vegan savory squash bread

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

This week’s recipe is the lesser-known cousin of pumpkin bread: squash bread. Using the basic principles listed below, you can prepare it sweet or savory, but with the holidays, I thought we’d try the latter. Throw in some cranberries, onions, rosemary, and quinoa, and it becomes a great addition for holiday feasts. So that everyone in your circle and have a chance at enjoying it, I thought I'd make it vegan. If you’d rather skip the vegan route, you can forgo the flax and almond milk mixture, and swap in two eggs. Your host, whether vegan or not, will be thrilled when you show up on their door step with this seasonal number.

Ingredients:

¼ cup tricolor quinoa

¼ cup filtered water

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

¼ cup plain, unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, diced

2 sprigs rosemary

1 tsp sea salt, divided

1½ cups whole-wheat flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup mashed butternut squash

¾ cup water

2 tsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup raw cranberries

Directions:

1. Place the quinoa a small pot with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9” pie dish with baking sheet or grease with coconut oil.

3. Whisk flax and soy milk in a medium bowl and set aside.

4. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add one sprig of rosemary, picking leaves off the stem, and removing the stem. Reduce heat and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. 

6. Add squahs, water, vinegar, and salt to the flax-soy milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Add remaining ¼ cup olive oil, whisk again and add flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir mixture gently until almost combined, then fold in 1/4 cup cooked quinoa, onions, and cranberries.

7. Pour batter into pie dish, decorate with a sprig of rosemary and a sprinkle with remaining quinoa. 

8. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

9, Remove from oven and let cool or eat warm.  

baked lotus root chips with spicy avocado dip

That, up there ^, is a lotus root. If you're not familiar, try one. They are a staple in most Chinese and Taiwanese cooking, and they come in many forms. I've seen acidic lotus root salads, soups with lotus root pieces, drinks, and even chips. If you know what you're looking for, you can find them at most Asian grocery stores. 

Like everyone else, I want to kick off the new year with a healthy start, and so I'm going to do another Whole30 cleanse. The key to a successful cleanse is planning, and so I've been crafting up an arsenal of recipes to have on hand. This is the first that I will share with you all. It is completely dairy, meat, and carb free. The chips make a great side for dinners and lunches, or can be served as an appetizer if you wish. The spicy avocado dip makes a nice accompaniment, and is filled with plenty of good fat to keep you full while cleansing.

Ingredients:

1 Lotus Root

Peanut Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 Avocado

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tbsp Mayo (Made with Olive Oil)

1 Tbs Rice Vinegar

1 Tbs Chili Oil (see picture above)

1 Tsp Salt

Chip Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Peel and thinly slice your lotus root. The thinner you get them, the better the texture will be. If you have mandolin it would be a good tool for this.

3. Spread your slices out on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with peanut oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper,  and put in the oven to bake. Depending on how thing your slices are, the baking should take 30-45 minutes. Take the tray out when chips are crispy.

Dip Directions:

1. Lightly brown garlic cloves over low heat in a bit of peanut oil.

2. Throw all ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy.

Serve!

raw brussel sprout and goat cheese salad

Those of you who pick up produce at a farmer's market or participate in a CSA are well acquainted with brussel sprouts and the rest of the cruciferous family (kale, kohlrabi, bok choy, turnips, etc.), those strange vegetables that appear in your plot each week. You might run out of ideas on what to do with them, but hey, that's when we always get the most creative, right? 

So here's a novel idea, raw brussel sprouts. I would have never thought it, but I discovered it in one of those "what am I going to do this time" moments. I got to chopping and realized that the key is breaking the vegetable up into smaller bits. Once sliced, the bites are crunchy, watery, and full of that splendid brussel sprout flavor. There's something about raw vegetables that you just can't beat. It's like you can taste the nutrients, that straight from the earth goodness. To finish the salad off, I mixed the brussel sprouts in with some herbed goat cheese and walnuts, then tossed with simple seasonings, and I had the most care-free, delicious side dish. 

Speaking of tasting the nutrients...did you know that brussel sprouts are rich in vitamin C? Something we all can't get enough of this time year. So soak it up, eat em raw and down that medicine. You can thank your CSA later for giving you the natural germ fighters you need to get through the season.

