Roasted Cabbage

This recipe for Roasted Cabbage is delicious.  It is incredibly easy, quick, and a great way to eat a lot of cabbage instead of making another slaw.  I found this roasted cabbage to be much easier on the digestive system than the typical raw cabbage.  It also makes it easier to eat more cabbage in one sitting.  John and I were able to eat almost an entire head.  We did each take seconds and thirds because it was to tasty.

Roasted Cabbage

One head of Cabbage (I used an early green cabbage- like a Savoy)

1/3 cup Olive Oil (about)

Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees

Cut the head of cabbage in half and cut out the core.  I then cut each half into about 5 or 6 smaller wedges and laid them in a large baking dish.  

Drizzle the olive oil over the wedges and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  The edges will start to brown and the cabbage will become soft when it is ready.

Red Beet Eggs

This is a family recipe, given to me by my Grandma Elsa.  (Elsa was actually her Daschund's name, but as kids, we distinguished our grandparents by the names of their pets, so my other Grandma was Grandma Peaches (she had a cat named Peaches) and Grandma Scotty (again she had a Scottish Terrier named Scotty)
  
I'm not sure where Grandma Elsa got it, but I've made a few little adjustments to satisfy my personal taste.  These are amazing.  If you think these are going to taste like those light pink, tasteless, "beet eggs" that you see floating in a big jar on a shelf behind the bar.... you are soooo wrong.  These little gems are flavorful, tangy, sweet, and absolutely delicious.  Of course you know how much I LOVE red beets, so I try to diversify my beet recipes when  they are at their peek season. (Like right now!)  So this recipe is a fun way to use up all those beets!


The pickled red beet egg pictured has only been soaking for about 1 day, after a couple more days, the beautiful beet color will penetrate the yolk as well.

Red Beet Eggs

aka Pickled Beet Eggs

Just a refresher:

How to make the perfect hard-boiled eggs

Place the raw eggs into a deep sauce pot and cover with water (about an inch above the eggs)

Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid.

Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Then, drain and put eggs in ice water to stop them from cooking.

Peel.

This will get you the perfect hard-boiled egg.

*NOTE* You should also know that fresher eggs won't peel as easily as eggs that have been sitting for a few weeks- so if you buy your eggs straight from a farmer- wait a couple of weeks.  If you buy from the grocery store- the eggs will be ready to boil whenever.

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs

1 1/2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar or white vinegar

3 cups of water

1/2 cup of honey, agave or sugar

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Bring this mixture to a boil in a large sauce pot. (excluding the eggs) 

Then add:

1 large bunch (about 5-8 medium sized beets) thinly sliced beets

1/2 of a large onion (any type) thinly sliced.

Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to almost room temp.  Toss in the peeled eggs making sure the liquid covers the eggs.  Allow to sit at room temp. for about an hour, then transfer the entire contents of the pot to the fridge.  They will be ready to eat the next day and will continue to get more picked as the days go on.  The pickled beets and onion are delicious as well.  Eat these with the eggs, as a side dish, or on a salad. 

Goody Balls

That's right.  You read correctly.  Goody Balls.  They are special, in a healthy, delicious kind of way that is.  I can't really give you an exact recipe for these, because I have never measured any of the ingredients the many times I've made them.  But here is a general portion approximation for those of you who wish to make them.  It's totally worth it too.  They are a great little energy pick-me-up and a nice little satisfying bite of sweetness after dinner.

Peanut Butter

Honey

      (These are the two main ingredients- about a 3:1 ratio of PB to Honey)

Ground Flax Seed

Wheat Germ

Cocoa Powder of Carob Powder

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Coarsely Chopped Dried Cranberries

Really you can add any dried fruit, seeds, or nuts that you like.  Example: dried apricots, cherries, raisins, dates, figs.  Chopped almonds, pecans, cashews, pine nuts.  Pumpkin seeds, etc.

Sunday Brunch for One Please!

Easy, delicious, healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 a small onion, peeled and diced small

4 small cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 large handful of fresh spinach, washed and chopped

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/3 cup of cooked quinoa

2 eggs

grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet, toss in the onion and garlic.  Saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add in the spinach, sesame oil, and quinoa.  Cook until spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes more.  Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, cook the eggs anyway you like.  I love over easy- about 1 minute on first side and 1-2 on the second side.  Place on top of the quinoa mixture and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Reuben Inspired Pierogies

I don't know how this idea came to me, I may not even be the first person to have made these, but it just got into my head one night while I was brushing my teeth and I knew I wouldn't make it through the weekend without making these....

