Garlicky Braised Kale

Thoughts and Inspiration

This is a great vegetable dish that can be had as a side to a main meal.  You can also use it to make stuffed mushrooms or zucchini boats (just mix in your favorite cheese and stuff your veggie).  Or perhaps just throw it on top of some quinoa, brown rice, farro or bulgur!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch Lacinato kale (Tuscan kale), cleaned and chopped - about 10 oz.
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 cup water
Sprinkle crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two, just until fragrant, making sure it doesn't brown.  Add kale, stir and place a lid on for 2-3 minutes to allow kale to slightly wilt.  Next, add the water, season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes (with lid on).  Remove lid and cook 2-3 minutes longer to help liquid evaporate.  Transfer to bowl and serve.

Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Thoughts and Inspiration: 

This was a really fun plate to put together!  It looks complicated, but really is quite easy as you'll see!  I wanted to create something fun for the eyes with lots of bright notes that was also delicious for the taste buds.  I set this platter out as an appetizer for a dinner party we had back over the 2014 holidays.  As always, be creative and have fun with it!  You can get as homemade, or not!, as you want with it.  I used pre-made falafel balls to save myself time.

Ingredients

1 package frozen falafel balls

1, 8 oz. package of Halloumi, diced into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 bunch frisee (or arugula) ~7 oz.

4-5 radishes, sliced thin (use a mandolin if you have one)

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

1/2 pomegranate seeds

Balsamic Glaze drizzle 

Dressing - combine together with a whisk

1 lemon, juiced

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Tahini Sauce  

1 Tbsp tahini 

1 Tbsp Greek yogurt 

1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt 

Place sliced radishes in water with 1 tsp salt for a minimum of 15 minutes.  When ready to use, drain from water.  (Adding them to salted water helps smooth out the pungent bite you typically get from radishes.)

Heat skillet and lightly crisp Halloumi on medium heat in olive oil (make sure there is enough space to have all the Halloumi in a single layer on the skillet so that the pieces don't melt into each other).  Turn cubes a couple times to get browning on all sides.  After about 4-5 minutes remove from heat and toss in fresh parsley and lemon juice.  

Assembly - I used a large slate board:
Cook falafel balls according to package.  Allow to cool and then cut each into quarters.  Toss the frisee with the dressing and arrange as the base on your plate.  Randomly arrange the falafel balls, Halloumi and radishes on top of the frisee.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with pomegranate seeds!  You can dollop the tahini sauce onto the plate or place on the side in a bowl like I did so that people can take as they want.  (I used watermelon radish slices on the slate board for extra presentation.) 

Other suggestions that can be added/substituted on this plate:
Feta (instead of Halloumi)
Add hazelnuts for crunch
Grilled zucchini chunks
Tabbouleh salad (instead of frisee)

Some of the items I used:

These are great if you're in a bind!

  

Portabello Asada and Black Beans

Thoughts and Inspiration

So here is my interpretation of a vegetarian carne asada dish.  Portabello mushrooms are hearty and meaty!  This is a fun meal that you can do so much with.  Use my basic recipe and create your own dish.  You can throw the mushrooms into a wrap - burrito or taco style.  You can use the leftover black beans and make a great hooked-up plate of nachos... or create a breakfast dish - add into a frittata or serve it up with a fried egg!

Ingredients

½ red onion, thick slices

4 Large Portabello Mushroom Caps, cleaned

1 Frontera Carne Asada Marinade pouch

½ cup Marsala wine

¼ cup scallions, sliced

Ingredients for black beans

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ medium red onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup soy chorizo crumbles

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1/3 cup water

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp paprika

*¼ tsp McCormick chipotle and roasted garlic seasoning

¼ cup scallions, sliced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Portabellos and Onions:

Place mushrooms into a glass bowl or plastic ziplock bag with 3/4 of the marinade.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet.  Add onion slices with a tsp of marinade and cook for 4-5 minutes or until nicely browned.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and place into a bowl until ready for plating.

