Okay, I know it is always amusing when Los Angeles people start complaining about the weather…but, we DID have a little heat wave the other day, and it was really hot outside! It was one of those dog days when you can’t imagine doing anything besides climbing into a walk-in freezer at a nearby restaurant and locking the door behind you. This didn’t stop a gorgeous vine ripened tomato from calling out to me from the garden. Before I knew it I had some fresh salsa cruda with stunning fragrant basil. To keep it moving in the direction of a minimally cooked, not heat producing dinner, I decided to whip this up. I have featured the “raw” portobello before (softened by dehydration at a low temperature). This is another example of how versatile the “raw” portobello can be. This is super simple and sure to refresh, and nourish you on a hot summer day.
Heirloom Pole Bean & Potato Salad with Tarragon & Fennel Seed Dressing
Every year I plant a yummy heirloom pole bean and it never disappoints. I actually don’t remember the name…I think it is called “Rattlesnake.” I always go by the picture on the seed package…a beautiful, purple spotted pole bean. It recently started going crazy so I whipped up a quick and easy mid week salad, and here it is for your sharing and noshing enjoyment.
Seared Chinese 5-spice Figs with Cashew Cheese
Okay, I warned you that there would be more than one post for figs this week. Here is a very simple and quick way to enjoy figs on a lazy summer Sunday. Even the cashew cheese is a “quick” version that does not require fermenting or any other drawn out process. The figs used in this recipe were Turkish figs, which have gorgeous striped outer skin, but you can use any tree ripened fig. I hope you get an opportunity to enjoy this soon. Read More
Roasted Yam Salad with Kale & Figs
Warning: Fig season is here! Which means that I may post more than one recipe with figs over the next week or two. Since figs are one of those fruits that you simply can’t find when they’re out of season, just enjoy and soak it up while you can! I’ll start with this easy mid-week salad that can practically serve as a weeknight meal, a lunch, or a side dish with something off the back yard grill. These figs were given to me by my neighbor, artist Bill Wheeler. The roasted yams and onions seem to give the figs and kale a nice caramelized hug…yes I said hug!! You can even roast the yams on your barbecue if you want, for some extra smoky flavor. Read More
Jaggery Caramelized Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Macadamia Cream
A while back I met Navaz Nooshin of Welmor Enterprises. Navaz imports Sweet Wellness Organic Jaggery from India. She gave me a couple different jaggery products to try and I am pleased to be sharing my discovery here with you. Navaz is passionate about educating people on the health benefits of Jaggery, which is basically a sugar cane product that has been around for centuries. Jaggery is made from organic unrefined sugarcane juice. The juice after extraction and removal of external impurities is slowly cooked on a low flame until it reaches a soft pulpy caramel consistency. It hence retains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber. In addition, all the polyphenols and flavonoids are kept intact giving jaggery its medicinal properties. And it is known for having ayurvedic benefits as well. So for me, if you are going to have some sugar, why not get a minimally processed and more nutritious version? The consistency and color of jaggery may take some getting used to. It does not grind down the same way refined sugars do. It is very moist, and even the “powder” that I received from Navaz was more like little moist morsels of sugary goodness. Navaz explains that the consistency can vary, and that was just the condition of the jaggery I received. I didn’t let anything about the consistency stop me from exploring this new sweet pal in my kitchen. I have enjoyed it a lot in warm almond milk beverages, tried using it in a mango chutney, and have sweetened a cup of tea or two, all with some success. But I really wanted to bake something with it. After giving it some time and keeping my imagination open, I found a terrific role for the jaggery powder that couldn’t have been more perfect. In this healthier version of a classic comfort cake, the jaggery contributes to a perfect, caramelized pineapple topping, but with some added nutrition! I look forward to exploring this healthy sweetener more and keeping you posted along the way.
Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo-Pepita Sauce
I love trying different versions of the traditional enchilada. In these vegan enchiladas, we get some extra protein punch from the pepitas in the sauce. I had some vegan “queso” that I was experimenting with so I was able to make this completely vegan, but you are certainly not limited to that. A good queso añejo would also go well. The grilled tomato was intended to add color to make the picture better, but it turned out being a nice acidic component that brightened up every other bite or so. Butternut squash loves being seasoned with cumin and chile, so this just came together quite naturally. Read More
Radish Greens & Rice Noodles with Fresh Mango
You have probably heard the expression “diamond in the rough.” Well, what about “vitamins in your rubbish pile?” That is exactly what you have when you throw away your radish tops. I know, I know, it is probably an automatic reflex to just break those greens off and toss them away. It’s cool, if you are okay with tossing a significant source of calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, vitamin A, C, K and other nutrients into the trash. Not only are radish greens edible, they are the most nutritious part of the plant! It is worth the effort to find a good source of fresh radishes with live, abundant greens. Here is just one example of an easy way to utilize fresh radish greens. The slightly bitter bite of the radish and the fresh, sweet mango are like two peas in the pod…sorry I couldn’t resist the cliche! Read More
Chickpea & Wild Mushroom Cakes with Basil-Mint Tzadziki
Lately I have been thinking this a lot: “A tzadziki would go great with this dish.” But I hadn’t found a great, vegan plain yogurt. Although some will argue that dairy yogurt is good for you, if you are avoiding dairy, or keeping vegan, a dairy yogurt just won’t do. Then the other day I was headed to one of my local grocery stores, but coming from a completely different direction than usual. Surprise! I rode my bicycle right into the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market. I couldn’t get from one end of the market to the other without completely spending all of my cash. Then I found a vegan nut cheese maker called Blode Kuh. And there before my eyes was a sample cup filled with cashew yogurt. Yum and yay, because not only was the yogurt fantastic, the cheese maker accepted my credit card on his “square” thing. Gotta love technology! This recipe is devoted to the people at Blode Kuh! Thank you for your awesome yogurt!! Read More
Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Macadamia Ricotta
Nothing says “summer” like fresh squash blossoms, well except for maybe fresh vine tomatoes, or figs fresh off the tree…um…you get my point..don’t you? I picked up some beautiful ones the other day at the Farmer’s Market. Admittedly, it was pretty hard not to reach for the enchilada cheese when I was dreaming about what to stuff these with. It took a few passes by the cheese aisle, but I managed. And so these delicious, healthy-ish little vegan guys were born.
“Raw” Portobello Burger with Basil Cashew Cheese
Happy Father’s Day! How about giving your dad something he probably has never had? This raw, portobello mushroom burger is pretty hard to pass up and could end up being the best gift you could give someone…the gift of better health. Warning, this “burger” is addictive and can be a transformational experience! Keep in mind that in order to keep this in it’s raw state, it is actually dehydrated, and takes 3-4 hours to prepare. But the actual active time to prepare is short, maybe just 15 minutes. If this sounds too weird to you, keep an open mind, because the end result is a juicy, dense, flavorful burger that can stand up to any beef burger. Read More