Rice is a hit or miss in this house. Whenever I make it fresh, I either make too much or not enough so I like to air on the side of too much because when there is too much, you just save for a later day and make fried rice, which to some, might be even better then fresh rice. So there you go.
Fried rice. Not really a complicated dish. Basically it is just reheating rice up in a skillet with some stuff. This version is carrot ginger with chickpeas because those flavors are on point and also I had just made a huge batch of chikepeas and always have carrots and ginger on hand. The rice was just waiting to be reheated and I was glad for it because fried rice take a quarter of the time to make then fresh rice (I use brown rice) and I was trying to get dinner done without having to make much of an effort. And because there is veggies and chickpeas in this rice, it is a complete meal and did not need to make anything else. One pot dinner and done. Good things.
Now to the fried rice!
The stuff. Cooked rice, chick peas, carrots, fresh ginger, garlic, soy, red wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, cabbage, and cilantro (optional). Also going to need a little water. And black pepper.
Start with veggies. Dice the carrots into very small little pieces. Toss into lightly oiled skillet with a splash of water and set on low heat. Then start mincing garlic and the fresh ginger. Toss that into skillet with carrots. Grab scallions and cut the thick white parts from he green and slice thinly and toss into skillet. And lastly shredded cabbage and thinly slice the greens of the scallions and set that aside.
Carrot, ginger, garlic, and scallions are in skillet getting a little heat. Turn heat up to medium, add a splash or two of water, and cook until the carrots are just starting to get a little soft and the ginger and garlic are fragrant. If the
Add in the chick peas, the soy, and the vinegar and cook away.
Once chick peas are warm through, add in the rice and another splash of water and mix around.
And when the rice is warm, add in he cabbage and greens of the scallion and mix until incorporated.
Now scoop into bowls, toss some cilantro and black pepper on for good measure then grab a eating utensil.
And eat.
-C
serves 2-3 as a meals or 5-6 as a side
3 cups already cooked rice (white or brown, I used brown)
2 cups cooked chick peas
2 carrots
2 inches fresh ginger root
2 gloves garlic
3-4 teaspoon soy or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
2-3 large scallions
small hunk of cabbage
black pepper
Few tablespoons water
fresh cilantro (optional)
Start by prepping the veggies. Cut the carrots into very small little pieces and toss into a large, lightly oiled skillet Place on stove on low heat with a splash of water. Now mince the garlic and ginger and toss it into the skillet was well. Shredded the hunk of cabbage and set aside Grab the scallion, cut the green parts from the white, then thinly slice the the white, thicker part and toss into the skillet and thinly slice the green and add to the pile with the shredded cabbage. Mix all the veggies around, add another tablespoon or two of water, turn heat up to medium, and cook until carrots are slightly soft and the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
Once it is all starting to cook, toss in the drained chickpeas and add in the vinegar and 2-3 teaspoons of soy. Mix and cook until chickpeas are warm all the way through.
Now for the rice. Toss that in and mix around. Once rice is warm, toss in the greens of the scallions and the shredded cabbage. Cook until the rice is hot. Taste, and if you need more soy, add in in another teaspoon.
Once its all hot, it ready to eat and that is what you do. So scoop into bowls, add some chopped cilantro and black pepper and eat.
If you were to ask me what my favorite winter squash would be, I would have to say that I couldn%u2019t choose, I love them all. But when I really, really think about it, when I look deep into my food soul, I could, and I think it would be pumpkin. Yup, pumpkin is my favorite.
Pumpkin is amazing and delicious, Not just as a pie or bread, but eaten in any way that any other winter squashed can be eaten. Fantastic in a soup or roasted or saut%u00e9ed. And yes, blended up into all sorts of baked goods. It tastes somewhat like butternut squash but less sweet and has a nice nutty, earthiness to it and pairs well with al sorts of great spices, not just pumpkin spice. If you haven%u2019t had it outside of a baked good, well then, make this. You are in for a really treat!
But don%u2019t carve a jack o lantern pumpkin then eat that. Those big pumpkins are not very tasty. Get a small pie pumpkin, those are ones to eat.
Now to the tomato stewed pumpkin!
The stuff. A sugar(pie) pumpkin, a couple nice big ripe tomatoes, a large onion, a clove or two or garlic, cumin and chili powder, vinegar, shredded cabbage, and salt and pepper.
Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly shred about 1/3 or it. Small dice the rest Also mince up the garlic too.
Add the thinly shredded onion to the shredded cabbage and toss around with vinegar a little salt and pepper then set aside.
Place the diced onions, minced garlic, tomatoes, and cumin ans chili powder into a big pot with a splash of water and stick on medium heat on stove to start to stew the tomatoes.
While the tomatoes are going, cut up pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (save for roasting) and cut into small cubes. And sure, if you are not a fan of the skin (my favorite part) just peel the pumpkin with a potato peeler before cutting it up small. But really the skin, it is sooo GOOD!
Once the tomatoes are soft and mushy, add in the pumpkin. Keep on heat and place a lid mostly over pot. Let cook.
Soft and stewed and all sorts of everything good.
And then you scoop it into bowls, top with the cabbage slaw, sprinkle with pepper and fresh cilantro if you just so happen to have some, and eat it.
Yeah, pumpkin is my favorite.
-C
makes 2 bigger or 4 smaller serving
1 small sugar pumpkin (around 3 or a little more cups cubed)
2 large tomatoes
2 heaping teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
A few tablespoons water
1-2 cloves garlic
1 large onion
2 cups shredded red or green cabbage
2 tablespoons white vinegar
salt and pepper
Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly slice a little more then half of the half. Toss with the cabbage, the vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside
Dice the rest of the onion and place into a big pot. Grab tomatoes and dice them up as well and place them into the pot with the onions. Sprinkle with a pinch pf salt and pepper and add in the cumin and chili powder. Add 2 tablespoons of water and place on stove on medium heat to start to cook down.
While the tomatoes are stewing away, cut up the pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (and reserve for roasting) and dice it into small chunks. If you are not one to enjoy the greatness of pumpkin skin (it is really good) then before dicing it, just peel it with a potato peeler.
Once tomatoes have cooked down a bit, place the diced pumpkin into the pot. Add another tablespoon or so of water, mix around, partially place a lid on the pot, and let cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin starts to fall apart. If at any time it seems like it needs more liquid, just add in another tablespoon or so of water.
Once it is all stewed up, remove from heat, scoop into a bowl or bowls, and top with the cabbage slaw that was made early.
Eat.
Sometimes it is the simplest of simple things that really get me excited about food. Take for instance burnt broccoli. What exactly is there to say about it other then it is broccoli roasted until it is burnt.
Well I tell ya, it%u2019s amazing and delicious.
I have always been in love with broccoli but lately I have taken to eating more and more of it then usual. Partly because I have been getting a lot of it at the farm, but mostly because I have been craving it in the weirdest way, like every time I get hungry, all I want is to eat is burnt broccoli. What I do is I roast the broccoli unit it is basically burnt. And then I eat it, just like that, nice and burnt and crispy and I just can%u2019t get enough.
Is that a little weird? Maybe sure, but whatever, it is fantastic and I really don%u2019t care if it is weird. I%u2019m doing me and eating a plate of burnt ass broccoli every day makes me happy.
You should try it. It will portably make you happy too.
To the broccoli!
The stuff. All you need is broccoli. You could toss int n a a tiny bit of oil if you want, but I forgo the oil. And salt and pepper if you want too, but again, I don%u2019t want it.
So basically all you do is brake apart broccoli crowns and stick them on a baking sheet and pop it into a really hot oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how burnt you want your broccoli.
Good and crispy. I might leave it in a tad bit longer but at this point I just wanted to eat it so I just called it.
Then once it is burnt, you eat it. Plain and unadulterated or splashed with lemon juice or even dipped in hummus. Any way is a good way because burnt broccoli is alway going to be good.
-C
Broccoli crowns (at least 1, if not a whole lot. Make as much as you want)
olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 450
Break of cut apart broccoli crowns into florets and place on a baking sheet. If you want, lightly oil the baking sheet and or toss broccoli in a teaspoon or so oil.
Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until broccoli is burnt to your liking.
Remove broccoli from oven when done and eat, as a side, in a sandwich, or on it%u2019s own as a great snack.
It%u2019s that time of year again. Time to make the hot sauce!
This year I wanted to do a little twist on my usual plain old jalape%u00f1o hot sauce. And to be honest, I wanted to use up the pineapple juice that I had stashed away in the pantry that I was using to make popsicles for the littles all summer. But mostly it%u2019s because pineapple and jalape%u00f1o are a fantastic flavoring pairing and I knew that adding the pineapple to the hot sauce would only be a great idea.
A great idea it was.
