Fresh!

Treat them like you do flowers. That's what I always say when asked how to maximize the life and freshness of herbs.

Aromatic and Flavorful

When shopping for herbs look for the greenest, freshest ones you can find. I prefer to wash them, trim the ends and put in a short glass with a small bit of water - about 1/4 inch.  Wrap them in plastic (loosely) - I reuse the produce bags from the grocery store. Change the water regularly and they should last a good week or more...if you don't use them up before that. Some herbs do well in the refrigerator, others not so much. Basil is delicate and sensitive to cold so I keep it at room temperature on the kitchen counter. A general rule I use is, if I find it chilled at the grocery it probably does well in a cooler place.

Enjoy!

Aunt Jen's Citrus Salad

Looking for something sweet and tangy for a New Year's Day brunch? Look no further than my sister's citrus salad. Cubes of sweet ripe pineapple paired with tangy grapefruit tossed with lime and mint. Easy to prepare and can be made the day ahead. It would be a tasty accompaniment from to anything from a tofu scramble to a veggie hash.

Aunt Jen's Citrus Salad

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, cut into 1" pieces

3 grapefruits, peeled and segmented

2 T. agave syrup

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

Zest from fresh lime

2 t. fresh mint, minced

Combine pineapple and grapefruit in large bowl. Mix agave, lime juice, zest and mint in seperate bowl. Pour agave mixture over pineapple and grapefruit. Mix well. Chill and serve.

Enjoy!

Flavor Filled Chili

This time of the year can be a challenge to stay on track with eating. The holiday season is full of comfort food, high fat options, sweets, savories and things you just don't normally consume on a regular basis. Let's face it, gravy is gravy no matter how it is prepared. I don't mind partaking in some speciality things at parties when I stick to my healthier diet during the week. This chili is perfect for cooler weather and made with out oil so I have less guilt. It is also easy to put together and the longer you let it stew on your stove top the better the flavors will be. Secret ingredient...dark chocolate! Makes all the difference, I don't recommend omitting this one.

Flavor Filled Chili

1/2 c. water

1 onion, diced

1 cube vegetable bouillon

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz. can Carmelina Italian cherry tomatoes

1 14 oz. can kidney beans

2 c. frozen mixed vegetables

1 c. frozen spinach

2 t. chili powder

1 t. granulated garlic

1/2 t. smoky paprika

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 oz. vegan dark chocolate

Salt and pepper to taste

Water for desired consistency

Dice your onion and place in large pot with water and bouillon cube. Heat over high until onion is translucent. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Add water for desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

Notes: You probably noticed their is no oil in this recipe. You won't miss it. By cooking your onions in a small amount of water with a vegetable bouillon cube you impart them with all that wonderful vegetable flavor and save yourself a lot of fat and calories!

Vegan dark chocolate is available almost anywhere, I've even seen it at Walgreen's.

Carmelina is a brand of tomatoes. I find them at Whole Foods and small Italian grocery stores. I recommend their tomatoes for just about anything. Some of the best canned tomatoes I have ever tried. The cherry tomatoes give this chili and amazing flavor, so subtly sweet. If you can't find them, don't despair, just use another can of tomatoes you like.

I used about 1 cup of water for the chili and added a little more before serving to thin it just a bit. I tend to like a little thicker chili, you may like it thinner, if so, just add more water.

A Simple Dessert

Sometimes you need a simple dessert that isn't too labor intensive. Something satisfying but not too heavy. A few apples and a handful of ingredients already on hand made up this quick and satisfying vegan apple crisp. Perfectly sweet tender apples topped with a just right crisp for balance of texture. The walnuts play well off of the sweetness of the apples with just the right amount of nuttiness.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, peeled and cored, sliced 1/2 thick
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. rolled oats
pinch of salt
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 T. sugar
2 T. vegan butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core apples, any kind of apples will do - I recommend using what you have on hand. Slice them about 1/2 thick. Place in large bowl and add cinnamon and sugar, mixing with your hands until the apples are well coated. Place the apple mixture into a 12 inch round baking dish or a 9" x 9" square pan.

Combine oats, salt, walnuts, sugar and vegan butter in a separate bowl. Mix all together using your hands until all is coated with butter, it will look like little crumbles the size of peas.  Sprinkle this evenly over the top of the apple mixture.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes until apples are soft, remove cover and bake another 15-20 minutes until crumble top is brown.

Enjoy!

Almond Vegetables in Brown Sauce

Sometimes you start out making one thing and for various reasons something better happens. What was going to be a cashew vegetable recipe turned into almond vegetables with a rich brown sauce. Cooking the mushrooms seperately and in a dry non-stick skillet helps them retain a meaty texture.

