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Posts from the ‘recipes’ Category

May 2

Homemade Almond Butter

How to Make Almond Butter

My dad loves peanut butter. Growing up, we always bought freshly ground at the grocery store. I loved switching the toggle on and rotating the plastic container underneath the spout so it was evenly distributed. I’d give it a couple thuds on the counter to eliminate the air and make room for a little more peanut butter.

I guess it’s because of this, that I am a peanut butter snob. Sure, jar nut butters are great in an emergency, but when push comes to shove, freshly ground tastes far superior, doesn’t have unnecessary additives like salt or corn syrup, is more economical, and you can make as much or as little as you want, when you need it.

I bought a Vitamix a year ago and have been addicted to making nut butters ever since. All you need are organic, unsalted, roasted nuts which you probably already have on hand. Plus, I’m always looking for any excuse to use my Vitamix. It’s a miracle worker and can do everything from making smoothies, to soups, dressings, and much more.

This recipe is for almond butter, but you can use peanuts, cashews or try another nut. If you haven’t had almond butter, the texture is a little grainier than peanut, but I actually prefer it. You can also jazz it up by mixing in 1/4 cup raisins and 1 tsp cinnamon.

For peanut butter, simply blend 3 cups unsalted roasted peanuts. No oil is required.

Almond Butter Recipe (courtesy of Vitamix Whole Foods recipes book)

3 cups roasted almonds

1/4 cup canola oil

1. Add 1/4 cup canola oil to nuts to start circulating. If necessary, use more oil adding 1/4 cup at a time. Refrigerate and pour off excess oil next day.

I only needed 1/4 cup of oil, but this will vary depending on the almonds and your mixer.

Homemade Almond Butter

Here are five other healthy, delicious bites you can make with any nut butter. Get nutty!

1. Elvis Sandwich (without the bacon) – Almond Butter, sliced banana and drizzle of honey. Best in a Panini, but can also toast in a fry pan like a grilled cheese or eat cold on a rice cake.

2. Asian Slaw (use almond or peanut)

Asian Slaw

Asian Slaw with Baked Tofu

3. Rice Crispy Treats

4. Ants on a log (celery stalks filled with almond butter, topped with raisins)

5. Cold Soba Noodles with Ginger Peanut Sauce

Apr 26

Mango Salad
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Cinco de Mango Salad

The weather is finally warming up and that means one thing, more salads. The hotter it gets, the less I use the oven. I grew up in Maine, people! High heat, humidity and I are not friends. Today was sunny and a glorious 79 degrees. Hot, but not I need to hide in the air-conditioning hot.

In honor of the upcoming Cinco de Mayo, I was feeling festive. Warm weather does that to me. I always want margaritas, guacamole, and chips. I picked up a few beautiful mangos that were just screaming to be salad-ified. (Yes, salad-ified is a word. I say therefore it is.) This is a somewhat healthier option that’s like mango salsa, but a little less tart so the different flavors have room to stand out, but also meld together. I was flipping through the May issue of Bon Appetit and saw a recipe using pickled onions that inspired me (Shrimp and Potato Salad, pg 152). The sour onions really balance out the sweetness of the mango. I tried this Mango Salad a few different ways: on its own (which was amazing), over a bed of baby spinach, and even in a tortilla with the avocado mashed up. Insane!

I also couldn’t resist the gorgeous radishes either. They are such a misunderstood vegetable. I’ve grown to love them in salads and even as a dipper with hummus. They’re crunchy and have a bitterness/heat that kind of bites you back.

What’s on your Cinco de Mayo menu?

Mango Salad with Pickled Onions

1 red onion, thinly sliced

5 T red or white wine vinegar

1 mango, sliced into spears

2 mini seedless cucumber (or 1/2 a whole one), diced

1 lime, juiced

1 avocado, sliced

1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced

handful cilantro, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 a serrano pepper, membrane removed, minced

salt & pepper

1. Put the sliced onion in a bowl. Rinse with cold water for a minute. Drain well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour vinegar over and mix until coated. Marinate for at least one hour before using. Stir occasionally while marinating to ensure all onions pickle. This is kind of the cheater’s version of pickling because there’s no cooking involved.