This hot sauce is basic. Hot peppers, vinegar, and a little onion, garlic, and salt. The pineapple juice adds more body, some sweetness, and just a nice undertone of pineappleiness that you didn%u2019t know you really wanted. It is really really good. And about the jalape%u00f1os. They are one of those peppers that can be pretty mild but also can get pretty dang hot. I am not sure of the variety that I have been picking at that farm for the past few years (that is where I get my peppers), but they are always on the pretty dang hot side so my hot sauces always have a good amount of kick to them. If you find your peppers to be a little too mild for you, well go ahead and add a few habaneros to the mix.
Now to the hot sauce!
The stuff. Jalape%u00f1os of course (green, red, or both. I picked both), an onion, a couple cloves garlic, pineapple juice, white vinegar, and salt.
Chop onion and garlic up into chunks on the small side.
Jalape%u00f1os. Chop them up. You want to get rid of the stems and depending on how hot you want your sauce, you might want to remove the seeds and ribs. I don%u2019t bother because we like it hot, but also it%u2019s annoying. HA.
Note. When dealing with any hot peppers, make sure to not touch your face during or after. You will feel it. They are hot.
Toss it all into a pot. Sprinkle with salt and add a splash of water. Place on stove on medium heat to give the peppers and onion a little head start on cooking.
After softening the peppers and onions for about 10 minutes, add the liquid.
Partially cover with a lid and simmer the peppers until they are fall apart tender. Probably about 35-40 minute.
Peppers so soft, ready to go.
Let it cool a few minutes then dump it all Into a blender. Blend until completely blended.
Smooth as smooth can be.
Taste it (like dip a carrot of a piece of bread into it) and add more salt if nessacery. Also, if it is too thick for your liking, add a little water to thin it out.
Hot hot hot sauce for the taking.
And look here, enough for you and maybe even a friend or two%u2026 Holidays are coming!
Enjoy the sauce!
-C
makes between 5-6 cups
25-30 good sized jalape%u00f1os (green or red or both)
2-3 cloves garlic
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
water
Cut the onion into small chunks and roughly mince the garlic. Grab jalape%u00f1os and remove stems. Remove seeds and ribs if you want less heat in the sauce, then chop into small pieces. Place the onion, garlic, and peppers into a big pot with a splash of water. Sprinkle with salt and stick on stove on medium heat and cook for 5-10 minutes or until you can smell the onion and peppers starting to cook.
Dump in the pineapple juice and 1/2 the vinegar. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, partially cover then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until peppers are very tender.
NOTE.. Have a window open or exhaust fan going.. the fumes are spicy!
Once peppers have soften, remove form heat and let cool a few minutes. Dump or scoop the contents of pot into a blender. Add in the remaining vinegar and blend until very smooth. Once blended, taste and season with more salt if needed. Also if the consistency is to thick for your liking, add in a little water to thin out.
And then bottle it. Whatever sized jars you like, just make sure the lids are not metal if you can avoid it. The acidity of the vinegar will corrode the metal.
Add a label, stick in fridge, and eat on whoever the heck you want! (Also makes a great gift and there is defiantly enough here to give some away!)
If you are a gardener or farmer (or know one) you know. It%u2019s that time of year where there are so many tomatoes, and I right? And with the bounty of ripen tomatoes comes the many green tomatoes, There are always green tomatoes and they are not to be dismissed.
Sure a freshly picked gorgeous red or orange tomato, ripe and sweet, eaten within minutes of being plucked from the plant is one of life%u2019s greatest pleasures , but don%u2019t turn a nose at all those tomatoes that don%u2019t make it to ripeness, that fall from the plant. or that you accidentally pick off while getting to the rip ones. Those green tomatoes might not seem like much, but given a little attention, well they can shine just as bright as all those ripe and colorful ones!
All green tomatoes need to be delicious is to be roasted. Then they are amazing, like seriously freaking delicious. Just as bright and flavorful as ripen tomatoes, maybe even more so.
Once roasted you then can make them into sauce. Sauce for pasta, for pizza, for eating straight out of the jar (That is me). It can do anything red tomato sauce can do.
So don%u2019t just let those green tomatoes go to waste. Heck, maybe pluck a few extra green ones before they ripen just so you can enjoy the goodness of roasted green tomatoes!
To the green tomato sauce!
The stuff. Green tomatoes, a large onion, a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, spaghetti, fresh basil, and a few rip cherry tomatoes.
Cut the onion into large chunks and slice all the green tomatoes in half (or quarters if they are large)
Place it all on a baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Also place the unpeeled garlic into a corner and pop the baking sheet into a hot oven to roast.
Ah, all soft was tender and roasted.
(The garlic was removed after 15ish minutes of roasting, peeled and set aside.)
Dump it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
And make spaghetti. I trust you know how to do this.
Ripe up some fresh basil and chop the cherry tomatoes in half and%u2026
Place some of the cooked pasta into a bowl, pour in your desired amount of the sauce, and top with fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.
It is ready. Now eat.
-C
Makes 5-6 cups
Around 20 smaller green tomatoes (or how many you can fit on a a large baking sheet)
a large sweet onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Spagetthi (as much as you want to eat)
handful of fresh basil for erving of pasta resh basil
a few red cherry tomatoes for each serving of pasta
Preheat oven to 450
Cut tomatoes in half (or in quarters if they are large). Peel skin from onion and cut into large chunks. Place both cut tomatoes and onion onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss around and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. On the corner of the pan, place the garlic(still in skin) Place into oven.After 15ish minutes, remove the garlic and set aside. Continue baking the tomatoes and onions for another 35-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are fork tender.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, remove from oven and, being oh so careful, dump or scoop the tomatoes and onion into a blender. Add in the roasted garlic (skin removed) and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce then season with more salt and pepper and add another tablespoon of olive oil if you think it needs it.
To eat with spaghetti.
Make spaghetti as in instructed on box. Once you have cooked spaghetti, drained it, and placed it into a bowl, pour or scoop the green tomato sauce on top. Top with a handful of fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.
Then eat.
Extra tomato sauce can be placed in a jar or container with a lid and refrigerated for about a week.
I feel like people are constantly throwing shade at iceberg lettuce. When talked about, it is always subpar with other greens in the world, that it has no nutritional value, that it is always soggy, that it is just not classy enough.
Well what I say is that iceberg is a hell of a lot more nutritional than a lot of things (like a bag of chips), that if it is soggy, well you bought it when it was no good, and that I love me some iceberg lettuce and I am classy as fuck.
The wedge, It is exactly what is sounds like, a big wedge of lettuce. Traditionally I think it is covered in a mass amount of blue cheese and bacon, but yeah, I don%u2019t get down with that. Hummus and tomatoes ad mustard, that is how I roll. This %u201csalad%u201d is probably one of my all time favorite salads. Crisp and light lettuce, summer fresh tomatoes, creamy hummus, and the slight tang of mustard. I have been eating this for years and it still never stops being a favorite snack (because It really is what I snack on. And I will eat the whole head of lettuce with a few tomatoes. Nothing better on a hot afternoon). Out of all honesty though, I usually don%u2019t eat it like a wedge, I usually just tear off a hunk of lettuce, slice a a slab of tomato, then dunk it straight into the hummus. That goes straight into my mouth and then I squirt a little mustard in there. That is class.
Now to the wedge!
The stuff. A head of iceberg lettuce (cut into wedges), hummus (store bought or home made), a couple of fresh tomatoes, scallions, yellow mustard, and pepper.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and chop up the scallions
Grab a wedge of the lettuce and stick it on a plate. Grab hummus and mix around until loose. Add a tablespoon or two or water to help loosen it if it is too thick, then slather wedge in hummus.
Layer on sliced tomatoes, add more hummus, and drizzle the top with mustard. Oh, and cracked pepper.
And then eat it. One wedge or the whole damn head. No shade from me.
-C
Makes 4 wedges
a head of iceberg lettuce
3/4 cup homemade or store bought hummus
1/4 cup water(if needed)
2 large fresh tomatoes
2-3 scallions (the green parts)
Yellow mustard
cracker pepper
Take the head of iceberg and slam it core side down onto a hard surface. This should dislodge the core (a good trick to know) Then cut the head into 4 equal wedges and place each wedge on a plate.
Slice up tomatoes thinly and chop up the green parts of the scallions.
Grab hummus and mix around until loose. If it is really thick add water until it is the consistency of lets say, a creamy thick dressing. Take the hummus and lather each wedge. Layer on sliced tomato, then top with more hummus.
Grab mustard and drizzle (squeeze) all over each wedge. And last but not least, season with pepper.
Now eat it.
