French Lentils & Barley

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Shallots, sliced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried Rosemary

1 tsp. dried Thyme

1/4 tsp. Cloves

2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1 small Fennel Bulb, sliced

3 oz. Arugula

2 tbsp. Vegetable Broth or Water

1 c. pre-cooked Barley

2 c. pre-cooked Lentils

2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped

3 tbsp. Basil, chiffonade

1/4 c. Red Grapes, halved

1 stalk Celery, thinly sliced

10 French Radishes, grated

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in shallots and saute' 2-3 minutes.  Add in spices and cook another minute.  Deglaze with balsamic vinegar.   Add in fennel and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes (cooking the fennel will calm down its bitterness).  Toss in arugula and vegetable broth.  Cook another minute or two until arugula has wilted slightly.  Let cool.

Chop up remaining ingredients and combine in a large bowl.  After fennel mixture has cooled for a few minutes, add into bowl and serve.

French radishes add a subtle bitter taste to this dish.  Ten may seem like a lot, but because they are less spicy/pungent than your standard radish, it's okay.  They're my new favorite addition to salads.  I have a hard time finding them at my local grocery stores, but they are very abundant at farmer's markets right now.

Coconut Spinach

A sweet Indian twist on creamed spinach...

2 tsp. Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Ginger, grated
2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 lb. Spinach
1/3 c. Coconut Milk
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste

Heat oil over med/high heat in a large skillet.  Saute onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  lower heat to medium and add in spices.  Cook, stirring constantly for 45 seconds.  Add in spinach and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until it begins to wilt.  Add in coconut milk and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes until spinach has fully wilted.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots

I had something similar to this at whole foods and ate half of it in my car on the way home because it was so good.  I was craving parsnips like nothing else, and this hit the spot perfectly.  Their sweet, nutty taste combined with the freshness of the lemon and basil were delicious.  So, like I do, here's my attempt to recreate it.  You can probably use a little more olive oil if you'd like a little browning on them,  but I try not to use too much because of its high calorie content.  I like my veggies to still taste like veggies when I'm done with them and not drown out their nutritional benefits.

1 Meyer Lemon, thinly sliced

5 large Parsnips, 1/2" slice on the bias

3 Carrots, 1/2" slice on the bias

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper 

1/4 c. Baslic, chopped

Simply chop up all of the ingredients and toss in a large bowl with oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Bake in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes until the carrots and parsnips are tender, tossing halfway through.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh basil.

White Bean & Kale Stew

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Carrots,  1/4 " slice

1 large Yellow Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. Cumin

1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 15 oz. can Diced or Crushed Tomato

1/4 c. Sundried Tomato (not in oil), sliced

1 bunch Kale, chopped

1 15 oz. can White Beans

6 c. Vegetable Broth

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.  Sweat carrots and onion for 5 minutes.  Add in garlic and sweat another 2-3 minutes.  If pan becomes too dry, add a little salt.  Add in spices and saute' another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Lower heat and add in balsamic to deglaze pan.  Add in remaining ingredients, excluding the beans,  cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer 20 mins until kale is tender.  Add in white beans and heat through

Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower & Potato Curry)

This recipe looks like it contains an incredibly large amount of ingredients, but when it comes down to it, its actually a very quick dinner.  Most, if not all of the work, is prepping your ingredients. If you don't have all of the spices below, you can just substitute a pre-made curry powder along with fresh garlic and ginger.  For a spicier version, you may use tomatoes stewed with chilis or more red pepper flakes, but I found it to already be pretty spicy and a good balance of flavors.

1 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 Onion, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Ginger, grated
1 tbsp. Coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
3/4 tsp. Turmeric
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 medium head Cauliflower, broken into bite size pieces
1/2 lb. Fingerling Potatoes, halved
7 oz. Extra-Firm Tofu, pressed and cubed
1 15 oz. can Stewed Tomatos
1/4 c. Vegetable Broth

1/2 c. Frozen Peas
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper

Begin by prepping (chopping) all of your ingredients.  Combine all of the spices in a small bowl with the juice from the stewed tomatoes and stir until it forms a paste (this will prevent the spices from burning).

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute 5 mins. over med-high heat (you may add a little salt if pan becomes too dry, as it will release moisture from the onions).  Lower heat slightly and add in the spice paste.  Stir constantly for 1 minute.  Add in vegetables, tofu, tomatos and broth.  Stir until completely combined.  Bring to a simmer, cover and lower heat.  Simmer for 20-25 mins. until vegetables are pretty tender.  Add in the peas, lemon, salt and pepper.  Re-cover and simmer another 5 minutes until vegetable are completely tender and heated through.

Sweet Arugula Salad

Sounds like an oxymoron. Arugula? Sweet?  I thought arugula was supposed to be kinda bitter, mustardy tasting.... well not with the addition of these natural sweeteners!  The combination of sweetness with the arugula and fennel create the prefect balance of flavors that leave you wanting more.  I actually contemplated eating this for dessert haha, just kidding...almost.

6 oz. Arugula
1/4 Apple, cut into matchsticks
1/2 Fennel Bulb, mandolined
1 small Yellow Beet, shredded
1 handful Raisins, soaked
1 Red or Sweet Onion, mandolined and marintaed (recipe below)

To soak the raisins, simply place them in some water for about 10 minutes.  This allows them to become softer and juicier.  After the raisins have been soaked, remove them from the water and toss all of the ingredients together.  I like to dress my salads with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, but this salad doesn't need much.

MARINATED ONIONS
1 Red or Sweet Onion
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tbsp. Agave Nectar

Mandoline the onion very thin (I used the 1.3 setting on mine).  Toss with soy sauce and agave.  Allow to marinate for 5 minutes.

*I didn't use all of the marinade to dress the salad.  I recommend a small spoonful or whatever wants to cling onto the onions.  Agave is naturally very sweet, so you can be the judge as to how sweet you'd like your salad.

Crustless Leek and Aspargus Quiche

A quiche might sound fancy, and therefor extra complicated, but this recipe is actually super simple. Just stir all of the treated parts together and throw it in the oven. Relax with a nice glass of wine while you wait or prep a salad to go with it. I served these mini quiches with a sweet arugula salad.

1 lb. Firm Tofu
1/4 c. Nutritional Yeast
1/4 c. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Pepper

2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. Asparagus, 1/2" slice and tips reserved
2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 tsp. dried Dill
1 tsp. dried Thyme
2 tsp. dried Basil
4 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Cornmeal or Breadcrumbs to coat pan
Large muffin pan (you can use a small one or a large pie pan, but baking time may differ)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the tofu between two plates and paper towels. Weigh it down with something heavy until the tofu feels dry, about 20-30 mins. After the tofu has been pressed, combine it with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. It should resemble a custard.

To prep the vegetables, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in everything except for the salt and pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender and leeks have slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil a small pot of water and add asparagus tips. Boil for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the size. Drain and reserve tips for decorating.

In a bowl, combine the tofu mixture with the vegetable mixture. Coat the muffin tin with non-stick spray and sprinkle the bottoms with cornmeal or breadcrumbs. Fill the muffin tins 1/2-2/3 of the way full with mixture. Arrange asparagus tips on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes (test doneness with a toothpick, it should come out clean like when baking a cake). Let cool for ten minutes before removing from pan.