Sliced Red Onion Marinating

2. In a large separate bowl, add the lime juice, cumin, cilantro and serrano. Mix until combined.  Add mango, cucumber, sliced radishes and avocado to vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until all elements are covered in vinaigrette.

3. Garnish with pickled onions.

Apr 19

Chocolate Toffee Matzoh Bark

Last Minute Vegan Passover Dessert

If you need a quick and easy dessert for Passover, look no further. I made a couple minor adjustments to this recipe by David Lebovitz (which he adapted from Marcy Goldman of BetterBaking) to make it vegan. Granted, it’s still tons of sugar, so it’s not exactly healthy, but it’s completely vegan and uses whole foods. Toffee and chocolate are one of my favorite classic combinations. Semi-sweet chocolate is perfect because it’s not cloyingly sweet and is complemented by the nutty, buttery, toffee. The dashes of salt also help balance things out. I even made 1/2 the pan with toasted coconut, and the other half of the pan sprinkled with sea salt. You can’t even tell it’s matzoh under there! As David mentions, you could also substitute matzoh with saltines (omit the pinch of salt). I also want to try pretzel rods. MMMmmm. The thing I love most is I didn’t need to do a huge grocery shop for this. All I needed was matzoh and I was good to go!

I made a version of this last year and it got great reviews so it’s making a second appearance this year. It’s rare for me to repeat a dish, but I got such great feedback I decided it could become “my thing”. Hopefully our seder tonight will also enjoy it! Happy Passover everyone.

Chocolate Toffee Matzoh Bark

Takes approx 30 minutes total

  • 4 to 6 sheets unsalted whole wheat matzohs
  • 1 cup (230g) Earth Balance vegan butter (or unsalted butter), cut into chunks
  • 1 cup (215g) firmly-packed organic light brown sugar
  • big pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract (for Passover use Kosher brand)
  • 1 cup (160g) vegan semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
  • 1 cup (80g) toasted organic coconut (optional)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet (approx. 11 x 17″) completely with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375F.

Prepped Sheet Pan

2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzoh, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces. Try not to overlap too much or you’ll end up with naked pieces later. No one wants naked matzoh!

3. In a 3-4 quart heavy duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Once the toffee becomes foamy, remove from heat. Add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzoh, spreading with a heatproof spatula.

Brown Sugar and Vegan Butter

Melted

Ready!

4. Put the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350F degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it’s not burning every once in a while. If it is in spots, remove from oven and reduce the heat to 325F, then replace the pan.

Fresh Out of the Oven

5. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.

Spreading Melted Chocolate

6. If you wish, sprinkle with toasted almonds (or another favorite nut, toasted and coarsely-chopped), a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs.

Toasted Coconut

Let cool completely, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. I let it cool in the refrigerator for an hour before breaking into pieces. It should keep well for about one week.

Chocolate Toffee Matzoh Bark

If you’re bringing as a host gift, pick up some cute food containers at The Container Store along with a hand written label identifying the contents.

Host Gift

Note: You can toast unsweetened, shredded coconut in a 1/4 sheet pan at the same time the matzoh is in the oven just watch it carefully as it can burn quickly. Take it out once or twice and stir the coconut for even browning. 

Apr 5

Aspara-pea-bean Israeli Couscous Salad

Aspara-pea-bean Israeli Couscous Salad

I received a few requests this weekend for easy, vegetarian recipes. Couscous and quinoa salad immediately came to mind because they’re healthy, full of whole grains and vegetables, and are very simple to make.

When it comes to couscous, I prefer Israeli to North African. Israeli couscous is bigger and more pasta-like than the smaller, grainy North African. Instead of North African, I usually use quinoa which has a similar texture, but more nutritional benefits.