The other morning I woke up chilly, lke legit had to grab a sweater. It made me smile so hard. And when I left for my morning run through the woods, I spent the entire time in a long sleeve shirt, not stupid hot, thinking about all the food that I was suddenly craving. An hour of soups, casseroles, and basically everything hot and comforting running through my mind. Honestly, it%u2019s what I think about during most of my runs. Anyway I was going through my food inventory I had at home and decided what I was going to make myself lunch on this fine cool day was this. Roasted sweet potato with broccoli, onion, and kale. Tahini too. And za%u2019atar. I was drooling while running, again not out of the norm. Good times.
So I came home, did stuff, and made myself lunch. Exactly as I wanted, all for me, and it was everything that I thought it would be. Simple, fresh, hot but not heavy, and just the right amount of comfort to feel all the feels of soon to be fall. I grabbed my food, a book, and sat out on the porch, still in a long sleeved shirt, and ate my lunch. A fine lunch that was. A fine fine lunch.
You should have yourself a fine lunch (or any meal) too.
Now to the food!
The stuff. A sweet potato, a head of broccoli, 1/2 a large onion (or 1 small one), tahini, a lemon, a clove or garlic, za%u2019atar, and salt and pepper.
Start by chopping up the sweet potato into mouth sized pieces, break apart the broccoli into smaller mouth sized pieces, and slice up the onion.
Toss it all onto a sheet pan and cover with the za%u2019atar seasoning. You can toss around in a little oil if you want, but I actually just spray it wit ha little water and call it. I am over roasting with oil, it is to oily.
Put the seasoned goodness into hot hot oven.
Oh and place clove or garlic on pan too, just for a few minutes to get a little roasted and remove. It%u2019s for the tahini dressing.
Make the tahini dressing. Tahini, roasted garlic minced up, lemon juice, and a little hot water. Mix tighter until creamy smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Grab kale and toss it around with everything while it is still hot so the kale kind of wilts. You can also pop it into the oven for a few more minutes to really get that wilt on.
Dump it all into a big bowl.
Drizzle that tahini all over, grab a fork (or not),and make you teeth dance with all this goodness in the mouth.
-C
Serves 1 as a meal
1 sweet potato
1 head of broccoli
a small onion (or half a big one)
a few kale leaves
1 tablespoon za%u2019atar seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
a lemon
a clove of garlic
a few tablespoon hot water
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Grab the sweet potato and cut into mouth sized chunks. Break apart the head of broccoli into florets And cut up stem into chunks, and slice onion into thick pieces. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle on the za%u2019atar, and toss around. Sprinkle or spray(with a spray bottle) with a little water. Also throw the garlic clove onto the pan too and place it into the oven.
After about 10 minutes, grab the garlic from the pan and keep everything else roasting.
In the meantime, make tahini dressing. Mince the roasted garlic and add to the tahini with the juice of half the lemon and a splash of hit water. Mix together until completely incorporated, adding in a little more hot water as needed to make the dressing into a thick, but drizz-able consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
And chop kale into smaller pieces.
After 20ish minutes, remove pan from oven and toss the veggies around and place back into oven and roasted for another 10ish minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and tender and the broccoli is looking all roasted. Remove and right away toss the kale with the hot veggies to get the kale to wilt a bit. Also can stick the pan back into oven for a minute to wilt it even more.
And then dump the contents of the pan into a big bowl, drizzle the tahini all over, and eat that shit.
To know me is to know that I eat a shit load of lentils. And not just one kind, I eat them all, in all the ways, all day, everyday. Vegetables and lentils. That is my truth.
Lentil flour. One more way to consume the mighty legume. Blended while dry into a fine powder, it takes the lentil to a whole other level. You can use the flour in all sorts of things like bread, soup, even in baked goods. it really is a great flour to have on hand, especially if you are hungry and want to toss something quick and easy, heathy, and delicious together like these here pancakes.
These pancakes. All they are made of is lentil flour and pureed up zucchini and onion. Now that might sound a little on the dull side, but trust me here, they are far from dull. They are freaking delicious. And better for it that they take like 10 minutes from start to finish to make. And no oven which is necessary these days with all the stupid hot weather.
Anyway. lentil zucchini pancakes. Give them a try. They will probably become your favorite.
To the lentil flour and zucchini pancakes!
The stuff. Dry green lentils, a zucchini, and onion, salt and pepper, and a splash of oil.
Te make lentil flour. Place dried lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a fine flour.
Once you have the flour made, cut up the zucchini and onion into chunks.
Drop into the blender and blend until pretty smooth.
Dump puree into bowl and top with some lentil flour.
Mix until completely combined. The batter should be kind of thic but still spoonable. Also, season with salt was pepper here.
Heat up a skillet with a splash of oil. Once hot, scoop spoonfuls of batter into pan and spread it evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Cook first side fr 4-6 minutes or until nice and brown then flip and cook the other side until done. Repeat until batter is gone.
Now eat your amazing delicious lentil zucchini pancakes. I served with fresh salsa, and I have also made tahini dip and used hummus to smear on them which was also freaking amazing, but you can serve with whatever floats your boat.
-C
1 pound dry green lentils
1 large zucchini
1 onion
salt and pepper
splash of oil
Start with the by making the lentil flour. Place lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it has turned into a fine flour. You might need to stop the blender ever once in a while to move things around with a spoon (when it is turned off!). It should only take about a minute or so in a Vitamix, but maybe a few extra minutes if using a less powerful blender.
Once flour is achieved, dump into a jar with a lid. You probably won%u2019t be using it all right now.
Now grab the zucchini and onion and cut into chunks. Place the chunks into the blender and blend until smooth.
Dump puree into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of lentil flour and stir. IF the batter is really loss, add in another 1/4 cup or more to get the batter to a thick but spreadable consistency (kind of like hummus). Season with salt and pepper.
Grab a skillet and place on medium heat with a splash of oil. Once skillet is heated place spoonfuls of the batter in and spread around until between 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Cook fist side for 4-6 minutes or until a nice golden brown then flip and cook the other for a few minutes until browed. Repeat until batter is gone.
Place cooked pancakes on a plate, grab a fork and some savory type condiment (hummus, salsa, tahini, cashew cream) and eat.
Eggplant and I are having real moment right now. I honestly think I have been eating one, in some way or another, just about every day for the last week or so. And no, I am not sick of them at all. But yes, I have been lazy about doing much other roasting or braising the old plant and just eating it straight into my mouth hole. But I guess sometimes my lazy ass wants more substance and also, it is nice to feed the mr something good too. I figured I should maybe do something a little more classy, more meal like, and might actually require a fork to eat it with. (I have a real tendency to eat with my hands, even the things that most people would probably say could not be eaten with hands. You should see me eat soup! Ha!) And so I prepared for us a feat of greatness (not really a feat, but great for sure). Eggplant roll ups.
These rolls are way more tasty and delicious then the effort it takes to make them. Really, they are super simple to make. Just a thick herby bean filling rolled up in eggplant and roasted in tomatoes. Sounds so good right? Well then taste even better. And then you can top that whole shebang with some fresh basil and everyone is all good to go.
So ok, I feed some to the mr for dinner because the goal was to fee us both with one dish, but I sure did eat more then half (like 3/4 of it) to myself. Without a fork.
There is no shame in my game.
Now to the eggplant rolls!
The stuff. An eggplant, an onion, some white beans, crushed tomatoes, a lemon, some thyme, oregano,and garlic powder, salt and pepper, oil, and basil. (I just pureed all my fresh basil into a paste so yeah).
First up, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Place the pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. It is ok if they overlap a little, we are just trying to soften them a bit. Stick into a hot oven.
Into a skillet it goes to cook up until soft and fragrant.
Eggplant, comes out of the oven all nice a pliable.
Now make the bean filling. Beans, onions, spices, juice of lemon, and a good crank of pepper and a pinch of salt go into food processor. Blend until smooth.
Gently grab an eggplant cut and cover one side with the bean mixture. Don%u2019t skimp our but don%u2019t add ore then you can roll up. And then roll it up.
Add a cup or so of sauce to a skillet or casserole dish, then place the rolls on in. Once all the rolls are in, cover with the remaining crushed tomato or marinara sauce.
Pop into hot oven to bake.
And then when the eggplant is tender and the sauce is all bubbly, pop it out.
Add some fresh basil (or basil puree) and grab that fork.
Nothing left for you to do beside eat it.
-C
serves 3-5
a medium to large eggplant
1 yellow onion
2 1/2 cups white beans (or one can)
a lemon
teaspoon each of thyme, garlic powder and oregano
3 cups crushed tomato or a simple marinara sauce
salt and pepper
splash of oil
fresh basil (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grab the eggplant and cut the very top off then cut slices lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick. You should get about 10-12 slices. Place the slices onto a baking sheet, overlapping a little if necessary, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place into oven. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is just barely starting to soften and becomes pliable. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.
