Shaved Asparagus, Beet, Blood Orange and Olive Salad with Seared Scallops and Avocado

This was a total mash-up based on what was in my refrigerator and what I was craving. I cooked the scallops for almost no time in some ghee, dressed the asparagus (and arugula) with shallots, blood orange, lemon juice, and chopped olives, and roasted the beets until tender.

Black Eyed Peas, Rainbow Chard, Feta Cheese

Roasted Root Vegetables, Lentils, Hazelnuts, Goat Cheese

Sort of a mish-mosh of a few favorite dishes, on a day where I was in need of some protein. The light also happened to be perfect just as we were sitting down to eat.

Sweet and Brown Rice, Bok Choy with Garlic, Ginger, Chili and Miso

Smashed Chickpeas, Sauteed Kale with Caramelized Shallots, Knackebrod

A quick dinner demonstrating the knackebrod addiction I picked up while in Sweden...

Chickpeas, Carrots, Cabbage & Sunflower Sprouts with Yogurt, and Stout in a Teacup

There were very few green things available in Sweden in the middle of winter, so I made this variation on one of my favorite easy meals with cabbage, and we threw some sprouts on top for a little extra green. Since we were cooking in a rented cabin we didn't have any seasonings, so this came out pretty bland (ever underestimate the power of salt!), but it was nice to have something healthy after eating knackebrod and tube cheese in the car all day. Also interesting to note: I usually make this with caraway, and I thought it would be really easy to find at the grocery store in Sweden, as caraway is such a common spice in Northern European cooking, but we couldn't find anything labeled as such. I compromised by buying cumin instead, and when I opened the package I discovered it was indeed caraway... so what do they call cumin in Sweden, if "cumin" means caraway?

Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut Pesto, Fried Cranberry Beans with Kale, Sumac, and Feta

Cauliflower recipe from here. The beans were a play on this Ottolenghi dish, made with bits and pieces from my fridge: cranberry beans instead of lima (they didn't fry up quite as nicely because of the smaller size), kale instead of sorrel, leeks instead of spring onions.

Roasted Carrot and Black Sesame "Hummus"

Recipe here. I didn't have any regular tahini so I used black sesame tahini*, which is why this is green instead of a lovely orange color. I also omitted the milk (since when do you put milk in hummus?), but it tasted delicious with the whole wheat pita chips I made (cut pita into pieces, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 10 minutes), and I've been snacking on it all week.


PS: these people also make the best cashew butter ever known to mankind. Seriously addictive.

Tofu Bake

This recipe is from the amazing Amy Chaplin at Coconut & Quinoa, and involves layers seasoned tofu, millet and beets, and leeks and mushrooms. I don't like mushrooms so I subbed in artichoke hearts, and it was delicious! The tofu layer didn't come out the way it should have- the recipe calls for firm tofu but I think I should have gone with a softer one to get the creamy effect I was looking for- but it still tasted great!.

Jamie's Winter Vegetable Salad, Take Two (Vegetarian/Gluten Free Version)

Another version of Jamie Oliver's stellar winter salad, this time with chicories, roasted squash, beets and red onion, oranges, avocado, and pumpkin seeds. I didn't even miss the chicken or chunks of bread (or pomegranate seeds).

Post-Cleanse!

Easing yourself into solid foods after a juice cleanse is just as important as easing yourself off them beforehand. For lunch I made a salad and this broth with kale, yams, and red lentils. I added in a big chunk of fresh ginger, garlic, bay, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and a healthy dose of cayenne, and I cooked it until everything was nice and soft. Even after only three days of juicing, it was so exciting to have something savory and (semi) solid!!!

Chicory, Fennel, and Citrus Salad with Avocado

I'm preparing for the cleanse I postponed in December. Tomorrow I'll start juicing, and today I'm eating nothing but raw veggies and fruit. This salad is great for any lunch, but it's especially good for a pre-cleanse meal- you don't even need oil for dressing, because the juices from the citrus make their own.

Red Lentil Dal, Chicory and Orange Salad, Avocado

I cooked the lentils with some finely chopped onion, coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and fresh ginger.

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Tagine, Take Two

I try not to post things twice here, but the truth is that when something's good I make it over and over again (which is why I don't post more often!). Since this time I got a better picture than the last time, I thought it was fair to share this dish again. Also: it is SO GOOD.

Mixed Chicories, Orange, Olive and Feta Salad

I make some variation of this all the time during the winter. The colors are so pretty, and the salty/sweet/bitter/acid flavor combination is a winner!

Chicory and Roasted Beet Salad, Curried Chicken Salad, Toast

I made the chicken salad with a bit of curry powder, toasted, slivered almonds, and a good amount of mango chutney mixed in. I dressed the chicories and beets with orange juice, and tossed some toasted pumpkin seeds in as well.

Winter Vegetable Salad

The latest issue of Jamie Magazine came in the mail yesterday and it's full of recipes I want to make (including a whole section on celery!). This salad was perfection: roasted root vegetables (beets and carrots in this case) and red onions, toasted chunks of bread, shredded chicken, pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds and pepitas, and an assortment of beautiful baby chicories from the market, all dressed in a honey-orange vinaigrette. There are a lot of components, to be sure, but in all it took about 40 minutes to prepare (including roasting time), and I will definitely be making it again. I only wish my shoddy nighttime photography accurately depicted what a beautiful plate this was.

Lentil Soup

I saw lentil soup on another blog recently and decided I should make some. I improvised mine- first I made some veggie stock (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay, peppercorns), then I cooked lentils in it along with some more carrots, celery, and onion, puréed about 2/3 of that, and added the rest back in for texture. I had it with some whole grain bread from Acme, and it really hit the spot!

Smashed, Spicy Kabocha with Yogurt

I roasted the squash with cumin, coriander, caraway, clove, and crushed chili, and a little garlic and bay leaf.

Grapefruit-Carrot-Orange Juice