Israeli Couscous

Israeli couscous, or pearl couscous, is typically made from semolina and flour. Its’ small, round granules give it a lovely chewy consistency. It’s often a side dish, but don’t dismiss it as a main. It can be the star too! Toasting the couscous gives it a nutty flavor and helps the morsels cook through without falling apart.

North African Couscous

I was inspired by the sugar snap peas, asparagus, and green beans at Whole Foods today, but you can use any vegetable readily available. It would be fantastic with a mix of roasted zucchini.

You’ll see this recipe calls for cinnamon. Even if you’re not a huge fan of this spice, I encourage you to at least try it in this recipe once. The cinnamon gives the final dish that extra “somethin” special and really makes a world of difference.

Happy eats!

Aspara-pea-bean Israeli Couscous Salad

2 T olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick

1 dried bay leaf

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 lb green beans

1/2 lb sugar snap peas

1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

zest & juice of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 orange

1/4 cup raisins

black pepper to taste

1. Add 1 T olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and toast until golden brown. Transfer to small bowl.

Toasting Pine Nuts

2. Soak the raisins in the orange juice, set aside to use later.

3. Prepare to steam the vegetables. Pour a couple of inches water into a pot. Place the steamer insert in, cover, and place over medium-high heat until water is boiling. Place string beans in the steamer basket for about 5 minutes until a pairing knife goes in with no resistance. Immediately shock them in an ice water bath to maintain bright green color. Do the same to the asparagus and sugar snap peas.

Tip: Steam extra veggies (1 lb of each instead of 1/2 lb) and store in the refrigerator for an easy weeknight saute, or salad.

All-Clad Stainless Steamer Insert

Steamer Set-Up

Sugar Snap Peas in Steamer

Ice Bath

4. Add 1 T oil in same pan, add shallots and saute until golden.

Sauteed Shallots

5. Add couscous, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir continuously until couscous begins to brown. Add broth and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender (approx 10 minutes).

Cooked Couscous

Remove from heat, stir in parsley, pine nuts, raisins with orange juice, and lemon zest.

Couscous with Pine Nuts and Parsley

6. Serve warm or room temperature.

Aspara-pea-bean Israeli Couscous Salad

Apr 3

Opened Young Coconut
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Pina Colada Smoothie

You already know I’m obsessed with kale smoothies, particularly the coconut kale smoothie from Naturewell in LA.

I’ve been too chicken to buy a young coconut, and mine for my own coconut meat, but Whole Foods had some in stock so decided it was time to take the plunge.

Here are a couple great links on how to do it. I took suggestions from both and the gist is, be ready to wack that knife and curl your fingers so you don’t lose a digit.

How to Open a Young Coconut

How to Open a Young Coconut – with step by step visuals

Young Coconut

Here’s what I did:

1. On a very stable surface (I used a cutting board with gripper bottom), begin cutting off the white outside layer around the pointed top of the coconut, using your knife.  Continue scraping off the outside layer until you hit the brown shell.

2.  At the base of the pointy part, strike the knife or cleaver a couple times. It took me a few hard strikes until the knife was in there. Pry the top open with your knife. BE CAREFUL with this entire process. Make sure your work surface is stable and your fingers are out of the way. When you get it open, the juice will flow out so quickly upright the coconut so you don’t lose too much liquid. The coconut is surprisingly full (mine was completely full to the top).

Opened Young Coconut

Coconut Top

Coconut Top Opening

Fresh Coconut Water – look how much was in there!!!

3. Using a spoon or ice cream scooper, scrape off the thin layer of white meat inside the coconut. Be careful not to press too hard, as you want only the white layer and not the brown stuff behind it. Cut off any brown parts so you don’t have any hard particles in whatever you end up making.

Young Coconut Meat

4, Store the coconut meat and juice in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Benefits of coconut meat & juice:

Coconut water is high in potassium and electrolytes making it a great workout hydrator. Skip all those fake drinks filled with artificial colors and added mock-nutrients and hydrate with this amazing refreshment.

