An easy summer meal

Stuck with too much basil on your hands? Make this health promoting pesto (it contains miso!), then eat it on everything in sight. Fill up an ice cube tray or a small ziplock bag to freeze the rest for a later day.

This is one of my favorite, easy summer meals when I don't have time to think about what's for dinner. If you have pesto this salad can be made in less than half an hour. We're big pesto fans, so I usually have some made.

Simply cook Israeli couscous according to the package. When it's done, mix a few spoonfuls of pesto into the hot grains (substitute millet for the couscous to make this gluten-free). Sometimes I mix in sautéed onions, garlic, and diced zucchini, but I think it tastes best eaten cold the next day with a large mixed salad. Or try Kelsey's version which looks perfect for summer.

Cold roasted vegetable salads

I've been reading Tamar Adler's book An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace and can't get enough of it. I had several friends recommend it months ago, but I just got around to buying it. I bought it to read on the beach over the weekend, but quickly realized this isn't a book for mindless summer reading. This is a book that should be on your nightstand, each word relished, pages read and reread, notes scribbled into the sidebars. Tamar waxes poetically about the simplicity and beauty of cooking.

“An Everlasting Meal is beautifully intimate, approaching cooking as a narrative that begins not with a list of ingredients or a tutorial on cutting an onion, but with a way of thinking… Tamar is one of the great writers I know—her prose is exquisitely crafted, beautiful and clear-eyed and open, in the thoughtful spirit of M.F.K. Fisher. This is a book to sink into and read deeply.” — Alice Waters, from the Foreword

It's simply a must read. Run to your local bookstore (or drop into your amazon cart) and buy it now.

Today's post is inspired by Tamar's chapter on How To Stride Ahead. She talks about roasting sheet pan after sheet pan of the best vegetables to enjoy all week long. I heard her loud and clear when she sang about eating cold vegetable salads.

Turning up the oven to 400 degrees when it's 100+ degrees outside, might sound stupid. But after I took a bite of those chilled roasted golden beets, tomatoes and zucchini, and cauliflower dipped in yogurt, I knew it was worth it. I also whipped up some garlicky lacinato kale along with onion, garlic, and the stems (diced small) while the other veggies were roasting away.

I roasted all my vegetables and sautéed the greens last night, so today's lunch was easy. I pulled out all the veggies, and piled them on a plate. I enjoyed this lunch tremendously. I'll definitely be doing this more as cold vegetable salads are perfect for the summer heat or when you want a lighter meal. This is also a great way to use up those CSA veggies you have piled up in the crisper.

Cold roasted vegetable salads:
Preheat oven to 400 for all recipes.

Cherry tomatoes + zucchini 
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, .5 thick coins
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Spread tomatoes and zucchini onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with oregano, sea salt, and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes or up to one hour. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Set aside to cool.

Crispy cauliflower 
1 head cauliflower, cored and sliced 1 in. thick

Spread cauliflower onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper. Roast for almost an hour. Remove from heat to cool. Serve with this yogurt-tahini dip.

Golden beets 
1 bunch of beets

Prick each beet with a knife a few times, then wrap each beet in foil. Roast for an hour or longer, depending on the size. Beets are done when a knife easily pierces through the skin. Remove, let cool, and peel the skins off. 24 hours later, mix chilled beets with this pickled red onion.

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This week's Food Matter Project recipe is beet sandwiches. See what the host, Meg, made here and the rest of the participants whipped up here. I wrote about my favorite sandwich filling, the humble beet, last week. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. Simply roast, slice, cool, and pile onto a hearty veggie sandwich. Or eat the remaining beets as a chilled salad like above.

Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød is a Danish-style open face sandwich. When I was researching places to eat on our honeymoon, I stumbled upon this word many times. My favorite smørrebrød from our trip was topped with tomato chutney, arugula, and farmer's cheese served with a smokey corn soup.

This week's Food Matters Project recipe is updated tea sandwiches hosted by Aura. I decided to mix it up and make smørrebrød. I made Bittman's wheat bread and piled it high with delicious toppings: yogurt cheese, cucumber, cooked beets, and balsamic glaze. Cooked beets are my new favorite sandwich filling.

Eat with a side salad or bowl of chilled soup for lunch or serve a platter as appetizers at a dinner party.