Reuben Inspired Pierogies.  Just in time for St.Patrick's Day this weekend!

*Note- the corned beef in this recipe will take at least 4 hours to prepare, so just be ready to start this earlier in the day to get it all done.  I actually made the dressing and the potato filling the day before.  Really all of the steps could be prepared a day ahead of time and then assembled and cooked before eating, but it's totally up to you!

The final pictures do NOT do this meal justice, I guess it just wasn't the most photogenic dinner ever, but man was it one of the tastiest!

Perfect little pierogies, about to be boiled and sauteed up!

Ingredients:

Corned Beef, modified recipe from Aarti Sequeira:

2.5 lb. corned beef brisket

1 cinnamon stick

8-12 whole cloves

2-3 medium onions, chopped fairly fine

6 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 beer (I used Labatt's)

Use some fresh ground pepper and sprinkle onto both sides of the meat.  Heat a large oven proof skillet to medium high with a little vegetable oil and brown the meat on all sides, about 12 minutes total (I used my cast iron skillet and an oven proof lid, but if you have an oven and stove top safe Dutch oven, use that) Remove from the skillet and set it aside.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the cinnamon stick and cloves, saute about 1-2 minutes.  Throw in the onions and garlic, cook another 10 minutes until they are soft.  Add in the brown sugar and slowly pour in the beer.  Return the brisket to the skillet and add enough water so the liquid reaches at least half way up the meat. (I barely added any, maybe a 1/4 cup)  Bring to a boil, then take off the heat, put on the lid, and place in the oven for about 3.5 hours.  Remove the lid for the final half hour. Set aside until pierogies are done.  I wrapped the whole skillet and lid with tin foil to keep it warm.

Dough:

2 cups of white flour

2 cups of rye flour

1 cup sour cream

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp of freshly ground caraway seeds (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder)

pinch of salt

Mix these all together until combined, place on a clean surface and shape into a disk. Allow it to sit until ready to assemble the pierogies.

Filling:

6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1- 14oz. can of sauerkraut

1 cup of freshly grated swiss cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and throw in the potatoes.  Allow them to boil uncovered until they are soft and can easily be pierced with a sharp knife, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and put back into the pot (without the water) Next, add the sauerkraut and swiss cheese, mash with a potato masher until smooth and well incorporated. 

Roll the dough out on a large floured surface until it is about 1/8th of an inch thick. Using a 3-4 inch circular cookie cutter or the top of a jar- (I used the metal ring to a large mouthed mason jar) cut out all the circles you can.  Re-roll the dough and continue cutting out the circles until all the dough has been used.

Place about a Tablespoon of the potato filling into the center of each of the dough circles. Using your finger, lightly wet half of the circle with a little water, this will help seal the pierogi. Fold the dough circe in half and pinch the two edges together.  While you are filling all of the pierogies, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Drop the pierogies into the boiling water in batches of 5 or 6.  Once they rise to the top, they are done, scoop them out.  Now bring a saute pan up to medium heat and add a little oil (vegetable, olive, butter, or coconut)  Saute the perogies for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

Serve immediately with the corned beef spread on top of the pierogies and the homemade Russian dressing drizzled over top.

Russian Dressing "Sauce" via Emeril Lagasse

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. finely minced yellow onion

1 Tbsp. finely minced dill pickle

1 Tbsp. finely minced celery

1 Tbsp. finely minced parsley 

1 Tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp. dry ground mustard

1 Tbsp. Sirachi, or other hot pepper sauce (optional)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. sugar

Mix these all together in a food processor or by hand in a small bowl and drizzle onto the piergies and corned beef.  Store the dressing in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Wheat Berry Salad

This simple salad has chewy grains, herbaceous herbs, crunchy vegetables, tangy cheese, and sweet grapes.  Yum, yum, yum, ummmm.   Please try it, you may love it.

Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat berries (cook according to package directions)

1 cup of faro (cook according to package directions.

While the grains are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients and combine in a large bowl:

2 cups of sliced sweet seedless red grapes

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

8 oz. feta, crumbled

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Once the grains are cooked, mix with the remaining prepared ingredients.  Now, eat it up. 

Eat this for lunch, a side dish at dinner, or take it to a potluck!  

Enjoy!

