If you are a falafel fan, as I am, then this one is for you. Carrot ginger falafel. Oh yes. Warm and spicy and carroty and all the things that are good, packed into a chickpea ball of mouth sized proportions. When I thought of it it sounded good, When I made it and ate it, it was everything and more I could have asked for in a freaking fantastic falafel. As for the tahini cabbage slaw, I might just be making it in my house every dang day. Super easy, super tasty, goes with the falafel like whoa but is just as good eaten on it%u2019s own. Eaten together the pair make every inch of mouth space happy. A happy mouth space, what more can you ask for?
To the falafel!
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas, carrots, a piece of fresh ginger, tahini, soy sauce, cabbage, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, some cumin and red pepper flakes, a lemon, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and oil.
Start off by chopping the carrots into small pieces. Then cut half of the onion into small pieces. Rough chop the garlic and the ginger as well. No need to peel ginger unless you really want to.
Place it all into food processor and pulse until a small crumble.
Carrot onion garlic ginger mixture.
Dump mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes until the crumble softens and becomes fragrant.
Dump carrot ginger mixture back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth.
Carrot ginger falafel mixture. Now stick it in the fridge. For a little while to a day, just to let it set up a bit.
And in the mean time you can make the slaw. Shred cabbage and cut up onion all nice and thin.
Dump tahini, soy, vinegar, and a few tablespoons warm water into bowl and mix until creamy and good.
Toss in that cabbage and onion. Now you have tahini cabbage slaw.
Now to cook falafel. Grab the batter, scoop into balls then smoosh into disks. Place in a light oiled skillet and brown each side a nice golden brown.
After browning, place on a baking sheet. Once all the falafel has been browned, place the baking sheet into the oven to finish up cooking. 20 minutes or so and you got yourself falafel.
Then eat it. Falafel topped with tahini cabbage slaw. That is how it%u2019s done, with or without wraps or pitas or whatever your want. Just as it is. Falafel, cabbage slaw, into mouth.
Good things friend.
-C
serves 3-4 people or makes 14-16 falafel balls
For the falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)
1/2 of a red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)
juice of a small lemon
salt and pepper
For Tahini Cabbage Slaw
1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
1/2 of a red onion
3 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
a few tablespoons warm water
Grab carrots and red onion. Chop carrots into small chunks and cut onion in half. Cut one half into chunks. Place in food processor. Take the ginger and cut into small chunks (you don%u2019t need to peel it) and peel and slice garlic and cut into small pieces. Add that to the food processor. Pulse the mixture into a very small crumble then dump the mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper, and place on medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, scoop back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Turn on and and puree until smooth, stopping when needed to scrap down the side. Then either dump mixture into a bowl or leave in the container you processed it in and place in fridge for 1/2 hour to a day.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400.
After letting the dough sit for a bit, remove from fridge. Grab skillet and lightly oil it and place on medium heat. Take a cookie scoop or just a spoon and scoop balls of falafel into your hand and roll them around so they are packed together. Smoosh then balls a little into disks and place into hot skillet. Let cook until bottom is golden brown then gently flip and cook the other side until browned. Place cooked falafel on a baking sheet. Once you have browned all the falafel, place into oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the falafel has firmed up to your liking.
To make the tahini cabbage slaw. Shred cabbage and cut the remaining half of red onion into thin pieces. Place tahini, soy, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons warm water into a big bowl. Mix together until light and creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. When happy with consistency, add in the cabbage and onion and toss around until everything is coated.
Now when the slaw is made, the falafel is cooked, you eat it. Serve with warm pita or wraps or a bed of greens or nothing. Just slaw on top of falafel. And FYI, this whole shebang can be eaten hot or cold or anywhere in between.
Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.
This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.
But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.
Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.
To the millet salad.
The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.
Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.
While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.
And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.
Mixed and now all is one.
Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.
Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.
Mixed with love and hunger.
Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.
-C
Seves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked millet
2 cups water
1 sweet onion
3-4 big button mushrooms
Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.
2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
handful toasted sunflower seeds
To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.
Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.
While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.
And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.
Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)
Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.
Barb has been bugging me for a few months to make her pierogi and I keep telling her I will. But for some reason I just kept forgetting and ever time she came over for dinner I would just end up making her lentils . I make lentils for people when I care about them because lentils are perfect and I always figure she could use the nutrients. But finally, FINALLY, I remembered and figured it was about time. Time for Barb to get her pierogi. I got the ingredients, made up a plan, and went about making them thinking she was coming over for dinner. But guess what. She didn’t come over. After all that, she decided it was better for her to go to her classes and then go to her shift at work, that it was not a good idea to skip out on all that just because I decided to finally make her pierogi. Well whatever I guess.
And full disclouse, I don%u2019t think I made actual plans with her for the particular day that I made these pieorgi. I might have just assumed she was coming over%u2026. So maybe my bad. Good thing these things can be made ahead and cooked whenever. So I saved her half for whenever she does come over (today I think). I did make them for her after all.
Anyway. Pierogi. Pretty much a stuffed ravioli I filled these with the potato, chickpea, and onion mixture, tossed a little dill in for the hell of it, and there they were. The mr got the first half, covered in cashew cream. But I bet these would be equally fantastic with marinara sauce. Or ketchup? I could see that if you are into that sort of thing. Ha.
Also have to note. I keep wanting to write pierogies but I think that is wrong. Pierogi is the plural for pierog.. I think.
To the pierogi.
The stuff. Flour, oil, salt and pepper. Cooked chickpeas, a couple russet potatoes, a big onion, some dried dill (optional), warm water, soaked cashews, and a little red wine vinegar.
First make the dough. Flout, salt, water, and oil get mixed together until la shaggy dough is formed. Dump onto a floured surface ans give ut a good knead for a minute until lit comes together into a nice ball. Place dough back into the bowl (clean it out), cover it with a towel, and set aside to let the dough have little rest.
Meanwhile get the potatoes boiling. You are more then welcome to peel your potatoes but I don%u2019t. Chop the potatoes into small pieces, dump into a pot of cold water and cook them (boil until fork tender)
And cook the onions too. Chop the onion into small little bits and place in a skillet with a couple slashes of olive oil. Medium heat and a good stir until they are nice and golden brown.
Cooked onions and cooked ans drained potatoes.
Now to make the filling. Add the potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and ill to a bowl. Sprinkle in salt ans pepper
Mash it all together, small chunks are ok, but not big.
Taste and season with more salt and or pepper if needed. And stop eating all the filling, you need it.
Wen the filling is made, grab the dough, rolling pin, and a large biscuit cutter or a cup.
Roll out dough, then cut out circles.
And to make a pierogi, grab a dough disk, add a mound of filling, then fold in half and pinch closed. Simple. IF the dough doesn%u2019t want to seal, run a wet finger around the edge of the dough. That will do the trick.
All made, and not perfect by any means but perfect to me. Once you have made them, they need a little rest before cooking. Just a half hour or so. Enough time to clean up the mess that you just made and ge ta pot of water boiling on the stove. This is also a good time to prepare some to save for freezing. Any that you do not plan on eating in the next few days, place on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash away for another day. They can also go I the fridge for 3-4 days without being frozen, just make sure that you give each one a good dusting of flour so they don%u2019t stick to each other.
Oh, and before you finish cooking the pierogi, make a the cashew cream. Place soaked cashews into blender with the vinegar and a splash of hot water. Blend into creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and that is that.
