Caulifower Soup

I picked up an onion and a head of cauliflower at the farmers' market this morning in anticipation of making a Paul Bertolli "Genius Recipe" I had seen on Food52. After less than $5 and 5 minutes of "active time," I had a luscious, velvety soup.

Please forgive me, but:

It tastes creamy and rich, but is vegan and quite healthy with just olive oil, onion, cauliflower, water and salt and pepper. All the online comments voiced initial incredulity about the ease and simplicity of the recipe followed by later admissions that it turns out delicious.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil (3T)
onion (1 medium), sliced thin
cauliflower (1 head very fresh, about 1-1/2 pounds), broken into florets 
salt, to taste
water (5 1/2 cups, divided)
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes.
   
2. Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
   
3. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. In this time it will thicken slightly.
   
4. Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

 My only change was to use an immersion blender to puree the soup. I did blend for a quite awhile to ensure it was as smooth as possible.

This is warming and satisfying on a grey, drizzly afternoon such as today. Enjoy!

--Simran

Almond Milk

Justin and I went to a vegan cooking class a couple weeks ago with Chef AJ (my stepmom Lulu hooked us up). I came away with several fantastic recipes and revelations, but this is one of the best - the easiest almond milk possible. She had us try fresh and boxed almond milk back to back and it was astounding. Obviously fresh is usually superior to boxed or jarred anything, but the boxed version (which I was using on a daily basis) was truly disgusting in comparison. I never could wrap my mind around milking almonds for an hour, but this shortcut method is more time efficient and thrifty than its boxed counterpart - it's just water, dates, and almond butter. 




I promise, try it once and at the very least, you will be shocked by how delicious (and EASY) it is. The ingredient quantities and ratios are purely personal, so experiment until you get the flavor and sweetness exactly where you want it. Start with less and add more as you go.


*Tip: In general, dates are a great way to get your sweetener since they are a whole food packed with nutrients. You can use them in an easily homemade paste or syrup as well. They have the highest glycemic index of any sugar and also have a high glycemic load, so just balance it out with the other ingredients of the dish. 


INGREDIENTS
dates (2-4) chopped
almond butter (1-2 T) I use jarred, don't judge me
water (6 cups) use good tasting water


ADDITIONS
cinnamon 
cocoa
vanilla extract
cardamom
nutmeg


DIRECTIONS

1. Blend water, dates, and almond butter in a blender. That's it!
2. Keep refrigerated for 2-5 days. 

Enjoy! xo, J

Bird Bars

I recently visited my good friends Betsy, Fipp, and their newborn son James in Bloomington, Indiana (if anyone is a Parks & Rec fan, you understand why this was doubly exciting). The wonderful Betsy wanted to make sure I was well-fed for my plane ride home, so we stopped by the speciality co-op grocery store to grab some snacks on our way to the airport. Who knew there would be such a plethora of gluten / dairy / processed-free cuisine in Indiana? It's true. I had as many options as any kale-laden California Whole Foods could dream up. One of the things I grabbed was this housemade sesame and sunflower seed bar. I loved it; chewy, crunchy, rich, sweet, satisfying (Betsy, on the other hand, wasn't interested since she had Isabella's cookies at home). 


I had been meaning to make something like this for a while - an "energy" bar for a sweet super filling portable snack / dessert. And the sesame seed based dessert appealed to the Israeli in me. So the next morning back home, I found a similar seed bar recipe, cooked it up...and have been making them every week since. 


The combinations are endless, like granola. Pick your nuts, seeds, dried fruit if you like, binding agent, mix together and set in the fridge. This is just one variation, but we love it. Plus, it has oats for fiber and flax for brain to balance out the seed/nut fat content.

