Green Diva Dip

There are a lot of recipes floating around right now for sweet pea guacamole or green pea hummus - both featuring a mush-prone vegetable to put some spring into a dish. Though I don't typically like following blog trends, I do like coming up with quick snacks when I'm low on exciting groceries. In this instance, we were heading poolside and feeling munchy, but I didn't have legumes for hummus or chips for dipping. What I had were crisp vegetables, leafy greens, and frozen peas.

Another fantastic result of a clean-out-the-fridge hodgepodge. With frozen peas and edamame always on hand, I had a good base. I'm also going through a juicing phase and have a lot of greens (chard, beet greens, kale and spinach). While we typically juice greens or use them in salads, why not puree them raw? They are tender and breakdown easily, and it's such an easy way to sneak in an extra nutrient punch. Then I started looking for anything green and delicious in the fridge. Thus arose a beautiful and bright concoction.

We agreed as taste testers that something is only considered a "concoction" until it has a name. "Green Goddess" is an overused title for a green dressing, green smoothies, or green liquid anything. Yet with my token male out of town this weekend, the last 3 days have been jam packed with lady fun. So we came upon this title to embody our energizing female connections over the past few risings and settings of the moon - 2 of which featured this dip.

Cooking note: if you don't have white miso or reduced fat Veganaise (or any kind of Veganaise), this dip will still be delicious. Just add a little more avocado and salt.

Green Diva Dip
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 c. edamame
1/4 avocado
1/4 small lemon, peeled (flesh and all, but no rind)
2 large scallions, white and green parts chopped
1/4 c. parsley
1-2 small garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp. white miso paste (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil or 1 T. fresh basil
1/4 - 1/3 c. veggie broth
2 c. spinach
1/2 T. Reduced Fat Veganaise (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sliced vegetables for dipping

Directions

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a food processor and puree. Slowly pour in broth through the chute until the mixture processes smoothly, without chunking up. Once the mixture is well pureed, add spinach and Veganaise (if using). Process for another 3-4 minutes or until smooth.

Serve with slice zucchini, jicama, carrots, radishes, cucumber, or celery.

Petite Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

The aesthetics, the sheer beauty, the intrigue of many a mysterious vegetable have motivated me to try an abundance of unknown produce. Example: Patty pan squash. After being on vacation for a week and diving head first into the farmer's market, I was dazzled by how many new veggies had appeared while I was our of the country (frolicking in the meadows of a castle in Tuscany for my beautiful sister and her husband's wedding mind you). I of course went overboard with all of the new beautiful choices. Despite having to travel for work and moving into a new abode this next week, I still bought a whole fridge full of veggies!

Patty pan squash - these things are positively adorable. There aren't many vegetables that can be classified in that category, though any baby version of a bigger bulb like baby artichokes are definitely more appealing to me. Fiddleheads, those are in the cute category. Though the exterior of patty pans suggest they have something interesting going on inside, they taste very much like any old summer squash. What makes them special is how fun they are to play with. Nature itself built into each little tulip of a squash a serving platter with which you can fill glorious flavors and textures. Well, semi-built-in. You do have to perform a little manual work to get them to serve as cups, but you simply have to parboil them for a few minutes and scoop out the center. Easier than you think.

So after browsing a few recipes, I decided to just go with what was in my kitchen. With a 3-day-old rock hard baguette, I whipped up a very taste batch of homemade bread crumbs. If you have some good, stale bread, I recommend chopping it, toasting it (if needed) and running those crusty carbs through a food processor for a minute or two. Voila! Homemade bread crumbs that are far superior to store bought. If you do use store bought crumbs, use panko - it's crunchier. Add any seasonings or herbs you'd like. Next time I make this, I'll probably add a few tablespoons of walnuts. But I have to admit the bacon bits were perfect. Served on top a bed of blanched spinach with a pinch of sea salt...Delicioso!

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
Makes: 6-8 squash
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

6-8 medium patty pan squash
2 T. Earth Balance, divided
2 T. red onion or shallot, minced
1 T. garlic, minced (2-3 large cloves)
1/4 c. bread crumbs, homemade
1 T. meatless bacon bits
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 T. nutritional yeast (or parmesan for you omnivores that probably don't have nooch in the cupboard)
Fresh ground pepper
Spinach for serving
Directions

Fill a deep skillet or large shallow pot with 2 inches of water, heat over high heat and lay whole squash in pan, stem side up. When water is boiling, lower heat to medium and simmer squash about 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400F. Set aside a muffin tin to hold the squash.

When squash are cool enough to handle, cut a circle around the top stem with a pairing knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the stem and any flesh with seeds from the center. Set aside and mince to use for the filling. Repeat with all remaining squash. Place prepared squash in muffin tin and make filling.