Now to cook those pierogies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop (gently) the pierogies one by one into water. A few at a time as to not over crowed, boil until they start to float to the top, which should take 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, scoop them out and place them on a plate or pan while you boil more (if you are indeed cooking more)
After the pieogies had a boil, they then need a little crispness (you can skip this step if you don%u2019t want them crispy). Use the frying pan you cooked the onions in and add a splash more oil. Heat on medium and when pan is hot, add in the boiled (not sopping wet) pierogies. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until nice and and browned then flip and cook the other side.
And then all is left is eating. layered on a bed of cabbage carrot slaw and dolloped with a good dollop of the cashew cream. Done and done and ready to for the face.
I don%u2019t know. Maybe Barb should have skipped school and work for dinner.. Just saying
-C
makes about 25
For the dough
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling
1 large sweet or vidilla onion
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 cup cooked chick peas
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dill (optional)
salt and pepper
For the Cashew Cream (Optional for serving)
1/2 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 1/2 hour)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hot water
salt and pepper
First off, make the dough. Mix the flour with salt then add in oil and water. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms then dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times to form a uniform ball. Place dough back into (cleaned) bowl and cover. Set aside to rest.
Once dough is made, chop onion into small little pieces and place in a large skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Stick on medium heat and cook until tender and browned. Also cook the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small pieces (peel if you want but you don%u2019t need to) and place into a pot of cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender, almost falling apart.
Once potatoes are cooked, strain from water and place in a big bowl. Add in the cooked onion and the chickpeas. Sprinkle in dill if you are using and season with salt and pepper. Grab a potato masher or a fork and mash the mixture together. It can be a little chunky, but you don%u2019t want really big chunks. Taste and season if it needs it.
Filling is done so now grab the rested dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, place one half back in bowl and roll the other out about 1/8 inch thin. Take a large biscuit cutter or a large cup and cut out circles. Gather remaining dough and re roll out. Do this until you can%u2019t. Repeat with second half of dough.
Once the circles are cut out, place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each. Fold the dough in half and pinch closed. If the dough has dried out to much, brush a little water on the edge of circle to help it seal. Place the pierogi on a floured surface (so they don%u2019t stick) And don%u2019t worry if you have a little extra filling.. Just eat it.
When all the pierogi are made, let them rest for about 1/2 an hour. There are a good amount of pierogi here so if you want, stick some in a container and in the fridge to have in the next few days. Just make sure to flour them so they don%u2019t stick together. Or if you prefer, place however many you to want to save on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, place into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for a few months.
Also, before you finish cooking, make the cashew cream (if you want it) Just add soaked cashews to a blender with vinegar and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems to thick, just add a splash more water until it is a desired thickness.
To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi, one at a time, into pot. 5-7 at a time as to not crowd them, and cook until they start to float. Remove the cooked ones with a slotted spoon and stick on a plate. Boil as many as you are going to eat. Grab a skillet and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat to a medium heat and place the pirogies into pan. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side.
Remove form pan, place on a plate, dollop with cashew cream (if desired) and eat.
My dad is in town. Hooray! Haven’t seen him in like 6 months cause a) he lives in Michigan, and b) he lives in Michigan. He comes back to Vt a few times a year to hang with the children he fathered then abandoned to the mid west. (haha just kidding, not kidding) So yeah, a family fun week. I am hopping for a good family hike, some father daughter house talking and of course any help he wants to hand out on the house… “Sure you can wire that!” But my real mission for the week is to a) feed him lots of good food (he looks to thin) and b) get him to move either back or very close to VT, or someplace like New Mexico (I would visit all the time) or even Florida (real estate is dirty cheap there)
%u00a0So mission one. Feed him lots of food, and food that is not bread and cheese. (he eats a lot of bread and cheese) So when the old many comes over this week fir dinner, I will bust out the good old falafel.
I used to make falafel all the time, it was my go to meal. Super fast and easy. The mr loves it, I love it, and yeah. But weirdly I haven’t made it in like over a year. So last week when my sister came over, I made it for us.%u00a0 And it was like the good old time where I would come home form class, grabbing the caned chick pea and all the spicy things(feeling so cool that I cooked my own food). I would make the dinner, we would light some candles, set the table and maybe even bust open the cheap, 3 dollar bottle or red wine and we would eat all the falafel. Oh those were the days. When I made it last week, there was no wine, (we drank seltzer)%u00a0 not candles (she needed light to do homework) and no smug feeling of being cool (I wasn’t going for cool) but there was a happy mr and sister ans some freaking tasty falafel.
So yeah, have to make it again for the old man, I know he will love it. And it’s cool if I make it again cause falafel is one of those things that should be eaten all the time, as long as it is not fried, which this is not, so eat it all the time.
The stuff. We have chickpeas (in their liquid) a bunch of parsley, a carrot and an onion. Spice wise we have garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Also have olive oil and a bit of oat flour. Then for the sauce we are going to need some sumac and tahini. A lemon and some garlic and some of that chick pea liquid.%u00a0
Start with chopping up the carrots and onion into smaller pieces and placing it all into the food processor along with the spices, the garlic and a little drizzle of olive oil. Pulse until mixture resembles a chunky crumb.
Now drain the chickpeas (reserve the liquid) and add them an the parsley in the processor. Also add in the oat flour. Continue to pulse.
Pretty, colored speckled goodness. Dump the mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge for at least an hour, but you could even go as far as making it a day ahead.%u00a0 And try not to eat it all right now. (I could eat it all right now)
And the sauce. Sumac is so lovely nice , bright and tangy which pairs so well with the earthy creamy tahini,. Add both those, along with the minced up garlic, and the lemon juice. And add in a bit of the chick pea liquid. May seem weird, but it gives the sauce a creamier consistency.
After the hangout in the fridge, take mixture and scoop out balls of like sized and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. I also brush the tops with a a tiny bit of oil as well. Pop them into the oven for about 35-40 minutes, flipping after about 25.
Baked to a nice dark brown on both sides while the inside stays a right tender green. These falafels are ready to go.
Along with some pitas, some greens and a simple onion and tomato slaw… Piled with falafel balls, smothered in sauce.
Dinner is served!
Cant wait to make it again!
So GOOD!
-C
makes about 12 good sized balls (serves 3)
Falafel things
2cups cooked chickpeas (or one can)
1 bunch parsley(about1 cup.. can sub cilantro or any type of green really)
2 hefty teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
4-6 cloves garlic
a yellow onion
1 medium carrot
2- 4 tablespoon oat flour (or chickpea or regular flour.. just some type of flour)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for baking sheet
For the sauce
2 tablespoons sumac
3-5 teaspoons chickpea water
2 tablespoons tahini
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
juice of1/2 a lemon
Serving suggestions. Fresh pitas or flat breads are great. Lots of greens and chopped veggies topped with falafel is my favorite.%u00a0 I like to chop up a tomato and some onion sprinkled with salt to servealong with it. Also, if you don’tt want to make sumac sauce, hummus, salsa, hot sauce and mustard are all great topping.
