All posts filed under: Vegetarian

“Red, White & Blue-Black” Eggplant Casserole

This eggplant casserole will become a family favorite. Make ahead of time and pop in the oven for dinner!

Ottolenghi’s “Surprise Tatin”

When you have an abundance of cherry tomatoes, this is a sure fire way to make them the star of dinner.

T2T Indian Potato Cakes

A delicous take on latkes with an Indian twist inspired by Yottam Ottolenghi’s original recipe.

Rebecca Katz’ Cozy Lentil Squash Soup

I LOVE Rebecca Katz.  Ever since I “met” her cooking (and her!) at Food as Medicine in 2010, I’ve followed her blog, read and bought her cookbooks and tried to cook “more like Rebecca”.  She is a culinary rock star, and so I am sharing her new fall soup.  I happened to have everything it called for:  green lentils, a new organic delicata squash, and kale.  (full disclosure:  someone at my house claims to HATE kale, but when I call it greens, sliver it cooked in soup, it gets eaten!  LOL).  I also LOVE the spice combinations in this, they feel a bit Moroccan to me! Read her post here:  Rebecca’s Cozy Lentil Soup with Squash PRINT the recipe here. MAKES 6 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 20 minutes • COOK TIME: 35 minutes Rebecca states:  “Silicon Valley has promised us that, someday, little nanobots will act like tiny microprocessors in our brains, helping to make us smarter. I say, Why wait? We already have a teensy food that does that. It’s the lentil, the vegetable …

Beets 101

A lot of people don’t know how to cook beets correctly, so they end up being tasteless blobs that turn your fingers red. This is a short, simple post on how to cook them correctly, which I learned from the PBS Victory Garden cookbook — which is one of the most comprehensive cookbooks on vegetables. Unfortunately I think it’s out of print. 😞 Here’s how to make beets so that they are not only completely tender, but extremely sweet. Cooking them slowly at low heat caramelizes the sugar in them and makes them taste almost like dessert. Roasted Beets This works for any amount of beets.  Our favorite are the golden beets. (yellow) Preheat your oven to 275º (yes, not a typo, only 275) I take a shallow pan, I use a ceramic one, and I cut the stems off the ends and trim any extra stuff. Do not peel them. Place them in the pan, and drizzle about 3 tablespoons of olive oil on top of them, I shake the pan around a bit …

Kale and Fennel Gratin Casserole

My husband hates kale.  Almost all kinds.  But he thought this was good. That should tell you this isn’t your average kale recipe!  I adapted this from my local organic farm CSA, and it was a hit at our house.  You can make it dairy free without the cheese, it just won’t be as thick.  Enjoy, it’s like a great spinach quiche sans crust. Fennel, Kale and Rice Gratin Gluten free, Low Carb, (can be dairy free, see below) Serves 4-6 click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE large bunch kale, stemmed and washed (you can use curly kale, like above OR lacinto kale, which looks more like a flat big leaf  spinach, either one works.  I like the flat one best) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped (about 2 cups chopped) Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 large garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup chopped fresh dill  (or 1½ T dried dill) 4 eggs ½ cup coconut milk (the kind in …

Healthy EASY Coleslaw

Steve’s Healthy Coleslaw Just in time for 4th of July! My husband has become vigilant in helping find healthy recipes and he loves coleslaw, so here is our version of the summer favorite!  If you like less dressing, use less, or make more dressing if you like your coleslaw “wetter”.  This is WAY better than the pre-made ones full of preservatives and chemicals!   Ingredients: 1 cup Vegenaise:  healthy alternative to mass produced mayonnaise, in frig section at most large stores, or you can use Olive Oil Mayo or best yet, your own homemade mayo! 2 tbl Dijon mustard 4 tbl apple cider vinegar 1 tbl pickle juice ¾ tsp kosher salt 1 tsp onion powder 2 tsp celery seed 16 oz organic coleslaw mix OR 1 medium cabbage shredded and 2 organic carrots shredded (or purple cabbage or any combo thereof) optional:  garnish with cilantro or even add some in Mix all ingredients and combine well, refrigerate for an hour.  Best made ahead, always a good thing!  Happy 4th of July!