The first thing I did was make a smoothie (shocker, I know). I had some frozen pineapple which inspired a pina colada smoothie. I was tempted to add rum, but figured working out with a buzz-on probably wasn’t my smartest move.

Pina Colada Smoothie

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup coconut meat

1/4 cup milk (I use hemp – add another 1/4 if you need it)

1. Blend together until completely smooth. Add additional milk if necessary.

2. Drink immediately!

Pina Colada Smoothie

Mar 30

Baked Tofu Squares

Easy Tamari Baked Tofu Recipe

Curious about tofu, but not sure what to do with it? Afraid of the texture? Fear no more!

My favorite preparation is baked tofu. It’s great in sandwiches, stir-fries, over noodles, on rice, the options are endless. It has a meatier texture which makes it particularly good for tofu newbies. Even if you’re a novice cook, tofu is simple and forgiving unlike meats or fish which can be very temperamental if not cooked properly.

The recipe below is perfect for sandwiches. You can cut slices so it lies flat in bread or in a wrap, and top with veggies, sprouts, hot sauce, hummus and avocado.

For use with noodles or rice, I like to cut it into bite size cubes first, then marinate and bake. In this version you can put the cubes in a plastic bag and pour a couple tablespoons tamari over them to marinate. The cubes will have more flavor because the tamari can soak in further.

To make a complete, quick meal, combine baked tofu with any sautéed vegetable, and either rice, or quinoa (which cooks incredibly fast). Be sure to season each component well so nothing is bland. Make all the sides while the tofu is baking so you’re ready to go as soon as the tofu is done. Or for a quick weekday dinner, bake the tofu over the weekend so it’s ready any night of the week.

Tofu is low-fat, high in protein, low cholesterol and a good source of calcium.

Fun facts (courtesy of About.com):

  • One half-cup serving of raw firm tofu contains 10.1 grams of protein.
  • One half-cup serving of raw firm tofu contains 94 calories.

Fun, right? And the best part is, tofu is a total chameleon. It’s like a sponge, taking in whatever flavor you throw at it, making it incredibly versatile. So if you’re looking for a healthy protein replacement, look no further.

Tip: Make batches and keep some in your freezer for later use as a meal or snack. You can also use the same technique with BBQ sauce, miso sauce, balsamic vinegar, or any other marinade you fancy.

Simple Baked Tamari Tofu (from Mark Bittman‘s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

  • 1 package extra-firm or firm tofu
  • 2 Tablespoons organic low sodium tamari
  • Canola high heat spray

1. Set the oven to 350F.

2. Spray a quarter sheet pan with canola oil spray.

3. Gently press out water from the tofu block with paper towels.

4. Using a pastry brush, coat all sides of tofu with tamari until completely absorbed.

Brushing tofu with tamari

5. Place on baking sheet and bake in oven for 1 hour or until tofu is firm and browned.

Tamari Baked Tofu. This is the version baking the entire tofu block at once. Cut into slices for sandwiches.

Baked Tofu Squares

Baked Tofu Slices over Asian Slaw

Baked Tofu Squares with Broccoli and Vermicelli

Alton Brown has a great recipe for Asian Slaw here. I adapted his dressing by adding garlic and using almond butter instead of peanut. I also had a bag of Trader Joe’s pre-cut carrot/broccoli stalk that I used. Next time I’d try Alton’s version with cabbage. I short-cutted here using the pre-cut veggies and it showed. I liked my adjustments to the dressing though.

The Vermicelli recipe was a complete whip up. sautéed sliced garlic in olive oil. Removed garlic. Sautéed broccoli florets in same oil. Added cooked vermicelli, mixed all together with 2 T tamari, sesame oil (to taste) and red chili pepper flakes. Garnished with fried garlic slices.

