CRUNCHY GREEN WINTER SALAD

INGREDIENTS

Butter lettuce

Chopped Parsnips

Chopped mushrooms

Chopped Avocado

Chopped scallion

Cooked Edamame

Handful Sunflower seeds

Olive Oil

Lemon juice

 

Soba Noodles and Spinach

INGREDIENTS

cooked buckwheat soba noodles ( preferably a day ahead and refrigerated)

fresh spinach

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil 9 or grapeseed oil)

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skilllet.

Add onion and garlic.

Saute for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add noodles and saute another 5 minutes.

Add spinach and stir till spinach leaves just begin to get soft.

VARIATON

Beat two eggs and add to skillet.  cook flat like a frittata or scramble.

 

 

 

VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Here is a visual of the recipe.  So rich and creamy !

It just happens to be vegan but it’s really tastier than the dairy version.

ROOT VEGGIE STEW W MISO SAUCE

This is more a suggestion than a recipe.  Just chop up a big pot of root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, onions and garlic.  Cook in vegetable broth for about half and hour.  Stir some miso and broth in a bowl and add to stew.  quick, easy and so satisfying.

Kale Ceasar

Basically just use Kale in your traditional Ceasar.  Home made croutons are a must.  I made a vegan dressing for this one.

Vegan Ceasar Dressing

3 tablespoons vegan mayonaise

1 teaspoon grain mustard or mustard powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Directions

Put all ingredients in blender.  Chill for 30 minutes before using.

Croutons

Cut sourdough, baguette or a peasant bread into cubes.  Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil.  Spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 250° for 30 minutes.  Check that you don’t make them too dark.

SAVORY KALE

 

INGREDIENTS

1 Giant bag chopped fresh kale ( 2-3 bunches, cleaned, stemmed and chopped)

1 smallonion, diced (white or yellow)

1 sweet pepper (not bell pepper), diced

1 cubes vegetable bouillon

3 tablespoons olive oil

vegetable stock

1/2 cup cooking sherry

2 tablespoons tamari sauce

2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

Wash and trim kale, taking out stalk and inner rib.  If you buy already clean and chopped kale, wash again and remove any pieces of stalk.

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot (with lid).

Add onion and stir till tender on medium/low heat.

Add diced sweet pepper.  Stir a bit, then pile on the kale.

It may not all fit in the pot at first but it shrinks down fast.  Stir around in oil and onions, then pour in about a cup of stock and the rest of the ingredients.

The kale gets more tender and savory the longer it cooks.  An hour is not too long.  If you need to add more veg stock just keep throwing in a generous splash.  It should have a kind of gravy at the bottom.  “pot liquor”  It’s awesome soked up with crusty bread.  You can use this same recipe with collard greens.  I prefer greens but have found most people prefer kale.  It’s fun to find out what everyone’s preferences are.

SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

 

These thinly slice Brussels sprouts make a lovely and delicate slaw.  I feel kind of dumb for not thinking of this before since they are sort of   miniature cabbages.  This is a simple little recipe and very tasty.  If you are vegan I don’t think the cheese is that essential to the taste so just omit.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts ( discard any discolored leaves but leave stems intact)

1 cup walnuts ( lightly toasted)

2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano ( or to taste)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons feash lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices.  Toss in a bowl to separate layers.

Lightly crush walnuts with your hands and add to Brussels sprouts along with cheese, oil, and lemon juice, then toss to combine.  Season with pepper.

RED WINE SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLI

I know this spaghetti  looks an awful lot like linguine because it is.  I didn’t have spaghetti and really wanted to make this.  Not a huge difference and the taste is the same but spaghetti really would be best.  I think it might even look a deeper purple which is cool.  I got this recipe from an ’05 Gourmet Magazine.  It’s quick and easy and so yummy that I am categorizing it ” Late Night”.  Obviously anytime of the day or night is the right time for pasta cooked in red Zinfandel … make this.  Frequently : )

 

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 lb broccoli, thick stems discarded

1 lb spaghetti

1 (750-ml) bottle red Zinfandel ( an Italian Primitivo is basically the same.  Maybe  even    better ?)

1 teaspoon sugar

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ( 1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS

Cut broccoli into 1-inch-wide florets.  Blanch in a 6 to 8 qt pot of boiling, salted water uncovered, 2 minutes.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large colander to drain, reserving broccoli-cooking liquid in pot, then transfer broccoli to a bowl.

Return cooking liquid to a boil and cook spaghetti, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked).  Drain in colander and return empty pot to stovetop.  Add wine and sugar to pot and boil vigorously 2 minutes.  Add spaghetti and shake pot to prevent pasta from sticking.  Gently stir with tongs until coated and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 6 minutes (pasta will be al dente).

Immediately after adding spaghetti to wine mixture, cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 5 minutes.  Add broccoli, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Increase heat to high and pour spaghetti mixture into skillet, tossing with tongs to combine (skillet will be very full).  Cook, stirring, until all of wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.  Serve immediately.

 

SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES

These are so simple and so flavorful.   Make as much as you want – the keep for up to two weeks in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.  This photo shows one warm from the oven smashed on on top  of some crusty bread… try not to eat an entire loaf of bread and 6 or 8 tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS

4 lb. tomatoes halved lengthwise

6 garlic cloves, minced

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200°F

Put tomatoes, cut side up, in 2 large shallow baking pans. You can pack them kind of tight as they will reduse somewhat in size ( They will retain shape and still be juicy).  Combine garlic and oil and spoon over tomatoes.  Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and roast in oven 6 – 8 hours.  ( For full intensity flavor, go the whole 8 hours).

> These are great as a side dish, a sandwich, tossed with pasta or on top of a salad.

packed in container, ready to refrigerate

LADDIE’S SUB-BOURBON

This is a recipe from 1959.  The name alone makes me want to serve it up.  The original garnish is an orange slice but I didn’t have an orange and I did have cherries.  So I stuck two cherries on the end of this two pronged fork.  It seemed to fit the name and the flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

1 dash orange curacao

5 drops angostura bitters

 

Pour over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.  Top with club soda.

** Frank Miller ( March-April Issue Bon Appetit, 1959