Arugula Tomato Pesto

There really isn’t a whole lot of story behind this recipe other than it being the first time I’ve successfully made something delicious out of this highly regarded leaf. Each time I have made a classic or creative attempt at cooking with arugula, I’ve always ended up with a puckered face from the pungent and peppery flavor that is signature to arugula. This is perhaps because my arugula comes from a farm that waits to harvest until its vegetables are fully developed…meaning I’m workin’ with some real, busty, adult arugula, not the mild baby kind you get from a nice fluffy bag at Whole Foods. The sturdy, mature lettuce is much more robust, if not abrasive, than it’s younger self. Aren’t we all.

Last year when arugula appeared in my produce bag from the farm, no lingering memories came to surface on my taste buds. I had certainly eaten it before, but my only prominent thought of arugula was, “Ah yes, that high class green that jeopardized Obama’s election.” This is the benefit of getting a weekly bag of surprise produce – you get the chance to not only cook with but become familiar with items knocked my Fox News. Cooking with new items I’ve only heard of is a true thrill and pleasure. Yet…sauce after sauce, salad after salad, and sauté after sauté….blatt! I could not get this crap to taste good! How does it have such an elite reputation? Bitter from the first to last bite and a spicy bitter at that. I like bitter and I like spicy, but they hardly appear together in my cuisine.

As expected, when my first bag of arugula surfaced this season, I fell into a sad little salad slump. So many enticing recipes – pear and arugula salad with walnut and pomegranate seeds, arugula orange salad with rose water dressing, blah blah blah. That’s for the baby stuff. I had to figure out a way to tone this bad boy down…tomatoes worked perfectly. After whipping it up with some garlic, tomatoes, and a generous pinch of NY the magic really happened when I added that drizzle of walnut oil. Instead of adding pine nuts as I would in a traditional pesto (mainly because I didn’t have any), I used a nut oil to replace olive oil. Holy walnut yum yum, this was fabulous. If you haven’t invested in a good bottle of walnut oil, you should seriously consider splurging the $10. That way when you have to explain to carnivores how you get your Omega-3s if you don’t eat fish, you have a suitable answer.

Arugula Tomato Pesto

Makes about 1 ½ cups
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 c. Arugula
1 c. Yellow and/or red tomatoes, chopped
2 T. Nutritional yeast
½ T. Garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Walnut oil
½ tsp. Salt

Directions

Puree all ingredients in a food processor and adjust salt to taste. Serve over pasta or toasted baguette.

Five Spice Tofu Spinach Salad with Miso Dressing

It’s not often that I write a recipe for one, but the odds of me cooking for one are high. Now the odds of me making a ginormous, delicious salad....those are odds you don’t wanna mess with. While I say over and over how undervalued and underestimated good salads are, I really do think they are the bees knees and next to perfect. I don’t have that heat obsession that most people have - where any food that isn’t served hot isn’t perceived as filling. Learn a thing or two about fiber and you’ll learn your lesson about salads being filling. What I like most is that they are a hodgepodge of wonderful ingredients in a creation that at best is a reflection of your persona or at worst a compilation of stragglers in the fridge when you’re too lazy to hit up the food store. Sometimes it’s not one or the other, but both.

This recipe is written a little differently than others. Most ingredients lack measurements, because it’s totally up to you. In fact, I almost feel silly putting this up since you could substitute half of this for something else. But if this recipe gets your vegan juices flowing, my goal is accomplished. I typically choose a themed salad when making it as a main course, in this case - Asian. Sauteed tofu is all the protein you’ll need and if you add some cooked brown rice on top, this fill you further than a gritty burger. If you’ve never cooked with 5 spice, it’s a wonderful tool in the kitchen that encompasses all five flavor regimes: sweet, sour, astringent, bitter and salty. If you like Pho, you’ll definitely like the 5 spice blend. If you’ve never heard of Pho before now, quite reading and find a Vietnamese noodle shop.

