Crispy Tofu & Peppery Shaved Celery

This is based on a dish from Mark Bittman's 101 Summer Salads. I've had this list magneted to our fridge for almost a year, but its recipes truly shine during the summer. I've tried about a dozen of these salads, and so far, they vary in greatness. But man, the tasty ones are so brilliant, it's worth some trial and error to sniff them out. The genius of these salads is their SIMPLICITY; their minimalist ingredients, instruction, and effort. Bittman gives you a great starting place and it's playtime from there. I had a lot of fun with this one. The celery is a refreshing crunchy contrast to the warm crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside tofu. It's filling, a standalone meal. You could throw in some orange juice and zest for the tofu glaze, serve over rice/quinoa or by itself.

INGREDIENTS
celery (1 stalk bunch) sliced a little thicker than paper thin; I use my mandolin for this, but can be done by hand or maybe with food processor attachment
organic (preferably sprouted) extra firm tofu (15.5 oz) pressed between paper towels with weight on top for at least 30 minutes to soak up the water (this allows the tofu to crisp up and absorb flavor better), then diced into small cubes
peanut or olive oil (1 T) or as much as you want; I always use as little oil as I can get away with
peanuts (1/3 cup) crushed
chili flakes (1/4 t)
freshly ground Szichuan or regular peppercorns
tamari or soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds
lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat some oil and tamari together. Spread the diced tofu out on a baking sheet then brush them with oil/tamari mixture. Pop in the oven and broil until golden crispy.
2. In the meantime, heat up oil in a small saucepan until slippery, then add red chili flakes to infuse the oil. After a minute or so, add the crushed peanuts and stir until golden and aromatic.
3. Toss shaved celery, sesame seeds, spicy peanuts, crispy tofu, fresh ground pepper, and tamari together, finish with squeezed lemon to taste.

Enjoy! xo, J

Plum & Avocado Salad

Spring and summer are about salads. Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs all in crazy mix. Stonefruit is my favorite star of the season, so I am thrilled to find this dish dreamed up and posted by the talented Lena on Food52. I have a few adjustments for my taste (and belly) - dial down the buttery avocado so it just accents the forkful of plums, kick up the garlic to nudge everything in a more savory direction, and drastically reduce the olive oil since I don't need a lot (and it doesn't compromise the integrity of the dish). I also assemble the ingredients in one bowl (laziness) instead of prepping the dressing and avo/plums separately. The lemon and finishing salt really bring the whole medley to life. This has become a summer staple for me this season - breakfast, lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS
garlic cloves (2) crushed
cilantro (1/2 cup) 
olive oil (1-2 T) I use just enough to make a nice chunky paste, but feel free to add as much as you want to get more of a dressing consistency 
chili pepper flakes (1/2 t) or more if you like it hot
finishing salt I love Maldon or pink Himalayan
plums (2-3) peeled (a peeler works great) and cubed into small chunks; you want the plums firm enough so they hold their shape, but ripe enough so they develop sweetness; pluots are great as well
avocado (1/2) cubed
lemon (1 small) freshly squeezed



INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash up the garlic with a little salt, chili pepper, cilantro and olive oil into a chunky paste.
2. Add the plum and avocado chunks, squeeze the lemon juice on top and sprinkle some pinches of salt. 
3. Without mashing the avo, gently toss everything together by hand.
4. Let rest for a moment so the flavors have chance to settle.
5. Add more salt and/or lemon to taste.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Style Cauliflower & Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing

Okay, so I visited Mohawk Bend for the first time the other week with Sarah and her friend Brad. Their "elevated pub food" (made with locally-sourced ingredients) is appealing to both plant and meat eaters alike. Brad kept talking about their Buffalo Style Cauliflower and even though I eat a plant-based diet and am continually shocked by just how good vegetables can be, I was skeptical that this cauliflower could really be THAT good. But it was. It was that good. And really hard for me to share. I wanted to order a second helping, but everyone looked at me like I was crazy.  

