Cucumber, Corn + Tomato Salad

Feta, fresh dill and lime juice are the stars of this flavor-filled salad.

This über easy salad is perfect for these warm evenings we've been getting lately. Bulgarian style feta, fresh dill and lime juice add boosts of flavor to this refreshing salad.  

• 3 persian cucumbers, diced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• juice of one lime (or small lemon)
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bulgarian style feta, crumbled*
• sea salt
• cracked black pepper

*you can use any type of feta. I happened to have the Bulgarian style feta on hand. It is a bit saltier and creamier than Greek feta, and full of flavor.

In medium bowl, add corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and dill.  In small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, and dill.  Pour over salad and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with feta and voilà! Serve as a side or pair it with a crisp Sancerre and enjoy as a main dish. Bon appétit!

Roasted Winter Squash + Brussel Sprouts

• 1/2 lb. pumpkin*, peeled and cut into 1" inch pieces
• 1/2 lb large brussel sprouts (about 10), washed, ends cut off and halved
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• coarse sea salt
• cracked black pepper
• blue tuscan rosemary (this is what I had on hand, but feel free to substitute any variety of rosemary)

I thought I was working with your everyday pumpkin when I set out to make this dish. It looked like a small pumpkin and had the same consistency prior to cooking. *When it came time to tasting the dish, however, the pumpkin was much sweeter than what I've made in the past. I took to the handy internet and it turns out that what I cooked was actually red kabocha squash (similar to kabocha, but slightly sweeter). Apparently, though usually dark green in its outer color, some varieties are bright orange on the outside.

I personally really enjoyed the slightly sweet and savory combination, and think this recipe would work great on various types of winter squash.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In medium size roasting pan, combine pumpkin, brussel sprouts. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables, using your (washed or with food handling gloves (yes, I keep a box on hand), of course!) hands to cover the vegetables in the oil. Add chopped garlic, sprinkle sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste, and rosemary. Using a wooden spoon, mix up all ingredients one last time and place in oven.

Cook for 25 minutes, then lightly mix vegetables to ensure even cooking. Reduce to 375 degrees and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Using a fork, check consistency: the squash should be tender and the brussel sprouts should be slightly caramelized, slightly tender, but not mushy.

Serve as a side with your favorite fish, or atop a heap of quinoa for a hearty veggie bowl. Bon appétit!

Banana Date Walnut Bread (And It's Vegan!)

There's been a high demand for a vegan version of my banana bread in the household lately, so I've been up to my elbows baking. As most of you know, I'm not a natural baker, so it's definitely been a practice in following the rules. You can't just feel your way through baking, like you can for other forms of cooking. But I've managed to keep the creative flow by experimenting with variations of recipes, and I think I've come up with a pretty good one. 

The key is: don't skimp on the bananas! 

I was baking two batches last week and fell just a little short on bananas with the second one; the difference in taste and moistness was apparent. The bananas should be ripe, with no green on the skin! This ensures their natural sweetness, thus requiring less sugar than a lot of other recipes.

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of cinnamon (you can use up to 1/4 tsp; I'm sensitive to the flavor so I prefer to use less.)
• 4 medium ripe bananas (mashed, not pureed)
• 3 tbs olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In medium bowl, mix sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In large bowl, mash bananas. Add oil, vanilla extract, and dates. Stir until combined. 

In separate bowl, whisk together almond milk and vinegar. Let stand 2-3 three minutes, then add to banana mixture. You might be wondering, why are we adding vinegar to banana bread? I thought the same thing when I first came across recipes that included this step. Think of it as a vegan "buttermilk" that adds a lightness to the final product. 

Add dry ingredients to the wet, stir together. Be careful: too much stirring and you will end up with a dense loaf! Fold in walnuts. 

Lightly oil a 9 x 5 loaf pan. I used one of those spray misters to get an even coating with less oil.  Pour banana bread mixture into pan and pop into oven for 45-50* minutes. When done, a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should emerge clean. Place on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then slice, serve and enjoy!

*Due to oven variations, I advise to check on the banana bread after about 40 minutes. 

Corn, Edamame + Arugula Salad

In honor of Mother's Day, my siblings and I got together and made brunch for the family. This refreshing salad, with the peppery kick of arugula and lemon-mustard vinaigrette, was the perfect accompaniment to some of the richer dishes. It's quick, delicious and visually appealing. 

This colorful salad is perfect for a light lunch, or pair it with a quiche for your next brunch!

Salad:

• 1 (7 oz.) bag wild arugula
• 2 cups shelled edamame (I used Trader Joe's frozen edamame, defrosted)
• 2 cups white corn 
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 cilantro, chopped

Wash arugula, drain and pat dry. In large bowl, combine ingredients. Drizzle with lemon-mustard vinaigrette and toss lightly. Serve with a slice of quiche, frittata, or tea sandwiches. Voilà, brunch is served. 