In a food processor, add in garlic, the onion and carrot after you chop into smaller pieces) the spices and a splash of olive il pulse until it kind of chunky crumb.. Now add in parsley, the flour,(start with lesser amount ans ass more if mixture seems to loose)%u00a0 and the drained chickpeas.(RESERVE LIQUID) Pulse until combined and the mixture has all come together and is on it’s way to being smooth, but stop before it is. (don’t make hummus) Dump mixture into a bowl and place in fridge for at least an hour, if not longer.
While that in the fridge, make the sauce. Grab a cup or jar and all the stuff for the sauce. Mince up the garlic then add everything together in the jar and whisk with a fork, adding more chickpea liquid if you want to thin it out more. Set aside
Once the falafel had had time to chill, preheat oven to 375.
. Take the falafel and make 12-14 like sized balls and place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Press each ball down a bit and then very lightly brush (or spray)%u00a0 a tiny bit more oil on the tops. Place into oven to bake. for about 40 minutes, pulling them outand flipping them after about 25 minutes. They are ready when booth sided are a nice crisp deep brown, without being burnt.
Remove from oven, place on pitas or greens or what have you and smother with sauce. No need for forks here.
The bounty of spring is upon us. Asparagus is everywhere and I have been embracing it.. smelly pee and all.%u00a0 And along with all my spring veggies and smells, %u00a0I have grabbing for more springy spices. I go through seasonal spice kicks, like cinnamon and ginger in the fall, curries and chills in the winter. And for spring, I am big on sumac. If you haven’t heard of it or tasted it, it kind of taste like a tangy salty lemon..without actually having any salt. And its a really pretty, a bright red, almost purple color. I use it on a lot of things, especially veggies and bean dishes, sometimes as a lemon replacer, but mostly to add another level of tangy flavor.%u00a0It’s fantastic, really great for all those springy time dishes. Nice and bright!
%u00a0This dish is perfect made and eaten right away, but it’s one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Also it’s good and safe to serve room temperature. (think lunch box or a picnic!) And did I mention healthy? Protein packed quinoa and the lean green asparagus, I mean come on. You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for eating a hugmongo bowl of this stuff because you should, so it’s totally ok.
Eat away!%u00a0
The stuff of the stuff. Quinoa and asparagus for the base. Sumac, lemon, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and a little splash of oil for the dressing.%u00a0
Note. Sumac is not always the easiest spice to find. I know that its available online (what isn’t) and that some health food store or herbal apothecaries carry it, but i have ye tot see it at a conventional supermarket. And once you find it, buy a good amount cause you will also fall in love with it and use it on everything.%u00a0
%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0Start by making the dressing. You want to have it sit for at least 10 minutes. It will be perfect by the time the quinoa is done. Mince the garlic, dice the onion and juice the lemon. Stick it all into a jar with the sumac, a pinch of salt and pepper and about a teaspoons worth of olive oil. Stick a lid on the jar and shake shake shake. and let it sit.
Now you should make the quinoa.. Water and quinoa go into pot, high heat until boiling, %u00a0topped with a lid and set to simmer for about 15 minutes.%u00a0
When the quinoa is simmering, cook up the asparagus. Add a drizzle of oil, to a pan and a few splashes of water. Place trimmed and chopped asparagus to pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until cooked but still has a nice crunch to it. Take off heat and add the dressing to pan. %u00a0Let it sit and marinate for a few minutes.When the quinoa is tender, fluff with a fork and add to the skillet with the asparagus and dressing. Toss around to make sure all the quinoa gets dressed. Take a taste.. does it need a little salt and pepper? Add a pinch if it does.Pile into a bowl, add a bit of cracked pepper.. and eat.
Or%u2026 Idea! Make this dish and pack it into a jar. Maybe grab a baguette and some hummus os some other %u00a0tasty foods and take yourself and a friend out for a picnic.%u00a0
So much good .
Keep it real yo
-C
Quinoa and Asparagus with Sumac Dressing
serves 3-4 %u00a0as a side dish or 2 as a main meal.%u00a0
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
8-10 asparagus%u00a0
olive oil
For the Dressing
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 small red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 jumbo lemon or 2 small lemons
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Start but making the dressing. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Place in a %u00a0jar with the sumac, the juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little splash of oil. Top the jar and shake the crap out of it for a minute. Let sit and meld. (This dressing can be made ahead of time and is fantastic on all sorts of everything)
In a large pot, add water, quinoa and a spindle of salt. Bring to a boil, cover , and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until water has completely absorbed. %u00a0When the quinoa gets going, trim the woody parts of the asparagus and chop the remain asparagus into inch long pieces. Toss into a lightly oiled skillet with a few splashes of water, sprinkle with salt and put on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked, but still crispy. Take off heat and add the sumac dressing. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and toss it with the sumac dressed asparagus. Scoop into a bowl, add some cracked pepper. Bring food to face and eat.%u00a0
Any leftover? This dish is fantastic serves cold or at room temperature.
Whenever my little sister comes over for dinner, I always end up making lentils in some form or another because she, like me, is awesome and loves a good lentil. It makes me so happy that she has such great taste in food and wants to eat what I make. %u00a0It’s validation from a teenage girl which is the best kind of validation.%u00a0
So last night when she came over after school for dinner and trash talk (she likes to verbally abuse Nick) %u00a0we decided %u00a0to make both of our favorites %u2026 Lentils AND sweet potatoes. How can you go wrong with that combo? Well I am telling you that you can’t. The rich creamy soft and slightly sweet sweet potato mixed up with the hearty, earthy, oh so fantastically tasty lentil. Add in a bit of kale and cheese if you wish and serve with salsa and guac… Whoa, it’s the best!!!
Such a great evening, I get to the cooking, the sister gets to the verbal abuse and the mister, begin the champ that he is, takes it and dishes it right back.%u00a0
I am the greatest(coolest)%u00a0sister.%u00a0
Baked sweet potatoes, cooked lentils, chopped up kale and monetary jack cheese (Cheese is optional.. and make it vegan cheese if you want) And you don’t need then, but salsa and guacamole are the best toppings.. So you have them.%u00a0
Cut the cooked potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. With a fork, smooth%u00a0the potato , sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix in lentils and kale.
Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potato.
And add some cheese (The mister and the sister wanted lots of cheese, no cheese for me) and stick the potatoes into the oven and let bake for another 5 or so minutes or until the cheese is all melty or the top is nice and crispy.%u00a0
Remove and plate%u2026 Serve with salsa and guacamole and maybe some corn chips. %u00a0
I am the greatest sister
-C
Makes 2 serving
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 cup Prepared Lentils
1 cup Chopped Kale
1/2 cup Grated Monetary Jack Cheese (Vegan style or not)%u00a0
Salsa (optional)
Guacamole(optional)
Place potato in oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until soft a baked throughout.
While potato is baking, prepare lentils. %u00a02 cups water to 1 cup lentils. Add water and lentil to pot, bring to a boil, add a sprinkle of salt, and reduce to simmer until lentils are tender.%u00a0
When potato is cooked, remove potato %u00a0and let cool for a few minutes.%u00a0Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh out of the skins and place into a big bowl. WIth a fork, mash the potato a bit %u00a0Add in the lentils and the kale, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potatoes and top with cheese. (if using ) Place potatoes back into oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly or the top of the potato is a bit crispy. Remove from oven and serve on a plate with salsa and guacamole.
Eat and be happy.%u00a0
HOORAY FOR SPRING!!!!!!!
