Knife Skills.

No recipe today as I've been practicing away for my first knife skills test coming up this week.  I think I have it down.  Here are just a few cuts I'll need to perform. 

Needless to say, I'm flush with carrot soup at the moment.  A few others I'll need to know include tomato concassé, orange suprême, collards chiffonade, parsley finely chopped and garlic minced.   Luckily those aren't nearly as exacting as the julienne and brunoise. 

At least by the end of this I'll really know my way around a carrot.  Now back to my cutting board.   

Green Smoothie.

Sometimes on long busy days it takes a little extra effort to get plenty of healthful veggies into meals on the run.  On these days, for breakfast especially, I really like a refreshing smoothie that I can load with tons of fruits and veggies and sip throughout the morning.

Juicing seems to be quite en vogue these days, at least in the city, with juice joints popping up all over and everyone touting the benefits of a juice cleanse.  I have yet to add a juicer to my tiny, cluttered kitchen, and instead opt for smoothies made with my trusty immersion blender.  This makes it tough to add hard vegetables like carrots and beets but there may be some benefits to having a smoothie rather than a straight juice.



When the nutrients and sugars in fruits and vegetables are eaten (or drunk) with their fiber, the body is able to more slowly and thoroughly absorb the nutrients.  As an added trick, you can add a little fat in the form of some coconut oil or flax seeds because the fat will slow down sugar absorption, preventing a rapid spike in blood sugar that may cause a sugar high followed by a crash, and promoting a feeling of satiety.  Fiber and fat make for a satisfying drink that will fuel your body for hours.



If you are new to vegetable juices, know that it is a bit of an acquired taste and drinking something bright green may be a turnoff.  I would recommend starting by adding just a handful of fresh spinach leaves to a basic fruit smoothie.  Spinach is soft and mildly flavored enough that you won't really notice it in the finished drink, but you will still have the added benefit of its nutrients.  Once you're comfortable with this, you can start to increase the vegetable to fruit ratio.  Follow the recipe below but try replacing the romaine lettuce with some pineapple or an apple to make it a little sweeter.  Or if you're brave, jump right into this greens heavy recipe.  The citrus and ginger add a good punch of flavors over the greens and with a strong enough blender the consistency is easy to drink.  And check out that green color!  Just in time for St. Patrick's day, you know, after you've had your fill of Guinness and corned beef.

Enjoy!

Green Smoothie

Total time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1 as a meal

Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 stalk of celery, cut into 1" pieces
1 sprig of fresh, flat leaf Italian parsley
1 handful kale, roughly torn into pieces
1 handful fresh spinach leaves
1 handful romaine lettuce leaves, roughly torn into pieces
1 cup cold water or cocunut water
1 T. coconut oil or freshly ground flax seeds (optional)

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Notes: This is best drunk soon after blending as nutrients degrade over time and the fiber may separate from the liquid.  I often put it in a mason jar to take with me in the mornings and a quick shake is all that is needed to get it back together. 

Late Winter Soup.

We're a week into March and I think I'm about ready for a little milder weather.  I'm not a huge fan of the summer but I'm getting awfully tired of traipsing around in 6 layers.  As much as I'd love to dive into fresh fruit and light salads, the snow today and a lingering cold has me hankering for more wintry fare.  This soup is rich in deep winter root flavors without being too heavy and the bright orange color is a welcome treat on such a dreary day.

I like mine on the thick side so its really more of a purée but it can easily be thinned out to taste.  The orange veggies are rich in beta-carotene, which supports eye health and cell growth in the body.  They are also loaded with natural sugars and starches which makes for a sweet and creamy soup without adding any dairy or processed sugars.  Vegetables! Vitamins! Vegan! Whole foods for the win!  I had several already baked sweet potatoes in my fridge, so I just added it in after the other vegetables were cooked, but a raw sweet potato could be added at the beginning just as easily. 

Also, an immersion blender makes this soup so very easy to make.  It can be done in a standard blender, just do it in batches if need be and take the cap out of the middle of the blender lid to let the steam escape, being careful not to burn yourself.  
 

