Greek Chop Salad

3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 c. Leeks, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 c. shredded Brussel Sprouts (you can use a food processor for this)

1 15oz. can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. Green Beans, **blanched and chopped
1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes (if in oil, reduce amount used with leeks)
1/3 c. Broccoli Sprouts
2 tbsp. Dried Cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped or sliced Almonds (I used raw, unsalted almonds)
1/4 c. Parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute'  leeks for 5 minutes until soft.  Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Toss in shredded brussel sprouts along with balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

While brussel sprouts are cooling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with brussel sprout mixture.

**To blanch green beans,  add them to a pot filled with boiling water and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.  Remove from boiling water and immediately transfer to a separate bowl filled with ice water to cool (this stops the cooking process and allows the beans to retain their vibrant green color).  Drain and chop.

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.

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

White Bean Dip

1 15oz. Can of White Beans
2 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp. Parsley
1/8 tsp. Pepper

Drain and rinse white beans. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. This recipe is similar to hummus, but with a creamier, more Italian flavor. Give it a shot!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Don't worry, this hummus won't scare vamps away, but it IS oh so tasty.  Eat it with raw veggies, crackers or breads for a snack, or use it as a spread for sandwiches, flatbreads, etc. This hummus is creamy, garlicky goodness, and we know garlic goes good on anything!

2 bulbs of Garlic, roasted
15 oz. can of Chickpeas + 1/4 c. reserved liquid
1 1/2 tbsp. Tahini
5 tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 tbsp. Olive Oil (plus more for roasting garlic)
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Coriander
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 375.  Peel bulbs down to a thin outer layer and cut off the tops of the bulbs so that each clove is exposed.  Coat with olive oil and wrap in foil.  Place on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes. When the garlic is done, simply squeeze the cloves out of their skin.

While the garlic is roasting, you can prep the rest of the ingredients and get the hummus started.

Drain and rinse chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.  Combine all of the ingredients, excluding the parsley in a food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.  Add in parsley and process another few seconds until combined.

Red Lentil Daal

This dish is slightly sweet from the tomato, but full of spice and developed flavors.  It's incredibly filling and rich in vitamins and protein. One serving of red lentils is high in fiber, B vitamins, manages blood sugar levels, has 26g of protein per 1/2 cup serving, dried, and is virtually fat free!...(Wait, you're vegan??? How do you you get enough protein? HA!)  Serve over basmati or jasmine rice with a side of curried veggies for a fully authentic Indian meal!

1 tsp. Canola Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Ginger, grated
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1/2 tsp. Coriander
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp. Salt
dash of Cayenne Pepper
1 heaping tbsp. Tomato Paste
3 c. Vegetable Broth
1 c. Dried Red Lentils
3 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, and saute' 7-10 minutes until translucent and tender.  Add in spices and cook another 1-2 minutes (be careful not to burn them).  Add in tomato paste and one cup of vegetable broth and stir until the paste has broken down and integrated.  Stir in remaining broth and red lentils and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook, covered, for 20 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, recover, and cook another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and lentils are tender.

*I served the daal over basmati rice with some curried cabbage and cauliflower.  Oh, and my critics at work loved it ;)

White Bean Ratatouille

1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 1/2 c. Leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
3 cloves Garlic
2 tsp. Dried Thyme
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
1 1/2 c. Fennel, thinly sliced
1/4 c. White Wine
3/4 c. Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
15 oz. Can Diced Tomato
15 oz. Can White Beans (aka canelli)
1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet or saute' pan. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add a pinch of salt if the pan becomes too dry. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook another 30 seconds. Stir in fennel and cook another 30 seconds. Add wine to deglaze pan and stir until all of the wine has evaporated, another 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, white beans, roasted red pepper and balsamic and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for another 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender and flavor has developed. Season with salt and pepper.

*I served the ratatouille atop a bed of raw spinach. The heat from the ratatouille wilted the spinach and I was able to mix it in with the rest of the dish.
Serves 3-4

Falafel!!!