Yesterday The mister and I went for a walk, a long walk. I was wearing a sweater, a light jacket and I %u00a0left the mittens and hat at home. There was sunshine, huge puddles and mud. Birds were chirping. It was amazing.
After our nice long walk, we got home and I needed to start dinner. It was a little later than I usually so I wanted fast and easy %u00a0I usually always have pesto in my fridge (I had to make some, but it only takes 5 minutes)%u00a0because when it’s in there, I can whip up a big awesome meal in the time it takes to boil some pasta or quinoa or smear on toast or toss with potatoes. It really can be used on everything and can be made out of just about anything. Kale and walnuts are just one of so many fantastic combos. And frozen ravioli is always in the freezer too. I %u00a0used just plain cheese, but use whatever kind you like.
Together, pesto and ravioli, well that’s a quick, easy, and tasty meal, perfect for a spring evening, %u00a0And yea, there will be left over pesto from this recipe%u2026 just stick it in the fridge or freezer%u2026.you will be glad you have it.
%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0Pesto stuff. Kale, walnuts, parmesan cheese(nutritional yeast to keep it vegan), garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
A few little pre steps before the blending.. Toast the walnuts. Just toss onto a dry skillet and stick on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to become n%u00e9e and fragrant. Remove from skillet and add in a bit of water. Add in chopped or ripped kale and cover to let the kale tenderize, but only for about 2 minutes. (you want the kale to still be crispy and fresh tasting) %u00a0Drain water and add kale, garlic, toasted walnuts, cheese %u00a0and the juice of the lemon into a food processor. Turn on and slowly add in olive oil until you get to a nice paste, adding more oil to get to your desired consistency. Oh and don’t forget to salt and pepper to taste!
%u00a0Straight up frozen ravioli goes onto an oiled baking sheet.(make sure that non are overlapping) Place into an oven at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, flipping after 10. If you want to add mushroom and a few more walnuts, just toss them onto the ravioli when you are flipping over the ravioli.%u00a0
When the ravioli is nice and brown and crispy, remove from oven and dump the ravioli and the mushrooms into a bowl. Add a big old scoop of the freshly made pesto and toss around.%u00a0
Look at this%u2026 fresh, crunchy, light and happy. Kinda like a spring day.
I am the best lady, making the mister a pretty yummy dinner.%u00a0
Have a great Tuesday!
-C
Kale Pesto and Baked Ravioli
4-5 cups chopped Kale
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese ( Nutritional Yeast %u00a0to make it vegan)
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/4-1/2 cup Olive Oil
4-5 Cloves Garlic
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper
1 bag of frozen ravioli(use vegan or gluten-free if you want)
3-4 mushrooms
Note..There will be plenty of left over pesto%u2026 Just fridge or freeze it
Place walnuts in a skillet and toast on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. In the same skillet, add enough water %u00a0to cover bottom and add in all the kale. Place a lid on it and let kale wilt on medium heat for about a minutes or 2, Take off heat. Add walnuts. garlic, cheese, salt and pepper, and juice of lemon to a food processor. Blend. Now add in the kale and blend, slowly adding olive oil until a thick paste forms. You can add as much oil as you want to make it as thick or thin as you like.
Preheat oven to 400
Place frozen ravioli on an oiled baking sheet, making sure none are overlapping. Place into oven for about 15-18 minutes, removing after 8 minutes to flip. When you take the ravioli out to flip, slice up the mushrooms and grab a few more walnuts and toss onto baking sheet with the ravioli. %u00a0When the ravioli’s%u00a0are nicely browned and toasty, remove (mushrooms and walnuts too) and place into bowl. Add a big scoop of pesto and toss to mix.
Serve and eat.. fork is optional.
Note..Add a thin layer to the top of any left over pesto to keep it fresh and from turning black%u00a0
%u00a0It’s Friday!!! And what does that mean? Pizza Pizza!!!!But not just Fridays%u2026pizza happens more times then not in our house%u2026It’s the misters favorite food and for real, he could eat it everyday, all day.%u2026He is kind of made of the stuff. As for me, well I don’t mind making it for him because it’s easy. And because I am making it, it doesn’t have 8 million calories, 9 million grams of fat and have 10 million milligrams of sodium like takeout of frozen. %u00a0My pizzas are for the most part pretty freaking heathy. It really depends on how its topped. Like take this one.. Homemade pesto, good quaility cheese, (you can use vegan or low fat)%u00a0chickpeas and tomatoes. Not to shabby. And really, it isn’t any more complicated then calling the take-out place or unwrapping the frozen plastic disk from the box. All you need is some good dough (I guess you could use store bought) and some good quality toppings%u2026 and you’re there%u2026Pizza in your face.
For this pizza I used the skillet cooking method. This crust is one of %u00a0the misters favorites. It is a basic pizza dough but cooked on the stove in a skillet. It’s almost like a pita bread, but not. And I like to make it this way because its really fast (once the dough is made) and I can even make up a few crusts to have on hand for later.
Fast, healthy, and tasty%u2026..Why not eat pizza every day?%u00a0
Not too many ingredients here. 3 cups of all purpose flour or 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat. A teaspoon salt, a teaspoon honey (use sugar if vegan), yeast and warm water%u2026%u00a0
Start with the dough. %u00a0Add honey or sugar to yeast and warm water and let sit to active, which should take about 5 minutes.
%u00a0Mix together the salt and flour(s) and add the foamy yeast mixture. Mix until it all comes together and dump out onto a floured surface. (if the dough seems to dry add a splash of water..if way to wet, add a little flour) Give the dough a good 2-3 minute knead session, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Form a nice ball, place back into bowl and drizzle with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and stick in warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
When dough has doubled, dump back onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal sized balls (or as many balls at whatever size you want)
Now you have a few choices here. You can either cook up all the dough now if you need it, or freeze dough balls for future use. If you think you are going to make pizza again within the next few days, it can be refrigerated, or you could also blind bake the dough and freeze or fridragerate that and have pre baked crusts all ready to go. So many options%u2026 just do whatever works for you.%u00a0
To make the dough in a skillet, oil the bottom of a 15 inch skillet, turn burner on to high and let preheat until the oil is sizzling. Roll dough out to roughly the size of the skillet and when it has preheated, place dough on in there and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the dough starts to bubble and the bottom has started to brown. Turn burner down to medium and flip. Cook this side for another 3-5 minutes.
If you want oven crust, just roll out and place on a baking sheet and bake with topping on at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes
Now the crust is ready for the toppings!!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.%u00a0
Smear the pesto (for this pie, I used the last of my homemade pesto from last summer%u2026sad face) Mince garlic and distribute evenly on top of that. Then do the cheese, followed by the tomato slices and chick peas. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, cracked pepper and some parmesan cheese.%u00a0
Stick into oven for 10 or so minutes or until the chesse is nice and bubbly and the crust os crispy and brown.
And that is pizza. A super duper, yummy, healthy, not too fatty or overly salty%u2026 %u00a0can be eaten breakfast lunch or dinner time, pretty, satisfying, pizza. %u00a0
Make it for yourself, for you lover, for a friend. Make it in the shape of a heart or an elephant. Give you kid(s) a ball of dough and have them make their own%u2026 I know%u2026 such a good idea.%u00a0
Everyday, all day.. Happy Friday and Happy Pizza
Stay warm!