Roasted Root Vegetables

Now that it is autumn, nothing is in season more than root vegetables.  They are a GREAT accompaniment to any meat/fish or poultry. Roasted Root Vegetables are easy to make, healthy to eat, and flexible, in that you can use almost any root vegetable.  Here’s how I make them, and people can’t believe they’re eating something so healthy! Take any favorite root vegetables: Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Turnips Parsnips Carrots Beets (if you do beets, keep them in a separate bag or you’ll have pink veggies!  LOL) add other favorites:  small halved Brussels sprouts, diced onion, rutabaga I use a chopper that makes small squares.  They are available online and most kitchen stores.  Here’s an example of one. I use the larger setting to make even sized squares.  I put them all in a ziploc bag with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Shake it up.  Thyme is another spice that works really well with these combos.  Use paprika or pepper if you want.  Add garlic.  There is no wrong way to season, use what you …

Low Carb Stuffing

Cauliflower is becoming a miracle vegetable in our house.  We’ve made pizza dough, mashed potatoes, cheese bread and now stuffing out of it!  This recipe is from Delish, a website devoted to recipes.  I have the link at the end, but their site doesn’t include the nutrition info I’ve posted below.  We LOVE this recipe! Ingredients 4 tbsp. butter (preferably pasture butter — butter from grass fed cows) 1 onion, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped or thinly sliced 1 small head cauliflower, chopped 1 c. chopped mushrooms kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper ¼ c. Freshly Chopped Parsley 2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. ground sage ½ c. vegetable or chicken broth (we use chicken) Directions In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. Add parsley, rosemary, and sage and …

T2T’s Falafel

This is absolutely my take on falafel.  Falafel is a vegetarian patty originally made with either chickpeas, fava beans or a combination of both.  Mine is made with chickpeas and is gluten free. Falafel has been around for centuries, and with good reason.  High in protein and economical to make, falafel is a great staple to add to your culinary arsenal.  Yes, it has carbs, but is high in fiber, and has tons of good vitamins and minerals, especially if you use fresh spices. Common in the middle east, falafel is now international, and can be found in almost any major city in all countries.  Note you have to soak beans overnight, so start this a day ahead.  And don’t think you can used canned ones, it will not work… T2T’s Falafel see below for nutrition info 2 cups dried chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, stems removed ¼ cup fresh cilantro (if you hate cilantro, skip it and double the parsley) ¼ cup fresh mint leaves 3 cloves …

Kohlrabi Slaw with cherries

One of the cool things about using a CSA provider is getting “surprise” veggies you have not cooked previously.  A few weeks ago, Kohlrabi showed up in our box.  Kohlrabi are part of the cabbage family, and have an odd sputnik look to them.  (OK, that dated me…)  Here’s a recipe that not only uses them, but is DELICIOUS!  Want a twist on coleslaw?  Here it is, but first, a rundown of the benefits of eating Kohlrabi.  Low in fat, high in fiber, potassium, and a ton of Vitamin C, and they are in season now! This recipe is low in net carbs (watch out for the dried cherries, if you eat a lot, it will increase the carbs, and they are yummy!) Kohlrabi, Fennel & Cabbage Slaw with Cherries Ingredients: ¼ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds 2 medium bulbs Kohlrabi 1 small head fennel, outer leaves removed, shredded 2 cups shredded green cabbage 1/8 cup dried, tart, unsweetened cherries (no sugar) small fistful of coarsely chopped fresh dill (or dried, 2 tsp) Dressing: ¼ …

Thai, Coconut, Broccoli and Cilantro Soup

This recipe originated from Donna Hay Magazine.  I made it tonight, and it was delicious. I did a few modifications, but this is one of the healthiest soups I’ve seen!  Cilantro is a GREAT detox herb, and gives great flavor to this soup.  If you HATE cilantro, leave it out or switch to flat leaf parsley.  We made a supper of this soup, wheat free crackers, babaganoush, hummus, olives, and some fig flavored goat cheese.  Easy and done! Serves 4 Ingredients: ¼ cup store bought green curry paste (she calls for 1/3, but that was too spicy, so if you don’t like a lot of spice, go less, you can always add more at end) 1  13½ oz. can unsweetened coconut milk 3 cups water 1 lb. broccoli (organic) florets, broken into small pieces 2 cups organic baby spinach leaves 1-2 cups cilantro leaves, preferably organic 3 shallots sliced thinly coconut oil Place the green curry paste in a medium saucepan.  Cook for a minute under medium heat until you can smell the spices.  Add …