To flavor my soup I mixed in a tiny bit of umeboshi plum paste.  Umeboshi plums are grown mostly in Japan and then packed in salt and shiso leaves until they are cured.  The paste is made by removing the plum pits and puréeing the rest.  It has a very strong flavor, mostly salty with some sweet and tangy in the background.  A little goes a long way, but a smidge mixed into this soup adds a little umami or deep saltiness to the otherwise sweet and basic soup.  Umeboshi is on the expensive side, but it is very concentrated and can last a long time in the refrigerator.  It can be found in Asian food markets and some grocery stores.  I buy it at Fairway here in New York City.  The paste and plums are sometimes used in simple teas and soups to help an upset stomach or a cold.  It is very contractive, in the Macrobiotic sense, balancing expansive foods and conditions, but that's a whole other topic.  In this soup it just adds some flavor that really makes it pop, of course a little salt and pepper can do the same job if umeboshi isn't available.   

Enjoy!

 

Late Winter Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter

1 large, yellow onion, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
3-5 carrots (depending on size) peeled and diced
1" knob of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
water or stock of choice
salt
umeboshi paste, to taste

Place all vegetables and ginger in pot and add water until vegetables are covered half way.  Sprinkle with salt.  Bring to boil, cover and boil gently until vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.  Purée mixture with immersion blender until desired consistency, adding water or stock if necessary.  Stir in umeboshi paste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired flavor is reached.  Serve hot. 

On The Go Frittata.

The other day in class, we were talking about right brain and left brain cooking, the right brain being more scientific and concerned with exact measurements and ingredients, while the left brain is intuitive and founded in the senses.  I tend to cook with my left brain, experimenting and learning along the way.  I'll look up recipes for an ingredient I've never used before or things that require more exact techniques like rice or baked goods.  But for the most part I taste along the way and rely on my senses to decide how things should go.

 

This dish is definitely for the left brain.  There is little, if anything exact about it.  Traditional frittatas are basically an Italian omelet but with the fillings mixed in instead of folded into the cooked eggs.  Sometimes a Spanish Tortilla is mistaken for a frittata because it is basically a crust less quiche with potatoes as the main filling.  I've kind of blended them all together to make a fast and dirty, on the go frittata that is very flexible.  Throw in whatever vegetables you like, whatever is in season, or even whatever needs to be used up from the fridge.  Whip some eggs, pour them over and throw it in the oven.  I've written out the basic recipe I used last, but just about any vegetable will work.  Zucchini, squash, potatoes, kale, spinach, fresh sliced tomatoes are all great.  Feel free to add in other goodies like cheese, ham, bacon, olives, spices or whatever.

Once it's cooked it can be eaten hot, cold or room temperature for any meal of the day.  I can tell you I have eaten this hot for breakfast with some berries, for lunch with a little sweet potato and at room temperature with a salad for dinner.  It stores just fine in the fridge for a few days, just cut a slice whenever you need a quick and portable meal. What did I tell you?  Fast and flexible.



If you have a large skillet or sauté pan that can go into a hot oven, go ahead and just cook your vegetables and then pour the eggs right into the same pan.  Otherwise, sauté the vegetables until just done, transfer them to a well greased or parchment lined pie plate and then add the eggs.  Speaking of eggs, this dish is forgiving there as well.  I used 4 whole eggs and 8 egg whites to bring down the calories but whole eggs are just fine.  Use as many as your pan will hold, but leave about a half an inch to the top of the pan because they will expand a bit in the oven.  My 8" pie pan holds about 10 whole eggs over plenty of vegetables.

Enjoy!

 

On The Go Frittata

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
2 T. olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
4 whole eggs, 8 egg whites

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare pie pan by greasing generously or lining with a parchment paper round.  Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in large skillet.  Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook until soft and liquid has cooked off, about 7-8 minutes.  Transfer to prepared pie pan.  Add remaining oil to skillet.  Add onions and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add bell pepper.  Cook another 5 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and liquid has been cooked off.  Transfer to pie pan.  Meanwhile, beat eggs in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper.  Pour over cooked vegetables, filling to no more than about 1/2 inch from top of pan.  Bake in oven until eggs are set and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes.  Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before slicing. 

Salad soup.

I know Salad Soup sounds gross, bringing to mind soggy and limp leaves of romaine floating in broth.  But trust me, this is a tasty soup that is versatile and, I promise, void of soggy lettuce leaves.  I came up with this for those winter days when you really want the crisp, crunchy goodness of a salad but it's too chilly outside to eat a plate of cold greens.  It's salty, a little sweet, warm, crunchy and filling satisfying many cravings in one big bowl.

The soup is based around the method of Japanese clear soup or Vietnamese pho with some flavors borrowed from the rest of Asia.  Thanks to lots of rich greens it is nutrient dense and low calorie.  It's also a quick meal, especially if the prep is done on the weekends and then all you need to do is assemble the pieces.  This would make a great dinner party, allowing each guest to add what they want to their bowl.  Added bonus: the recipe is Whole30 compliant and easily made vegan.