-C
For the dough ..Makes about four 10 inch pizza doughs or three 12 -14 inch doughs. This is also the same recipe I use for all of my pizzas (skillet and oven)
3 cups of all purpose flour or %u00a02 cups all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast or 1 packet
1 teaspoon of honey or sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
The Pizza Toppings (for a 15 inch crust..adjust amounts to your need or liking)
1/4 cup of pesto
1 large %u00a0roma tomato thinly sliced
a few cloves of garlic minced
1/1 cup of prepare chick peas.. rinsed and drained
1/2- 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese (or any kind you like..use vegan cheese if you want too)
salt, pepper, and parmeasan (optional) to sprinkle on top
To start, place honey, yeast and water into a jar or bowl and let sit to active until mixture starts to foam. Mix together flour and salt into a large bowl and add in yeast mixture. Stir until combined and dump onto a well floured surface. Knead dough for a a few minutes and form into a ball. Place back into bowl, drizzle with oil and top with a towel. Place somewhere warm to rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
When dough is done rising, dump back onto floured surface and divide into 4-8 equal sized balls.( 4 balls make %u00a015 inch pizza%u2026 8 balls are good for individual size pizzas) Place whatever dough you are not going to use into a closable plastic bag and either stick in fridge(if using within a few days) or freeze for future use.
Place skillet on high heat on stove and drizzle with oil. Also, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out you dough and when the skillet is has gotten really hot, place dough right on in. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes or unit the cough has started to form bubbles and the bottom has started to brown. Turn heat down to low and cook other side for another 3-5 minutes or until browned.%u00a0
Now pizzafy it.. Add on the toppings. Smear with pesto, add minced garlic, then evenly sprinkle cheese. Top with the chick peas and the sliced tomatoes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a dusting of grated parmesan%u2026%u2026Right into the oven for about 10 minutes to melt it all together%u2026..
THE LOVELY CRAZY
November 29, 2019 by maximios • Blog
If you are a falafel fan, as I am, then this one is for you. Carrot ginger falafel. Oh yes. Warm and spicy and carroty and all the things that are good, packed into a chickpea ball of mouth sized proportions. When I thought of it it sounded good, When I made it and ate it, it was everything and more I could have asked for in a freaking fantastic falafel. As for the tahini cabbage slaw, I might just be making it in my house every dang day. Super easy, super tasty, goes with the falafel like whoa but is just as good eaten on it%u2019s own. Eaten together the pair make every inch of mouth space happy. A happy mouth space, what more can you ask for?
To the falafel!
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas, carrots, a piece of fresh ginger, tahini, soy sauce, cabbage, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, some cumin and red pepper flakes, a lemon, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and oil.
Start off by chopping the carrots into small pieces. Then cut half of the onion into small pieces. Rough chop the garlic and the ginger as well. No need to peel ginger unless you really want to.
Place it all into food processor and pulse until a small crumble.
Carrot onion garlic ginger mixture.
Dump mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes until the crumble softens and becomes fragrant.
Dump carrot ginger mixture back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth.
Carrot ginger falafel mixture. Now stick it in the fridge. For a little while to a day, just to let it set up a bit.
And in the mean time you can make the slaw. Shred cabbage and cut up onion all nice and thin.
Dump tahini, soy, vinegar, and a few tablespoons warm water into bowl and mix until creamy and good.
Toss in that cabbage and onion. Now you have tahini cabbage slaw.
Now to cook falafel. Grab the batter, scoop into balls then smoosh into disks. Place in a light oiled skillet and brown each side a nice golden brown.
After browning, place on a baking sheet. Once all the falafel has been browned, place the baking sheet into the oven to finish up cooking. 20 minutes or so and you got yourself falafel.
Then eat it. Falafel topped with tahini cabbage slaw. That is how it%u2019s done, with or without wraps or pitas or whatever your want. Just as it is. Falafel, cabbage slaw, into mouth.
Good things friend.
-C
serves 3-4 people or makes 14-16 falafel balls
For the falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)
1/2 of a red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)
juice of a small lemon
salt and pepper
For Tahini Cabbage Slaw
1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
1/2 of a red onion
3 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
a few tablespoons warm water
Grab carrots and red onion. Chop carrots into small chunks and cut onion in half. Cut one half into chunks. Place in food processor. Take the ginger and cut into small chunks (you don%u2019t need to peel it) and peel and slice garlic and cut into small pieces. Add that to the food processor. Pulse the mixture into a very small crumble then dump the mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper, and place on medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, scoop back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Turn on and and puree until smooth, stopping when needed to scrap down the side. Then either dump mixture into a bowl or leave in the container you processed it in and place in fridge for 1/2 hour to a day.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400.
After letting the dough sit for a bit, remove from fridge. Grab skillet and lightly oil it and place on medium heat. Take a cookie scoop or just a spoon and scoop balls of falafel into your hand and roll them around so they are packed together. Smoosh then balls a little into disks and place into hot skillet. Let cook until bottom is golden brown then gently flip and cook the other side until browned. Place cooked falafel on a baking sheet. Once you have browned all the falafel, place into oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the falafel has firmed up to your liking.
To make the tahini cabbage slaw. Shred cabbage and cut the remaining half of red onion into thin pieces. Place tahini, soy, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons warm water into a big bowl. Mix together until light and creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. When happy with consistency, add in the cabbage and onion and toss around until everything is coated.
Now when the slaw is made, the falafel is cooked, you eat it. Serve with warm pita or wraps or a bed of greens or nothing. Just slaw on top of falafel. And FYI, this whole shebang can be eaten hot or cold or anywhere in between.
Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.
This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.
But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.
Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.
To the millet salad.
The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.
Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.
While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.
And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.
Mixed and now all is one.
Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.
Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.
Mixed with love and hunger.
Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.
-C
Seves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked millet
2 cups water
1 sweet onion
3-4 big button mushrooms
Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.
2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
handful toasted sunflower seeds
To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.
Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.
While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.
And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.
Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)
Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.
Barb has been bugging me for a few months to make her pierogi and I keep telling her I will. But for some reason I just kept forgetting and ever time she came over for dinner I would just end up making her lentils . I make lentils for people when I care about them because lentils are perfect and I always figure she could use the nutrients. But finally, FINALLY, I remembered and figured it was about time. Time for Barb to get her pierogi. I got the ingredients, made up a plan, and went about making them thinking she was coming over for dinner. But guess what. She didn’t come over. After all that, she decided it was better for her to go to her classes and then go to her shift at work, that it was not a good idea to skip out on all that just because I decided to finally make her pierogi. Well whatever I guess.
And full disclouse, I don%u2019t think I made actual plans with her for the particular day that I made these pieorgi. I might have just assumed she was coming over%u2026. So maybe my bad. Good thing these things can be made ahead and cooked whenever. So I saved her half for whenever she does come over (today I think). I did make them for her after all.
Anyway. Pierogi. Pretty much a stuffed ravioli I filled these with the potato, chickpea, and onion mixture, tossed a little dill in for the hell of it, and there they were. The mr got the first half, covered in cashew cream. But I bet these would be equally fantastic with marinara sauce. Or ketchup? I could see that if you are into that sort of thing. Ha.
Also have to note. I keep wanting to write pierogies but I think that is wrong. Pierogi is the plural for pierog.. I think.
To the pierogi.