Yogurt cheese
1 c organic plain yogurt (use low or full fat)
2 tbsp mixed herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil)
freshly ground pepper

Line a strainer with a large piece of cheesecloth. Set over a bowl and add the yogurt. Refrigerate. Let the yogurt drain overnight or up to 24 hours. You want the whey to drain completely from the yogurt, so it's nice and thick.

Remove yogurt from cheesecloth and put into a small bowl. Add the herbs and pepper. Mix well and spread onto the bread.

Balsamic glaze
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Add vinegar to a saute pan and bring to a simmer. Stir often, cooking for 8-10 minutes. You want the balsamic to thicken and become almost syrupy. Remove from heat and drizzle over top of your sandwich (or anything really).

A Colorful Indian Feast

I've hijacked today's Friday Favorites to share one of my favorite foods or cuisines rather, Indian. I received this cookbook for Christmas and I haven't spent enough time with it yet. Not only is it beautiful—most recipes are printed on colored newsprint!—but it holds over 1000 recipes. As we were eating tasty dosas at an Indian restaurant in Vancouver, I vowed to cook from it more when we got home.

The fresh spices, herbs, and condiments make the dishes irresistible. I love a spicy curry, tangy mint chutney, and refreshing raita to cool the palette. Shopping at an Indian market in your area can help you find those exotic spices or ingredients your supermarket doesn't carry. We picked up store-bought papadum, since the husband loves the super thin lentil cracker. Plus it was convenient and I didn't have time to make the paratha recipe I was eyeing.

The South Indian potatoes and spinach (to the left) had much more flavor than I thought it would. It was savory, yet had a hint of sweetness from the coconut. I'll definitely be making this dish again soon.

Just look at that vibrant green chutney! I love all the textures here too. Serve the spicy cauliflower, potatoes and spinach, and condiments with brown rice and papadum or these yogurt flatbreads. A lentil dal would be a great addition too.

Cucumber raita
1.5 c plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, seeded, diced small
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
2 T cilantro, minced
1/4 of a red onion, diced small
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients, stir well, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Coconut cilantro chutney
Adapted from India Cookbook
1 large bunch cilantro, rinsed, with stems
1/2 c shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice of 2 limes
juice of 1 lemon
1/4-1/2 c of water (or coconut water)

Toss the cilantro, coconut, jalapeño, cumin, sea salt, lime, and lemon juice into a food processor. Add the water little-by-little until you reach the consistency you like. Refrigerate and eat (on everything!).

South Indian potatoes and spinach
Adapted from India Cookbook
2 T coconut oil
1 small onion, white or red, diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 red potatoes, diced small

1 T ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt
5-6 c spinach, chopped
1/4 c shredded coconut, unsweetened
lemon wedges for garnish

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions, cooking until transparent. Then add the mustard seeds, stirring, until they begin to pop. Mix in the potatoes, cooking for five minutes. They should be almost fully cooked. Add the ginger, garlic, and salt. Cook for a minute before tossing in the spinach and coconut. Cover with a lid and cook until the spinach starts to wilt. If you need to add the spinach in batches, go right ahead. I would stir every minute to help the spinach wilt. Remove from heat when all the spinach is wilted and serve with lemon wedges.

Spicy cauliflower
1 T coconut oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, whole
1 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 head of cauliflower
1 T ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño, minced (to taste)
3 medium tomatoes, diced small
1 T lemon juice
Cilantro to garnish

Heat the coconut oil. Add the whole cumin seeds, stirring until fragrant. Add the coriander, gram masala, curry powder, and sea salt. Stir well. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes. The cauliflower should be cooked and the tomatoes should have cooked down to a thick paste. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and garnish with cilantro.

Give your leftovers a makeover

Roasted asparagus and white bean soup

This soup screams Spring. Asparagus. Leeks. New potatoes. When I first saw this recipe in the Food Matters cookbook, I knew I wanted to make it. Simple and subtle, perfect on a chilly Spring night. The white beans and potatoes make it creamy, the white wine departs a dry note, and the asparagus lightens it up, adding the perfect green hue.

I made this recipe twice. The first time I used two large potatoes and it threw off the balance, so I made the soup again with smaller red potatoes. The second time around I blended the roasted asparagus straight into the soup—like Bittman suggests as an alternative (see below)—and I preferred its velvety texture. This soup is subtle, and tastes better the second day with a flavorful garnish like shaved Parmesan, pesto, or smoked paprika.

