Recipe # 13: Quinoa Tabouleh

dHaving a gluten intolerance, it can be difficult to find my way around restaurant menus and grocery stores.  I love Mediterranean cooking, which spurred my  mission to find the perfect combination of herbs and spices to complement the nuttiness of the quinoa in this gluten-free version of classic tabouleh (traditionally made with couscous, a wheat product).  Perfect for a refreshing meal on a hot spring day, this dishes just explodes with flavor in your mouth.  You may even want to make it a double if you anticipate having people in your fridge, because it won’t last long!

Quinoa Tabouleh

1 cup quinoa*
2 cups water*
1 cucumber
1 large tomato
1 lemon
½ cup chopped parlesy
¼ cup chopped mint
2 cloves garlic (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Salt & pepper

*Needs to be chilled; either prepare the quinoa the day before or in the morning before you assemble the salad.  Bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa and cover.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 17 minutes.  Remove from the heat, let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.  Set the quinoa aside to let it cool, placing it in the refrigerator when it reaches room temperature (this avoids condensation)

Vegetable prep:

• Peel the cucumber and dice into large cubes.
• Slice the tomato and dice, laying two slices on top of each other for a faster process.
• Rinse and dry the parsley and mint.  Finely chop both herbs, avoiding the stems.
• Peel the garlic and slice very thinly - as thin as you can - and then slice the clove down the center for half-moon shape garlic slices (optional)

Place the chilled quinoa in a large mixing bowl and break up the clumps with your hands.  Add the cucumber, parsley, mint and juice of the lemon, incorporating the addition thoroughly.  Carefully place the tomatoes and garlic slices on top of the salad and gently toss the mixture.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Can be refrigerated for 2 days.

Recipe # 12: Tempeh Spinach Hash

When you are in a pinch, and only have some staples in your pantry this is an excellent alternative to take out.  Play around with the spices and add/remove flavors as you like.  You could even add some cumin for a more robust flavor, but I like the way the coriander mingles with the earthy spinach flavors here.  Serve on its own, over grains, or with a crusty bread for a complete and balanced meal.

Tempeh Spinach Hash

1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained (see Preparation)
1 package tempeh
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp coriander
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

• If you are using chopped spinach in a pouch, defrost the package of spinach and drain out any excess water through a colander.  You may need to press the spinach into the sides of the colander to get out the water, as it is packaged with water and baking soda to remain fresh and keep its color. 
• If you are using a bag of chopped spinach, simply defrost the spinach in a colander to let the frost drain out.
• Dice the onion, peel the garlic cloves and cut off the root ends.  Smash the cloves with the side of your knife and chop coarsely.
• Cut the tempeh into chunks and grate through a cheese grater

Stovetop:

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok, over medium-high heat.  Add the smashed garlic cloves  to the pan and stir occasionally, sautéing the garlic until it begins to brown around the edges.  Add the spinach, stirring to incorporate the garlic and oil, and cover with a splatter shield* to keep hot oil from popping out.   Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, cooking out the water and browning the spinach.  When the spinach begins to brown slightly, add the red pepper and coriander and stir vigorously.  Continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes, releasing the oils from the spices.  Remove from the heat and add salt & pepper to taste.

Recipe # 11: Spicy Black Bean Soup

This soup has such a complex, spicy flavor you may find yourself making it quite often.  If you don’t have enough celery or carrots to complete the base, use what you have.  This recipe is versatile enough to handle an absent vegetable.  With a well-stocked pantry, this dish is relatively inexpensive and a nice addition to a menu rotation any time of year.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
2 tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
8 cups water
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked

Soaking the beans:

Place beans in a large colander and rinse thoroughly, picking out any shriveled beans or foreign objects.  In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil.  When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the dried beans and cover, encouraging a rapid return to a boil.  Let the beans cook in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Keeping covered, let the beans soak for at least 2 hours on the stove top.  This can be done a day ahead or before you cook the soup.

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic.
• Slice the carrots in half  length-wise and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.

Stovetop:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add herbs and spices, cooking for 2 minutes to help release the oils.  Add the beans and 8 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits into the broth, and cover.  Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook for at least 35 minutes, longer for a thicker soup.  Remove from heat and let cool before serving.


*Smash-chop: after you have peeled the cloves, trim the root end off.  Smash the clove with the side of your knife by pressing firmly until the clove breaks into pieces; chop the smashed cloves into a dice similar in size to the onions being used.