When shopping for tofu, choose USDA certified organic to avoid consuming GMO soybeans (genetically modified organisms). GMO foods have been linked to cancer, sterility, and developmental disorders. Click here to learn more about the dangers of GMO foods.

Mar 23

IMG_2135
4 Comments

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I keep going bananas for bananas. I bought the last bunch intending to freeze them for smoothies/ice cream/snacks, and the next thing I know, I look on the counter and they are brown. WTH happened? Anyway, I couldn’t let them go to waste so that meant one thing… banana bread!! I found a recipe on Food52 and vegan-ized it.

Now don’t get all weirded out that it’s vegan. Open minds people!! I don’t eat anything that taste like poo and will never sacrifice taste no matter what. Healthy, natural, low-fat (no oils), low-cholesterol food can taste amazing too. I guarantee you wouldn’t know this was vegan…next time I won’t tell you.

I used vegan margarine instead of butter and added a fourth banana to ensure the bread was moist. [Ugh. Still hate the word moist.] I also found a fantastic egg substitute. There are products available like Ener-G Egg Replacer which has the following ingredients: potato starch, tapioca starch flour, leavening (calcium lactate [not derived from dairy], calcium carbonate, citric acid), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose. I avoid consuming things I cannot pronounce, so I looked for natural egg replacements. Peta has a great list here. I decided to try the flax egg since it’s simple, I had the ingredients on hand, and I liked the idea of adding in nutrients instead of replacing them with chemicals.

I’ve made quite a few banana breads and was shocked how well this came out. This recipe just proves that tasty food can be healthy, and vegan. This wasn’t just good for a VEGAN banana bread, it was great for any banana bread. It was moist on the inside, with a crispy, brown, carmelized crust. I mashed the bananas but kept it somewhat chunky so there are little bits of banana threaded throughout the bread. Deeee-lish!

I had a couple pieces and had to send the rest to the hubbie’s office for fear I’d eat the entire loaf in one sitting. From what I heard, they didn’t have any issues devouring it either…and I don’t think anyone knew it was vegan. You could adjust this recipe a million ways by substituting the chocolate chips with dried cranberries or cherries, or adding nuts if that’s your thing. I’m generally anti-nut in baked goods or ice cream. If you make any adjustments, please share in the comments!!

This recipe was also simple and quick. The batter came together in less than 30 minutes, then you pop it in the oven and wait for your home to smell fantastic.

Happy baking :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Makes (1) two-pound loaf
  • 3 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
  • 4 large, ripe organic bananas mashed
  • 1 flax egg (3 T water & 1 T ground flax seed)
  • 3/4 cups organic vanilla cane sugar (or regular sugar) *
  • 1 cup organic all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup organic whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup organic semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon organic premium vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with canola oil spray.

2. Peel the bananas and in a large mixing bowl, mash them well with a fork. Stir in the sugar and vanilla.

Mashed Bananas

Vanilla Sugar

3. Make the flax egg. Heat the 3 T water in the microwave until warm (about 30 sec). Stir the ground flax seed into the water. Add the flax egg to the bananas and mix thoroughly. Add the margarine.

Adding Flax Egg

4. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the chocolate chips to the dry mixture tossing to ensure they’re completed coated with dry mix. This will prevent them from sinking during the baking process. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the wet, mixing just until you no longer see any streaks of raw flour. (Do not over-mix, or the banana bread will be tough!)

Whisking Dry Ingredients

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and let rest for five minutes. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the bread is just starting to come away from the sides of the pan.

Banana Bread Batter

Batter in the Loaf Pan

6. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. The bread has a lovely, crisp crust when it’s fresh. You can wrap leftovers in foil to store. This bread definitely tastes best the first day as it loses it’s crisp crust by day two but still has that delicious banana taste!

Hot out of the oven

Mmmm check out that big banana chunk

Chocolate Chips Galore!

*To make vanilla sugar, simply add a vanilla bean to a canister of sugar. I never take the bean out and just keep refilling the canister with fresh sugar. This is an easy way to add that extra something to baked goods as well as tea, coffee, or homemade cocoa.