Meanwhile chop up the onion and place into a lightly oiled skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent and fragrant. Once cooked, place into a food processor along with the beans (drained but keep the liquid),the spices, and the juice of the lemon. Pulse until smooth and if needed, add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to loosen it up enough to blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Now to make the rolls. Grab cooled off piece of eggplant, lay it flat, and cover with the bean mixture. Not too much or too little, probably a bit less then 1/4 cup. Then roll the eggplant up. Either grab a skillet or baking dish and add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato or marinara sauce to the bottom. Place rolls as they are being made into the dish. Once you have filled the dish with the rolls, cover with the remaining sauce.
Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 30ish minutes or until eggplant is nice and fork tender.
Once baked, remove from oven, left cool for a few minute and then serve. Top with fresh basil (or basil puree) if you want.
Eat with a fork.
Granola is a weakness of mine, well good granola is. I don%u2019t really call most stuff of the stuff you can buy at the store really granola, it is more like sugary candy crap that is marketed to be good for you when it really is not. That shit is gross and that%u2019s my truth.
Real granola, or the kind I make, is the basic bitch of granola. All it is is oats, a spice or two, salt, and a pureed up fruit (or veggies). Sometimes I will add a seed or nut at the end, or maybe even a little coconut or some other dried fruit. There is no added sweetener added, no added oils, just straight up oats and fruit.. And it%u2019s clumpy and crunchy, and all sorts of frantastic. It really is what every granola should strive to be.
The last batch I made was peach because, if you didn%u2019t know, it is peach season. Plus peach granola is delicious. That is fact. (unless you don%u2019t like peaches).
Now to the granola!
The stuff. Old fashion oats, a couple of ripe peaches, cinnamon, salt, and a little water.
Cut peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into chunks.
Place peach chunks into blender and blend until smooth.
Mix the cinnamon and salt with the oats.
Pour the peach puree into the oats.
Mix until evenly incorporated and a little clumpy. If the oats are all moist but not creating any clumps, add a few tablespoons water until there is some clumping going on.
Dump mixture onto a baking sheet, You can line it, but I don%u2019t bother.
Pop into preheated oven to bake for about 25 minutes then remove from oven and toss around. Stick it back into oven for 25 more minutes or so. After 45-50 minutes of being in the oven, turn oven off and just let granola cool in oven. It%u2019s key to crispy granola.
Cooled off and all crispy and clumpy. Granola at it%u2019s finest.
Into a jar to save some for later to eat however you want.
Me, I like handfuls straight into my mouth, chased by a little oat milk. Hehe!
-C
makes 2 1/2 cups
2 peaches
2 1/2 cups old fashion oats
a few tablespoons of water (if needed)
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 375
Cut peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into a few chunks. Place chunks into a blender and blend until smooth.
Place oats into a big bowl and mix in the salt and cinnamon then dump in the peach puree. Mix until completely incorporated and a little clumpy. IF there are no clumps, add a few tablespoons water and mix. Dump mixture onto a baking sheet and evenly distribute. Place baking granola into oven to bake.
Bake for 25 minutes, remove the granola and toss around with a spatula, then place back into oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes. After being in the oven for a total of 45-50ish minutes, turn oven off but keep granola in oven to cool. This is key to a good crispy granola.
After cooling off in oven, remove and eat. Place what is not eaten in an airtight container. Eat within a week or so.
The short of it is, people, stop wasting your beet greens!
The long of it is that I went to pick up my farm share this week and ooh lovely we got bunch beets. Bunched beets are my favorite becuase when they come bunched, they come with the greens and I can honestly say that the greens are some of my favorites. So I grabbed my bunched beets and continued picking up the rest of my veggies. As I tuned the corner I passed the compost. Know what I saw? Beet greens. People were grabbing there beets and ripping the greens off and tossing them into the compost. Oh that just pissed me off. First because it still shocks me that people don%u2019t realize they can, and should, eat the greens but more because I wish they just left the greens in the extras pile. I would have gladly taken them home. I almost went into the compost but there was some gross stuff in there and plus there was a line of people waiting patiently to get the to cucumbers. I had to walk away.
Oh how I can%u2019t stand wasted food!
So now that we all know that beet greens are food and are amazing, you might ask how do you eat beet greens? Any way you want really, but you can use them like any other green. They are kind of like chard orkale, but more beety and are just really really good. One on my favorite and simple things to do is beet greens saut%u00e9ed with garlic and ginger and a little soy with thinly sliced vinegary onions. Fast, easy, and tasty as hell.
There you go. Now never waste your beet greens again. Or if you don%u2019t want them you can give them to me!
Now to the beet greens!
The stuff. A bunch of beet greens (you don%u2019t need the beets) an onion (Or 2 really small onions) soy or aminos, garlic, ginger, red wine vinegar, and a splash of oil.
First, thinly slice onion and place into a bowl. Dump in the vinegar and toss around.
Grab the beet greens and cut the leafy parts from the stem. Chop the stems up into small pieces.
Place stems into a skillet with a tiny splash of oil and water and cook on medium heat.
Mince up garlic and ginger.
Once stems are tender, toss in the garlic and ginger and mix around. Keep on heat.
Now grab the greens and rough chop into smaller pieces
Once the garlic and ginger becomes fragrant, toss in the greens and stir in until wilted. Once wilted, dump in the soy and mix around. cook for another minute or so then remove from heat.
Toss in the onions and mix around.
Now just eat. From skillet or grab a bowl. You do you.
-C
serves 1-3
1 bunch of beet greens
1 regular sized onions (or 2 very small onions)
2 cloves garlic
inch piece of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons soy, tamari, or aminos
a splash of oil.
a splash of water
First, if there are beets attached to the greens, cut them off and save them for later.
Take the onion and slice into very thin pieces, place into a bowl, and toss them with the vinegar. Set aside.
Grab greens and cut the leafy parts from the stem. Cut the stem up into little pieces and toss into a skillet with a splash of oil and a splash of water. Set on medium heat to cook. While cooking, mince garlic and ginger and once the stems become tender, toss garlic and given into the pan and mix around. Keep on heat. Now grab greens and give them a good rough chop then toss them into skillet once the garlic and ginger become fragrant. Mix around until wilted. Once wilted, add in the soy and mix. Cook for another minutes or so then remove from heat. Toss in the onions with the vinegar. And that is it. And now you eat.
I am freaking hot. We are currently in a heat wave right this very minute and I am not happy about it. This is my problem with summer, the heat. Or better yet, the heat with humidity. It turns me sour and I can%u2019t deal with anything, including myself. It is not a good look on me.
But a redeeming quality summer does have is all the fresh produce. The farm share is really starting to pick up and we are getting a good amount of fresh goody goods and that is something I can%u2019t not be happy about. But it is still to hot and when it%u2019s to hot, no one (I think) wants to cook. So don%u2019t cook, just compile. A big ass bowl of veggies, some lentil (or use beans if you want) , and creamy peanut sauce. Thrown together within minutes, hardy and satisfying without being heavy and hot, and tasted really freaking good. A meal on it%u2019s own or a fantastic side dish or snack dish or you know, anytime eating time food dish.
It is just a good dish to make and even better to eat. Heatwave or not.
Now to the cauliflower, kale, and lentil bowl with all the peanut sauce!
The stuff. Half a head of cauliflower, a few big kale leaves, half an onion, cooked lentils, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, hot water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Cut up cauliflower. Just go at it with a knife until it is a pile of small little pieces. Then dice up the onion into small pieces and cut up kale into small pieces as well.
Toss all of that into a bowl and top with the lentils.
Peanut sauce. Mix together the peanut butter, vinegar, soy, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir and add in enough hot water to make it creamy, smooth, and pourable.
Dump the peanut sauce into the bowl with everything else.
Toss until everything is evenly coated. And don%u2019t forget to add a good amount of black pepper.
And that is it. Now grab a bowl and a fork and eat. It is really really good.
-C
Serves 1-2 as a big salad or 3-4 as a side
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 1/2 cup cooked lentils
2-3 large kale leaves
1/2 a small onion
Peanut Sauce
1/4 heaping cup of peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
4-5 tablespoons hot water
black pepper
Start by chopping up cauliflower into little pieces. Some pieces will be like crumble and that is good. Also dice up onion into small pieces and chop kale into small pieces. Place it all into a bowl and top with the cooked lentils.
Make peanut sauce. Place peanut butter, soy ,vinegar, the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons hot water into a jar or bowl and mix until incorporated. It should be smooth and thick, but pourable. If to thick, add in another tablespoon or two of hot water.