Pa-Pa-Pancakes

These have become a Sunday afternoon ritual.  Making them, not eating them that is.  I mean, they are eaten eventually- like, every morning before work.  You see, these pancakes are started on Saturday afternoon by soaking the flour with yoghurt in order to allow the bacteria in the yoghurt to begin breaking down the wheat grain in the flour allowing it to be more digestible when you eat it.  That mixture sits at room temperature for 12-24 hours and then the rest of the ingredients are added and the cakes are make.

I'm not sure when I started making these exactly, but ever since I started, John and I have found them to be the easiest, tastiest, healthiest, quickest, and most filling breakfast we can eat.

We pull ourselves out of our warm bed before the sun has a chance to wake us, fumble for a few light switches and throw a few of these bad boys into the toaster oven.  I pair mine with a cup of my homemade yoghurt, a scoop of creamy cashew coconut butter, and a drizzle of honey.  John prefers to layer his with greek yoghurt, soft butter, and maple syrup.  The wonderful thing about these pancakes is that they are filled with so many healthy and natural ingredients, that you can't feel guilty after a few of them.  Plus, they are a tasty and filling breakfast for when I have a long morning at the farm, I'm usually not hungry again until lunch.

This past Sunday was a particularly beautiful March day and I was able to open the kitchen windows and leave the back door open to allow the unusually warm March breezes drift through the house

Ingredients:

2 cups Stone Ground 100% Whole Wheat Flour

2 cups of plain yoghurt

Mix these together in a large bowl and allow to sit for 12-24 hours at room temperature.  I cover my bowl with a cloth.

After the 12-24 hours, the mixture should be almost sponge-like and sticky.  This is good.

Next I added:

1/8 cup fresh ground flax seed

1/8 cup wheat germ

4 eggs

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk, or water)

1/8 cup chia seeds

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 large apple, peeled and diced small

1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped

(notice I do not add any sweetener because I like to put honey on the top after they are done. If you like, you may add a few tablespoons of sugar to your batter)

Take your time mixing this all together, it may seem like the flour/yoghurt mixture won't want to mix with the rest of the ingredients, but it will eventually, just keep going.  The batter will be THICK. That means it's perfect!

Once it all seems to be incorporated, heat up a large pan or griddle to medium heat.  If your pan is not non-stick, use a small scoop of coconut oil to grease the pan. Then, using the 1/8 cup, scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, possibly flattening out the batter a little to spread it out.  Cook the pancakes for approximately 1 minute on the first side and 2 minutes on the remaining side.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.  I store mine in a large ziplock bag in the fridge for the entire week.  You can also easily freeze them in a freezer bag if you don't eat them all.

Makes about 30 pancakes.

Vegetable-y Bean Dip

There came unto me a thought that I might make some sort of dip. I really love the thought of making a dip for vegetables out of vegetables.  Throw some beans and tahini in there for a bit of protein and fiber and you got yourself a delicious treat!  It's a great nutritional pick-me-up if you need a boost in the late afternoon, but don't have time for a meal.  I just pull it out of the fridge and dip in a few carrots, radishes, or cucumbers.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can completely customize it with any kind of bean and vegetables you have.

Ingredients:

1- 15oz. can of Great Northern Beans- drained

               OR

1/2 cup of dried beans soaked and cooked.

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 small onions, chopped

5 cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 Jalapeno

10 mushrooms, sliced

3-4 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 tsp. ground cayanne (optional)

Drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons in a large skillet and toss in the onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno.  Saute about 8-10 minutes until the veggies are soft. Throw in the mushrooms and saute another 7 minutes.  Let the mixture cool about 10 minutes.  Drain all of the liquid off that you can.

Use your blender, cuisinart, or food processor to combine the vegetables, tahini, beans, and ground cayanne until smooth.  Taste, add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this snack with crackers, cucumbers, radishes, turnips, carrots, peppers, or spread on bread.

Salmon Salad- Kicked Up!

I had a strange urge to make Salmon Salad today when I got home from work.  I think I was just in the mood for a simple, flavorful, protein rich lunch option.  I looked through my fridge and cupboards to come up with the ingredients.  I love the way it turned out.  There is so much crunch, tanginess, and just a hint of spice.  

I had mine on a slice of Chia Seed Bread made by my great friend and amazing baker, Anna- Daily Loaf, and topped it with a little slice of avocado. (isn't everything better with a little avocado?)

Ingredients:


1 can (7.5 oz.) of salmon
1 small can of water chestnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
1/2 cup mayo, yoghurt, or sour cream
1/8 cup of chopped fresh dill, chopped finely
3 scallions, chopped
6 radishes, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. capers, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 tsp. Sriracha (optional)


Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  That's it!