Since I'm hosting this week's Food Matters Project recipe, the recipe below is Bittman's word-by-word from the cookbook. I've mentioned my changes above. Check out to see what the other members made here. Serve the soup with a side of tahini greens, a raw kale salad or this baguette.

Roasted asparagus and white bean soup

Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for garnish

2 leeks, well-rinsed and thinly sliced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp chopped rosemary, or 1 tsp dried

salt and pepper

1/2 c dry white wine

2 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 c cooked or canned white beans, drained, liquid reserved

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, bean cooking liquid, or water, plus more as needed

about 1.5 lb of asparagus, peeled if thick

One 2-oz piece Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 servings

1. Heat oven to 450. Put 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened a bit and beginning to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the white wine, and stir to loosen the bits of vegetable that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

2. Add the potatoes, about half the beans, and the stock. Bring to a boil, the lower the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily. Cover partially and cook, stirring infrequently, until the potatoes are disintegrating, 20 to 30 minutes; add more liquid as necessary so the mixture remains soupy. 

3. Meanwhile (or ahead of time), put the asparagus in a shallow roasting pan, drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast, turning the spears once or twice, just until the thick part of the stalks can be pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool a bit. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to shave slices from the piece of cheese. 

4. When the soup is ready, mash the potatoes and beans a bit. Chop the asparagus and add it to the pot along with the remaining beans to warm through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve each bowl with some shaved cheese on top.

Pureed Asparagus and White Bean Soup: After you add the chopped roasted asparagus in Step 4, carefully puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender or with an immersion blender; or simply mash with a potato masher. If you prefer, puree only the beans and broth and add the chopped asparagus before serving.

Spring carrot salad with harissa, herbs, and feta

Hope you all had a happy Easter weekend. We spent Saturday in Asheville, walking around, stopping in a bookstore, a gallery, and a brewery with the in-laws. It's amazing what a few days away can do. It's refreshing to turn the smart phone off (unless we needed directions), and do nothing but talk, walk, eat, and sleep.

We had dinner at Mela, an excellent Indian restaurant on Saturday night. It was then that I realized there are two camps: bread people and condiment people. I fall into the condiment camp, my husband into the bread camp. As everyone was enjoying the pappadum sans chutney, I was using it to scoop up (a lot) of mint cilantro chutney. This has also occurred at home, when I found myself standing at the kitchen counter with a spoon in the jar of romesco, raita, and recently in this harissa.

I've seen a few recipes with harissa over the past year and I finally made my first batch. I made Luisa's recipe, (see above for my exact changes) substituting chipotles for New Mexico chiles and adding the entire roasted red pepper. My sun-dried tomatoes were tiny, so I added about six in total, and used walnut oil (husband allergic to raw olive oil). My harissa wasn't too spicy, I think the walnut oil helped. Adding fat—like oils, nuts, avocados, cheese—to spicy foods, reduces the heat factor.

I bookmarked this carrot salad many months ago, because it reminded me of a salad I had on our honeymoon at a cafe in Copenhagen. A chilled carrot salad with smokiness from the peppers, sweetness from the mint, crunch from the almonds, and saltiness from the feta.

We ate the carrot salad with this spring panzanella last night for dinner. It was perfect. Oh and you'll have some harissa leftover, so mix it into scrambled eggs, slather on roasted potatoes, or on your next grilled cheese.

Spring carrot salad with harissa, herbs, and feta 
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
6 medium carrots, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp harissa
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c curly parsley, mint, and chives
2 tbsp almonds, toasted and chopped roughly
Garnish with feta, optional

Put the grated carrot into a large bowl. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, add the harissa, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and pour over the carrots along with the herbs. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors meld. Garnish with almonds and feta before serving.

Lemony lentils with vegetables

This week's Food Matters recipe is a cassoulet with lots of vegetables. A cassoulet is a slow-cooked casserole that originated from France. It's traditionally made with meat, white beans, and vegetables. Some recipes finish it off with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs too. See Keely's post for the original recipe here.

I was looking forward to making my first vegetarian cassoulet for dinner on Saturday night. The morning started out rainy (which would've been perfect for this dish), but by lunch it was sunny and in the high 70s. I decided I didn't want to turn on the oven or eat a warm meal, as it was a perfect night for dining on the porch. I took inspiration from the original recipe, and kept beans as the focal point.