Next, place mushrooms onto skillet starting with gill side down (2 at a time depending on the size of your cast iron).

Cook mushrooms, turning multiple times to ensure even cooking, until fully cooked through (approximately 13-18 minutes depending on thickness).  As the liquid sizzles away and absorbs into the mushrooms, continue to add a couple Tbsps of the marinade to make sure the mushrooms stay juicy.

When the mushrooms are 2-3 minutes from being fully done, add Marsala to finish cooking (remember if cooking in 2 separate batches, only use 1/4 cup of Marsala).

Remove mushrooms from skillet and place onto a cutting board.  Allow to cool 3-4 minutes (so the juices absorb).  **Slice on a diagonal as shown in the picture.  Garnish with scallions.

Black Beans:

Heat a skillet and saute onions in olive oil for 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.

Add garlic and chorizo and saute together for another 3-4 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients to the mixture and stir.

Place lid onto skillet and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

***Serve with brown rice, quinoa or farro.

*If you don't have this seasoning, sub it with any other Mexican chili powder.

**Using a sharp knife, hold mushroom and about 7-8 slices on a diagonal.  Fan out slightly as you plate.

***When plating, place mushroom slices onto one side of plate and sprinkle with few scallion slices on top.  Plate 2-3 Tbsp of beans aside your choice of grain and finally add with a few onion slices.

Warm and Cold Dips with Crudite (Warmed Pinto Bean Dip & Avocado Yogurt Dip)

As promised here is the next dip of the week recipe!  It is something I made one month ago.

Thoughts & Inspiration

It's New Year's Day 2015.  My hubby and I are lounging and relaxing watching the Winter Classic on .  We made some black chai and wanted a snack to munch on.  This bean dip is deliciously warm and the yogurt dip is very refreshing!  The yogurt dip was something I had at our friend's holiday party last weekend.  I got the recipe for it (thanks Kruti!) and added a couple additional ingredients.  Enjoy and be creative!

Ingredients for Pinto Bean Dip

1 can of pinto beans, drained and washed

1/2 cup cilantro (with stems)

2 fresh jalapenos, chopped into large pieces (de-seed the jalapeno according to desired level of spice)

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 lime, juiced

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp chipotles in adobo sauce (sauce only)

Salt to taste

1/2 cup white cheddar

Sprinkle of paprika

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place all the ingredients (accept paprika and cheese) into a food processor and pulse together until smooth.  Transfer dip into a small oven safe bowl and place into oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.  Return to oven for an additional 4-5 minutes (or until cheese is melted and slightly bubbly).  Serve hot with a sprinkle of paprika.

Ingredients for Avocado Yogurt Dip

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream

3 fresh jalapenos, chopped into large pieces (de-seed the jalapeno according to desired level of spice)

1/2 cup cilantro (with stems)

1 small garlic clove

3/4 lime, juiced

1 packet Hidden Valley dry ranch dressing mix

1 ripe avocado

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse together until smooth.  Transfer into a serving bowl and refrigerate dip for at least 1 hour.  Serve cold.  

Arrange on a platter with your favorite sliced vegetables and pita/corn/tortilla chips.

Note: When arranging try to incorporate dimension to make the platter look more interesting.  For example, I placed the carrot sticks into a small shooter bowl.

Chickpea Dip with Vegetable Crudite

Happy Monday!  Today and Thursday I will be featuring a couple fun and tasty dips!  Stay tuned!

Thoughts & Inspiration

My sister and cousin had come over on a weeknight for a fun visit!  I of course wanted to make something fun for them to enjoy.  This dip is tasty and easy to make; it's a play on a traditional hummus.

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas, drained and washed

1/2 cup cilantro (with stems)

2 fresh jalapenos, chopped into large pieces (de-seed the jalapeno according to desired level of spice)

1 medium garlic clove

1 green onion stalk, chopped into a few pieces

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse together until desired texture.  I made my dip smooth, however you can easily pulse the ingredients less to create a chunkier texture.  Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with paprika.

