A Summer Dinner

What are you eating in this heat?

Here is my simple summer dinner - boiled corn, sauted broccoli rabe, cold soba noodles (100% gluten free buckwheat noodles) and no-cook tofu avocado salad.

The beauty of this dinner is I used the same dressing for the soba noodles and tofu salad. I sprinkled sesame seeds and furikake after I tossed in the dressing. Super coolicious!

Here is the recipe for the dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons tamari
• 1 Tablespoon mirin
• 1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Forbidden Rice Salad

I always have 1 or 2 protein dishes and whole grains in the fridge so weeknight cooking means only making veggies, which takes from 5-15 minutes!

Here is a really easy way to use up your cooked rice. I would add in defrosted shelled edamame, grated carrots, leftover grilled veggies or any boxed baby arugula or spinach I have on hand.  I put together a simple vinaigrette - 2 parts sesame oil, 2 parts vinegar (red wine or rice vinegar), 1 part maple syrup with a sprinkle of salt. Mix it all up, throw in some pistachios or chopped cashews and serve!

Easiest way to eat a rainbow- master the basic stir fry

My default meal is stir fries. Not only can I finish all the wilting leftover veggies in the fridge, it is also the easiest way to eat the biggest variety of veggies in one sitting, what elementary school children are taught to do - eat a rainbow a day!

Because almost everything goes when it comes to stir fries, I will not give you an exact recipe, but a formula of success:

Protein (meat or plant-based) + crunchy veggies + mushrooms + greens + basic seasonings

In this stir fry, tofu is my protein of choice. When you empty a tofu cube from the box, make sure you dry it off. I like to brown my tofu in a non-stick or cast iron pan on all sides for a few minutes.

Then I throw in a few drops of tamari, toss to coat the tofu cubes and set them aside.

My crunchy veggies are red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots. The mushrooms I am using are shitake and buna-shimeji, which is also called the beech mushroom and the brown clam shell mushroom.

The greens I am using are a few leftover broccoli rabe stems and baby spinach straight out of the bag.

My go to seasonings are tamari, garlic, ginger, salt, garlic flakes, mushroom powder. Sometimes I use all of them, sometimes just a few.

To make the stir fry, warm olive oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic mix.

Toss in crunchy veggies mix.

Add mushroom mix. Add salt, mushroom powder.

Throw in greens. Sprinkle a little more garlic flakes or seasoning of choice.

Toss in browned tofu.

Season with tamari to taste. Sometimes I drizzle a few drops of maple syrup to give it a touch of sweetness.

All ready to go! The simplest dish you can throw together with any random ingredients on a whim!

What is your stir fry formula? What works for you?

Secret Stir-fry Seasoning - homemade mushroom powder

I used to sprinkle a mushroom extract I bought from China Town on all sautéd greens and stir fries because it just made all things taste better......that is until I found out it contained MSG. I threw out the whole packet, but really missing the umami depth it lent to my veggies.

Not long ago I came across a blog that suggested making your own mushroom extract. Why didn't I think of that?

I combined dried porcini mushrooms with dried shitake mushrooms (stems removed) in a food processor. In a few minutes I created my own MSG free mushroom extract. It has become one of my spice rack staples and I use it for everything from sautéd kale to veggie stir fries to soups!

Celebrate Spring with 2 green soups

Spring has finally arrived! Seeing the tiny green buds once again bursting out of the many trees in my neighborhood, I am reminded that the greens-eating season has officially begun.

What comes to your mind when I mention eating greens? Green salads? Green juices? Or maybe green smoothies?

Let me share one green secret with you - green soups.  I survived the cold winter months by making variations of green soups to supplement my greens intake when eating a green salad just seemed too cold and unappealing. Green soups are like the savory versions of green smoothies - you can pack almost any green veggies in them. All you need is a blender or food processor to puree the ingredients into a smooth paste. Believe it or not, you don't even have to add dairy or potatoes to achieve the desired creamy texture.

It is such an awesome way to add greens to my diet that I will for sure keep drinking them as cold gazpacho soups way into the hot summer months!