Bittman calls for white beans, I had a whole bag of black lentils begging to be used. He uses canned tomatoes, I opted for sun-dried. He uses wine to flavor, I chose a lemon vinaigrette for the salad.

Eat over a large bed of greens for a lighter meal. Make it  heartier with the addition of goat cheese or a poached egg and a side of roasted sweet potatoes or brown rice.

Lemony lentils with vegetables
1 c black or beluga lentils*
4.5 c almost boiling water
8-10 sundried tomatoes
4 spring onions, sliced thinly
2 medium carrots, diced small
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/4 c parsley + cilantro, rinsed and minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dijion mustard
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp walnut oil
2 tbsp capers, rinsed

Rinse and sort the lentils making sure there aren't any rocks. Put into a pot and cover with the 4 cups of almost boiling water. Let simmer for 20-22 minutes over low heat.

Pour the rest of the very hot water—about half a cup—into a bowl. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until they rehydrate.

Chop the onions, celery, carrots, and herbs while you wait on the lentils to cook. Put into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the salt, pepper, coriander, mustard, lemon juice, and walnut oil. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and mix well. Add the capers, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

When the lentils are done cooking—they should be tender, not mushy—strain, and pour into the bowl with the vegetables. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve chilled.

*Use black or beluga lentils as they'll keep their shape when cooked. Red lentils break down when cooked and will be too mushy for a bean salad.

Leftover loaf pan frittata

Need a last minute dinner idea? Looking for a way to use up those leftover sautéed greens or roasted potatoes? Well this recipe is for you. There's little to no prep involved. And this dinner will disguise those leftovers, making them fancier than they actually are.

Usually a frittata starts in a cast iron pan on the stove top and moves into the oven to finish cooking, but not this frittata. This frittata saves you time. There's no fussing with a cast iron pan. The ingredients are added to a loaf pan, and into the oven it goes. Wash those dishes, clean the kitchen, or make this side dish as it bakes.

Feel free to get creative here. Add some fresh herbs, feta, or roasted vegetables instead. Dial back the leftovers, if you'd like more egg-to-vegetable ratio.

Leftover loaf pan frittata
Serves 4 
5 or 6 eggs
1/4 c. rice milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 c. caramelized onion
1/2 c. roasted sweet potato, diced
1/2 c sautéed kale with garlic and red pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Crack the eggs in a bowl, add the rice milk, salt, pepper, and whisk until combined. Pour into a non-stick or oiled loaf pan. Grab a handful of your leftovers (in my case onions), spreading evenly throughout the egg mixture in the pan. Repeat with the remainder of your leftovers. Put the loaf pan into the oven. Cook for 25 minutes or until the egg is set (or a paring knife comes out clean when you stick it in the middle).

Enjoy a large slice for breakfast or dinner with a side of salad and toast.

And yes I've hijacked today's Friday Favorites post to share this recipe with you. Don't worry Friday Favorites with resume next week!

The perfect side dish

Short on time? Need a quick and healthy vegetable dish with dinner? This is the perfect side dish alongside any meal. Plus you get a dose of antioxidant and immune-enhancing beta-carotene for the day.

Paprika roasted carrots
Preheat the oven to 375. Grab that bunch of carrots in your crisper. Wash and pat the carrots dry. Trim off the greens, but leave the top. Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Sprinkle with a healthy dose of sea salt, black pepper, chili pepper, regular paprika, and smoked paprika. Put into the oven and go about preparing the rest of your dinner. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife or about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Winter wheat berry salad

Check out this week's Food Matters Project recipe. I purchased wheat berries weeks ago, and decided to use them in place of the rigatoni. Since I'm not a big pasta fan, I turned this into a whole grain salad instead of a baked pasta dish.

This was the first time I've made wheat berries and I think they work perfectly here. Wheat berries are a whole, unprocessed grain that contain all of the parts of the grain: germ, bran, and endosperm. They are rich in magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B and E. Some say you most soak the grains overnight before cooking and I agree. Not only does this cut down on cooking time, but it might make the grains easier to digest as well.

This makes a hearty winter salad, and it's easy to pack for lunch. Substitute brown rice to make it gluten free, and omit the cheese to make it vegan. 