Arrange on a platter with sliced vegetables and pita chips - I have carrots, celery, zucchini, cauliflower and radishes!  Mmm Mmm yum!!!

The No-Guilt Silky Smooth Cauliflower Soup

Thoughts & Inspiration

This soup was a total unexpected delight!  The vegetable combination may sound bizarre (I was very skeptical myself while making it, but I had bits and pieces of some veggies that I just did not want to throw away), but trust me... you need to try this recipe!  It has the consistency of a rich, silky smooth and creamy bisque-like soup, but it has ZERO guilt and a beautiful flavor profile.  You will wish you made a huge pot!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1.5 celery sticks, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
2.5 cups cauliflower, mainly florets
2 large ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups water
Salt/Pepper
Lemon pepper

In a deep soup pot saute carrots and celery in olive oil on medium heat for 3 minutes,  Add garlic and continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes.  Next, add zucchini and continue to saute vegetables for 3-4 minutes.  *Add cauliflower, mix and place lid onto pot to help cook vegetables for about 3-4 more minutes.  Finally, add tomatoes and water; bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn heat off and allow soup to cool for 10-15 minutes.  Transfer everything to a blender with salt and fresh pepper (to taste) and puree until completely smooth.  Serve soup to desired warmth and sprinkle with a dash of lemon pepper seasoning.**

*Note: The vegetables are added slowly to bring out the flavor of each vegetable uniquely.
**Note: I made this soup a bit thicker - the cauliflower actually makes this soup rich in creaminess.  If you want the soup a bit thinner just simply add more water or broth.

Spinach and Black Eye Peas in Coconut Milk

Thoughts & Inspiration

This is a very different recipe.  I mixed a couple vegetables with a legume I don't necessarily know go together, but interestingly enough, it tastes pretty good!!!  I would recommend having this dish over some brown rice.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp Penang curry paste (or red curry paste)

1/2 yellow squash, diced

1 cup frozen spinach

1 can black eye peas

1 cup light coconut milk

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp lemon pepper

Salt to taste

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a skillet saute red onion and garlic with olive oil for 3-4 minutes.  Add curry paste and continue to saute for an additional 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavors of the paste.  Add in the squash and frozen spinach and place lid on skillet and cook for 5 minutes.  Next, add black eyed peas, coconut milk, onion powder, garlic powder and lemon pepper.  Stir to combine everything together and cook with lid on for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove lid and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Quick Hearty Black Bean & Corn Stew

Thoughts & Inspiration

This winter is starting to get really bad!  I guess we shouldn't complain too much though since November/December weren't too horrible.  My hubby and I are big into soups/stews in the colder months.  I threw this together on a cold Tuesday evening.  I made quite a bit, which was great because we were able to enjoy the leftovers for lunches.  One of the ingredients in this recipe is a jalapeno... I kept most of the seeds in mine because we like things spicy, but it actually turned out a bit too spicy!  So be careful if your taste buds can't handle too much... I would recommend de-seeding it.

Active Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35-40 minutes


Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, cut into thin slices (de-seed according to spice level desired)

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 yellow squash, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup fresh (or frozen) kale, chopped
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14-15 ounces)
1 can black beans, rinsed (15 ounces)
2 cup water
1/2 cup broken wheat vermicelli  (you can also use farro, orzo or ditalini)
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Spices
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chipotle roasted garlic seasoning (McCormicks Grill Mates)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
Salt to taste

Optional Garnishes
Sprinkle of cheese
Slice of lime
Sprinkle of cilantro
Sprinkle of green onions
Dollop of sour cream
A couple crushed tortilla chips


In a deep soup pot saute onions and jalapenos in olive oil on medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes.  Next, add yellow squash and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add corn, kale, tomatoes, black beans, 1 cup water and all the spices.  Bring this to a low boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Add vermicelli (or other grain) and the additional cup of water and simmer until grain is cooked through (approximately 10 minutes).