I told Justin about it and he cooked it up the first chance he got. It came out just as good as Mohawk Bend's. We researched a bunch of different methods, tasted through the best ones, and tweaked it a bit to give the cauliflower more coating and sauce. This is some spectacular plant junk food (and not junky at all if you watch your blue cheese dipping and/or omit the added oil to the hot sauce).

INGREDIENTS, Buffalo Style Cauliflower

cauliflower (1 head) cut into florets

brown rice flour (1/2 cup) any flour will do, I use brown rice flour for a no-gluten variation

water (1/2 cup)

salt (pinch)

frank's original hot sauce (1/4 cup) if you omit the oil, then use 1/2 cup instead; I specifically recommend Frank's hot sauce only because it truly has that distinct "hot wings" flavor - I also get the Red Hot Original since their Red Hot Buffalo Wings type has preservatives in it

vegetable oil or earth balance (1/4 cup) optional, use less or none; I prefer just a touch otherwise I get a bellyache 

INGREDIENTS, Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing

extra firm tofu (1/4 block) pressed between paper towels to suck out the moisture

garlic powder (dash)

vegenaise (1/2 cup) I use a grapeseed version, Follow Your Heart, with great ingredients

tahini (1/4 tsp)

lemon (dash)

apple cider vinegar (dash)

green onions (2 T) chopped

parsley (2 t) chopped

mustard powder (dash)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400º and oil/butter up a baking sheet.
2. Mix the flour, water and a pinch of salt into a batter.
3. Coat each cauliflower floret with the batter making sure it's not too thick so it crisps up in the oven like fried batter on chicken wings. Arrange florets on baking sheet, then pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until edges golden slightly.
4. In the meantime, whip up the blue cheese dressing; mix all ingredients and crumble in tofu to create that chunky blue cheese texture.
5. In a separate bowl, mix hot sauce and oil (or melted Earth Balance) together; when florets are done, toss them in hot sauce. Serve with "blue cheese" on the side.

Enjoy! xo, J&J

Moroccan Carrot Salad

I have great affection for this salad. My Israeli roots are partly to blame. I grew up visiting my family there and frequenting restaurants where warm pita and a meze of vegetable and pickled salads were complimentarily served. The moroccan carrot salad was usually among them. This culture of immediately serving a guest with several dishes started in the home; whenever I visited someone's house, they would immediately bring out a collection of different foods - olives, nuts, cheeses. It made a huge impact on me, being fed, taken care of in someone's home. And with enough options to ensure there was something for me to enjoy. Ever since then, whenever a guest comes through our door, I immediately (and excitedly) put out a mix of grubbery for them.

The moroccan carrot salad is incredibly popular across Middle Eastern cuisine and can be served raw or cooked. Although the raw is more nutritious, I am a sucker for the savory flavor of the cooked variation. It's spicy, refreshing, and has become a staple in our home.

INGREDIENTS
carrots (8-10) peeled (it's important to peel them otherwise the skin becomes dry and flaky after cooking)
garlic cloves (2) crushed
cayenne pepper (1 t)
fresh lemon squeeze (2 T)
oil (1 T)
salt (1 t)
ground cumin (1/2 t)
flat or curly parsley chopped
zhug or harissa (1/2-2 t) optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Get a pot of water boiling.
2. In the meantime, stir all ingredients together except the carrots and parsley and set aside; this will give the dressing some time to harmonize together while the carrots cook.
3. Once the water is boiling, drop in the carrots until they soften. About 20 minutes. Don't overcook, it's nice to have some firmness in them (plus you retain more nutrients as a bonus).
4. When they reach the desired softness, strain and let cool.
5. Slice the carrots into coins and toss with the dressing and parsley. Let cool in the fridge for at least an hour. It makes a big difference in overall flavor.

Enjoy! xo, J

Bitter Orange Almond Cake

I was so excited for Passover this year! It's always an opportunity to dig into my culinary heritage a bit, but with methods and ingredients agreeable to my ethics and belly. Passover is all about FOOD. Judaism, in general, is all about connecting with the metaphysical through physical ritual - but food is the particular "physical" star of this holiday. 