This past weekend I had my parents over for dinner.  This was a bit of a challenge becuase, well, they're not so much picky as they are strangers to a lot of the amazing food out there.  Not to mention they love meat (ick).  So I wanted to give them a quick, satisfying meal that wasn't too foreign or screaming of veganism while still introducing them to something new.  After racking my brain, I decided to cook a Mediterranean feast that consisted of falafel, tabouli style rice, saute'd spinach and a variety of dips to go with toasted pita.

These falafel are super easy and quick to make.  You can put them in the pita with a variety of vegetables, make them a little bigger and substitute for a veggie patty, or serve them plain to be enjoyed in all their deliciousness like I did.  This recipe serves 2-3 people.  I doubled it because I was feeding two hungry boys.

1 15 oz. Can Chickpeas
1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
zest of 1/2 Lemon
1 tbsp. Tahini
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp. Cumin
3/4 tsp. Coriander
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1 tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 c. Breadcrumbs

Pre-heat oven to 400 and lightly brush a baking sheet with oil. Drain and rinse chickpeas to get rid of any excess salt. Combine chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined and chickpeas are mashed, but not too smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until combined.  From here, you can let the falafel sit for an hour and allow the flavors to develop or cook right away.

Use an ice cream scoop to measure, shape falafel into 1" thick disks and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip falafel and bake another 10. Serve with tahini yogurt sauce.

I always love a salad topped with falafel (Thank you for introducing me Fred 62!)

White Girl's Mexican Food

Tonight's dinner is kind of healthy, as is all my cooking, so I apologize in advance for the lack of authenticity in my Mexican food, or the runny beans and orange rice you'd get from El Torito...

The contents of our "Mexican" feast!

Black Bean and Spinach Tacos

Sweet and Spicy Butternut Mash

Roasted Corn on the Cobb

Spiced Butternut Squash and Jalapenos before being roasted.

I am particularly proud of this recipe.  Its the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.  But maybe I'm biased because I absolutely love butternut squash!

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

4 Jalapenos, thinly sliced

1.5 Tbsp. Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/3 c. Vegetable Broth

Pre-heat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine cubed squash with jalapenos, olive oil and spices.  Spread squash mixture onto baking sheet.  Roasts for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. When squash is tender and slightly browned, transfer to a bowl with 1/3 cup of vegeable broth and puree' with an immersion blender.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

The Finished Result

Black Bean Tacos

1 tsp. Canola Oil

1 Yellow Onion, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Dried Oregano

15 oz. can of Black Beans, drained an rinsed

2 handfuls of Spinach

1/2 c. Vegetable broth

2 roasted Problano Peppers, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute' over high heat 5-7 minutes (add a dash of salt if pan becomes too dry).  Add garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and saute' another minute. Add in black beans and slightly mash until you have about a 50/50 ratio of whole and mashed beans.  Add in spinach and 1/4 cup of broth.  Saute' stirring occasionally until broth has reduced.  Add in remaining broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until spinach has wilted and all the broth had reduced.  Add roasted peppers and cook until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Place black bean mixture on top of a soft corn tortilla and garnish with desired toppings.

I topped my tacos with some freshly chopped tomato, cilantro, green onion, and a squeeze of lime.  I would've also used some avocado, but mine wasn't ripe yet :/

Creamy Curried Split Pea Soup w/ Cauliflower

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 new (yukon gold) potato, 1" dice

1 c. yellow split peas

5 c. vegetable broth

3 c. cauliflower florets, broken into small pieces

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic.  Saute' 5 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Add a pinch of salt if pot becomes too dry.  Add red pepper flakes and saute' another minute or two.  Add spices and saute' another minute, until fragrant. Add potato, peas and broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for an hour.  Cool slightly and puree' with either and immersion blender or regular blender (I live by my immersion blender, especally when it comes to soup.  Super cheap and totally worth every penny.)

While soup is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place cauliflower in boiling water until almost done, 5-7 minutes (taste to check progress).  Once the cauliflower is almost ready, drain and add to blended soup.  Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve nice and hot with a piece of toasty bread for dipping!