I’d like to throw a tofu tip to the non-veg heads or novice cooks out there: be smart about flavor and don’t under cook the cubes. Once you’ve seasoned tofu, cook it at medium-high heat and WAIT until it’s brown. So many people tell me they can’t get tofu to taste like anything. Those are somehow the same people who enjoy moo muscle marinated in jungle juice for 4 hours. Tofu needs the same TLC, the same flavor saver - soak tofu in something saucy and spicy for an hour. In a pinch, a quick marinade (like this recipe here) can be very effective. Just make absolutely sure you cook it relatively slowly until golden brown. No white patches. No soggy spots. Tofu doesn’t have to be flavorless flab

5 Spice Tofu Spinach Salad with Miso Dressing

Serves: 1
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes


Ingredients

For the Tofu
2-3 oz Tofu
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 T. Rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
1/4 tsp. White pepper
1/4 tsp. Chili or sesame oil
2 T. Leeks
Cooking spray


For the Dressing

1 T. Warm water
1 tsp. Miso
2 tsp. Rice Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Sriracha
1/4 tsp. Agave

For the Salad

Large handful of spinach
Small handful arugula (optional)
Bit of cilantro, chopped
Couple of basil leaves, chopped
Carrot, thinly sliced
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Pickled Radish, thinly sliced
Broccoli, lightly steamed
Roasted Cashews


Directions

Slice tofu into 1/4-12 inch thick slices, about 2. Place on paper towel and pat dry. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and throw in tofu. Stir to completely coat with marinade. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray and add tofu to pan, reserving any remaining marinade. Saute stirring frequently until all sides are golden brown. At the last minute pour any leftover marinade in pan and remove from heat. Or just remove tofu from pan into leftover marinade.


Combine all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.


Combine all salad ingredients on a large plate or in a large bowl. Top with tofu and drizzle miso dressing over the top. Enjoy!

Potato Zucchini Cakes with Coconut Sauce

Despite choosing “potato” as the primary word for this recipe, this idea was all about the squash. I love my weekly share provided by Desert Roots Farm. There is nothing like a ripe batch of yellow pear tomatoes, freshly plucked green onions, or perfectly small apples to brighten up a Saturday morning when I pick up my bag of joy. Always surprise. Always inspiring. But right now - always a huge load of squash. My goodness, I had heard of squash being a long-lasting and high volume nuisance in the sense that you can’t make it stop growing once it springs from the ground. It’s hard to find ways to use it all and still be creative. I have 9 crooknecks waiting patiently in my crisper for that stroke of genius to hit – the moment where I discover a way to make summer squash pudding or sorbet perhaps.

This recipe may not have been a stroke of genius, but it does involve fusion. Thanks to my latest enthusiasm for the Indian realm of vegan cooking, inspiration is easier to find. I’m really into the flavors we learned in class at Indika in Houston and am determined to apply lessons instead of forgetting them. In class, my other half and I made a particularly scrumptious batch of Potato Cakes stuffed with Coconut Chutney, and I felt some serious pride in the final results. Most class members seemed to be impressed, but we had chef supervision and a commercial kitchen at our disposal. How am I to know if these lessons are effective if I don’t recreate at home? So my goal with this recipe was not to duplicate the original, but to make something using it as a foundation with my own interpretive twist.

While ideas for recipes often have far too many potential directions, this one was dead set on the concept of Indian cooking lessons using zucchini. I am now confident that my lessons will not be temporary or wasted – the cakes were delicious. The sauce was a risk and there will be many more versions. I only used mushrooms this time because of a sad portabella hanging out with some saggy gills. Maybe red peppers in the sauce next time? Maybe take the fennel out of the cakes and put it in the sauce? You tell me. But try it.

Potato Zucchini Cakes with Coconut Sauce
Makes 4-6 cakes

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 minutes

Ingredients

Potato Cakes
3-4 Red potatoes, boiled/steamed* & grated1 c. Zucchini or yellow summer squash, grated
1/3 c. Onion, minced
1/3 c. Breadcrumbs, homemade or store-bought
1 ½ T. Ginger, minced
1 ½ T. Garlic, minced
1 T. Jalapeno, minced
½ tsp Ground cumin
½ tsp Fennel seed
½ tsp Salt
Canola oil for pan frying

Coconut Sauce
1 tsp. Canola oil
¾ c. Mushrooms, minced (optional)
½ T. Garlic, minced
½ T. Ginger, minced
¼ tsp Salt
2/3 c. Coconut milk, light or regular
1 tsp Cornstarch + 2 T. Water

For protein: 1 c. Mung beans or lentils, cooked
For garnish: ½ c. Red bell pepper, finely diced

*When you cook the potatoes, be careful not to over cook them. Otherwise these will be less like latkes and more nuggets. Which might be ok with you. It might be ok with me too. Also be careful not to undercook them or the cakes won’t hold together. It’s not as hard as it sounds.