 

Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette:

• juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• coarse sea salt, to taste

In small bowl, whisk together above ingredients. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette over salad and toss lightly, adding more if desired. Remaining dressing can be stored in an airtight glass container for 3-4 days. 

Banana-y Banana Bread

This banana bread isn't for everyone. It's for the real banana lovers, the ones who love anything and everything banana. I think the key to a great banana bread is that it's moist and actually tastes like the fruit it's named after. I can't count how many times have I've excitedly reached for a slice, only to find it dry and tasteless. Here, I add an extra banana to combat both those issues. After experimenting with several recipes, I came up with this concoction for a simple to make and moist banana bread.

• 4 medium bananas, really ripe, mashed
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, cream sugar and butter. I found that brown sugar doesn't whisk into the butter as easily as white sugar does, so use a wooden spoon instead. If you find the brown sugar and butter start clumping, use the flat side of the spoon.

In separate smaller bowl, whisk egg and vanilla. Add to the creamed sugar and butter. Then add flour, baking soda and a pinch of salt, and stir just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Fold in walnuts. Note: too much stirring and you will end up with a dense loaf, so don't over-stir!

Evenly spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with non-stick spray coating. Pour batter into pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. I would check a few spots with this particular recipe, as you might just be hitting a piece of banana and not the actual bread. Cool on rack, then transfer to plate and serve. (Though my mom and I sliced off a couple of piping hot pieces and they were amazing right out of the oven!)

Perfect with coffee or tea, I could eat this everyday. Hope you enjoy!

Kitchen Tip: Don't Toss Out Those Beet Greens!

Don't toss out those beet greens -
those hearty leaves and stalks are full of nutritional value and great taste.

Some of you may already know this but next time you're at your local farmer's market buying beets, don't throw away those greens at the end of your beets. I had bought beets countless times from the market and it would generally go the same way each time. I would pick out the bunch of beets I wanted and then hand them over to the person at the register, who would then twist off the stalks with their flowing leaves and heap them onto a pile of similarly discarded vegetables.

Then one day something different happened. I found myself once again buying beets and the gentleman, instead of tossing aside the stalks, asked me if I'd like to take them home. "Really? What would I do with them?" I had always figured they were inedible so I hadn't given them much thought. He gave me a knowing smile that said I had some things to learn. "Cook them up! They're good for you." He shared that he had been cooking with them for years, using them the way you would spinach, chard or collard greens.

Ever since then, I make sure to pick out the freshest looking bunch with bright green leaves still in tact. They don't hold up as well as the beet root itself so cut and store them separately and try to cook them within a few days.

Here's a quick and easy way to prepare them:

• 2 cups chopped beet leaves
• 1 cup chopped beet stalks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil
• salt + pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat 3 tbs olive oil. Add minced garlic and cook for 15-20 seconds, stirring to keep them from burning. Add chopped stalks and sauté for approx. 4 minutes. Then add leaves and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes. At the end, stir in lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.*

*Alternative version: At the end, stir in lemon juice, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp honey + pepper. I tried this and the touch of honey adds a slight sweetness to contrast the delicious bitter greens. If trying this version, skip the salt.

You can add these colorful beet stalks and leaves in pretty much any dish
that calls for chard or spinach, such as frittatas, soups and quinoa.

Tofu Steaks with Baby Oyster Mushrooms + Carrots

Oysters. Chanterelles. Enoki. Portabellos. Shiitake. I love all types of mushrooms, and with their varying tastes and textures it can be fun to experiment with different recipes. Yesterday, I came upon these lovely baby oyster mushrooms and I couldn't resist taking them home. I stir fried these babies with some flavorful carrots and served them with lightly pan-fried tofu steaks. 

• 1 package firm tofu
• 2 cups baby oyster mushrooms, bottoms trimmed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, grated 
• 1 medium carrot, sliced thinly on the bias
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp chili pepper, minced (cerrano or jalapeno)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Prepare Tofu:

Tofu "Steaks"

Slice tofu so you have four "steaks" approximately 3" x 3"in size. Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain and pat dry. Season each side with salt and pepper. In large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil. Place the four tofu steaks in pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until lightly crispy and browned. (To check, lift edge gently with a fork.) When done, carefully flip them over and cook the other side until equally crisp.  

                                                                                                             

Stir Fry:
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in large non-stick pan. Add garlic, ginger, chili pepper and carrots and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring with wooden spoon to prevent from burning. Rinse mushrooms* and add them to pan. Add soy sauce and 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper. Optional: sprinkle salt to taste. Cook for 4-5 minutes on high heat, stirring occasionally. Serve over tofu steaks.

*There has been much debate over the years on whether or not to wash mushrooms, but I say go ahead and rinse away.

Serve as a starter or a main course.