Below I have written out the basic veggie version, but you could easily add in some tofu pieces or strips of cooked chicken for a little protein.  Or if you really want to get fancy (and make my new favorite version of the soup) swirl a beaten egg or two into the broth when it is heated for an egg drop soup effect.

Note that the broth of this soup is front and center, so now would be a great time to use a flavorful, homemade stock.  The veggies do add plenty of flavor, so canned would do in a pinch, just make sure to taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Also, leeks can be tricky to work with.  There is often dirt hiding inside the many layers so make sure to wash them well.  Some people prefer to use only the white ends.  I don't mind the greens, though because they are tougher they take a little longer to cook.  Because of the fresh garnish, this soup is best eaten immediately, but I have done the chopping and sautéing ahead of time, then simply heated the stock and assembled later on with success.

Enjoy!

Salad Soup

Prep: 10 minutes Cook time:  20 minutes
generously serves 2

For the soup:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, plus 1 teaspoon, if needed
1 yellow onion, sliced in half moons
2 small leeks sliced
2 baby bok choy, quartered
4 cups broth of choice (homemade or canned; chicken, fish or veggie)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

Garnishes (pick and choose at will):
fresh spinach leaves
Noori strips (Roasted, shredded seaweed)
tofu chunks
sliced, cooked chicken
bean sprouts
celery ribs, sliced in long, thin strips
green onion, sliced
cilantro, roughly chopped
fresh basil leaves
lime slices
sesame oil
chili flakes or sriracha

Heat coconut oil in large pan over medium high heat.  Add onions and leeks and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until onions are translucent and leeks are tender, about 8 minutes (a few tablespoons of water may be helpful to cook the leek greens, in this case cook until water has evaporated).  Move onion and leeks to one side of the pan and increase heat.  Add additional oil, if needed.  Place bok choy pieces cut side down in pan.  Cook until whites are lightly browed on each side and greens are softened, about 1 minute per side.  Divide vegetables among soup bowls.  Meanwhile, heat stock to boil in separate pot.  If using egg: lower heat until stock is still hot, but not boiling.  Slowly pour in beaten egg while stirring the stock.  The egg with separate and flower out.  Remove from heat.  In soup bowls, top leek and bok chop with spinah leaves, Noori, chicken and/or tofu if using.  Then pour hot stock over top, leaving room for other garnishes.  Top with other fresh garnishes as desired.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

This week marks the dreaded Valentine's Day.  Love it or hate it, it is certainly hard to avoid with pink and red sweets and treats coming from all angles.  I say skip the store bought junk, which isn't very good anyways, and make something special to indulge in, either with your sweetheart or just to treat yourself.

A very simple, yet impressive decadence is chocolate covered strawberries.  I worked in a candy store when I was in high school and every once in a while we would get an order for these babies.  They are impressive, simple to make with a few tricks of the trade and very delicious. While by no means is this a healthy choice for everyday, these goodies still pack some nutrition in the form of vitamin C, antioxidant and fiber rich strawberries and all flavonoids and micro nutrients continually discovered in chocolate.  These are most definitely not Whole30 compliant, though a decent choice for a post 30 day dessert and they can be made vegan dependent on your chocolate choice.



Because these are but two ingredients, there is some finessing involved.  First: the strawberries.  I know February is not strawberry season, but we have been getting some decent berries from Florida in New York City.  Try to choose the larger berries.  Pick through them and choose the ones with the firmest skin.  If any are starting to get soft and too ripe, save them for something else (I usually freeze them for smoothies).  Also look for berries that are red all the way to the stem, a difficult task with off-season fruit, but still worth a shot.  Lastly, make sure that the stem is still firmly attached to the berry, as this will become the handle for dipping.  Once you have a good bunch of berries, wash them and dry them thoroughly.  Chocolate will not stick to a wet berry.



Speaking of chocolate, choose whichever chocolate you like best, but know that the quality will show through here.  Chocolate chips work just fine.  The melting discs you can find in the candy making section of craft stores may melt really well, but I find the chocolate to be a bit waxy and not very tasty.  Trader Joe's makes some good chocolate bars that can be melted down.  I like dark chocolate, but not to the bitter extremes of baking squares.  For my batch, I picked up a chunk of Spanish dark, milk and white chocolate from the bulk section of Fairway, here in New York.  Once you have your chocolate picked out, make sure it is ready to melt.  If you are starting with a chunk, take a large knife and break it or chop it into small flakes and pieces.  How much chocolate?  Enough to easily dip as many strawberries into the bowl.  I would start with about a cup of chopped or chips for a pint of strawberries.