INGREDIENTS
oats (1/3 cup) gluten-free version if desired
unsweetened coconut (1/3 cup) I use shredded coconut, you can also use flakes
peanuts (1/4 cup)
cashews (1/4 cup)
sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)
toasted sesame seeds (2/3 cup)
ground flax (4 T)
honey (1/3 cup) I use Acacia honey for a low glycemic index; vegans can use maple syrup
peanut butter (1/3 cup) salt and sugar free

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely grind oats and coconut in food processor and then pour into mixing bowl.
2. Pulse peanuts and cashews in food processor until evenly ground. Leave slightly chunky. Add to oat/coconut mixture. 
3. Add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax.
4. Melt and mix together honey and peanut butter in small pan. Remove from heat, let cool, then add to seed/nut mixture and combine with hands. Make sure everything is evenly mixed, it takes a sticky second.
5. Pour into 8x8"-ish glass dish and press down firmly (this is key) until it forms a solid brick mass. Cover and pop in the fridge.

Enjoy! xo, J

Basmati Rice with Peas & Curry Leaves

Justin's Aunt Jackie bought us a great Indian cookbook for the holidays (Best Ever Indian Cookbook) and it inspired us to stock our cabinet with the staple spices necessary for making most Indian dishes. This is the first rice we tried and it came out wonderfully. It's definitely a side dish more than an entree, so we paired it with a "South Indian Lentils & Vegetables" recipe we found in the book (to be posted soon).

INGREDIENTS
basmati rice (1 1/2 cups) wash well and soak for 30 minutes; I use brown basmati rice to maximize nutritious value
oil (1 T)
curry leaves (6-8)
mustard seeds (1/4 t)
onion seeds (1/4 t)
fresh fenugreek leaves (2 T) I have only tried this with dried leaves
garlic (1 t) crushed
fresh ginger root (1 t) grated
salt (1 t)
peas (1 cup) I used frozen, but fresh would be even better; do not used canned, however - they don't maintain as much nutritious content and they are too mushy
water (2 cups)


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Saute all seasonings with oil for 2-3 minutes.  
2. Drain the rice after soaking for 30 minutes and add to the pot stirring gently.
3. Add the peas and water, bring to a boil, then lower and cover for 15-20 minutes. You'll know it's done when you see little air holes punctured in the rice.
4. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork careful not to mush the rice.

Enjoy!

xo, J

Arugula Mint Salad with Curried Tomatoes

The chopped mint and arugula are fresh and bright, the cherry tomatoes sweet and savory. I pulled it from Mark Bittman's 101 Simple Salads that we have magneted to our fridge. Like all the salads on this list, the flavor combination is simple and surprising; something I wouldn't have thought of, but makes wonderful sense. I encourage trying any of the salads on this list that speak to your palette. None of them have disappointed me yet. And there's something for everyone on there if this one freaks you out.

INGREDIENTS

arugula chopped

mint chopped

fresh lime juice

olive oil

cherry tomatoes

curry

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute whole cherry tomatoes in olive oil on high heat. When the start to brown, sprinkle with curry. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Toss tomatoes with chopped arugula, mint, and squeezed lime to taste.

Enjoy!

xo,

J

Delicious Lentil Salad

You can't beat this lentil salad, it's easy, great eaten hot or cold and is absolutely delicious! Serve it as a side or eat it as a meal...this salad is soooo good. I usually double the recipe and eat it all week.


INGREDIENTS
green lentils (1 cup) rinsed
water (2 cups) warm
broth (2 cups)
garlic cloves (5) lightly crushed and peeled
bay leaf (1)
olive oil (2-3 T)
white wine vinegar (2-3 T)
kalamata olives (1/2 cup) pitted and chopped
fresh parsley (1/2 cup) chopped
large shallot (1) chopped
lemon (1/2)  juiced
crumbled feta cheese (1/2 cup) optional


DIRECTIONS
Soak lentils in warm water for 1 hour. Drain lentils then put them in medium pot with chicken broth, bay leaf, garlic and salt. Bring to boil, then simmer for 30-45 min. or until soft. Meanwhile, make dressing mixture. Drain lentils, remove bay leaf and garlic. 


Dressing mixture:
Whisk olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Combine mixture with shallots, olives and parsley.
Pour over lentils and mix well. Add feta.


Serve hot or cold.


Bon Appetito.
Robyn