In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of Earth Balance over medium heat. When butter has melted, add minced onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are becoming golden (but be careful not to burn). Add minced squash flesh and cook another 2-3 minute. Add remaining Earth Balance, breadcrumbs, bacon bits, rosemary and salt. Cook, stirringly constantly, until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Finally, add nutritional yeast, stirring to combine, and remove from heat. Set aside in a small mixing bowl.

Fill each squash to the brim with breadcrumb filling. Bake in oven for 15-20 minute or until tops are browned. Remove and serve!

Cannellini Risotto with Peas and Fresh Herbs

I should add a "recession-friendly" category when I tag recipes. There is a common notion that following a vegan lifestyle is more expensive and more work. Ok it's not completely unfounded, but vegan cooking and eating doesn't have to break the bank and doesn't have to take hours and hours. We're all feeling a little thrifty, a little stretched, willing to take more bargains. Fortunately with risotto, you don't have to compromise taste or time to suit your wallet.

After making a couple of big arse payments for various loans in attempt to feel more responsible and less debt ridden, I am definitely looking to cook more budget friendly recipes. And with the madness that has ensued this spring - flying between Minnesota, Houston, Boston, Jersey and back to Phoenix in a matter of 4 weeks - I am also looking to cook easy recipes that don't require much thought. Though risotto requires time at the stove, if you have a companion and a glass or wine (or your companion IS the glass of wine), the time will fly by. In a matter of minutes, your rice will be soaked in flavorful goodness and your freshly snipped herbs put to good use.

I highly recommend using a great hodgepodge of herbs in this recipe. I had lots of parsley, basil and chives, but a sprinkling of mint and thyme went nicely into the mix. You could stir in blanched asparagus or frozen spinach instead of peas if little green orbs aren't your thing. I didn't exactly break this down cost-wise, but I promise this is one of the cheaper, tastier meal you'll enjoy in your own home.


Cannellini Risotto with Peas and Fresh Herbs
Makes: 2-3 servings
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 c. vegetable broth, water, or mix

1 T. olive oil
2 T. shallots, chopped
1-2 T. garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
3/4 c. white rice, pearled barley or arborio rice
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 c. fresh or frozen green peas, thawed if using frozen
1 c. cannellini beans, from canned (rinsed) or cooked from dry
3 T. nutritional yeast
3 T. almond or soy milk
1/3 c. fresh mixed herbs: basil, parsley, chives, thyme, etc.
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the broth/water mix over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. When broth comes to a low boil, reduce heat to medium low. Keep broth on burner while you prepare the risotto.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lemon peel and rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat completely in flavored oil and cook another minute or so. Add the wine and let cook until almost all the moisture has evaporated. Reduce heat to medium low and pour in 3/4 cup of broth. Let rice mixture cook until has absorbed almost all liquid. When the pan starts to dry again, add another 3/4 c of broth. Repeat this 2 or 3 more times until rice is fully cooked.

When rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, add peas and beans and cook until peas are just heated through. Stir in nutritional yeast, milk, and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Pea Smothered Starch Stacks

Well it’s hard to explain how this recipe came to fruition. It went from a request for polenta to a glance at ramekins with a need for green in between.

It’s no secret: I’m in love with spring flavors right now. Even though our spring doesn’t consist of the same edibles I was used to growing up, there is still a lot of freshly picked produce to play with in the Southwest and planning meals around seasonal ingredients is a fresh and inspirational no matter what’s in season where you live. Right now we’re getting lots of roots and greens which were lovely in this recipe. But in this case, contrary to most cases in which the produce drawer is where the recipe starts, the idea came from a request for a common Italian staple. From there I tried to branch out with other ideas to include spring elements.

Springtime polenta? Does that even make sense? I always think of polenta as a rich, warm, comfort food – not a light, fresh, seasonal dish. That’s what I like about cooking though. Trying to figure out how to play with flavors in unusual ways is my favorite way to spend a Thursday night. I know that makes me a dork, but those I feed don’t complain. In my mind, I just had to mix in some green shades to make polenta taste a little lighter.

I can’t really explain the whole stack idea other than wanting an opportunity to use my ramekins, but the stack style worked (somehow). Peas stood in very well for basil in the pesto and gave this a bright and lovely hue. Sweet and savory with a nice little garlic punch. Though the polenta and spinach slid out very easily, the vegetables actually stuck inside the ramekins. I just scooped em out and spread em over the stacks as best I could (you can’t win them all). It was still delicious. The process was actually much less labor intensive as it seems and really didn’t take long to prepare. If anything, you could just prepare each layer and skip the assembly. If you’re adventurous, happy stacking!



