Ingredients:
¼ cup currants
2 apples, cored and very thinly sliced
3 cups packed arugula
½ cup walnut halves (or pieces), toasted
1/3 cup walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil, but the flavor will not be as vibrant)
¼ teaspoon red wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Set the currants in a small bowl or ramekin. Cover with about ½ cup boiling water. Plump for 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Slice the apples. Add 1 to a large salad bowl. Scatter in the arugula, walnuts, and half of the currants.
3. Roughly chop the remaining currants and 1 sliced apple in a food processor. Pulse to mince. Add the walnut oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and puree until you have an emulsified dressing (tiny bits of fruit will remain visible). Adjust the seasoning to taste.
4. Pour half the dressing over the salad and gently toss with tongs. Divide among serving plates and finish with coarse sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Pass the remaining dressing alongside.
5. To toast the walnuts, bake in a preheated oven, 375 degrees, until golden, about 4-6 minutes, stirring once.
Serves 2 as entre, or 4 as side salad
Ingredients:
¼ pound pasta of choice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
¼ cup shoyu or soy sauce
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasts. Salt the water and add the pasta; cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.
3. Add the celery to the skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder then add the cabbage, sauté for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the tomatoes and toss together. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two and serve.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup bulgur wheat
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped parsley
2 scallions, white and green parts, minced
½ cup thinly sliced radishes
Directions:
1. Bring 1½ cups water and the salt to a boil in a saucepan. Place the bulgur and the boiling salted water in a heatproof bowl. Stir once, then cover the bowl with a plate and set aside until the grain has absorbed all the water, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Stir in the lemon juice, oil, parsley, scallions, and radishes. Mix well. Add more lemon juice and salt to taste.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 large fennel bulb, (optional) stalks and fronds removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the cauliflower as you would cut a loaf of bread, making ½- to ¾-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a slightly oiled baking sheet. Slice the fennel (if using) and arrange on the baking sheet. You may need more than 1 baking sheet. Brush the cut surfaces of the cauliflower and fennel with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Roast the vegetable steaks until they are light brown, about 15 minutes, then flip sides and brush with more oil, and return to the oven. Continue to cook until brown and tender, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm with your favorite condiments.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots, diagonally sliced (1/4–inch thick)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see below)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Directions:
1. Combine carrots, water, pomegranate molasses, honey, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until the carrots are just tender, 6-8 minutes.
2. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is a very syrupy glaze, 6-8 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in pistachios and chives. Serve warm.
Note: You can find pomegranate molasses in a well-stocked supermarket near the vinegars. Or you can make your own by simmering 4 cups of pomegranate juice, uncovered, in a saucepan over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 40-50 minutes. Makes about ½ cup. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Makes 8 servings, ½ cup each
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
1-2 heads cauliflower, stalks and stems removed
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
sea salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1/3 cup pistachios (optional)
Directions:
1. Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until finely ground to the consistency of couscous.
2. Heat a wide, heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and the onion and sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and sauté for a few minutes. Cover the pan and cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often, until the cauliflower is almost tender, but not mushy. Uncover and stir in the turmeric and season to taste. Allow the cauliflower to brown a little then turn off the heat.
4. Add the cilantro and pistachios, if using. Stir in gently to combine.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large leek, sliced in half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 cups tomatoes, pulsed to a chunky puree in a food processor
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
cayenne to taste
sea salt and pepper to taste
6 cups stock of choice, more if needed
½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
¾ cup peanut butter
1 large bunch collard greens, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste, more if needed to thicken
lemon juice, if needed to taste
Directions:
1. Heat a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the oil, then the onion, leek, garlic, jalapeno, celery, and carrot. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in tomato puree and spices, and season with some salt and pepper.
2. Add the stock and the quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer until quinoa is just cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Add the greens and peanut butter. Stir to blend in completely. Add the tomato paste and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, adding lemon juice for brightness or more tomato paste. Serve!
Serves 12
Ingredients:
½-inch thick slices of French baguette
softened butter
¼-½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, minced
1-2 bunches radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Set the broiler rack 4 inches from the heating element.
2. Lay the bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil until the edges just turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes, watching carefully. Flip and broil the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cool to room temperature.
3. Spread each crostini with butter and top with olives and radishes. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Finish with a thin drizzle of olive oil.
Makes about 18 crostini (if using a half baguette)
Ingredients:
2 pounds savoy cabbage (about 1 head)
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds
sea salt and pepper to taste
½ cup vegetable stock, or more if needed
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup mint, chiffonade (leaves rolled together and cut into “ribbons”)
Directions:
1. Cut the cabbage into quarters and cut out the core. Chop into 1-inch pieces.
2. Heat a large, wide pan on medium heat. Add the butter, onion, carrot, and cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the stock and vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until almost all of the liquid is cooked away, about 45 minutes. Season again, if necessary.
4. Remove to a platter, garnish with the mint and serve.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 squash, trimmed
½ yellow onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flour of choice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram, of herb of choice
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons oil
Directions:
1. Shred the squash in a food processor, then the onion. In a bowl, toss the shredded squash with the salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze the squash to remove excess liquid. Add the onion, egg, garlic, flour, herbs, and pepper to the squash. Mix well.
2. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil into the bottom of a large frying pan to form a thin film, and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, working in batches drop the squash mixture, using heaping tablespoons for each pancake. Using the back of a spoon, press on the top of each spoonful to form a pancake about a scant ½-inch thick. Fry until golden brown on the underside, 3-4 minutes. Turn and continue to fry until golden brown on the second side, 3-4 minutes longer. Transfer to a warm platter and keep warm. Repeat until all the squash mixture is used, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Makes about 12 pancakes