Wheat berries with brussels sprouts, figs, and gorgonzola
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
1 c wheat berries
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ghee
1/4 onion, diced
8 brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove
juice of 1/2 an orange
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
6 dried figs, diced small
1 tbsp walnut oil
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar, optional
2 oz gorgonzola (or blue cheese) crumbles

Put wheat berries in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight.

Rinse wheat berries. Put in a soup pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for an hour.

Heat olive oil and ghee in a sauté pan. Add the onion, cooking until translucent. Add a pinch of sea salt and the brussels sprouts. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes or until the brussels sprouts are wilted and slightly browned. Remove from heat.

Add the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and zest to a saute pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, pour into a small dish, and add the figs.

Mix the wheat berries, brussels sprouts, and fig mixture together. In a smaller dish, whisk together the walnut oil and white balsamic, if using. Pour over the salad along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Crumble gorgonzola over the salad and serve.

Hearty kale salad

In the winter,  I don't crave salads like I do throughout the spring and summer. Colder temperatures make me yearn bowls of piping hot soup, roasted veggies over wholesome grains, or these stuffed sweet potatoes. When I do have a salad this time of year, it needs to be hearty, packed with healthy fats and protein. 

This salad was rather impromptu. I had a big bunch of curly kale, leftover lentils, and a small jar of roasted cherry tomatoes. It couldn't have been more perfect. The lentils and feta gave it substance, the tomatoes added a burst of flavor, and the celery provided that nice crunch. Not-to-mention the heartiness of the kale as compared to your normal salad full of cool romaine or spinach.

Hearty kale salad

2 tbsp walnut oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp sea salt

4 cups kale, small bite-size pieces

1 celery stalk, diced small
1 c cooked lentils

1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (or sundried tomatoes)

1 tbsp dill, minced

1/4 c feta, optional

Whisk walnut oil, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in a small bowl. Put kale in a large bowl and drizzle vinaigrette over top. Massage with hands for about 5 minutes or until the leaves have broken down some. Mix in celery, lentils, roasted tomatoes, and dill. Sprinkle feta over top. Makes 2 large salads. 

Energy snacks

I've always been a morning person. I enjoy getting up early, and having time to myself before I start the day. I can tell a big difference when I do. Running first thing in the morning, before breakfast or coffee, is my favorite routine. I always hated running in the cold, until I trained for a half-marathon last year. Now I prefer it to running in the sweltering summer heat. There's something about running half-asleep in the cold that I find invigorating. I think part of it is wearing proper running tights. I could live in them (and often do on the weekends).

As the weather is becoming colder, I've started to increase my distance again. With that comes an increase in appetite. I decided to make homemade energy snacks, instead of buying larabars at the store. These snacks are so easy to make (if you have a food processor) and are to eat on-the-go. I thought Josh would be skeptical, but he loves them. I've already made several batches the past few weeks. What do you munch on pre- or post-workout?

Feel free to add substitute your favorite dried fruit (dates, cherries, cranberries) here. Another variation I tried was with more apricots and coconut butter. These snacks are loaded with heart-healthy fats, omega 3s, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied.

Energy snacks
2 cups almonds
4 dried apricots, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1.5 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flax, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
Shredded unsweetened coconut

Soak the almonds in clean, filtered water for at least 4 hours.* Pour out water and rinse almonds. Put almonds into a food processor with the remaining ingredients (except the coconut) and blend. If it's too dry, add a little melted coconut oil or more honey. You should be able to roll into 1 inch balls easily with your hands. Roll through the shredded coconut and enjoy pre- or post-workout.

*I think this step is key. Not only does it help your body digest the almonds easier, but it give the snacks a better texture.

An Indian-inspired meal

Last week in class, we made an Indian-inspired lunch for a group of fourteen. I decided to make a similar meal for dinner this week. I made these rosemary chickpea pancakes topped them with turmeric rice, coconut-braised brussels sprouts and a red lentil dal. It was delicious.

Indian food is full of spice. It's important to use whole, fresh spices. Common spices to use are fenugreek, fennel seed, cumin seed, mustard seed, star anise, clove, and asafetida. Dry roast the spices whole in a pan before grinding and using. Believe me, the time and effort is worth it.

We were hesitant to braise brussels sprouts with coconut milk at first, but after we tasted it, we were sold. The coconut milk imparted a sweetness to the savory brussels sprouts.