The stuff. Flour, oil, salt and pepper. Cooked chickpeas, a couple russet potatoes, a big onion, some dried dill (optional), warm water, soaked cashews, and a little red wine vinegar.
First make the dough. Flout, salt, water, and oil get mixed together until la shaggy dough is formed. Dump onto a floured surface ans give ut a good knead for a minute until lit comes together into a nice ball. Place dough back into the bowl (clean it out), cover it with a towel, and set aside to let the dough have little rest.
Meanwhile get the potatoes boiling. You are more then welcome to peel your potatoes but I don%u2019t. Chop the potatoes into small pieces, dump into a pot of cold water and cook them (boil until fork tender)
And cook the onions too. Chop the onion into small little bits and place in a skillet with a couple slashes of olive oil. Medium heat and a good stir until they are nice and golden brown.
Cooked onions and cooked ans drained potatoes.
Now to make the filling. Add the potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and ill to a bowl. Sprinkle in salt ans pepper
Mash it all together, small chunks are ok, but not big.
Taste and season with more salt and or pepper if needed. And stop eating all the filling, you need it.
Wen the filling is made, grab the dough, rolling pin, and a large biscuit cutter or a cup.
Roll out dough, then cut out circles.
And to make a pierogi, grab a dough disk, add a mound of filling, then fold in half and pinch closed. Simple. IF the dough doesn%u2019t want to seal, run a wet finger around the edge of the dough. That will do the trick.
All made, and not perfect by any means but perfect to me. Once you have made them, they need a little rest before cooking. Just a half hour or so. Enough time to clean up the mess that you just made and ge ta pot of water boiling on the stove. This is also a good time to prepare some to save for freezing. Any that you do not plan on eating in the next few days, place on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash away for another day. They can also go I the fridge for 3-4 days without being frozen, just make sure that you give each one a good dusting of flour so they don%u2019t stick to each other.
Oh, and before you finish cooking the pierogi, make a the cashew cream. Place soaked cashews into blender with the vinegar and a splash of hot water. Blend into creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and that is that.
Now to cook those pierogies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop (gently) the pierogies one by one into water. A few at a time as to not over crowed, boil until they start to float to the top, which should take 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, scoop them out and place them on a plate or pan while you boil more (if you are indeed cooking more)
After the pieogies had a boil, they then need a little crispness (you can skip this step if you don%u2019t want them crispy). Use the frying pan you cooked the onions in and add a splash more oil. Heat on medium and when pan is hot, add in the boiled (not sopping wet) pierogies. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until nice and and browned then flip and cook the other side.
And then all is left is eating. layered on a bed of cabbage carrot slaw and dolloped with a good dollop of the cashew cream. Done and done and ready to for the face.
I don%u2019t know. Maybe Barb should have skipped school and work for dinner.. Just saying
-C
makes about 25
For the dough
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling
1 large sweet or vidilla onion
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 cup cooked chick peas
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dill (optional)
salt and pepper
For the Cashew Cream (Optional for serving)
1/2 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 1/2 hour)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hot water
salt and pepper
First off, make the dough. Mix the flour with salt then add in oil and water. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms then dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times to form a uniform ball. Place dough back into (cleaned) bowl and cover. Set aside to rest.
Once dough is made, chop onion into small little pieces and place in a large skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Stick on medium heat and cook until tender and browned. Also cook the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small pieces (peel if you want but you don%u2019t need to) and place into a pot of cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender, almost falling apart.
Once potatoes are cooked, strain from water and place in a big bowl. Add in the cooked onion and the chickpeas. Sprinkle in dill if you are using and season with salt and pepper. Grab a potato masher or a fork and mash the mixture together. It can be a little chunky, but you don%u2019t want really big chunks. Taste and season if it needs it.
Filling is done so now grab the rested dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, place one half back in bowl and roll the other out about 1/8 inch thin. Take a large biscuit cutter or a large cup and cut out circles. Gather remaining dough and re roll out. Do this until you can%u2019t. Repeat with second half of dough.
Once the circles are cut out, place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each. Fold the dough in half and pinch closed. If the dough has dried out to much, brush a little water on the edge of circle to help it seal. Place the pierogi on a floured surface (so they don%u2019t stick) And don%u2019t worry if you have a little extra filling.. Just eat it.
When all the pierogi are made, let them rest for about 1/2 an hour. There are a good amount of pierogi here so if you want, stick some in a container and in the fridge to have in the next few days. Just make sure to flour them so they don%u2019t stick together. Or if you prefer, place however many you to want to save on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, place into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for a few months.
Also, before you finish cooking, make the cashew cream (if you want it) Just add soaked cashews to a blender with vinegar and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems to thick, just add a splash more water until it is a desired thickness.
To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi, one at a time, into pot. 5-7 at a time as to not crowd them, and cook until they start to float. Remove the cooked ones with a slotted spoon and stick on a plate. Boil as many as you are going to eat. Grab a skillet and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat to a medium heat and place the pirogies into pan. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side.
Remove form pan, place on a plate, dollop with cashew cream (if desired) and eat.
My dad is in town. Hooray! Haven’t seen him in like 6 months cause a) he lives in Michigan, and b) he lives in Michigan. He comes back to Vt a few times a year to hang with the children he fathered then abandoned to the mid west. (haha just kidding, not kidding) So yeah, a family fun week. I am hopping for a good family hike, some father daughter house talking and of course any help he wants to hand out on the house… “Sure you can wire that!” But my real mission for the week is to a) feed him lots of good food (he looks to thin) and b) get him to move either back or very close to VT, or someplace like New Mexico (I would visit all the time) or even Florida (real estate is dirty cheap there)
%u00a0So mission one. Feed him lots of food, and food that is not bread and cheese. (he eats a lot of bread and cheese) So when the old many comes over this week fir dinner, I will bust out the good old falafel.
I used to make falafel all the time, it was my go to meal. Super fast and easy. The mr loves it, I love it, and yeah. But weirdly I haven’t made it in like over a year. So last week when my sister came over, I made it for us.%u00a0 And it was like the good old time where I would come home form class, grabbing the caned chick pea and all the spicy things(feeling so cool that I cooked my own food). I would make the dinner, we would light some candles, set the table and maybe even bust open the cheap, 3 dollar bottle or red wine and we would eat all the falafel. Oh those were the days. When I made it last week, there was no wine, (we drank seltzer)%u00a0 not candles (she needed light to do homework) and no smug feeling of being cool (I wasn’t going for cool) but there was a happy mr and sister ans some freaking tasty falafel.
So yeah, have to make it again for the old man, I know he will love it. And it’s cool if I make it again cause falafel is one of those things that should be eaten all the time, as long as it is not fried, which this is not, so eat it all the time.
The stuff. We have chickpeas (in their liquid) a bunch of parsley, a carrot and an onion. Spice wise we have garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Also have olive oil and a bit of oat flour. Then for the sauce we are going to need some sumac and tahini. A lemon and some garlic and some of that chick pea liquid.%u00a0
Start with chopping up the carrots and onion into smaller pieces and placing it all into the food processor along with the spices, the garlic and a little drizzle of olive oil. Pulse until mixture resembles a chunky crumb.
Now drain the chickpeas (reserve the liquid) and add them an the parsley in the processor. Also add in the oat flour. Continue to pulse.
