Filed under: Main Dish | Tags: beans, millet, olive oil, radish, root vegetable, vegan
We’ve had a few cold nights lately, and even snow in the mountains above Santa Barbara. But it always seems to bounce back into at least a few warm days. Yesterday was definitely spring – anything other than a t-shirt and shorts was too hot, and the garden was dishing out treasures left and right: the first zucchini of the spring, nearly-ripe fava beans, lettuce, arugula, and six fresh eggs (our banty, Minnie, has laid two eggs in the last week – after a 9-month hiatus).
I’m not typically a radish-loving person. But I’ve seen recipes lately involving radishes, butter, and salt (like this one) that intrigued me. So when I found four perfect radishes in the garden yesterday, I knew exactly what to do with them. I’ve been avoiding dairy (fighting off a bad cold/sore throat), so I just sliced the radishes thinly, drizzled with my local Joelle olive oil and a dusting of salt. The simplest of ingredients, but big on flavor (would have been even better on a fresh baguette!). I think since they were picked so early in the season, they were sweeter and less spicy than usual.
Monday evenings tend to be the night where I have the most time at home to spend cooking, so I try and make a little extra to carry us through the week. One week, I roasted a huge pan of sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions and carrots, and ended up with a lot of leftover vegetables after dinner that night to use for something else later in the week.
I decided to combine them with a grain and the cilantro I have plenty of in the garden. A quick flip through the Moosewood Cookbook found me at the Curried Millet recipe. It comes together fast, and I thought the curry would play off the root vegetables nicely. It would be fine without the vegetables and beans too – or whatever substitutions you want to make!
Curried Millet from Moosewood Restaurant, Cooking for Health
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (optional – I had some leftover from last summer’s mustard plants)
1/2 c minced onions
3/4 c millet
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne (start with less if you don’t like heat)
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/4 c currants or cranberries
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 can black beans, drained
2-3 cups chopped roasted potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, onion
Warm the oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the millet and stir constantly until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid as been absorbed and the millet is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the currants and the cilantro, and fluff with a fork. Cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the millet with the roasted vegetables and beans.
Filed under: Main Dish | Tags: burger, carrot, cilantro, lentil, parsnip, pasta, vegan, walnut
I really have no idea why it took me so long to make lentil burgers. Its not that I haven’t heard of the idea (or rather, bean burgers in general). But for some reason, I just didn’t get to it. Until now. And there is no turning back. They were so incredibly easy, and so tasty! I made them twice in three days.
Before you start cringing and thinking “how could lentils ever have the same texture/flavor as a real burger!?” just stop yourself. I’m not into those meat replacement products floating around. At times they can be just as bad as any other processed non-vegan food! So just try and think of this as a new and exciting way to incorporate beans and nuts into your diet, with its own unique flavor and satisfaction value. I should say ways, because we ate these in several different shapes and entirely different dishes.
The first night, I made parsnip and carrot fries to go with the patties (and topped them with garden baby lettuce, onion, and the yogurt cilantro sauce – a bunless burger). If you’ve never had a parsnip, you should go find some, preferably locally grown. They roast up beautifully, and have a dense not-too-sweet flavor that I really like. (I can’t believe I hadn’t tried them til now, either!)
A few nights later, I formed the lentil mixture into balls, baked them, and served them on top of pasta (with leftover cauliflower, mushrooms, and red peppers simmered in arrabiata sauce – YUM). I made a double batch, so the next night we chopped the meatballs in pieces and put them on a chef salad. How’s that for a versatile recipe??
Lentil-walnut Burgers (original recipe found here)
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3-1 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup lentils, cooked, drained, and cooled
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg
Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce:
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
To cook lentils, combine 1 cup dry lentils with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
In a food processor, combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil; pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should remain whole). If it seems too wet, add in the rest of the breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl, whisk egg. Add lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon; season with salt and pepper. Assemble burgers and top with yogurt sauce, sliced red onion, tomato, and lettuce.
To make meatballs, follow same recipe except substitute basil and parsley for the cumin and coriander. Form the mixture into balls, and bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 20-25 minutes, turning once. (I used 1/2 c cashews + 1/4 c walnuts) Serve on pasta with sauce, in a sandwich, or however you best like meatballs!
Filed under: Breakfast, Main Dish | Tags: Broccoli, carrot, chard, egg, greens, kale, potato, root vegetables, sweet potato, vegan
Well, its been a week now since my birthday challenge ended. And I have to say – I miss it a little bit! There was something dizzying about unlimited options in what I could eat last week, and I took full advantage. The Burger Bus, chocolate chip cookies, half and half in my coffee…. it was almost overwhelming. I think I’ve realized finally that I’m a person who needs a few rules in my life to help me find balance. I’m not sure exactly what those rules will be, but I’m working on figuring it out.
This last month Santa Barbara has been blessed with gorgeous, amazing, mostly warm weather. It feels like the summer we never had in 2010 (instead we got days and days of fog). I do feel badly for the rest of the country struggling with such cold. But I’m really, really happy in this weather! All of my seed starts are coming along nicely, and I should be able to plant in the next few weeks. Wildflowers are blooming in the mountains behind Santa Barbara, and the birds are notching up their songs (and providing lots of amusement in my yard. Scrub jay burying a peanut = case in point).
One of my favorite recent dinners (or breakfasts) is this sweet potato hash. I roast up an assortment of root vegetables, then saute greens and garlic. I top the whole mess with a fried egg or two. I find it to be completely satisfying at any time of day, and it again has those elements of flexibility I love so much! Bell peppers are a great addition, or mushrooms. Just make sure to add them in at the right time so they get their proper cooking time. This is particularly satisfying after a long run, or an afternoon spent climbing and scrambling at The Playground.
