Oil Free Red Lentil Pasta Salad T.B.G.A.

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I am enjoying the new red lentil
pasta varieties that have been popping up at the store. If you are going to
have pasta, these are a good way to go, with just lentils, quinoa and water
as ingredients, and packed with protein and other nutrients.

This recipe is a cold salad twist on linguine with tomato,
basil & garlic. And it takes the nutrition density even a step
further by eliminating the refined oil and instead getting it from whole
foods like avocado. You can add other veggies to the asparagus or eliminate
the asparagus for a more traditional version of a tomato, basil, garlic
“TBG” pasta salad.

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Heirloom Potato & Kale Latkes

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I just whipped these up for
brunch and decided they were share-worthy. The red, purple, and fingerling
potatoes are a little healthier than the traditional russet potatoes. This is
totally vegan but you can use real eggs instead of chia eggs, or even serve a
couple poached eggs on top. To be honest, I was longing for a coupe duck eggs
that I sometimes get from a local urban farmer. Having said that, I love the
gooey texture in the middle that can only be a result of the chia seeds and
the consistency of the heirloom potatoes doing a little happy dance. Enjoy
these with some homemade ketchup or smoked trout. Yum!

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Vegan Red Kuri Squash Pancakes

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I took about a month off from
the Whole Dish to work on some new year projects and get focused on 2018.
And, to be honest, I really wanted to take some time to play around with
aquafaba
in the kitchen. And these red kuri squash pancakes are a pretty good start! I
think the gluten-free flour makes them a tad chewy and dense, but I thought
they came out delicious, especially with a little coconut butter or ghee
melted over the top. They are delicious without much of anything added! You
can go the sweeter breakfast or brunch route and add some maple syrup, fresh
fruit, or dark chocolate almond butter (as pictured); or enjoy them as a
savory appetizer, lunch or hors d’oeuvre with bruschetta salsa, avocado,
guacamole, or some kind of tapenade. Aquafaba is basically the liquid
byproduct of cooked beans, and a newly emerging vegan ingredient craze. To
test the hype, I used some liquid directly from a can of garbanzo beans, and
it worked delightfully well! These unique pancakes are best enjoyed right off
the griddle! Read More

Riced Cauliflower Salad with Tomato, Basil & Garlic

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I’m having a
“mini-series” of riced cauliflower in my kitchen! Riced cauliflower
is great as a raw salad, because cauliflower florets are already slightly
tender and porous to start with, so, when mixed with other salad ingredients
it makes a great base! So, a while, back, I tried using it as you would pasta
in a classic “TBG” (tomato, basil, garlic) salad, and the results
were delicious.

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“Creamy” Teff Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

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If blizzards have you down I
have just the remedy. I love that all I have to do is think, “hmmm I
wish I could find something to make polenta out of besides cornmeal,”
and then teff shows up, like it was lurking around the corner. A grain
definitely isn’t just a grain when it comes to Teff. Is Teff Polenta the
New…Polenta? An “ancient grain,” teff has been used in Ethiopian
cooking for many years and is just starting to get some traction in modern
western kitchens. More people are noticing teff probably because it is a
powerhouse of nutrition and is also gluten free. And, it makes awesome,
creamy polenta…tah-da! You can enjoy it in its creamy state right out of
the pot, or let it set, cut it into shapes, and grill or pan fry. Basically
use it anyway you would the more ubiquitous cornmeal polenta. For this
recipe, I have created a sort of comfort bowl of creamy teff with roasted
vegetables. This recipe is vegan, but you can substitute cheese and cream
where noted for a dairy vegetarian version.

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Basted Duck Egg with Savory Tomato Basil Oatmeal

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Do you ever wonder how “local” and
“natural” your locally grown food really is? Yesterday I attended a
street event in my neighborhood called El
Mercado. It was planned around the opening of
a new neighborhood city park, and it consisted of local community groups, and
a lot of local vendors, craftspeople, food artisans, and other creative
folks. I was delighted to come across a booth promoting a new store in the
neighborhood called Arroyo General,
a boutique-ish general store no larger than a shoe repair
shop.

They sell really cool stuff
sourced from the local Northeast Los Angeles area, including locally-grown
produce and eggs. I couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough when I saw that
they had duck eggs from a small urban farm about two miles from my house. So
I ceased the opportunity to enjoy some animal based nutrition the way nature
intended. This surprise encounter with local duck eggs, combined
with the rainy weather outside, led to a morning fire in the fireplace and
this yummy, healthy brunch dish.

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Beet & Fresh Cheese Stacks with Avocado-Lemon Dressing

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I found a recipe for a quick vegan
cheese that I really like. The recipe says it’s a “Pepper
Jack” but it reminds me a lot more of a fresh cheese like queso fresco
or buffalo mozzarella. In any case, I am finding it to be quite versatile and
useful on many dishes, from tacos to this beet salad. You can venture into
making the vegan cheese, which will require some uncommon ingredients if you
aren’t used to vegan baking or cheese making. Or use a favorite cashew
cheese; some spreadable cashew cheeses would work great in between the layers
of beets. Or, if you eat dairy, just use a good, organic dairy cheese
like burrata or buffalo mozzarella.

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Roman Slow Cooker Artichokes

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Every year the artichoke root
system in our garden pops out an abundance of fresh artichokes. For the first
few years this is really fun and rewarding, but after a while, one yearns for
some new ideas and ways to gobble up all those artichokes, without adding a
lot of prep time. This recipe for slow cooker artichokes is super easy,
with just about 15 minutes or less of prep time. Then you just set the
cooker, get on with your day, and return to a crock pot full of tender, moist
artichokes loaded with flavor. Read More

Socca with Dijon & Fresh Vegetables

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Socca, in my opinion, is one of
the best kept little secret gems in the world of gluten free cooking and
healthier options. Socca is a street food from the South of France, that is
so simple to make it is almost mind blowing, consisting of just chickpea
flour, olive oil, water, and seasoning. It makes a healthy crepe for
breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner, or it can be made a little thicker, and
cooked longer for a pizza crust or flatbread effect. The trick is in not
trying to flip it over, but instead, letting it cook through from one
side.

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“Creamy” Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Tomato Salsa

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Nothing completes a crisp autumn
or rainy day like a bowl of creamy soup. I am pretty sure that there isn’t a
person out there who doesn’t have a nostalgic attachment to a “cream of
something” soup from their past or childhood. Well I have some good news
about that! You can keep your creamy, comforting stroll down memory lane
while also avoiding the bad and promoting awesome, clean nutrition. This soup
is very easy to make and is also great as a cold vichyssoise style
soup if you have leftovers. The salsa is a tangy compliment that offers extra
rich flavor in the truffle oil, but also completely optional.
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