Mar 21

Cheesy Quinoa Grits
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Cheesy Quinoa Grits

I usually want something sweet for breakfast like oatmeal with maple syrup and dried fruit, or a smoothie, but this morning I was craving something savory.

I love grits and polenta. I thought it would be fun to try a veganized version with quinoa and Daiya cheese. I wasn’t sure how I’d make the sauce at first. I started making a bechamel sauce, but I didn’t need the roux to thicken. The Daiya melted so beautifully and was the perfect consistency, you’d never believe it’s non-dairy.

As with all experimental recipes, it’s always a gamble. Sometimes they end up in the trash, sometimes they end up in the permanent repertoire. The fluffy quinoa with the creamy cheese was hearty and satisfying while the black pepper gave a nice heat at the end. Quinoa is low-fat, high in protein, and fiber, so it’s filling and good for you! It’s perfect for a quick and nutritious breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

This could be a healthy alternative to mac and cheese for the kids if they are open to trying new things, or if they already like quinoa. Next time I would even try it with itsy, bitsy broccoli florets. You could also substitute quinoa with two cups of elbow macaroni. I think I know what my next experiment is…

The whole recipe takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare if you have to make the quinoa. If you cook the quinoa in advance, this dish comes together very quickly since the sauce only takes about 5 minutes.

I even got the thumbs up from the omnivore hubbie so I’ll definitely make this one again!

Cheesy Quinoa Grits

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1/4 cup milk (I use hemp milk, but you could use any nut milk too) *

1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I use vegan non-dairy Daiya cheddar cheese)*

salt & pepper

hot sauce

*If you want it extra cheesy, double the sauce recipe.

1. Prepare quinoa according to manufacturer’s directions.

Fluffy Quinoa

2. Once quinoa is cooked and still warm. Make the sauce.

3. Bring the milk to a boil with a pinch of salt and a generous amount of ground pepper (1-2tsp).

Milk and Pepper

4. Add the cheese. Once becomes creamy and sauce-like texture, add couple shakes of tabasco.

Bubbling Sauce

Stirring the Sauce

5. Pour over cooked and warm quinoa. Stir until fully incorporated.

Cheese Over Quinoa

6. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Quinoa Grits

Mar 16

Black Bean Burrito
3 Comments

Quick & Easy Black Bean Burrito

I walked by a taco truck yesterday and was tempted to stop, but Mexican food can be loaded with hidden calories and fat. Even seemingly healthy options like beans and fish can be smothered in butter and salt.

Ever since I walked by that damn taco truck, I haven’t been able to shake the burrito hankering. So for lunch, I whipped up a black bean burrito in literally 33 minutes (including time for pictures). Not bad, right? Cooking at home gives you control, so you can make a healthy and delicious mexican meal. This recipe works as a healthy, filling, inexpensive, quick, weeknight dinner too. It’s kind of a cross between a fajita and a burrito… a bajita? or a furrito? It’s easy to adjust with any bean you like (pinto would also be great). Get creative and use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. If you’re not into beans, try tofu or grilled shrimp!

How do you like your bajita/furrito?

Black Bean Burrito with Sautéed Veggies

Serves approx. 4 ppl

Start to finish: Approx 30 minutes

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 small chipotle & 1 tsp adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced

4 brown rice or whole grain tortillas

Optional Toppings:

1-2 ripe avocados

4 romaine heart leaves

dairy-free or regular shredded cheese

tabasco/hot sauce

lime

handful cilantro, chopped

1. Add 1 T canola oil to large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions, season with salt and pepper. Saute until carmelized about 4 minutes.

Carmelizing Onions

2. Add sliced red peppers. Season. Cook until softened about 3 minutes.

Peppers and Onions

3. Add sliced mushrooms, season. Cook until mushrooms have browned, approx. 3 more minutes.

4. Add black beans, minced garlic, chipotle. If the bottom of the pan is dry, add 1-2 tsp purified water and scrape bottom of pan to get all the flavor.