Directions

For the Potato Cakes: In a medium bowl, combine the all ingredients and adjust the seasoning to taste. Working with 2-3 inch pieces in hand, form mixture into patties. Add breadcrumbs if mixture isn’t sticking well. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and fill up to ¼ inch with cooking oil. Use a piece of scrap or stray veggie to test the readiness of the oil – if the oil bubbles excitingly over the tester scrap, it’s ready. Place cakes in the pan and cook on each side until edges are brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set cakes aside on a plate lined with a couple of paper towels to pat them dry.

For the Coconut Sauce: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add mushrooms (if using), garlic, ginger and salt. Cook until mushrooms are very tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk and cornstarch mixture. Cook until just starting to thicken, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble: Place 2-3 potato cakes on each plate and cover each serving with half of the beans (if using). Drizzle coconut sauce over cakes and garnish with red pepper.

Succotash Stuffed Squash

It’s no surprise to those that know me that I often eat incredibly late at night. Whether it’s because I’ve already had a post-workout snack earlier in the evening or because I ate a large lunch, the grumblies just come a knockin’ around 9pm. That doesn’t exactly give me a lot of time to come up with a perfect meal plan or spend hours chopping and assembling. This is why I have the “quick and easy” category as a label on my recipes – for as much as I love to take my time cooking, it’s not uncommon for me to have to figure something out in a pinch. Much like any other person in this world that works hard and plays hard.

Succotash is a beautiful thing: lima beans and corn with a little twist and shout depending on where you’re from or what you live. Said to be one of the first dishes taught to the settlers by Native American, succotash was also popular during the great depression. That may be the reason there is a regional version of succotash all around the US. It’s made with bacon fat in the dirty south or milk and cream in the northeast, but it takes very well to healthy versions and is easy to play with. For instance, I used edamame here to substitue lime beans and added some red pepper for color. While there are an overwhelming number of recipes for succotash online, no cook – novice or expert – really needs that much guidance. So why put a recipe up?

Because not enough people know about the loveliness of the three sisters! Native Americans used to plant corn, beans and squash together, because it was an efficient use of soil. The corn stalk provided a platform for the beans to hang on to, and the leaves provided shade for the ground-bound squash. Just toss all three seeds in the same hole, and voila. They also compliment each other nutritionally speaking which may be why they taste so good together. Since succotash doesn’t typically have squash in it, why not serve it in squash?

I rarely use my microwave, it kind of creeps me out. But cooking winter squash is one of the few instances I feel it is very convenient to have as a kitchen tool. Zap a whole squash with some water in the micro and it cuts down about 40 minutes on baking time. The succotash only takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare, so I see no sense in using the oven for that long. Broiling the squash after microwaving it gives it the nice golden edge of roasted squash. Use whichever additional spices or herbs you prefer in the succotash and enjoy your edible American roots.

Succotash Stuffed Squash

Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 Delicata or acorn squash, cut in half & seeded
Olive oil

½ T. Olive oil
¾ c. Onion, diced
1 T. Garlic, minced
½ T. Ginger, minced
1 c. Edamame, boiled & drained
½ c. Red pepper, diced
½ c. Corn, cooked or frozen (thawed & drained)
2 c. Spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Turn oven on high broil setting.

Place squash flesh side down in a microwave-safe baking dish and fill with ½ - ¾ inch of water. Microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until squash is tender. Drain water from baking dish and flip squash over, skin side down. Brush or spray a thin layer of olive oil over the squash and broil while you prepare the succotash.

To prepare the succotash, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Sauté onions until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add edamame and red pepper. Cook until pepper begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes, and finally add corn and spinach. Stir until spinach is just wilted and turn off heat. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Remove squash from oven and scoop ½ of succotash into each side of the squash.