Sweet Potato Hash with Greens and Eggs
Assortment of root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, etc), chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1-2 big handfuls of greens – fresh broccoli, kale, chard, asparagus, etc, chopped into 1/2-1″ ribbons
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped small
1-4 eggs (depends on how many people you’re serving and how many everyone wants)
Coat the root vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a 375 oven for 35-50 minutes (depends on how many vegetables you have)
Once they finish, saute your greens and garlic til bright green. Remove from pan, and fry your eggs (or poach if you like them that way).
Serve with root vegetables on the bottom, then a layer of greens, with eggs on top. Sprinkle sea salt and fresh pepper on top to taste.
Filed under: Main Dish | Tags: asparagus, beet, Broccoli, cashew, greens, lemon, parsnip, rutabega, spaghetti squash, tahini, turnip, vegan
Last week I tried out a recipe for creamy kale and millet that knocked my socks off, no kidding! The sauce was glorious, and I loved the creaminess of it. It uses nutritional yeast, tahini, cashews and lemon to give it a thick tangy flavor. On first taste, Matt could not believe it wasn’t cheese. I think I liked it even better than most cheese sauces, because it doesn’t weigh you down. I couldn’t even get a photo of it, we ate it so quickly.
Well on Sunday, I was tired of getting a guilt trip every time I passed one of the numerous spaghetti squashes we still have from last summer. So I decided to bake one up. And then was inspired to concoct a creamy dish using that same sauce, but incorporating asparagus and broccoli in addition to the kale. And to top it all off – the roasted carrots, rutabega and parsnips that I already had going in the oven.
Sound like a lot? It is definitely the product of a late Sunday afternoon at home. But its also a recipe that is flexible and could be done on a weeknight with a bit of planning (especially if you leave out the root vegetables). The spaghetti squash can be done ahead of time, and usually a bigger one will last us through at least two meals.
“Creamy” Spaghetti Squash and Vegetables
*The root vegetables are definitely not a required element to this dish. But I liked the crisp texture they added.
Assortment of root vegetables (carrots, rutabega, turnip, parsnip, beet, potato, etc), chopped into 1/2″ dice
Spaghetti squash, split in half and seeds scooped out
1/2 bunch kale, cut into 1/2″ slivers
approx. 1/2 head broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped into similar size pieces
Creamy sauce:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small clove of organic garlic
1 cup water
3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (I bet olive oil would be a fine substitute)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp organic tahini
1/2 cup organic cashews, soaked (I did not soak mine)
Toss the root vegetables in olive oil, and spread out on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 oven for 45 minutes (check after 30). Put the spaghetti squash in a brownie pan, cut side down. Bake alongside the vegetables for 45 min- 1 hr. Once its done, take out to cool for a few minutes, then scrape out the strands.
Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender to blend. Saute the vegetables in a saucepan for a few minutes (put in asparagus and broccoli first, then the kale in the last 2-3 minutes) until bright green. Put into a big bowl. Heat the sauce in the same saucepan for 2-4 minutes until it begins to thicken. Mix in the with the vegetables. Add in the spaghetti squash (I used almost all of the squash) to desired coating. Top each serving with some of the roasted root vegetables and a sprinkling of fresh pepper.
Filed under: Main Dish | Tags: avocado, butternut squash, hummus, roasted pepper, sandwich, sprouts, sundried tomatoes, tofu
I know that many of you believe that Santa Barbara doesn’t have winter. But we do. Maybe not raging blizzards, but we get our fair share of rain (in the good years), and the temperature does drop. The sun doesn’t rise quite as high in the sky, which means that swaths of our garden beds don’t get direct sunlight in these winter months. The soil also can get cold, and stay wet with repeated storms. All of this adds up to plants that just don’t want to grow very fast, and seeds that huddle in the soil, not quite ready to germinate.
All of that changed last week with the beautiful weather that came upon us in paradise. Perfect 70 degree days and warm abundant sunshine brought out the best in all of us, and those seeds have been popping up left and right in the garden! Spring does come early in Santa Barbara, and it is awesome to witness its transformative powers in my own backyard. One of my favorite parts of the day is coming home from a trail run in the morning and wandering the yard with my watering can, checking in on all these plants in my circle of friends.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been taking in inspiration for fabulous sandwiches. One was here, and the other here, on Muddy Footsteps. Another a friend made over the weekend while camping in Joshua Tree. And tonight, I finally managed to put it all together and make my own fabulous, vegan sandwich.
I absolutely love all of these ingredients on their own. But together they create a delicious symphony in your mouth, leaving you feeling completely satisfied and licking your fingers. These ingredients can of course be swapped for your own tastes and what you have available. But I think the components need to include something creamy, some greens, sprouts, and at least one roasted vegetable. Good luck, and may you be inspired!
How to make a fabulous vegan sandwich
Split a ciabatta roll in half, and toast lightly (or not at all, if its very fresh). Layer ingredients in a similar order as below.
Bottom to top, left side:
Hummus (I used a dill mint variety from the farmer’s market)
Roasted butternut squash (mashed up)
Thin slices of baked tofu (I like Trader Joe’s teriyaki flavor)
Roasted bell pepper (I prefer yellow, orange, and red, never green)
Bottom to top, right side:
Avocado, mashed up
Salt
Sundried tomatoes, julienned in oil
Sprouts
Lettuce leaf
Slap together and enjoy (warning: VERY MESSY!)