Beans, Mushrooms, Peppers & Onions

5. Turn gas burner on low. Place a tortilla directly on the burner grates until it starts to brown and become pliable. Flip onto other side.

Flipping Tortilla

6. Remove bean/veggie mixture from heat. Stir in chopped cilantro.

7. Fill tortilla with shredded cheese (I used non-dairy) and bean/veggie mixture. Then fill with toppings of your choice. I used a piece of romaine heart, slices of avocado, squeeze of lemon, and hot sauce. You could also add salsa or chopped tomatoes, rice or quinoa, and sour cream if desired.

8. Fold and eat!

Black Bean Burrito

Mar 6

Sweet Potation Ravioli with Garlicky Basil Oil
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Sweet Potato Ravioli with Garlicky Basil Oil

One of my fave Italian dishes is butternut squash ravioli with sage butter sauce. Kind of tough to eat if you’re trying to avoid dairy. I found a very simple fresh pasta recipe using only flour, water, and salt. Although these are basically the same ingredients as paper mache, it’s no indication of how they’ll turn out.

I was so surprised how soft and chewy the ravioli was. The texture was amazing, and the filling combined with the garlic oil was a fabulous sweet and savory pairing. I only had sweet potatoes on hand, but next time I’d substitute the filling with butternut squash. It’s such a simple, delicious, pasta to make. This is definitely a repeat dish.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Garlicky Basil Oil

The Pasta (Courtesy of Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin)

2  cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup warm water

The Filling

2 sweet potatoes roasted until completely soft

1 T butter, melted

2 T panko

1/2 T nutritional yeast (optional)

salt & pepper

Garlicky Basil Oil (for 1-2 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

handful fresh basil leaves

1-2 garlic cloves sliced

salt & pepper

Make the Pasta

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in the warm water with a fork until the dough turns stiff. If the dough is not coming together, you may need to add a little more warm water. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 12 minutes. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. Divide the dough in half.

I rolled out my dough with a KitchenAid stand mixer with the pasta roller attachment. Since receiving this mixer as a wedding gift (thank you Cohens), I haven’t picked up a rolling-pin. In fact, I don’t even know where mine is.

3. Flatten one of the dough halves and run it through the pasta roller on the largest setting (level 1).

KitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment

Check out this link to see techniques for using the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment. Of course, you can go old school and use the pin, but I swear by my attachment. It’s easy, less messy, and rolls out the smoothest, most even pasta ever. KitchenAid also makes a ravioli attachment. I have to get that toy next!!

Make the filling

1. Scoop potato from the skin. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Season to taste.

Sweet Potato Puree

2. Cut the dough into approx 3″ squares. Add 1 tsp of the filling to one side. Using a pastry brush, brush all sides of the square with warm water. Fold over sand seal. Crimp all sides of the ravioli using a fork to close the two sides together. Be careful to keep the filling in the middle of the square so you get a good seal and the filling doesn’t leak out the sides.

Crimping Ravioli

3. Place the finished ravioli on a floured sheet pan with a towel over them. Continue until you’ve used up all the dough. Or, make a portion into ravioli, and use the rest to make linguine, spaghetti etc.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt until it literally tastes like salt water. Cook the ravioli for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Make the Garlicky Basil Oil

1. In a small saute pan over medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil. Once hot, add garlic slices and pinch of salt.  Fry until golden brown, being careful not to burn the garlic or the oil.

2. Drain garlic slices on paper towel. Add basil leaves and pinch of salt. Fry until crispy. Remove oil from heat. Add drained ravioli and carefully move around until covered.

Garlicky Basil Oil

3. Plate the ravioli garnished with fried garlic, basil leaves and fresh ground pepper.

Sweet Potation Ravioli with Garlicky Basil Oil

Pasta recipe – Wonton Wrappers from Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin

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