Serving: Serve soup in a bowl nice and hot and garnish with your choice of ingredients.

 

Lentil Tacos with a Crunchy Slaw

Thoughts & Inspiration

These tacos are another dish that utilize the "Red Wine Braised Lentils".  They are a great variation to your normal everyday tacos.  You get protein from the lentils, crunch from the slaw and spice from the homemade salsa.  As always, be creative!

Crunchy Slaw Ingredients

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 Daikon radish, shredded (if you can't find Daikon radish, you can use a couple normal red radishes)

1/4 white onion, sliced thin

1 jalapeno, sliced thin (de-seeded if you don't want it spicy)

1/2 lime, juiced

Salt to taste

Spicy Chipotle Salsa Ingredients

1 whole chipotle + 1 tsp sauce from canned chipotles in adobo sauce

1 lime, juiced

1/4 white onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1 medium sized Roma tomato, chopped

Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

1 cup of red wine braised lentils (recipe posted on 07January2015)

*Tortillas (I used a gordita style tortilla - it is a bit thicker and holds better - not the healthiest but really tasty nonetheless!)

Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, shredded

Any Mexican blend cheese

*Note: I used flour tortillas, but feel free to use corn or whole wheat based on your liking

For the slaw: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes before eating to allow lime juices to quickly marinate through the veggies.

For the salsa: Place all ingredients, except salt, into a food processor or blender.  Pulse to create a chunky or smooth salsa.  I made mine slightly chunky!

Assembly:  Place 1-2 Tbsp of the lentils (warmed), topped with 1 Tbsp of slaw, a bit of lettuce, salsa and cheese all in the center of your tortilla.  Fold and enjoy!

Here is what I used:

I always keep a can of chipotle peppers at home.  They have a nice spicy, smoky flavor and add really great depth into so many dishes.  Once I open them, I transfer the remainder into an air tight glass tupperware and leave them at the back of my fridge.  They usually stay good for a month or two!

Red Wine Braised Lentils with Burrata

Thoughts & Inspiration

It was a Sunday and I was trying to think ahead for the week.  I wanted to make something that would be hearty, yet light and filled with protein.  I've been craving lentils, but not Indian style this time.  This lentil recipe can be used as a base for many different dishes.  Here I am featuring my lentils with burrata; next week I will be posting another recipe, lentil tacos, using these same lentils .  Just be creative with how you'd like to enjoy them!

Active time 20 minutes
Cook time 55 minutes

Lentils - Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup French green lentils, washed
1 cup dry red wine (preferably a Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 cup mushroom broth (if you don't have mushroom broth, you can use water or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 small dried red chilis
Salt/Pepper

Additional - Ingredients (Serves 2)
1/2 roasted red pepper, diced
1 burrata ball, sliced
Torn basil leaves
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle of sea salt

This recipe makes a good amount of lentils.  It can be used for a couple meals.

In a medium sized soup pot saute onions, carrot and celery in olive oil on medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add in garlic and saute for 3-4 more minutes.  Next, add lentils, wine, broth, water, bay leaf and red chilis.  Simmer with lid on for 40-45 minutes, stirring a couples times throughout the cooking.  Depending on the texture you want for the lentils, you may need to add an additional 1/2 cup of water after about 35 minutes*.  Once lentils are fully cooked remove lid and discard bay leaf.  Turn off gas and add salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: I cooked the lentils for 45 minutes total and when there was roughly 10 minutes remaining, I added an additional 1/2 cup water.

Plating: Place 1/3 cup of cooked lentils onto a plate.  Add a few pieces of roasted red pepper and 2 slices of burrata.  Top with basil, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt**.
**Note: I served the lentils with grilled asparagus spears on the side.  I sauteed 1 bunch of asparagus in 1 Tbsp butter (on a grill pan) and finished with fresh squeezed lemon juice and salt.

This is what they should look like when cooked

I will be posting another dish next week which uses these same lentils!!!  Stay tuned for my lentil tacos recipe!!!