I spent the first seder at my sister and brother-in-law's in Santa Barbara and the second at my parents' in Agoura Hills. My sister's seder was a potluck of sorts, and I jumped at the opportunity to make the dessert. It is one of my life missions to make the perfect dense flourless almond cake. I poked around for recipes and found this bitter orange variation all over the internet. It has Sephardic Passover culinary roots and was further popularized by the great cultural anthropologist and Middle Eastern and Jewish food writer, Claudia Roden. I love it's surprising bitterness, simplicity, and moistness. I think it has sophisticated flavor and would be fabulous paired (or soaked) with some dessert wine to balance the bitter.





INGREDIENTS
oranges (2) washed
almond flour (1 1/2 cups)
eggs (6) separate the yolks from whites
sugar (1 cup) or 3/4 cup agave or maple syrup and use one less egg
gluten free baking powder (1 t)


DIRECTIONS

1. Boil filtered water, reduce to a simmer, and boil oranges for two hours.
2. Remove oranges and cut into quarters to cool.
3. When cooled, blend in food processor until smooth.
4. Add the sweetener, almond flour, baking powder and egg yolks.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Beat the egg whites separately until they peak. 
7. Fold the peaked egg whites into the batter.
8. Pour batter into a greased springform pan, pop into oven and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. 
9. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to burn and remove when the batter doesn't stick.
10. Let cool completely before cutting or covering. Sift almond meel or sugar on top, or serve with melted chocolate, orange syrup, berries, or almond ice cream.

I tried a purely vegan version (with flax meal instead of the eggs and maple syrup instead of the sugar) and it didn't come out well (too mushy and the flavor was too concentrated). Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Enjoy! xo, J

Arugula & Roasted Asparagus with Sweet Potato Chips

I shamefully don't cook with asparagus nearly enough, but after getting some in our farm delivery this week and making this salad, I want to cook with them all the time. Asparagus is awesomely versatile, so this is just one of many ideas. I found it on this fantastic Colombian food blog (where you can find things like Tres Leche Rice Pudding and Empanadas) and changed it up a bit to my taste.

SALAD INGREDIENTS

arugula

asparagus cut at a diagonal into 1" pieces

sweet potatoes (2 small) sliced into chip size, about 1/4"

olive oil

salt

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

dijon mustard (1 T)

fresh lemon juice (1/4 cup)

olive oil (1/4 cup or less to taste)

cumin (1/4 t)

garlic clove (1) minced 

salt 

pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. Mix your dressing ingredients together so it has time to settle and come together.
3. Toss your sweet potato slices with oil and salt. Pop into the oven. 
4. Toss your asparagus with oil and salt.  Pop into the oven.
5. When the asparagus is tender yet still crisp, take out of the oven and cool.
6. When the sweet potatoes are golden and crispy, take out of the oven and cool.
7. Toss the arugula, asparagus, and dressing together. Lay the sweet potato chips on top.

Enjoy!

xo, J

Roasted Leeks & Quinoa

I make a lot of "recipe centric" meals in an effort to learn, but man, I don't always want to follow a recipe. This is one dish where you don't have to follow anything, and hopefully it will give you another one of those non-thinking options when you just want to EAT. We need a stockpile of those, I think. Basically, the gist of this one is:

ROASTED VEGGIE + GRAIN + SAUCE + CRUNCHIES 

The sauce is nice because it unifies the ingredients into a composed-feeling dish while the crunchies add satisfying texture. And if you cook a ton of the grain or whip up a bunch of the sauce and pop in the fridge for next time, then you'll have the basics on hand for another quickie recipe, like a sandwich wrap or something. 

INGREDIENTS 

leeks roughly chopped

olive oil

salt

quinoa

tahini

lemon

sunflower seeds 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400. 
2. Cook your quinoa with water or stock. When done, fluff with a fork to prevent mushing. (I cook extra for later and use water so it can become either sweet or savory.)
3. Toss the leeks with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet. Pop them in the oven. Make sure to watch closely and stir around because bits will start to burn. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Mix some tahini with water and salt so it becomes a sauce. 
5. Toss together the quinoa, leeks, and tahini sauce. Finish with some fresh squeezed lemon and sunflower seeds.

Enjoy! xo, J