Coconut-braised brussels sprouts 
Recipe by Chef Kelly Taylor
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black mustard seed or yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 bag brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered (~ 3 cups)
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or fresh chile minced, to taste
1 T lemon juice
sea salt to taste

Dry toast the spices in small saute pan. Set aside to let cool. Then grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Add oil to a wide, shallow saute pan over medium heat. When you see the oil glisten, toss in the sprouts. Cook until the sprouts start to brown and caramelize. Add the red onion and cook until they begin to brown, about a minute. Now add the coconut milk, spice mixture, a dash of salt and cayenne. Cook and cover for 15-20 minutes or until the sprouts are done. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Turmeric is a health-promoting spice. It's been used in Chinese and Indian cultures for it's anti-inflammatory healing properties. The yellowish-orange pigment is called curcumin. Turmeric is thought to help prevent against cancer. 

Turmeric rice
Recipe inspired by Cafe Flora
3/4 c basmati rice, rinsed well
1 1/4 c water
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt

Put the rice and water into a pot. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and sea salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Have a happy Halloween!

Curried sweet potato soup

I've been making a lot of soup lately, since the weather has finally cooled down. I make soups all year long, but there's something comforting about eating soup in the fall. I think its the warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, curry, ginger, cumin and cayenne.

Do you share my love for soup? If so, what's your favorite? The Kitchn just posted 25 soup recipes if you need some inspiration.

This is a simple soup and you probably already have most of the ingredients at home. If you don't have sweet potatoes, you can use carrots instead. But to make it creamy without adding dairy, add a tablespoon of oats, Arborio rice or potatoes when you add the stock. After you blend the soup, you'll notice that it has a thicker consistency.

Curried sweet potato soup

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

dash of cayenne

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2.5-3 cups)

2 small carrots

3.5-4 c veggie stock

1 T lemon juice
1 tsp ginger juice*

sea salt to taste

Add the coconut oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic, curry, cumin and cayenne. Stir for about a minute. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Let the vegetables sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil (make sure the liquid covers the vegetables). When it reaches a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked well. When done, blend with an immersion blender or put into a blender (be careful with hot liquids). Stir in the lemon and ginger juice. Add sea salt to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of lemon-tahini dressing or yogurt, paprika and cilantro.

*To make ginger juice: Cut an inch piece of ginger, peel and grate or mince very finely. Wrap the minced ginger with cheesecloth and squeeze over a small bowl. You should get about a tsp or more of ginger juice. 

Makes 3-4 servings.

The perfect fall lunch

It's amazing how our bodies react to cooler weather. We tend to yearn for warm foods like soups and stews instead of cold salads and raw foods. Warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg seem to find their way into our soups, coffees and baked goods. Pumpkin-spiced latte anyone?

This dish is the perfect fall lunch or dinner. Caramelizing the onion not only makes this dish taste better, but also heartier. It also takes advantage of those winter squashes that are popping up all over the market—acorn, butternut, kabocha, spaghetti or pumpkin. Feel free to substitute the acorn squash in this dish for your favorite winter squash.

Kale with squash, chickpeas, caramelized onions and cilantro-yogurt dressing
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil
1 bunch kale, washed
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
dash of pepper
dash of red chili flakes
1 acorn squash, cooked and cut into cubes
1 c cooked chickpeas
1 T cilantro, minced
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp tahini

1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2 c yogurt

In a saute pan over low heat, add 1 T olive oil. Add a dash of sea salt and the onions. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's best if you walk away from the stove and start prepping the kale, so you won't be tempted to stir. The onions should slowly start to brown and caramelize.

Destem the kale leaves with your hands. Keep the stems and dice small. Take the leaves, roll them, and slice thinly into a chiffonade (very thin slices). Heat remaining 1 T of olive oil over low-to-medium heat. First add the kale stems (since they take longer to cook than the leaves), then add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently. About five minutes later, add the kale leaves. If the leaves start to stick to the pan, add a little water. Cook for a few minutes or until the kale starts to wilt. Add the garlic cloves, cooking until fragrant and remove from heat. The kale will cook down to about half the size it was, when you put it into the pan.

In a large bowl, add the squash and chickpeas. In a small bowl mix together the cilantro, lemon juice and tahini. Pour over the squash and chickpeas, and mix carefully.

Blend the cilantro and yogurt until smooth.

To assemble, start with a bed of kale. Add the squash and chickpea mixture and top with caramelized onions. Drizzle the dressing around the dish.

Makes about 4 servings