Pretty, colored speckled goodness. Dump the mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge for at least an hour, but you could even go as far as making it a day ahead.%u00a0 And try not to eat it all right now. (I could eat it all right now)
And the sauce. Sumac is so lovely nice , bright and tangy which pairs so well with the earthy creamy tahini,. Add both those, along with the minced up garlic, and the lemon juice. And add in a bit of the chick pea liquid. May seem weird, but it gives the sauce a creamier consistency.
After the hangout in the fridge, take mixture and scoop out balls of like sized and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. I also brush the tops with a a tiny bit of oil as well. Pop them into the oven for about 35-40 minutes, flipping after about 25.
Baked to a nice dark brown on both sides while the inside stays a right tender green. These falafels are ready to go.
Along with some pitas, some greens and a simple onion and tomato slaw… Piled with falafel balls, smothered in sauce.
Dinner is served!
Cant wait to make it again!
So GOOD!
-C
makes about 12 good sized balls (serves 3)
Falafel things
For the sauce
Serving suggestions. Fresh pitas or flat breads are great. Lots of greens and chopped veggies topped with falafel is my favorite.%u00a0 I like to chop up a tomato and some onion sprinkled with salt to servealong with it. Also, if you don’tt want to make sumac sauce, hummus, salsa, hot sauce and mustard are all great topping.
In a food processor, add in garlic, the onion and carrot after you chop into smaller pieces) the spices and a splash of olive il pulse until it kind of chunky crumb.. Now add in parsley, the flour,(start with lesser amount ans ass more if mixture seems to loose)%u00a0 and the drained chickpeas.(RESERVE LIQUID) Pulse until combined and the mixture has all come together and is on it’s way to being smooth, but stop before it is. (don’t make hummus) Dump mixture into a bowl and place in fridge for at least an hour, if not longer.
While that in the fridge, make the sauce. Grab a cup or jar and all the stuff for the sauce. Mince up the garlic then add everything together in the jar and whisk with a fork, adding more chickpea liquid if you want to thin it out more. Set aside
Once the falafel had had time to chill, preheat oven to 375.
. Take the falafel and make 12-14 like sized balls and place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Press each ball down a bit and then very lightly brush (or spray)%u00a0 a tiny bit more oil on the tops. Place into oven to bake. for about 40 minutes, pulling them outand flipping them after about 25 minutes. They are ready when booth sided are a nice crisp deep brown, without being burnt.
Remove from oven, place on pitas or greens or what have you and smother with sauce. No need for forks here.
%u00a0This dish is perfect made and eaten right away, but it’s one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Also it’s good and safe to serve room temperature. (think lunch box or a picnic!) And did I mention healthy? Protein packed quinoa and the lean green asparagus, I mean come on. You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for eating a hugmongo bowl of this stuff because you should, so it’s totally ok.
Eat away!%u00a0
Note. Sumac is not always the easiest spice to find. I know that its available online (what isn’t) and that some health food store or herbal apothecaries carry it, but i have ye tot see it at a conventional supermarket. And once you find it, buy a good amount cause you will also fall in love with it and use it on everything.%u00a0
Now you should make the quinoa.. Water and quinoa go into pot, high heat until boiling, %u00a0topped with a lid and set to simmer for about 15 minutes.%u00a0
Or%u2026 Idea! Make this dish and pack it into a jar. Maybe grab a baguette and some hummus os some other %u00a0tasty foods and take yourself and a friend out for a picnic.%u00a0
So much good .
Keep it real yo
-C
Quinoa and Asparagus with Sumac Dressing
serves 3-4 %u00a0as a side dish or 2 as a main meal.%u00a0
For the Dressing
Start but making the dressing. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Place in a %u00a0jar with the sumac, the juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little splash of oil. Top the jar and shake the crap out of it for a minute. Let sit and meld. (This dressing can be made ahead of time and is fantastic on all sorts of everything)
In a large pot, add water, quinoa and a spindle of salt. Bring to a boil, cover , and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until water has completely absorbed. %u00a0When the quinoa gets going, trim the woody parts of the asparagus and chop the remain asparagus into inch long pieces. Toss into a lightly oiled skillet with a few splashes of water, sprinkle with salt and put on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked, but still crispy. Take off heat and add the sumac dressing. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and toss it with the sumac dressed asparagus. Scoop into a bowl, add some cracked pepper. Bring food to face and eat.%u00a0
Any leftover? This dish is fantastic serves cold or at room temperature.
Whenever my little sister comes over for dinner, I always end up making lentils in some form or another because she, like me, is awesome and loves a good lentil. It makes me so happy that she has such great taste in food and wants to eat what I make. %u00a0It’s validation from a teenage girl which is the best kind of validation.%u00a0
So last night when she came over after school for dinner and trash talk (she likes to verbally abuse Nick) %u00a0we decided %u00a0to make both of our favorites %u2026 Lentils AND sweet potatoes. How can you go wrong with that combo? Well I am telling you that you can’t. The rich creamy soft and slightly sweet sweet potato mixed up with the hearty, earthy, oh so fantastically tasty lentil. Add in a bit of kale and cheese if you wish and serve with salsa and guac… Whoa, it’s the best!!!
Such a great evening, I get to the cooking, the sister gets to the verbal abuse and the mister, begin the champ that he is, takes it and dishes it right back.%u00a0
I am the greatest(coolest)%u00a0sister.%u00a0
Baked sweet potatoes, cooked lentils, chopped up kale and monetary jack cheese (Cheese is optional.. and make it vegan cheese if you want) And you don’t need then, but salsa and guacamole are the best toppings.. So you have them.%u00a0
Cut the cooked potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. With a fork, smooth%u00a0the potato , sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix in lentils and kale.
Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potato.
And add some cheese (The mister and the sister wanted lots of cheese, no cheese for me) and stick the potatoes into the oven and let bake for another 5 or so minutes or until the cheese is all melty or the top is nice and crispy.%u00a0
Remove and plate%u2026 Serve with salsa and guacamole and maybe some corn chips. %u00a0
I am the greatest sister
-C
Makes 2 serving
Place potato in oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until soft a baked throughout.
While potato is baking, prepare lentils. %u00a02 cups water to 1 cup lentils. Add water and lentil to pot, bring to a boil, add a sprinkle of salt, and reduce to simmer until lentils are tender.%u00a0
When potato is cooked, remove potato %u00a0and let cool for a few minutes.%u00a0Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh out of the skins and place into a big bowl. WIth a fork, mash the potato a bit %u00a0Add in the lentils and the kale, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potatoes and top with cheese. (if using ) Place potatoes back into oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly or the top of the potato is a bit crispy. Remove from oven and serve on a plate with salsa and guacamole.
Eat and be happy.%u00a0
Yesterday The mister and I went for a walk, a long walk. I was wearing a sweater, a light jacket and I %u00a0left the mittens and hat at home. There was sunshine, huge puddles and mud. Birds were chirping. It was amazing.
After our nice long walk, we got home and I needed to start dinner. It was a little later than I usually so I wanted fast and easy %u00a0I usually always have pesto in my fridge (I had to make some, but it only takes 5 minutes)%u00a0because when it’s in there, I can whip up a big awesome meal in the time it takes to boil some pasta or quinoa or smear on toast or toss with potatoes. It really can be used on everything and can be made out of just about anything. Kale and walnuts are just one of so many fantastic combos. And frozen ravioli is always in the freezer too. I %u00a0used just plain cheese, but use whatever kind you like.