Broccoli Fennel Soup (based on Susan Blum's recipe)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 leek stem, chopped (top 4 or 5 inches of greens removed)
• 3 cups chopped broccoli, florets and stems
• ½ head fennel, chopped
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups water

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic, celery, leek, broccoli, fennel, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Zucchini Pea Soup with Dill (based on Amy Chaplin's recipe)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 leek stem, chopped (top 4 or 5 inches of greens removed)
• 5 medium zucchinis, diced (1 1/2lbs.)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or dried dill
• freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
3. Stir in garlic, salt and cook another minute. Add leek and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add zucchini, peas and water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in dill and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Millet Cauliflower Mash

My daughter's favorite dinner - steak and mashed potatoes! Except for tonight I made a potato-less mash with millet and cauliflower, a protein-packed whole grain with a complex carb. She LOVED it!!

For all comfort food lovers out there, make this healthy mash!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet (washed and soaked overnight if possible)
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt + more if necessary
• black pepper
• butter (optional)

Method:

1. Put drained millet, cauliflower, water and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until millet is fluffy and soft and all liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat. Add butter (optional). Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Mash until creamy with a potato masher or heavy spoon. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Cover pot again for 5 minutes before serving.

I served mine with a hearty black bean stew on top. Try yours with scallion, garlic, tamari or any favorite oils or herbs of your choice!

Roasted carrots with millet and mint-pistachio dressing

Finally a yummy millet recipe!

If you are like me, looking to broaden your gluten-free whole grain repertoire so you are not eating brown rice and quinoa every day, check out this wonderful summer recipe from Marco Canora's "A Good Food Day".

Ingredients:

• 12 carrots, scrubbed with tops trimmed
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup millet
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, plus chopped pistachios for serving
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Leave carrots whole, or if they are thicker than 1/2 inch, half them lengthwise. On the baking sheet toss them with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast, shaking the sheet occasionally until the skin looks shriveled and lightly browned, for about an hour.
3. While the carrots are roasting, prepare the millet. Toast it in a dry pot over medium-high heat , stirring often until the grains turn golden brown, for about 4 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. Now prepare the mint-pistachio dressing. In a food processor, combine the mint, pistachios, a pinch of salt and process until the nuts are coarsely ground. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and and process until pesto is smooth. Throw in a little Parmesan if you like a more cheesy pesto.
5. On a large platter, toss the roasted carrots with millet and enough dressing to coat everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle a few chopped pistachios on top.

Beautifully roasted carrots...

The dressing also works really well with quinoa!

Falling Leaves Salad

This hearty salad reminds me of the deep vibrant colors of the Fall season. Delicious and beautiful to look at!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head small red cabbage
• 1 raw beet, scrubbed
• 1 or 2 carrots
• 1 pear
• salad greens (preferably arugula)
• toasted walnuts and pistachios
• fresh pomegranates, dried cranberries or raisins

Method:

1. Julienne red cabbage, beets, carrots and pears.
2. Combine with greens, walnuts and pomegranates or dried fruits.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 Tbs apple cider vinegar, 1/8 cup umeboshi vinegar, 1 Tbs tamari and 1 Tbs maple syrup.
4. Toss salad with dressing and serve.

Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These baked sweet potato fries have become a staple in my household. We have them for dinner, my daughter loves them as snacks. They are a perfect balance of sweetness in taste and crispiness in texture!

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• smoked paprika, cinnamon or a seasoning of your choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and pat dry the sweet potatoes well. With the skin on, cut them into matchstick size, adjusting to your preference of thickness.
3. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Toss in coconut oil, salt and pepper. Add in extra spices (optional).
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the fries once or twice, until they are tender in the middle and brown on the edges.

Fingerling Potato with dill and lemon-saffron vinaigrette

This is another Lemonade recipe of classic potato salad with dill and a mimic of French mayonnaise mix. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup lemon-saffron vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

Ingredients for the lemon-saffron vinaigrette:

• large pinch of saffron threads
• 2 Tbs hot water
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put the potatoes in a large baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Coat evenly and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes till golden on the outside and tender when pierced with a knife. Shake the pan from time to time. When done, set the potatoes aside to cool. Potatoes can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.
3. In a small bowl, combine saffron with hot water. Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
4. In a blender, combine egg yolk, mustard, lemon, turmeric, saffron (with the water), salt and pepper. Blend on medium speed for a few seconds, then reduce to low. Slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add a Tbs of water to thin out if needed.
5. Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Add the vinaigrette, yogurt, dill and shallot. Toss to evenly combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or warm.
6. Keep leftover vinaigrette in an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I used the leftover vinaigrette to make an egg salad and tossed it into cooked quinoa with a little scallion. It works beautifully!