Now that the berries and chocolate are ready to go, get everything set up before you start melting the chocolate.  Have the berries out and dry, put the chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl, have a few spoons on standby and set up a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment to place the strawberries on to set up.

Having everything set up will make the process much smoother.  Now you can begin melting the chocolate.  Doing it in the microwave is perfectly fine, just make sure to keep a close eye on it.  I start with 30 second increments and then check it and stir.  Stop microwaving when most of the chocolate has melted but there are still some chunks unmelted.  These will melt by the heat of the bowl after stirring it a few times.



Now start dipping!  Hold the strawberry by the stem, pulling the leaves back and dip into the melted chocolate, pull it out and allow some excess to drip off, then place on the cookie sheet.



 If the chocolate in the bowl starts to set back up after a few minutes, stick it back in the microwave starting with 10 second increments.  Once all the strawberries are dipped, allow to set up either at room temperature, or if you can't wait, pop them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.



Plain dipped is just fine, but why not get a little fancy?  If you have different types of chocolate, you could double or triple dip the berries, just make sure the first layer is set before double dipping.  You can do a drizzle of chocolate over the top by dipping a spoon into the chocolate, then holding it straight down, allow some excess to drip off, then swing the spoon back and forth over the already dipped berries.



And for extra fancy, you can marble them.  First take your bowl of base chocolate, like milk or dark, then drop some spots of white chocolate on top.  Then carefully roll the strawberry across the surface once and the two chocolates will create a marbled layer, sure to impress.



A note on freshness: these are best served the same day.  If you must make them ahead of time, store at room temperature or slightly cooler.  Avoid putting them in the fridge, as the strawberries will start to pull away from the chocolate and condensation will most likely form, making for a gooey mess.  But who can wait a full day to eat them anyways!

Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Cauliflower Soup.

I suppose I should call this creamy, white concoction Snow Soup in honor of the impending "storm for the record books" about to hit New York City and New England, but I'll stick with Cauliflower Soup for now.

Regardless, it is a hearty and creamy bowl of deliciousness perfect for the cold winter days.  I first made this soup based on this recipe from Gourmet Traveller Australia for a New Year's Eve treat.  While that version is rich and wonderful, I couldn't help but think how I could make a healthier version for easy weekday meals that is also Whole30 compliant and can easily be made vegan.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is said to be anti-cancer and holds a creaminess in and of itself, so the soup already has a great base.  Then instead of a potato, I used a turnip and celery root which also belong to the cruciferous family, are rich in vitamin C and fiber, and provide more flavor than a potato.  I used coconut oil rather than butter and skipped the cheese, instead infusing the flavorful vegetables with a little curry powder, mustard powder, and my homemade stock in lieu of canned.

The vegetables alone blend into a pretty creamy soup and you could easily stop here for a low calorie meal, but I added a can of coconut milk to bulk it up a bit.  If you want to make it extra special (and you eat bread and cheese) the croutons from the original recipe are delicious, otherwise some toasted, sliced almonds are a nice garnish.

Also note that an immersion or stick blender makes this soup very quick and easy.  A standard blender or food processor could be used just as easily, just be careful if the soup is hot because the steam could cause the lid of the blender to pop off.  Take out the plastic cap in the middle of the lid, if there is one and be sure to hold around the outside of the lid to avoid a steam burn.  As an added bonus I have found this soup to freeze well.   Once soup is room temperature, place in sealable container and freeze.  I defrosted it in the fridge, which took a day or two.

Enjoy and stay warm!

Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller Australia
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1 celery root, peeled and diced
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
7 cups stock of choice (canned or homemade, chicken or vegetable)
1 can full fat coconut milk, preferably Native Forest Organic (optional)

1 teaspoon mustard powder (optional)

1 teaspoon curry powder, plus more for garnish (optional)
4 teaspoons sliced, toasted almonds for garnish (optional)
sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion, garlic, turnip and celery root and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cauliflower and stock and bring to simmer. Cook over medium heat until cauliflower is tender, about 25 minutes.  Purée soup in pot with an immersion blender until smooth (or allow to cool slightly and blend in batches in a standard blender or food processor, then return to pot).  Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk, mustard powder and curry powder, if using.  Divide soup among bowls.  Sprinkle with curry powder and briefly run a spoon through the top of the soup to create a yellow design through soup.  Top with sliced almonds and cinnamon, if desired.