Once sauce is made, dump into bowl with the rest of the stuff and toss until everything is coated and combined. Top with lots of black pepper and then, well, eat. Or set aside until meal time. Then eat.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
November 4, 2020 by maximios • Blog
Rice is a hit or miss in this house. Whenever I make it fresh, I either make too much or not enough so I like to air on the side of too much because when there is too much, you just save for a later day and make fried rice, which to some, might be even better then fresh rice. So there you go.
Fried rice. Not really a complicated dish. Basically it is just reheating rice up in a skillet with some stuff. This version is carrot ginger with chickpeas because those flavors are on point and also I had just made a huge batch of chikepeas and always have carrots and ginger on hand. The rice was just waiting to be reheated and I was glad for it because fried rice take a quarter of the time to make then fresh rice (I use brown rice) and I was trying to get dinner done without having to make much of an effort. And because there is veggies and chickpeas in this rice, it is a complete meal and did not need to make anything else. One pot dinner and done. Good things.
Now to the fried rice!
The stuff. Cooked rice, chick peas, carrots, fresh ginger, garlic, soy, red wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, cabbage, and cilantro (optional). Also going to need a little water. And black pepper.
Start with veggies. Dice the carrots into very small little pieces. Toss into lightly oiled skillet with a splash of water and set on low heat. Then start mincing garlic and the fresh ginger. Toss that into skillet with carrots. Grab scallions and cut the thick white parts from he green and slice thinly and toss into skillet. And lastly shredded cabbage and thinly slice the greens of the scallions and set that aside.
Carrot, ginger, garlic, and scallions are in skillet getting a little heat. Turn heat up to medium, add a splash or two of water, and cook until the carrots are just starting to get a little soft and the ginger and garlic are fragrant. If the
Add in the chick peas, the soy, and the vinegar and cook away.
Once chick peas are warm through, add in the rice and another splash of water and mix around.
And when the rice is warm, add in he cabbage and greens of the scallion and mix until incorporated.
Now scoop into bowls, toss some cilantro and black pepper on for good measure then grab a eating utensil.
And eat.
-C
serves 2-3 as a meals or 5-6 as a side
3 cups already cooked rice (white or brown, I used brown)
2 cups cooked chick peas
2 carrots
2 inches fresh ginger root
2 gloves garlic
3-4 teaspoon soy or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
2-3 large scallions
small hunk of cabbage
black pepper
Few tablespoons water
fresh cilantro (optional)
Start by prepping the veggies. Cut the carrots into very small little pieces and toss into a large, lightly oiled skillet Place on stove on low heat with a splash of water. Now mince the garlic and ginger and toss it into the skillet was well. Shredded the hunk of cabbage and set aside Grab the scallion, cut the green parts from the white, then thinly slice the the white, thicker part and toss into the skillet and thinly slice the green and add to the pile with the shredded cabbage. Mix all the veggies around, add another tablespoon or two of water, turn heat up to medium, and cook until carrots are slightly soft and the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
Once it is all starting to cook, toss in the drained chickpeas and add in the vinegar and 2-3 teaspoons of soy. Mix and cook until chickpeas are warm all the way through.
Now for the rice. Toss that in and mix around. Once rice is warm, toss in the greens of the scallions and the shredded cabbage. Cook until the rice is hot. Taste, and if you need more soy, add in in another teaspoon.
Once its all hot, it ready to eat and that is what you do. So scoop into bowls, add some chopped cilantro and black pepper and eat.
If you were to ask me what my favorite winter squash would be, I would have to say that I couldn%u2019t choose, I love them all. But when I really, really think about it, when I look deep into my food soul, I could, and I think it would be pumpkin. Yup, pumpkin is my favorite.
Pumpkin is amazing and delicious, Not just as a pie or bread, but eaten in any way that any other winter squashed can be eaten. Fantastic in a soup or roasted or saut%u00e9ed. And yes, blended up into all sorts of baked goods. It tastes somewhat like butternut squash but less sweet and has a nice nutty, earthiness to it and pairs well with al sorts of great spices, not just pumpkin spice. If you haven%u2019t had it outside of a baked good, well then, make this. You are in for a really treat!
But don%u2019t carve a jack o lantern pumpkin then eat that. Those big pumpkins are not very tasty. Get a small pie pumpkin, those are ones to eat.
Now to the tomato stewed pumpkin!
The stuff. A sugar(pie) pumpkin, a couple nice big ripe tomatoes, a large onion, a clove or two or garlic, cumin and chili powder, vinegar, shredded cabbage, and salt and pepper.
Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly shred about 1/3 or it. Small dice the rest Also mince up the garlic too.
Add the thinly shredded onion to the shredded cabbage and toss around with vinegar a little salt and pepper then set aside.
Place the diced onions, minced garlic, tomatoes, and cumin ans chili powder into a big pot with a splash of water and stick on medium heat on stove to start to stew the tomatoes.
While the tomatoes are going, cut up pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (save for roasting) and cut into small cubes. And sure, if you are not a fan of the skin (my favorite part) just peel the pumpkin with a potato peeler before cutting it up small. But really the skin, it is sooo GOOD!
Once the tomatoes are soft and mushy, add in the pumpkin. Keep on heat and place a lid mostly over pot. Let cook.
Soft and stewed and all sorts of everything good.
And then you scoop it into bowls, top with the cabbage slaw, sprinkle with pepper and fresh cilantro if you just so happen to have some, and eat it.
Yeah, pumpkin is my favorite.
-C
makes 2 bigger or 4 smaller serving
1 small sugar pumpkin (around 3 or a little more cups cubed)
2 large tomatoes
2 heaping teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
A few tablespoons water
1-2 cloves garlic
1 large onion
2 cups shredded red or green cabbage
2 tablespoons white vinegar
salt and pepper
Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly slice a little more then half of the half. Toss with the cabbage, the vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside
Dice the rest of the onion and place into a big pot. Grab tomatoes and dice them up as well and place them into the pot with the onions. Sprinkle with a pinch pf salt and pepper and add in the cumin and chili powder. Add 2 tablespoons of water and place on stove on medium heat to start to cook down.
While the tomatoes are stewing away, cut up the pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (and reserve for roasting) and dice it into small chunks. If you are not one to enjoy the greatness of pumpkin skin (it is really good) then before dicing it, just peel it with a potato peeler.
Once tomatoes have cooked down a bit, place the diced pumpkin into the pot. Add another tablespoon or so of water, mix around, partially place a lid on the pot, and let cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin starts to fall apart. If at any time it seems like it needs more liquid, just add in another tablespoon or so of water.
Once it is all stewed up, remove from heat, scoop into a bowl or bowls, and top with the cabbage slaw that was made early.
Eat.
Sometimes it is the simplest of simple things that really get me excited about food. Take for instance burnt broccoli. What exactly is there to say about it other then it is broccoli roasted until it is burnt.
Well I tell ya, it%u2019s amazing and delicious.
I have always been in love with broccoli but lately I have taken to eating more and more of it then usual. Partly because I have been getting a lot of it at the farm, but mostly because I have been craving it in the weirdest way, like every time I get hungry, all I want is to eat is burnt broccoli. What I do is I roast the broccoli unit it is basically burnt. And then I eat it, just like that, nice and burnt and crispy and I just can%u2019t get enough.
Is that a little weird? Maybe sure, but whatever, it is fantastic and I really don%u2019t care if it is weird. I%u2019m doing me and eating a plate of burnt ass broccoli every day makes me happy.
You should try it. It will portably make you happy too.
To the broccoli!
The stuff. All you need is broccoli. You could toss int n a a tiny bit of oil if you want, but I forgo the oil. And salt and pepper if you want too, but again, I don%u2019t want it.
So basically all you do is brake apart broccoli crowns and stick them on a baking sheet and pop it into a really hot oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how burnt you want your broccoli.
Good and crispy. I might leave it in a tad bit longer but at this point I just wanted to eat it so I just called it.
Then once it is burnt, you eat it. Plain and unadulterated or splashed with lemon juice or even dipped in hummus. Any way is a good way because burnt broccoli is alway going to be good.
-C
Broccoli crowns (at least 1, if not a whole lot. Make as much as you want)
olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 450
Break of cut apart broccoli crowns into florets and place on a baking sheet. If you want, lightly oil the baking sheet and or toss broccoli in a teaspoon or so oil.
Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until broccoli is burnt to your liking.
Remove broccoli from oven when done and eat, as a side, in a sandwich, or on it%u2019s own as a great snack.
It%u2019s that time of year again. Time to make the hot sauce!
This year I wanted to do a little twist on my usual plain old jalape%u00f1o hot sauce. And to be honest, I wanted to use up the pineapple juice that I had stashed away in the pantry that I was using to make popsicles for the littles all summer. But mostly it%u2019s because pineapple and jalape%u00f1o are a fantastic flavoring pairing and I knew that adding the pineapple to the hot sauce would only be a great idea.
A great idea it was.