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1 Lb Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and sliced

2 Oz Herbed Goat Cheese

1 Cup Walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix it up and serve!

potato salad with black radish and basil mayo

This recipe combines two recent fascinations of mine: flavored mayo and black radishes. You heard it right, black. These winter radishes are by far the most interesting vegetable I've come across in a while. Put one in your mouth, and you think it an ordinary radish. Until...it starts to turn spicy on you! A horseradish-y flavor kicks in at the end and it's such a fantastical surprise. If you life in a climate like the northeast, pick them up at your local farmer's market. In Philly, I got mine from one of my favorite farmers, Tom Culton, of Tom Culton Biologique. I've deemed him the "Willy Wonka" of vegetable farmers for the amazing creations he brings to market such as these guys.

What's more, I bet you never knew that radishes were great detoxifiers and cleansers! They're especially great at breaking up phlegm in the body. I've had a bit of a cold, and there's nothing like some radishes to help loosen things. In Chinese medine they're also used to promote digestion for this very reason. Another bonus, radishes are rich in water, so they're great at filling you up in a low cal way. 

By way of the mayo, I've been experimenting with fun flavors over the past year. Have you ever had a sandwich with chipotle mayo, or perhaps garlic? Amazing, right? This guy is a basil mayo, mmmm. Of course, there's a little guilt here, but the good news is that it has so much flavor that a little bit goes a long way. I've been messing around with some healthier, vegan options. So stay tuned until I get that guy perfected. Until then....

Basil Mayo Ingredients (Makes a mason jar-full to have on hand)

3/4 Cup lightly chopped basil

3 Medium garlic cloves, lightly roasted

1 Cup mayo

1 Tsp vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp salt

1/2 Tsp pepper

2 Tbsp pesto

Directions:

1. Place garlic and basil in a food processor and chop until fine

2. Add all other ingredients and mix until well blended

Potato Salad Ingredients:

1 Cups chopped fingerling potatoes

1 Black radish, quartered and sliced

3 Tbsp basil mayo

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Celery stalks, chopped small

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F 

2. Spread potatoes out on a greased foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender.

3. Mix potatoes, radish, celery, basil mayo, and white vinegar in a large bowl

4. Chill in the refrigerator over night and eat

low fat seasalt corn bread muffins

As the weather cools, I usually go into soup mode. I love pairing a hot bowl with corn bread to give you the right mix of liquid and solid. In this instance, I added seasalt to the top of the muffins to balance out the sweetness of my squash soup. Traditionally, corn bread isn't the best for you, but there is a surprisingly easy way to cut a lot of the fattiness out. Simply substitute non-fat Greek yogurt for most of the butter. You still have a moist and delicious bread, just without all of that lard. I also like to use all natural sweetener, palm sugar, instead of white sugar because of it's brown sugary taste. 

Ingredients (makes 8 muffins):

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 egg

3 tbs. palm sugar

3 tbs. melted butter

seasalt to sprinkle ontop

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line your muffin tins

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl

3. Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl

4. Using a wooden spoon, slowly introduce the wet mixture into the dry, working the dough as little as possible.

5. Spoon mixture out into your muffin tin, and sprinkle seasalt ontop

6. Bake for 20 minutes, let cool slightly, and serve

mamma's last of summer salad

There are three reasons why I like to cook: my mother, my father, and my love of eating. My parents are two of the best chefs I know. Eating well is never a problem whether you're at their house or even just within their presence. 

Last time I was home my mom put this salad together for lunch. It's healthy ingredients - beats, shrimp, artichokes, olives, heart of palm, and arugula - are brightened by a lemony mint vinaigrette  I told you, the woman knows what she's doing.

Ingredients (serves 3):

6oz shrimp - peeled, deveined, and cooked

1 cup pitted kalamata olives

3/4 cup pickled beets

3/4 cup pickled artichokes

1.5 cup arugula

3 heart of palm stalks

salt & pepper

Dressing:

1/2 cup chopped mint

1 cup olive oil

juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Blend together dressing ingredients.

2. Lay out a bed of arugula on each plate. Place other ingredients on top one by one, circling around the plate.

3. Drizzle with dressing, salt and pepper.