Polenta Stacks with Sweet Pea Pesto
Makes: 3-4 servings
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Layer 1
1 large parsnip, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1 small red onion, grated
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 T. egg replacer or garbanzo flour
Dash of nutmeg

Layer 2
4 c. spinach

Layer 3
4 c. water
1 c. polenta
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 T. yellow mustard
1 T. mellow white miso
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
Dash of white pepper

Finishing touches
2 c. fresh or frozen sweet peas
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 lemon, peeled and seeded
3 T. nutritional yeast
3 T. pine nuts
Veggie broth
Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 8 ramekins with cooking spray and set in a roasting pan or cookie sheet.

For the first layer, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture into ramekins and press to make an even layer. Bake in oven 20-30 minutes while you prepare the spinach and polenta.

Next, blanch the spinach. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add spinach. Cook about 30 seconds or until spinach is bright green and just wilted. Drain and run under cool water to stop cooking. Set aside.

To make the polenta, bring 4 cups of water/broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan. When boiling, stir liquid in a circular motion and slowly pour in polenta. Whisk polenta well to avoid clumping. When polenta begins to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer over low heat. Stir every minute or so until polenta starts to get sticky, switching from a whisk to spatula or wooden spoon as it becomes more and more sticky. Add remaining ingredients and cook until polenta pulls away from pan. Turn off heat.

Remove baking veggies from oven and increase heat to 450F. Carefully layer a few tablespoons of spinach and about 1/3 cup of polenta evenly over veggies. Press to ensure polenta completely seals the tops. Place stacks back into oven and cook another 20-30 minutes or until polenta is firm and starts to brown on top.

Meanwhile, make the sweet pea pesto. Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor (yep, the whole lemon flesh, not just the juice). Process on high with an S blade until mixture is pureed. While processor is running, add veggie broth 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste and white pepper if desired.

To serve, remove ramekins from oven when done and let cool 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle with a dish towel. Place a small salad plate over the top of one ramekin and flip over. Tap the ramekin with the butt of a knife or spatula to loosen the stack. Slowly lift the ramekin. If the veggies stick, just scoop them out and layer them on top of the stack. Repeat with remaining ramekins and serve each with a dollop or drizzle of sweet pea pesto.

Springtime Udon Bowl

Springtime in Arizona feels a little different than the rest of the country because the temperature change involves the 70s, 80s, and 90s which are not typically numbers associated with this particular equinox. However, the blossoms, smells and flavors help remind us of the lovely transformation going on everywhere else. On my morning runs, I’ve been almost overwhelmed by the smell of citrus blossoms and almost injured by the rogue oranges covering the sidewalk. Spring is light, lovely, and inspirational. Most importantly it’s a sign of abundant produce starting to clutter tables at farmers markets. Time to grease up those elbows and fight your fellow hippies for that last bunch of pea tendrils!

Stir fry is a terrific way to catch seasonal flavors. It’s versatile, delicious, fast and easy to prepare. Having been out of town all weekend and unable to cook, I was itching for a stove session. I hadn’t even looked inside my produce drawer in 4 days so I had no idea what was in stock. This of course made the plane ride that much longer, because I couldn’t distract myself with dinner details… what to prepare first, how long it might take, spices I haven’t used in a while, etc. I seldom travel without concocting a recipe at some point out of boredom.

I did know one thing though: despite my eagerness to cook, my arrival time plus the transit home put me in my kitchen at about 8:45 pm and I did not want an elaborate or difficult dish. The source of this recipe was one from which most of my best meals originate and one regular readers will be familiar with – kitchen cleansing. Getting rid of the last cup of beans, the last leaves of spinach or that last handful of pasta. Taking an oddball combination and slapping a good dose of garlic on it.

Most people feel lucky to find a $5 bill in their jeans pocket, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a bunch of local chard in my refrigerator that I had totally forgotten was purchased on impulse last week. Not a typical ingredient in Asian cuisine, I thought chard would stand in nicely for bok choy. The other ingredients here could be replaced with any number of veggies typically found in stir fry: snow peas, red pepper, mushrooms, etc. But the combination I used produced such a fresh, springtime taste that I highly recommend taking some seasonal picks that wouldn’t normally end up in a stir fry and seeing how they mesh with standard stir fry flavors: garlic, ginger, soy sauce with a little sweet ‘n spicy touch. You could use rice here as well, but udon noodles are more fun to eat.