Together, pesto and ravioli, well that’s a quick, easy, and tasty meal, perfect for a spring evening, %u00a0And yea, there will be left over pesto from this recipe%u2026 just stick it in the fridge or freezer%u2026.you will be glad you have it.
A few little pre steps before the blending.. Toast the walnuts. Just toss onto a dry skillet and stick on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to become n%u00e9e and fragrant. Remove from skillet and add in a bit of water. Add in chopped or ripped kale and cover to let the kale tenderize, but only for about 2 minutes. (you want the kale to still be crispy and fresh tasting) %u00a0Drain water and add kale, garlic, toasted walnuts, cheese %u00a0and the juice of the lemon into a food processor. Turn on and slowly add in olive oil until you get to a nice paste, adding more oil to get to your desired consistency. Oh and don’t forget to salt and pepper to taste!
When the ravioli is nice and brown and crispy, remove from oven and dump the ravioli and the mushrooms into a bowl. Add a big old scoop of the freshly made pesto and toss around.%u00a0
I am the best lady, making the mister a pretty yummy dinner.%u00a0
Have a great Tuesday!
-C
Kale Pesto and Baked Ravioli
Note..There will be plenty of left over pesto%u2026 Just fridge or freeze it
Place walnuts in a skillet and toast on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. In the same skillet, add enough water %u00a0to cover bottom and add in all the kale. Place a lid on it and let kale wilt on medium heat for about a minutes or 2, Take off heat. Add walnuts. garlic, cheese, salt and pepper, and juice of lemon to a food processor. Blend. Now add in the kale and blend, slowly adding olive oil until a thick paste forms. You can add as much oil as you want to make it as thick or thin as you like.
Preheat oven to 400
Place frozen ravioli on an oiled baking sheet, making sure none are overlapping. Place into oven for about 15-18 minutes, removing after 8 minutes to flip. When you take the ravioli out to flip, slice up the mushrooms and grab a few more walnuts and toss onto baking sheet with the ravioli. %u00a0When the ravioli’s%u00a0are nicely browned and toasty, remove (mushrooms and walnuts too) and place into bowl. Add a big scoop of pesto and toss to mix.
Serve and eat.. fork is optional.
Note..Add a thin layer to the top of any left over pesto to keep it fresh and from turning black%u00a0
%u00a0It’s Friday!!! And what does that mean? Pizza Pizza!!!!But not just Fridays%u2026pizza happens more times then not in our house%u2026It’s the misters favorite food and for real, he could eat it everyday, all day.%u2026He is kind of made of the stuff. As for me, well I don’t mind making it for him because it’s easy. And because I am making it, it doesn’t have 8 million calories, 9 million grams of fat and have 10 million milligrams of sodium like takeout of frozen. %u00a0My pizzas are for the most part pretty freaking heathy. It really depends on how its topped. Like take this one.. Homemade pesto, good quaility cheese, (you can use vegan or low fat)%u00a0chickpeas and tomatoes. Not to shabby. And really, it isn’t any more complicated then calling the take-out place or unwrapping the frozen plastic disk from the box. All you need is some good dough (I guess you could use store bought) and some good quality toppings%u2026 and you’re there%u2026Pizza in your face.
For this pizza I used the skillet cooking method. This crust is one of %u00a0the misters favorites. It is a basic pizza dough but cooked on the stove in a skillet. It’s almost like a pita bread, but not. And I like to make it this way because its really fast (once the dough is made) and I can even make up a few crusts to have on hand for later.
Fast, healthy, and tasty%u2026..Why not eat pizza every day?%u00a0
Not too many ingredients here. 3 cups of all purpose flour or 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat. A teaspoon salt, a teaspoon honey (use sugar if vegan), yeast and warm water%u2026%u00a0
Start with the dough. %u00a0Add honey or sugar to yeast and warm water and let sit to active, which should take about 5 minutes.
%u00a0Mix together the salt and flour(s) and add the foamy yeast mixture. Mix until it all comes together and dump out onto a floured surface. (if the dough seems to dry add a splash of water..if way to wet, add a little flour) Give the dough a good 2-3 minute knead session, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Form a nice ball, place back into bowl and drizzle with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and stick in warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
When dough has doubled, dump back onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal sized balls (or as many balls at whatever size you want)
Now you have a few choices here. You can either cook up all the dough now if you need it, or freeze dough balls for future use. If you think you are going to make pizza again within the next few days, it can be refrigerated, or you could also blind bake the dough and freeze or fridragerate that and have pre baked crusts all ready to go. So many options%u2026 just do whatever works for you.%u00a0
To make the dough in a skillet, oil the bottom of a 15 inch skillet, turn burner on to high and let preheat until the oil is sizzling. Roll dough out to roughly the size of the skillet and when it has preheated, place dough on in there and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the dough starts to bubble and the bottom has started to brown. Turn burner down to medium and flip. Cook this side for another 3-5 minutes.
If you want oven crust, just roll out and place on a baking sheet and bake with topping on at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes
Now the crust is ready for the toppings!!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.%u00a0
Smear the pesto (for this pie, I used the last of my homemade pesto from last summer%u2026sad face) Mince garlic and distribute evenly on top of that. Then do the cheese, followed by the tomato slices and chick peas. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, cracked pepper and some parmesan cheese.%u00a0
Stick into oven for 10 or so minutes or until the chesse is nice and bubbly and the crust os crispy and brown.
And that is pizza. A super duper, yummy, healthy, not too fatty or overly salty%u2026 %u00a0can be eaten breakfast lunch or dinner time, pretty, satisfying, pizza. %u00a0
Make it for yourself, for you lover, for a friend. Make it in the shape of a heart or an elephant. Give you kid(s) a ball of dough and have them make their own%u2026 I know%u2026 such a good idea.%u00a0
Everyday, all day.. Happy Friday and Happy Pizza
Stay warm!
-C
For the dough ..Makes about four 10 inch pizza doughs or three 12 -14 inch doughs. This is also the same recipe I use for all of my pizzas (skillet and oven)
The Pizza Toppings (for a 15 inch crust..adjust amounts to your need or liking)
To start, place honey, yeast and water into a jar or bowl and let sit to active until mixture starts to foam. Mix together flour and salt into a large bowl and add in yeast mixture. Stir until combined and dump onto a well floured surface. Knead dough for a a few minutes and form into a ball. Place back into bowl, drizzle with oil and top with a towel. Place somewhere warm to rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
When dough is done rising, dump back onto floured surface and divide into 4-8 equal sized balls.( 4 balls make %u00a015 inch pizza%u2026 8 balls are good for individual size pizzas) Place whatever dough you are not going to use into a closable plastic bag and either stick in fridge(if using within a few days) or freeze for future use.
Place skillet on high heat on stove and drizzle with oil. Also, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out you dough and when the skillet is has gotten really hot, place dough right on in. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes or unit the cough has started to form bubbles and the bottom has started to brown. Turn heat down to low and cook other side for another 3-5 minutes or until browned.%u00a0
Now pizzafy it.. Add on the toppings. Smear with pesto, add minced garlic, then evenly sprinkle cheese. Top with the chick peas and the sliced tomatoes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a dusting of grated parmesan%u2026%u2026Right into the oven for about 10 minutes to melt it all together%u2026..
Pizza Pizza!!!