Enjoy!

Did you say you made a Crisp???

Apple, Pear, Blueberry, Ginger Crisp

Ingredients:

5 small apples peeled and diced

1 large pear peeled and diced

1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of amber agave nectar

1/4 cup of flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecan, or almonds)

1/2 cup of oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the agave nectar, 1/4 cup of flour, vanilla, and ginger in a small bowl.  Toss with the fruit mixture.

Butter a deep dish pie pan. Pour fruit mixture into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the topping in a bowl with your fingers: flour, brown sugar, nuts, oats, cinnamon, and butter.  Mash up until fully combined together.  Sprinkle on top of the fruit and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or serve it at room temperature with some fresh whipped cream.

Holy Crap This Turned Out Great... Vegetable Lasagna

I had a serious need for some warm comfort food on one of the coldest, windiest days in February.  Lasagna is pretty easy to free style when you have just a few of the basic ingredients.  I had a fridge full of veggies, a few jars of tomato sauce, and some noodles in the cupboard, I knew what I had to do.

This lasagna truly is loaded with vegetables, I even blended them into the sauce to go above and beyond. Wait and see...

Super Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant- peeled and thinly sliced

2 red bell peppers

1 head of garlic

1 butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and cubed

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

1 fennel bulb (optional)

2 small onions

3 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms

1 cup of riccotta cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

3 eggs

1/4 cup of herb paste (recipe follows)

1 14oz. can of tomato sauce

1 14oz. can of diced tomatoes

handful of chopped fresh parsley

handful of chopped fresh basil

1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles

First we must prep all of the delicious vegetables:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Spread the peeled and thinly sliced eggplant on a rimmed cookie sheet and sprinkle both sides of the slices with salt and pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven until soft- about 20 minutes.  

Meanwhile you can also roast the bell peppers and garlic.  Slice the bell peppers in half the long way, remove seeds, and rub a small amount of oil on both sides of the peppers, place skin side down in a baking dish. Roast until the skin is black and charred- about 20 minutes.  Peel the skin off the peppers and roughly shop the pepper flesh, set aside.  

Slice the tip of the garlic bulb so that just a bit of each close if exposed.  Pour a bit of olive oil onto bulb and wrap is foil.  Roast for about 10-15 minutes.

Peel, remove seeds, and cube the butternut squash into small cubes. Spread onto a roasting sheet with a bit of olive oil and roast until soft, about 20 minutes.  

Either using a fork or a cuisinart, mash the baked squash and mix in a bowl with the ricotta, cottage cheese, eggs, and herb paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile. Thinly slice two small onions and saute in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat until soft and slightly browned. Remove and set aside. Using that same pan, saute the mushrooms until soft- about 10 minutes.

Thinly slice the zucchini, summer squash, and fennel bulb (top trimmed off and root core removed. Saute over medium heat until slightly soft- set aside.

Time-out, this may seem like a lot of steps, but if you are able to multitask and have a few things going at one time, it's really not that bad. Also, if you have a great boyfriend who wants to hang out with you in the kitchen on a Friday night, hand him the the wooden spoon and have him take care of the saute station.

Ok, let's keep going.  In a small pot, combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper.  Keep over low heat.

Wow, that seemed like a lot, but only because there are so many vegetables that are stuffed inside this wonderful dish.  Let's finally assemble the lasagna and get it in the oven.

Find yourself a 9x13 inch cake pan.  Start with a layer of sauce, then a layer of the noodles (about four noodles per layer), then spread 1/4 of the butternut squash/cheese mixture over the noodles. Next, sprinkle a layer of the mixed vegetables-about a 1/3 of each- the roasted red bell peppers, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, squash, fennel, onions, and mushrooms. 

Continue layering- sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, and vegetables until you end with a layer of noodles and top it with the cheese mixture.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour.  Let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.  Enjoy!

Herb Paste:

I prepare lot of this herb paste during the summer when my herb garden is in full bloom and super abundant.  

I use my Cuisinart, but you can easily just chop everything very finely and mix it together by hand.

1 cup of chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup of chopped fresh chives

1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano

1/3 cup chopped fresh savory

1/3 cup chopped fresh majoram

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

I blend all of these herbs with enough olive oil to make a thick paste.  Put the herb paste in a freezer bag, remove air, and lay flat in freezer.  I use this stuff all year long in soups, on bread, mashed potatoes, vegetables, pizza, and lasagna! It's so versatile and you can easily break off any size amount you need.