vegetarian Archives - Page 8 of 13 -

December 18, 2014

Kale Quinoa Salad with Pickled Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Kale salad time again because I love eating kale salads more than anything else in this world. Goodness, how times have changed. When I was in high school, I could proudly eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting because ice cream was my favorite thing to eat. Now, however, if someone were to present me with the choice between pints of ice cream, a platter of cookies, or a giant kale salad, I would in all honesty choose the kale salad. The rest of the family thinks I’m strange, but I like to just think of myself as healthy.

This Kale Quinoa Salad with Pickled Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts is inspired from a salad I had at Social Kitchen and Bar a couple years ago. (Yes, the salad was so good that I am still thinking about it two years later.) Since I don’t live close enough to frequently dine at the restaurant, I did my best to recreate the salad at home. Hello to my new favorite.

I listed general amounts of ingredients in the recipe below, but really there is so much liberty that can used when assembling salads. Increase the quinoa if you’d like a heartier grain salad or add some extra cheese for a stronger parmesan or romano flavor. The pickled onions add a lot to this salad though so don’t skip those. (Note that it’s important to find raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar for pickling the onions because pasteurized apple cider vinegar does not have the same health benefits.) This salad is a bit salty, a bit tart, and a bit sweet. With all of those holiday cookies around during this season, now is the perfect time balance it all out with this marvelous kale salad.

Kale Quinoa Salad with Pickled Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

8-10 cups chopped kale, from 1 large bunch, tough stalks removed
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup pine nuts
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup romano or parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup pickled red onion (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toast pine nuts in a single layer in a 350 oven for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully because the pine nuts burn easily.
In a large bowl, mix together the kale with the raisins, pine nuts, quinoa, cheese and pickled onion.
Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over salad, tossing until salad is evenly coated.

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients

1 cup sliced red onion
½ cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the onions and turn off heat. Allow the onions to sit in the hot water for 1 minute. Drain and add onions to a small glass jar.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the water, cider vinegar, honey, and salt. Stir until salt and honey are dissolved. Pour mixture over the onions and sprinkle in the mustard seeds. Allow onions to sit in the vinegar solution for at least a few hours before serving. Keeps in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit

November 20, 2014

Cranberry Pecan Cornbread

Keeping it short and sweet today with a festive twist on a traditional cornbread which is completely whole grain and naturally sweetened. This Cranberry Pecan Cornbread incorporates both white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour and is sweetened with maple syrup and a touch of honey. It would be a beautiful addition to any Thanksgiving spread, but it also makes a nice breakfast bread or afternoon snack. I like this best served warm with some extra raw honey spread on top.

Cranberry Pecan Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups plain whole milk yogurt
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
⅔ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped pecans, plus 10-12 pecan halves for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x5 loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, syrup, honey, butter, and eggs.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and chopped pecans. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Arrange pecan halves neatly in a row down the center.
Bake until bread starts to become golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

adapted from Epicurious

November 17, 2014

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

With the cold weather officially here to stay, we’ve transitioned into full-time soup and stew eating mode over here. This comes as a relief to me since soups and stews have such flexible cooking times and can be so easily prepared in advance. Now that it’s November, I feel that I should have our after-school routine running smoothly each day, but instead I find myself continuing to struggle with helping the kids with their instrument practice and homework, taking them to various activities, and cooking dinner all within the 4:00-6:00 time frame. I always feel so good on the days when dinner is done before they even arrive home because it’s one less thing I need to worry about.

I made a double batch of this Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup last week so I could have some to freeze and have a healthy meal easily available when I need to balance out all of the upcoming holiday treats. I find grain soups so hearty, cozy, and nourishing. The pleasant hint of saffron in this soup reminds me of the warm flavors of a Spanish paella, but this soup is a lot less time consuming to make. This recipe is extremely versatile and the spelt, millet, and quinoa can be easily substituted for other whole grains such as farro, wheatberries, or rice. To keep it gluten-free, use any combination of rice, millet, and quinoa. Or for simplicity, choose one single grain to work with. Pre-soaking whole grains such as spelt or wheat berries is recommended to aid with digestion and improve texture. Soaking for a few hours is optimal, but soaking for even an hour makes a difference. The soup thickens considerably after it sits for a while, but it can thinned it out with a bit of additional water if desired.

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
⅛-1/4 teaspoon saffron
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup spelt, soaked for at least 1 hour and drained
¼ cup millet
3 tablespoons quinoa
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ouches) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, saffron, spelt, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until spelt is tender, about 30 minutes.
Add millet, quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer until millet and quinoa are cooked and flavors have blended, about 15-20 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a garnish of parsley to serve.

Notes

adapted from Martha Stewart