a large saucepan and add the shallots, ginger, leek, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper.  Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots are completely soft.  Add the stock and half of the saffron liquid.  Cover the pan, lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.

4) Place all but 1 Tbsp of the pistachios in a large bowl along with half of the soup.  Use a blender (or a handheld blender if you have a very deep bowl) to puree until smooth, then return this to the saucepan.  Add the orange and lemon juice, reheat and taste to adjust the seasoning.

5) To serve, coarsely chop up the reserved pistachios.  Transfer the hot soup into bowls and top with a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.  Sprinkle with the pistachios and drizzle with the remaining saffron liquid.