Almond Vegetables in Brown Sauce

 

16 oz. Button mushrooms, sliced
2/3 C. Slivered almonds
1 T. Canola or peanut oil
3 c. broccoli florets
1 medium onion, cut into ½” pieces
1 medium red pepper, cut into ½” pieces
1 medium zucchini, diced into ½” pieces
1 medium yellow squash, diced into ½” pieces
1 c. water
1 ½ t. cornstarch
2 T. soy sauce
½ t. Sesame oil
1 T. Rice Wine Vinegar
½ T. Raw sugar
1/8 t. ground ginger
Salt to taste


In a dry large skillet, toast the slivered almonds over medium heat, stirring frequently. Set aside. In same skillet add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until water has evaporated and they begin to wrinkle and brown. Set aside.


Add canola or peanut oil to skillet and broccoli florets, stir fry over medium-high heat until semi-tender (about 5 minutes), remove from skillet and set aside. Add onion and red peppers and stir fry until onion is translucent, and then add zucchini and yellow squash. Reduce heat to medium and stir fry until soft and squash shrinks a bit (about 5 minutes). Remove all veggies and set aside with broccoli. Remove skillet from heat.


In a container with a leak proof lid, add water, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and ground ginger. Shake well to dissolve the cornstarch into the liquids. Add the liquid, carefully, into the hot skillet, place back on heat and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and let liquid reduce for 3 minutes. You will see the color of the sauce getting darker. Add the broccoli mixture back into the pan and stir until sauce reduces to desired thickness and all veggies are coated.

Top with mushrooms and toasted almonds and enjoy!

Notes: Toasting nuts hardly takes any time, so watch them carefully, I tend to stir them the entire time to prevent burning. Use any veggies you like for this dish, cook the denser heavier ones first as they take longer to soften up.

Spicy Green Beans

I normally don't have an issue with making the food, plating it, shooting it and then eating it. These beans were the exception! As soon as I thought I had a decent picture I grabbed a fork and before I knew it nothing was left.

The spicy sweetness of Schezwan Green Beans gets me every time. I had convinced myself they were healthy, just beans, right? I was wrong, I started researching and realized the beans are often deep fried before being stir-fried with sauce. No wonder I like them.

Scaling back the oil required in a traditional recipe this version is lighter yet full of flavor. Spicy, slightly sweet, tender yet a little crunch of the fresh bean at the same time. Incredibly delicious. Fingers crossed the Farmer's market has more beans this afternoon...

Spicy Green Beans


1 pound fresh green beans, stem ends snapped off
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon raw sugar
2 tablespoons water

Snap the ends off your green beans and wash. Do this early so your beans are dry and won't spatter when added to the hot oil.

Heat peanut or canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the dry green beans and saute about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes turn heat down to medium. Stir beans occasionally.

Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  When beans have bits of brown and look slightly puckered, turn heat to low. Remove beans from pan and set aside. Slide you pan half way off the heat, wait a moment for pan to cool slightly. Carefully add the liquid mixture to the side of the pan off the direct heat. This may spatter a bit so be careful not to burn. Stir the liquid and let reduce, still off the heat. Add the beans back to the pan and toss to coat with the liquid. Turn heat off and use residual heat from pan to finish cooking beans - about 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Notes: If you are gluten free, Tamari is gluten free soy sauce and gluten free Hoisin is available in stores.

Soup or Stew?

A weekend in the country requires hearty food especially when the temperature drops into the 30's at night. Something that eats like a stew yet feels like a soup and doesn't sit too heavy in the belly. This Lemon Lentil soup is just what you need to power through an afternoon of antiquing and admiring the splendor of the fall colors.

Lemon Lentil Soup

2 large onions diced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed

7 small to medium sized red potatoes, 1/2" diced

1 bunch of Collard Greens, sliced 1/2" strips, ends trimmed up to where the leaf starts

10 - 12 cups of water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tsp. sumac

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a very large stock pan over medium-high heat, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and a bit more oil if needed and continue to saute for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.

Add the lentils, potatoes, collard greens, water, lemon juice and sumac. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 50 - 55 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Enjoy!

Notes:
Sumac is a spice used in middle eastern cooking. It is slightly tart and is often used in place of lemon. If it does not appeal to you feel free to use a bay leaf and remove the bay leaf before serving.
I start with 10 cups of water and add a bit more as it simmers. Use more or less to achieve your desired thickness - you can't mess it up.
Don't worry about the stems of the collard greens. Just remove the bottom part of the stem and use the rest. They cook really well, become soft and add a heartiness to the dish that makes it a meal!