Recipe # 10: Creamy Broccoli Soup

A classic re-envisioned.  The vegetables speak for themselves in this soup, with the marjoram and thyme playing supporting roles to the sweet red onion and robust garlic.  The silken tofu not only adds creaminess, but also a complete protein.  I’m sure you like your broccoli soup a certain way, but I love it just plain with a little cracked fresh pepper on top!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
1 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
3 Stalks broccoli, trimmed
1 large red onion
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 package silken tofu
6 cups water
Salt & pepper

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic
• For the carrots, slice them in half length-wise, dice them into ½ inch pieces and set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you'll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.
• Cut off the florets, leaving as much stalk as possible.  Trim the body of the stalks of dried/exposed  parts and any part that seems too green, as these will create issues later on in the process.  Slice the stalks in half length-wise, and then again to create 4 strips per stalk.  Coarsely dice the stalks and set them aside.
• Coarsely dice the red onion and add to the broccoli cuts.

Stovetop:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot (whatever you boil pasta in), over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming "sticky" from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you'll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add the broccoli and red onions.   Cook for an additional 4 minutes and add the spices and herbs, cooking for an another 2 minutes to help release the oils in the herbs.  Place the tofu directly in the pot, incorporate it with your wooden spoon, and add 1 tsp sea salt.  After cooking for 3 minutes add the water and some fresh ground pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Your soup will need to reduce, encouraging the flavors to intensify and set, for around 45 minutes.  Once it has finished reducing, remove it from the heat source and set aside.

Purée:

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup into a creamy and smooth consistency.  This may take upwards of 4 minutes, depending on the power of your immersion blender and the vegetables.  If you do not have an immersion blender, you may use a blender or food processor - but you will need to work in batches to avoid a mess.  When the soup is at your desired creaminess, add 1-2 tsp sea salt and some fresh ground pepper to taste and stir thoroughly to even out the soup.

Recipe # 9: Garlic-Coriander Spinach

Even if you think you don’t like coriander, the subtle lemon-esque flavor provides such a nice complement to the spinach.  Additionally, the garlic cloves tend to caramelize through the long cooking, providing a unique flavor and texture to the dish.  You can serve this as a side to complement a light tofu or tempeh dish, or combine it with a grain blend for a complete and wholesome meal.

Garlic-Coriander Spinach

6 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained (see Preparation)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp coriander
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

• If you are using chopped spinach in a pouch, defrost the package of spinach and drain out any excess water through a colander.  You may need to press the spinach into the sides of the colander to get out the water, as it is packaged with water and baking soda to remain fresh and keep its color. 
• If you are using a bag of chopped spinach, simply defrost the spinach in a colander to let the frost drain out.
• Peel the garlic cloves and cut off the root ends.  Smash with the side of your knife to produce “shards” and set aside.

Stovetop:

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok, over medium-high heat.  Add the smashed garlic cloves  to the pan and stir occasionally, sautéing the garlic until it begins to brown around the edges.  Add the spinach, stirring to incorporate the garlic and oil, and cover with a splatter shield* to keep hot oil from popping out.   Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, cooking out the water and browning the spinach.  When the spinach begins to brown slightly, add the red pepper and coriander and stir vigorously.  Continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes, releasing the oils from the spices.  Remove from the heat and add salt & pepper to taste.

*If you don’t have a splatter shield, you should get one.  Otherwise, place the lid askew with about ¼ of the pan uncovered to release steam.  Be sure to thoroughly clean your lid after use.
 

Recipe # 8: Dark Chocolate Coconut Squares

Last week, looking at all the delicious Passover treats and Easter candies, I was reminded of how much I love chocolate and coconut together.  I love coconut, but don’t like the idea of eating a candy full of preservatives and HFCS that make it last over a year.  So, instinctively, I got to thinking about the coconut filling: simple enough, a gooey and sweet coconut goodness encased in chocolate.  Below is a variation on the classic coconut-chocolate bars you may find in the store, but a more health-conscious version of it.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Squares

7 oz. organic dark chocolate (75% or 85%)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (small flakes)
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp raw agave nectar
1 tsp sea salt

Preparation;
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt the chocolate on the stove or over a double boiler to ensure the chocolate doesn’t burn.  Stirring constantly to improve melting, remove from the heat when there are only small bits of chocolate left and continue to stir until the chocolate is fully melted.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the coconut, milk, agave nectar and vanilla and stir until well combined.  Place the coconut mixture in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes.  When the excess moisture is gone, remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Assembly:
Pour the chocolate mixture into the bottoms* of a 12-cup muffin pan, reserving a few tablespoons for drizzling.  Spoon the coconut mixture on top of the chocolate, and press down to ensure they will cool together.  Drizzle the finished cups with the remaining chocolate.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for 2 hours to let the chocolate set, then transfer to the freezer for at least 1 hour.  When you are ready, remove the candies from the tin by slamming the pan on your counter.  I any candies still remain, place the pan on the counter, face down, and hit each individual cup with your hand.  Assemble on a plate and watch them disappear!

