This is my hands-down favorite licuado in Mexico (OK, you caught me … I’m also a sucker for a black zapote). Somewhere between a milkshake and a smoothie, this banana licuado recipe makes a lovely breakfast or sweet afternoon snack.
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Amaranth is a gluten-free grain with an inherently gelatinous quality that makes it a good substitute for polenta in this simple side dish. It’s delicious with just about anything, from poultry to grilled shrimp to our luscious Short Rib and Cremini Ragu. You can change up this basic recipe in any number of ways: experiment with different cheeses and herbs, stir in sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed spinach or peas…use whatever goodies you have on hand!
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Traditional French crepes get a healthy upgrade, thanks to whole wheat pastry flour. You don’t need a dedicated crepe pan for this recipe; any nonstick skillet will do. The number of crepes you get depends on the size of the skillet. I used a 10-inch skillet and ended up with 12 (7-inch) crepes. You can double this crepe recipe and freeze the leftovers. Thaw them at room temperature and warm them up in a low oven or in a nonstick skillet over low heat. Serve with savory (try our Cabbage Saute with Shiitakes and Crispy Tofu or Spicy Sweet Shrimp) or sweet fillings (like fresh fruit and a dollop of our Kitchen MacGyver Lemon Curd). Of course, it’s a classic with bananas and Nutella. Don’t worry if the first crepe isn’t perfect–French cooks call that the “sacrifice.”
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This strata is like a savory bread pudding; custardy on the inside and crisp on the outside. It’s a nod to the version my Aunt Judy makes . . . serious incentive to wake up.
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups 1% or 2% milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 large eggs
1 pound whole grain bread (day old is best), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook sausage for 5 minutes, until browned, breaking apart with a spatula. If there is fat, spoon out and discard all but 2 teaspoons. Add onion and mushrooms to pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Whisk together milk, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, nutmeg, eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray and arrange half of the bread slices along the bottom. Spoon half of the sausage mixture evenly over the bread followed by 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with another layer of remaining bread, sausage and 1/4 cup cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top. With the back of a spatula, press everything down to moisten with liquid. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350.
Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 12
This luscious vanilla pudding is a lesson in why you should use organic milk and eggs in a custard. The USDA’s 2011 decision to deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa raised concerns among organic dairy farmers, who rely on organic alfalfa to feed their herds. Certified organic fare–including milk and eggs–is still your best bet to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Heck, I even found GMO-free cornstarch to thicken this custard. And, of course, you’ll want to use organic sugar, made from sugar cane to steer clear of sugar made from GE sugar beets.
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With a combination of rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour, these healthy chocolate chip cookies strike a nice balance between whole-grain virtue and traditional flavor. If you want to really boost the flavor, try making them with our DIY Ghee instead of regular butter. It takes the flavor and texture to a whole new level. You can change these cookies in any number of ways–substitute raisins or dried cherries for the chocolate chips, use different nuts, etc. When I have dried blueberries on hand, I’ll throw them in along with the chocolate chips and nuts. Have fun with it!
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Several things conspired to make this lentil soup–an overabundance of bacon in the fridge, some leftover juniper berries and a yen for soup on the chilly evening. Lentils and pork are a classic combination, and after consulting Niki Segnit’s The Flavor Thesaurus, I found that juniper berries (which I don’t use often) also have an affinity with pork. Deglazing the pan with a splash of sherry deepens the flavor while the juniper berries lend a bright counterpoint.
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This simple dish is based on a winter salad served at London’s Bocca di Lupo and featuring celeriac (celery root) as the star ingredient. Get out your mandolin or Japanese slicer to shave the veggies and cheese, or use a very sharp knife to cut them paper-thin. If you don’t have white truffle oil on hand, substitute your best, most flavorful olive oil. The salad will taste just as fresh, if not quite as earthy.
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This recipe is inspired by British chef Nigel Slater’s book, Tender, Volume I, A Cook and His Vegetable Patch. Slater calls for blanching the whole Brussels sprouts before sauteing them in the bacon fat. Shredding the Brussels sprouts allows you to skip that step and yields a slaw-like side dish that’s great with roast beef, pork or fish. Juniper berries have an astringent quality that’s a nice counterpoint to the earthy sprouts and smoky bacon. If you don’t have them on hand, substitute a splash of gin (which is made from juniper berries) or, in a pinch, a squeeze of lemon. I like to season this dish with flaky Maldon salt, which comes from the town of Maldon, not far from where my husband’s family live in Essex.
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This cabbage dish is essentially a vegetarian mu shu turned sauté. I love it simply served with brown jasmine rice, but you could also pair it with Chinese pancakes, thin flour tortillas or our Whole Wheat Crepes.
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