This hot sauce is basic. Hot peppers, vinegar, and a little onion, garlic, and salt. The pineapple juice adds more body, some sweetness, and just a nice undertone of pineappleiness that you didn%u2019t know you really wanted. It is really really good. And about the jalape%u00f1os. They are one of those peppers that can be pretty mild but also can get pretty dang hot. I am not sure of the variety that I have been picking at that farm for the past few years (that is where I get my peppers), but they are always on the pretty dang hot side so my hot sauces always have a good amount of kick to them. If you find your peppers to be a little too mild for you, well go ahead and add a few habaneros to the mix.
Now to the hot sauce!
The stuff. Jalape%u00f1os of course (green, red, or both. I picked both), an onion, a couple cloves garlic, pineapple juice, white vinegar, and salt.
Chop onion and garlic up into chunks on the small side.
Jalape%u00f1os. Chop them up. You want to get rid of the stems and depending on how hot you want your sauce, you might want to remove the seeds and ribs. I don%u2019t bother because we like it hot, but also it%u2019s annoying. HA.
Note. When dealing with any hot peppers, make sure to not touch your face during or after. You will feel it. They are hot.
Toss it all into a pot. Sprinkle with salt and add a splash of water. Place on stove on medium heat to give the peppers and onion a little head start on cooking.
After softening the peppers and onions for about 10 minutes, add the liquid.
Partially cover with a lid and simmer the peppers until they are fall apart tender. Probably about 35-40 minute.
Peppers so soft, ready to go.
Let it cool a few minutes then dump it all Into a blender. Blend until completely blended.
Smooth as smooth can be.
Taste it (like dip a carrot of a piece of bread into it) and add more salt if nessacery. Also, if it is too thick for your liking, add a little water to thin it out.
Hot hot hot sauce for the taking.
And look here, enough for you and maybe even a friend or two%u2026 Holidays are coming!
Enjoy the sauce!
-C
makes between 5-6 cups
25-30 good sized jalape%u00f1os (green or red or both)
2-3 cloves garlic
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
water
Cut the onion into small chunks and roughly mince the garlic. Grab jalape%u00f1os and remove stems. Remove seeds and ribs if you want less heat in the sauce, then chop into small pieces. Place the onion, garlic, and peppers into a big pot with a splash of water. Sprinkle with salt and stick on stove on medium heat and cook for 5-10 minutes or until you can smell the onion and peppers starting to cook.
Dump in the pineapple juice and 1/2 the vinegar. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, partially cover then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until peppers are very tender.
NOTE.. Have a window open or exhaust fan going.. the fumes are spicy!
Once peppers have soften, remove form heat and let cool a few minutes. Dump or scoop the contents of pot into a blender. Add in the remaining vinegar and blend until very smooth. Once blended, taste and season with more salt if needed. Also if the consistency is to thick for your liking, add in a little water to thin out.
And then bottle it. Whatever sized jars you like, just make sure the lids are not metal if you can avoid it. The acidity of the vinegar will corrode the metal.
Add a label, stick in fridge, and eat on whoever the heck you want! (Also makes a great gift and there is defiantly enough here to give some away!)
If you are a gardener or farmer (or know one) you know. It%u2019s that time of year where there are so many tomatoes, and I right? And with the bounty of ripen tomatoes comes the many green tomatoes, There are always green tomatoes and they are not to be dismissed.
Sure a freshly picked gorgeous red or orange tomato, ripe and sweet, eaten within minutes of being plucked from the plant is one of life%u2019s greatest pleasures , but don%u2019t turn a nose at all those tomatoes that don%u2019t make it to ripeness, that fall from the plant. or that you accidentally pick off while getting to the rip ones. Those green tomatoes might not seem like much, but given a little attention, well they can shine just as bright as all those ripe and colorful ones!
All green tomatoes need to be delicious is to be roasted. Then they are amazing, like seriously freaking delicious. Just as bright and flavorful as ripen tomatoes, maybe even more so.
Once roasted you then can make them into sauce. Sauce for pasta, for pizza, for eating straight out of the jar (That is me). It can do anything red tomato sauce can do.
So don%u2019t just let those green tomatoes go to waste. Heck, maybe pluck a few extra green ones before they ripen just so you can enjoy the goodness of roasted green tomatoes!
To the green tomato sauce!
The stuff. Green tomatoes, a large onion, a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, spaghetti, fresh basil, and a few rip cherry tomatoes.
Cut the onion into large chunks and slice all the green tomatoes in half (or quarters if they are large)
Place it all on a baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Also place the unpeeled garlic into a corner and pop the baking sheet into a hot oven to roast.
Ah, all soft was tender and roasted.
(The garlic was removed after 15ish minutes of roasting, peeled and set aside.)
Dump it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
And make spaghetti. I trust you know how to do this.
Ripe up some fresh basil and chop the cherry tomatoes in half and%u2026
Place some of the cooked pasta into a bowl, pour in your desired amount of the sauce, and top with fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.
It is ready. Now eat.
-C
Makes 5-6 cups
Around 20 smaller green tomatoes (or how many you can fit on a a large baking sheet)
a large sweet onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Spagetthi (as much as you want to eat)
handful of fresh basil for erving of pasta resh basil
a few red cherry tomatoes for each serving of pasta
Preheat oven to 450
Cut tomatoes in half (or in quarters if they are large). Peel skin from onion and cut into large chunks. Place both cut tomatoes and onion onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss around and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. On the corner of the pan, place the garlic(still in skin) Place into oven.After 15ish minutes, remove the garlic and set aside. Continue baking the tomatoes and onions for another 35-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are fork tender.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, remove from oven and, being oh so careful, dump or scoop the tomatoes and onion into a blender. Add in the roasted garlic (skin removed) and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce then season with more salt and pepper and add another tablespoon of olive oil if you think it needs it.
To eat with spaghetti.
Make spaghetti as in instructed on box. Once you have cooked spaghetti, drained it, and placed it into a bowl, pour or scoop the green tomato sauce on top. Top with a handful of fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.
Then eat.
Extra tomato sauce can be placed in a jar or container with a lid and refrigerated for about a week.
I feel like people are constantly throwing shade at iceberg lettuce. When talked about, it is always subpar with other greens in the world, that it has no nutritional value, that it is always soggy, that it is just not classy enough.
Well what I say is that iceberg is a hell of a lot more nutritional than a lot of things (like a bag of chips), that if it is soggy, well you bought it when it was no good, and that I love me some iceberg lettuce and I am classy as fuck.
The wedge, It is exactly what is sounds like, a big wedge of lettuce. Traditionally I think it is covered in a mass amount of blue cheese and bacon, but yeah, I don%u2019t get down with that. Hummus and tomatoes ad mustard, that is how I roll. This %u201csalad%u201d is probably one of my all time favorite salads. Crisp and light lettuce, summer fresh tomatoes, creamy hummus, and the slight tang of mustard. I have been eating this for years and it still never stops being a favorite snack (because It really is what I snack on. And I will eat the whole head of lettuce with a few tomatoes. Nothing better on a hot afternoon). Out of all honesty though, I usually don%u2019t eat it like a wedge, I usually just tear off a hunk of lettuce, slice a a slab of tomato, then dunk it straight into the hummus. That goes straight into my mouth and then I squirt a little mustard in there. That is class.
Now to the wedge!
The stuff. A head of iceberg lettuce (cut into wedges), hummus (store bought or home made), a couple of fresh tomatoes, scallions, yellow mustard, and pepper.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and chop up the scallions
Grab a wedge of the lettuce and stick it on a plate. Grab hummus and mix around until loose. Add a tablespoon or two or water to help loosen it if it is too thick, then slather wedge in hummus.
Layer on sliced tomatoes, add more hummus, and drizzle the top with mustard. Oh, and cracked pepper.
And then eat it. One wedge or the whole damn head. No shade from me.
-C
Makes 4 wedges
a head of iceberg lettuce
3/4 cup homemade or store bought hummus
1/4 cup water(if needed)
2 large fresh tomatoes
2-3 scallions (the green parts)
Yellow mustard
cracker pepper
Take the head of iceberg and slam it core side down onto a hard surface. This should dislodge the core (a good trick to know) Then cut the head into 4 equal wedges and place each wedge on a plate.
Slice up tomatoes thinly and chop up the green parts of the scallions.
Grab hummus and mix around until loose. If it is really thick add water until it is the consistency of lets say, a creamy thick dressing. Take the hummus and lather each wedge. Layer on sliced tomato, then top with more hummus.
Grab mustard and drizzle (squeeze) all over each wedge. And last but not least, season with pepper.
Now eat it.