*If you prefer, you may use individual cupcake papers in the tin to make removal easier later.

Resource Impact of Livestock

I was discussing this topic with my friends last evening, and I was surprised by how unaware most of them were with regard to the amount of resources used in the production of livestock.  I was able to share some bits of knowledge - which were quite shocking to them - but I had the impression that it wouldn’t be a lasting one.  So, I started to give the topic some serious thought and began to research.  Needless to say, I found out more than I had bargained for.    If you are still eating animal products, and you find yourself stuck but want a change, try cutting out meat from meals once or twice a week and go from there.  It's all about the small changes adding up to a big one!

• One pound of beef takes ¾ gallon of oil to produce.  Based on oil consumption, beef requires a 35:1 of oil to end product.  Tofu requires a 2:1 ratio.
• Producing a pound of animal protein requires 100 times more water than a plant-based nutritional equivalent
• 43% of the world’s grain production goes to producing feed for livestock, an industry that produces 6 billion pounds of deadstock annually.

I urge you to visit the following sources:

The Last Drop , The New Yorker

Global Water Supply , CNN

It's popular nowadays to institute a Meatless Mondays policy in a weekly routine.  Try giving it a shot with some of the delicious recipes here and see how you respond!

Recipe # 7: Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I am absolutely obsessed with making this soup on a cold or rainy day.  The smooth texture, especially when complemented by crunchy soynuts or a crouton, is bliss.  The intense, layered flavor comes from carefully cooking the mirepoix and properly roasting the cauliflower.  Yes, it is time consuming - but it is worth the effort!  Set aside some time on the weekend or after work on a lazy Tuesday and make it an event.  If you do not have an immersion (stick) blender you can use a blender or food processor, although you should consider investing in one.  The vegetables and tofu make this dish a complete protein, although you may want to serve it with a slice of bread or add a scoop of grains on top.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
2 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
1 large head cauliflower
1 tsp crushed red pepper, plus more for roasting
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 package silken tofu
6 cups water
Salt & pepper

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic
• For one bag of the carrots, slice them in half and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• For the other bag of carrots, simply cut them lengthwise and set aside.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.
• Pull the leaves off the cauliflower and cut a square into the bottom of the stem, as this will make cleaning trimming the florets easier.  Once cored, pull or trim the florets into medium sized pieces.  Use the whole cauliflower, not just the florets.  In a colander, rinse the pieces very well, as dirt tends to get stuck in the head.  Set on a kitchen towel to dry and set aside.

Roasting:

Preheat your oven to 450°F.  Place the halved carrots and cauliflower in a roasting pan and coat them with olive oil.  Using the spice jar, sprinkle some crushed red pepper over the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon.  Depending on your tolerance, you can add more or less red pepper.  Keep in mind that the spice will be subtle, hitting you on the back of your mouth.  Put the pan in the oven and roast for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the carrots have shriveled and the florets are dark brown, you can take the pan out of the oven and set it aside as you make the soup.

Soup:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot (whatever you boil pasta in), over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add the spices and herbs, cooking for an additional 2 minutes to help release the oils in the herbs.  Place the tofu directly in the pot, incorporate it with your wooden spoon, and add 1 tsp sea salt.  Scrape the roasted vegetables out of the pan, including residual oil (it’s full of flavor!) and place them in the pot.  After cooking for 3 minutes add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Your soup will need to reduce, encouraging the flavors to intensify and set, for around 45 minutes.  Once it has finished reducing, remove it from the heat source and set aside.

Purée:

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup into a creamy and smooth consistency.  This may take upwards of 4 minutes, depending on the power of your immersion blender and the vegetables.  If you do not have an immersion blender, you may use a blender or food processor - but you will need to work in batches to avoid a mess.  When the soup is at your desired creaminess, add 1-2 tsp sea salt and some fresh ground pepper, stirring thoroughly to even out the soup.

You can serve this on its own, with a crusty bread or over grains.  Because it has the silken tofu, offering you a complete protein, this soup can be a meal or snack.  If making a meal, be sure to add a complex carbohydrate and some fruit for a nice finish!