Springtime Udon Bowl
Makes: 1 serving
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredient

1-2 tsp. Sriracha
½ tsp. cornstarch
½ T. brown sugar, agave, or raw sugar
½ - ¾ T. soy sauce or tamari
¼ c. water

1 tsp. coconut oil
2 T. shallots, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
½ c. green beans, chopped
4-5 swiss chard leaves, chopped, stems and leaves & divided
½ c. purple cabbage, chopped
Fresh cilantro

2 oz. udon noodles (about ½ ” thick stack of dry noodles)

Directions

To make the sauce, whisk first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl and make sure cornstarch is well dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a wok or skillet over medium high heat and melt coconut oil when pan is hot. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for about 30 seconds or until fragrant and add celery, green beans and chard stems. Cook for 3-4 minutes until vegetables become translucent, adding 2 tablespoons of water (or sake or mirin if you have it) at a time if pan becomes too dry. Increase heat back to medium high and add chard leaves and cabbage and cook until chard begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Finally add stir fry sauce and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

While the stir fry is cooking, bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Cook noodles 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and mix in with vegetables when done. Top with fresh cilantro.

Stuffed Chard with Cranberry Balsamic Sauce

Well it's smack dab in the middle of spring and leafy greens are in… so in that they are selling them in bunches bigger than a soon-to-be-queen’s wedding bouquet, bigger than will fit on the shelves of even an industrial-sized refrigerator. I was barely able to stuff my local AZ chard in my cute Envirosax bag much less find room for the whole shebang in my crisper. That’s not a bad thing of course; chard is one of my favorite greens, and I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. It just meant that I needed to cook something chalked full of chard right away and plan to cook more chard as part of each and every meal for the next 7 days straight. No biggie. Just some menu planning.

I tend to think in regions when I plan a meal. Do I want Italian, Thai, Indian or Middle Eastern? I love exploring cuisines from around the world in my kitchen just as much as I love trying ethnic restaurants from anywhere on the globe. Lately though, when I am looking for new restaurants to try, I find that most of our options here are restaurants offering “New American” cuisine….huh? I don’t really know what that means. Classier than tuna casserole or putting lipstick on meatloaf? I began to wonder whether or not my ignorance is caused by an ill-defined genre of my unwillingness to branch out from my ethnic comfort zone. How strange does that sound – do I hide inside my bubble of worldly eats? Do I even know how to cook nouveau American in my own kitchen?

All the fixin’s for some smokin’ spring rolls were hanging out in my cupboard waiting to be wrapped in rice paper, but somewhere deep in my cooking subconscious rang these new insecurities regarding the absence of “American” recipes in my repertoire, save for my killer Mac n’ Cheez staple. Spring rolls felt too comfortable and I wanted to venture. After all, it’s can’t be blogged if it’s not a venture. So my big leafy bunch of greens came to mind as a sort of substitute for rice paper. I had also been dying to finish up the last batch of wild rice I got for Christmas. And it hit me? Is this what new American is? Remaking a spectacular ethnic delight but with homegrown ingredients? I don’t know, but these tasted fabulous.

Stuffed Chard with Cranberry Balsamic Sauce

Makes 3-4 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Wild Rice
½ c. Wild rice
3 c. Broth/water mix
1 sprig Thyme
1 sprig Rosemary

For the Marinated Tofu

8 oz. Extra Firm Tofu, drained
¼ c. Dry sherry
1 ½ T. Soy sauce
1 ½ T. Hoisin sauce
6-8 Drop of liquid smoke

For the Sauce
¼ c. Dried cranberries, sweetened
1 c. Water
¼ c. Balsamic vineagar
1 sprig Thyme
½ tsp Salt

For the Chard
1 Large carrot, sliced into 3” matchsticks
4-6 Large leaves of Swiss chard

Directions

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

For the wild rice: bring all rice ingredients to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer rice until tender, 40-45 minutes. Drain and set aside.

For the tofu: Drain and slice tofu into ¼” slices. Pat dry with a paper towel and place tofu in one layer in a glass baking dish. Combine remaining marinade ingredients and pour over tofu. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip slices over and bake an additional 10 minutes or until most of the marinade is absorbed. When cool enough to handle, cut tofu into matchstick slices. Set aside

For the sauce: Bring cranberries and water to a boil. Cook until cranberries have re-hydrated and water has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and lower heat to medium. Cook until sauce is reduced to ½ cup, 6-8 minutes. Set aside.

For the chard: To blanch the chard, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and using tongs place chard one leaf at a time in water until bright green, about 10 seconds per leaf. Remove from heat and plunge in ice water or run under cold water. Set aside and dab until dry. Do the same with the match stick carrots, cooking for 20 seconds. Drain and set aside.

To assemble: Place one leaf on a large plate. Place 3 T. wild rice, 6-8 slices of tofu, and 4-6 slices of carrots in the center. Fold up leaf by bringing bottom over the stuffing, folding in the sides, and roll the chard from bottom to top. Place on another plate and repeat with remaining leaves. When finished, drizzle cranberry sauce on top of each roll and serve.