The other morning I woke up chilly, lke legit had to grab a sweater. It made me smile so hard. And when I left for my morning run through the woods, I spent the entire time in a long sleeve shirt, not stupid hot, thinking about all the food that I was suddenly craving. An hour of soups, casseroles, and basically everything hot and comforting running through my mind. Honestly, it%u2019s what I think about during most of my runs. Anyway I was going through my food inventory I had at home and decided what I was going to make myself lunch on this fine cool day was this. Roasted sweet potato with broccoli, onion, and kale. Tahini too. And za%u2019atar. I was drooling while running, again not out of the norm. Good times.
So I came home, did stuff, and made myself lunch. Exactly as I wanted, all for me, and it was everything that I thought it would be. Simple, fresh, hot but not heavy, and just the right amount of comfort to feel all the feels of soon to be fall. I grabbed my food, a book, and sat out on the porch, still in a long sleeved shirt, and ate my lunch. A fine lunch that was. A fine fine lunch.
You should have yourself a fine lunch (or any meal) too.
Now to the food!
The stuff. A sweet potato, a head of broccoli, 1/2 a large onion (or 1 small one), tahini, a lemon, a clove or garlic, za%u2019atar, and salt and pepper.
Start by chopping up the sweet potato into mouth sized pieces, break apart the broccoli into smaller mouth sized pieces, and slice up the onion.
Toss it all onto a sheet pan and cover with the za%u2019atar seasoning. You can toss around in a little oil if you want, but I actually just spray it wit ha little water and call it. I am over roasting with oil, it is to oily.
Put the seasoned goodness into hot hot oven.
Oh and place clove or garlic on pan too, just for a few minutes to get a little roasted and remove. It%u2019s for the tahini dressing.
Make the tahini dressing. Tahini, roasted garlic minced up, lemon juice, and a little hot water. Mix tighter until creamy smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Grab kale and toss it around with everything while it is still hot so the kale kind of wilts. You can also pop it into the oven for a few more minutes to really get that wilt on.
Dump it all into a big bowl.
Drizzle that tahini all over, grab a fork (or not),and make you teeth dance with all this goodness in the mouth.
-C
Serves 1 as a meal
1 sweet potato
1 head of broccoli
a small onion (or half a big one)
a few kale leaves
1 tablespoon za%u2019atar seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
a lemon
a clove of garlic
a few tablespoon hot water
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Grab the sweet potato and cut into mouth sized chunks. Break apart the head of broccoli into florets And cut up stem into chunks, and slice onion into thick pieces. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle on the za%u2019atar, and toss around. Sprinkle or spray(with a spray bottle) with a little water. Also throw the garlic clove onto the pan too and place it into the oven.
After about 10 minutes, grab the garlic from the pan and keep everything else roasting.
In the meantime, make tahini dressing. Mince the roasted garlic and add to the tahini with the juice of half the lemon and a splash of hit water. Mix together until completely incorporated, adding in a little more hot water as needed to make the dressing into a thick, but drizz-able consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
And chop kale into smaller pieces.
After 20ish minutes, remove pan from oven and toss the veggies around and place back into oven and roasted for another 10ish minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and tender and the broccoli is looking all roasted. Remove and right away toss the kale with the hot veggies to get the kale to wilt a bit. Also can stick the pan back into oven for a minute to wilt it even more.
And then dump the contents of the pan into a big bowl, drizzle the tahini all over, and eat that shit.
To know me is to know that I eat a shit load of lentils. And not just one kind, I eat them all, in all the ways, all day, everyday. Vegetables and lentils. That is my truth.
Lentil flour. One more way to consume the mighty legume. Blended while dry into a fine powder, it takes the lentil to a whole other level. You can use the flour in all sorts of things like bread, soup, even in baked goods. it really is a great flour to have on hand, especially if you are hungry and want to toss something quick and easy, heathy, and delicious together like these here pancakes.
These pancakes. All they are made of is lentil flour and pureed up zucchini and onion. Now that might sound a little on the dull side, but trust me here, they are far from dull. They are freaking delicious. And better for it that they take like 10 minutes from start to finish to make. And no oven which is necessary these days with all the stupid hot weather.
Anyway. lentil zucchini pancakes. Give them a try. They will probably become your favorite.
To the lentil flour and zucchini pancakes!
The stuff. Dry green lentils, a zucchini, and onion, salt and pepper, and a splash of oil.
Te make lentil flour. Place dried lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a fine flour.
Once you have the flour made, cut up the zucchini and onion into chunks.
Drop into the blender and blend until pretty smooth.
Dump puree into bowl and top with some lentil flour.
Mix until completely combined. The batter should be kind of thic but still spoonable. Also, season with salt was pepper here.
Heat up a skillet with a splash of oil. Once hot, scoop spoonfuls of batter into pan and spread it evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Cook first side fr 4-6 minutes or until nice and brown then flip and cook the other side until done. Repeat until batter is gone.
Now eat your amazing delicious lentil zucchini pancakes. I served with fresh salsa, and I have also made tahini dip and used hummus to smear on them which was also freaking amazing, but you can serve with whatever floats your boat.
-C
1 pound dry green lentils
1 large zucchini
1 onion
salt and pepper
splash of oil
Start with the by making the lentil flour. Place lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it has turned into a fine flour. You might need to stop the blender ever once in a while to move things around with a spoon (when it is turned off!). It should only take about a minute or so in a Vitamix, but maybe a few extra minutes if using a less powerful blender.
Once flour is achieved, dump into a jar with a lid. You probably won%u2019t be using it all right now.
Now grab the zucchini and onion and cut into chunks. Place the chunks into the blender and blend until smooth.
Dump puree into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of lentil flour and stir. IF the batter is really loss, add in another 1/4 cup or more to get the batter to a thick but spreadable consistency (kind of like hummus). Season with salt and pepper.
Grab a skillet and place on medium heat with a splash of oil. Once skillet is heated place spoonfuls of the batter in and spread around until between 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Cook fist side for 4-6 minutes or until a nice golden brown then flip and cook the other for a few minutes until browed. Repeat until batter is gone.
Place cooked pancakes on a plate, grab a fork and some savory type condiment (hummus, salsa, tahini, cashew cream) and eat.
Eggplant and I are having real moment right now. I honestly think I have been eating one, in some way or another, just about every day for the last week or so. And no, I am not sick of them at all. But yes, I have been lazy about doing much other roasting or braising the old plant and just eating it straight into my mouth hole. But I guess sometimes my lazy ass wants more substance and also, it is nice to feed the mr something good too. I figured I should maybe do something a little more classy, more meal like, and might actually require a fork to eat it with. (I have a real tendency to eat with my hands, even the things that most people would probably say could not be eaten with hands. You should see me eat soup! Ha!) And so I prepared for us a feat of greatness (not really a feat, but great for sure). Eggplant roll ups.
These rolls are way more tasty and delicious then the effort it takes to make them. Really, they are super simple to make. Just a thick herby bean filling rolled up in eggplant and roasted in tomatoes. Sounds so good right? Well then taste even better. And then you can top that whole shebang with some fresh basil and everyone is all good to go.
So ok, I feed some to the mr for dinner because the goal was to fee us both with one dish, but I sure did eat more then half (like 3/4 of it) to myself. Without a fork.
There is no shame in my game.
Now to the eggplant rolls!
The stuff. An eggplant, an onion, some white beans, crushed tomatoes, a lemon, some thyme, oregano,and garlic powder, salt and pepper, oil, and basil. (I just pureed all my fresh basil into a paste so yeah).
First up, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Place the pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. It is ok if they overlap a little, we are just trying to soften them a bit. Stick into a hot oven.
Into a skillet it goes to cook up until soft and fragrant.
Eggplant, comes out of the oven all nice a pliable.
Now make the bean filling. Beans, onions, spices, juice of lemon, and a good crank of pepper and a pinch of salt go into food processor. Blend until smooth.
Gently grab an eggplant cut and cover one side with the bean mixture. Don%u2019t skimp our but don%u2019t add ore then you can roll up. And then roll it up.
Add a cup or so of sauce to a skillet or casserole dish, then place the rolls on in. Once all the rolls are in, cover with the remaining crushed tomato or marinara sauce.
Pop into hot oven to bake.
And then when the eggplant is tender and the sauce is all bubbly, pop it out.
Add some fresh basil (or basil puree) and grab that fork.
Nothing left for you to do beside eat it.
-C
serves 3-5
a medium to large eggplant
1 yellow onion
2 1/2 cups white beans (or one can)
a lemon
teaspoon each of thyme, garlic powder and oregano
3 cups crushed tomato or a simple marinara sauce
salt and pepper
splash of oil
fresh basil (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Grab the eggplant and cut the very top off then cut slices lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick. You should get about 10-12 slices. Place the slices onto a baking sheet, overlapping a little if necessary, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place into oven. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is just barely starting to soften and becomes pliable. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.
Meanwhile chop up the onion and place into a lightly oiled skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent and fragrant. Once cooked, place into a food processor along with the beans (drained but keep the liquid),the spices, and the juice of the lemon. Pulse until smooth and if needed, add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to loosen it up enough to blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Now to make the rolls. Grab cooled off piece of eggplant, lay it flat, and cover with the bean mixture. Not too much or too little, probably a bit less then 1/4 cup. Then roll the eggplant up. Either grab a skillet or baking dish and add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato or marinara sauce to the bottom. Place rolls as they are being made into the dish. Once you have filled the dish with the rolls, cover with the remaining sauce.
Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 30ish minutes or until eggplant is nice and fork tender.
Once baked, remove from oven, left cool for a few minute and then serve. Top with fresh basil (or basil puree) if you want.
Eat with a fork.
Granola is a weakness of mine, well good granola is. I don%u2019t really call most stuff of the stuff you can buy at the store really granola, it is more like sugary candy crap that is marketed to be good for you when it really is not. That shit is gross and that%u2019s my truth.
Real granola, or the kind I make, is the basic bitch of granola. All it is is oats, a spice or two, salt, and a pureed up fruit (or veggies). Sometimes I will add a seed or nut at the end, or maybe even a little coconut or some other dried fruit. There is no added sweetener added, no added oils, just straight up oats and fruit.. And it%u2019s clumpy and crunchy, and all sorts of frantastic. It really is what every granola should strive to be.
The last batch I made was peach because, if you didn%u2019t know, it is peach season. Plus peach granola is delicious. That is fact. (unless you don%u2019t like peaches).
Now to the granola!
The stuff. Old fashion oats, a couple of ripe peaches, cinnamon, salt, and a little water.
Cut peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into chunks.
Place peach chunks into blender and blend until smooth.
Mix the cinnamon and salt with the oats.
Pour the peach puree into the oats.
Mix until evenly incorporated and a little clumpy. If the oats are all moist but not creating any clumps, add a few tablespoons water until there is some clumping going on.
Dump mixture onto a baking sheet, You can line it, but I don%u2019t bother.
Pop into preheated oven to bake for about 25 minutes then remove from oven and toss around. Stick it back into oven for 25 more minutes or so. After 45-50 minutes of being in the oven, turn oven off and just let granola cool in oven. It%u2019s key to crispy granola.
Cooled off and all crispy and clumpy. Granola at it%u2019s finest.
Into a jar to save some for later to eat however you want.
Me, I like handfuls straight into my mouth, chased by a little oat milk. Hehe!
-C
makes 2 1/2 cups
2 peaches
2 1/2 cups old fashion oats
a few tablespoons of water (if needed)
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 375
Cut peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into a few chunks. Place chunks into a blender and blend until smooth.
Place oats into a big bowl and mix in the salt and cinnamon then dump in the peach puree. Mix until completely incorporated and a little clumpy. IF there are no clumps, add a few tablespoons water and mix. Dump mixture onto a baking sheet and evenly distribute. Place baking granola into oven to bake.
Bake for 25 minutes, remove the granola and toss around with a spatula, then place back into oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes. After being in the oven for a total of 45-50ish minutes, turn oven off but keep granola in oven to cool. This is key to a good crispy granola.
After cooling off in oven, remove and eat. Place what is not eaten in an airtight container. Eat within a week or so.
The short of it is, people, stop wasting your beet greens!
The long of it is that I went to pick up my farm share this week and ooh lovely we got bunch beets. Bunched beets are my favorite becuase when they come bunched, they come with the greens and I can honestly say that the greens are some of my favorites. So I grabbed my bunched beets and continued picking up the rest of my veggies. As I tuned the corner I passed the compost. Know what I saw? Beet greens. People were grabbing there beets and ripping the greens off and tossing them into the compost. Oh that just pissed me off. First because it still shocks me that people don%u2019t realize they can, and should, eat the greens but more because I wish they just left the greens in the extras pile. I would have gladly taken them home. I almost went into the compost but there was some gross stuff in there and plus there was a line of people waiting patiently to get the to cucumbers. I had to walk away.
Oh how I can%u2019t stand wasted food!
So now that we all know that beet greens are food and are amazing, you might ask how do you eat beet greens? Any way you want really, but you can use them like any other green. They are kind of like chard orkale, but more beety and are just really really good. One on my favorite and simple things to do is beet greens saut%u00e9ed with garlic and ginger and a little soy with thinly sliced vinegary onions. Fast, easy, and tasty as hell.
There you go. Now never waste your beet greens again. Or if you don%u2019t want them you can give them to me!
Now to the beet greens!
The stuff. A bunch of beet greens (you don%u2019t need the beets) an onion (Or 2 really small onions) soy or aminos, garlic, ginger, red wine vinegar, and a splash of oil.
First, thinly slice onion and place into a bowl. Dump in the vinegar and toss around.
Grab the beet greens and cut the leafy parts from the stem. Chop the stems up into small pieces.
Place stems into a skillet with a tiny splash of oil and water and cook on medium heat.
Mince up garlic and ginger.
Once stems are tender, toss in the garlic and ginger and mix around. Keep on heat.
Now grab the greens and rough chop into smaller pieces
Once the garlic and ginger becomes fragrant, toss in the greens and stir in until wilted. Once wilted, dump in the soy and mix around. cook for another minute or so then remove from heat.
Toss in the onions and mix around.
Now just eat. From skillet or grab a bowl. You do you.
-C
serves 1-3
1 bunch of beet greens
1 regular sized onions (or 2 very small onions)
2 cloves garlic
inch piece of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons soy, tamari, or aminos
a splash of oil.
a splash of water
First, if there are beets attached to the greens, cut them off and save them for later.
Take the onion and slice into very thin pieces, place into a bowl, and toss them with the vinegar. Set aside.
Grab greens and cut the leafy parts from the stem. Cut the stem up into little pieces and toss into a skillet with a splash of oil and a splash of water. Set on medium heat to cook. While cooking, mince garlic and ginger and once the stems become tender, toss garlic and given into the pan and mix around. Keep on heat. Now grab greens and give them a good rough chop then toss them into skillet once the garlic and ginger become fragrant. Mix around until wilted. Once wilted, add in the soy and mix. Cook for another minutes or so then remove from heat. Toss in the onions with the vinegar. And that is it. And now you eat.
I am freaking hot. We are currently in a heat wave right this very minute and I am not happy about it. This is my problem with summer, the heat. Or better yet, the heat with humidity. It turns me sour and I can%u2019t deal with anything, including myself. It is not a good look on me.
But a redeeming quality summer does have is all the fresh produce. The farm share is really starting to pick up and we are getting a good amount of fresh goody goods and that is something I can%u2019t not be happy about. But it is still to hot and when it%u2019s to hot, no one (I think) wants to cook. So don%u2019t cook, just compile. A big ass bowl of veggies, some lentil (or use beans if you want) , and creamy peanut sauce. Thrown together within minutes, hardy and satisfying without being heavy and hot, and tasted really freaking good. A meal on it%u2019s own or a fantastic side dish or snack dish or you know, anytime eating time food dish.
It is just a good dish to make and even better to eat. Heatwave or not.
Now to the cauliflower, kale, and lentil bowl with all the peanut sauce!
The stuff. Half a head of cauliflower, a few big kale leaves, half an onion, cooked lentils, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, hot water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Cut up cauliflower. Just go at it with a knife until it is a pile of small little pieces. Then dice up the onion into small pieces and cut up kale into small pieces as well.
Toss all of that into a bowl and top with the lentils.
Peanut sauce. Mix together the peanut butter, vinegar, soy, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir and add in enough hot water to make it creamy, smooth, and pourable.
Dump the peanut sauce into the bowl with everything else.
Toss until everything is evenly coated. And don%u2019t forget to add a good amount of black pepper.
And that is it. Now grab a bowl and a fork and eat. It is really really good.
-C
Serves 1-2 as a big salad or 3-4 as a side
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 1/2 cup cooked lentils
2-3 large kale leaves
1/2 a small onion
Peanut Sauce
1/4 heaping cup of peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
4-5 tablespoons hot water
black pepper
Start by chopping up cauliflower into little pieces. Some pieces will be like crumble and that is good. Also dice up onion into small pieces and chop kale into small pieces. Place it all into a bowl and top with the cooked lentils.
Make peanut sauce. Place peanut butter, soy ,vinegar, the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons hot water into a jar or bowl and mix until incorporated. It should be smooth and thick, but pourable. If to thick, add in another tablespoon or two of hot water.
Once sauce is made, dump into bowl with the rest of the stuff and toss until everything is coated and combined. Top with lots of black pepper and then, well, eat. Or set aside until meal time. Then eat.