Category Archives: Vegetarian

Spinach-Gruyere Souffle

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Nothing showcases the culinary power of eggs quite like a souffle. The yolks bind and enrich the base while the beaten whites leaven the souffle for its characteristic light, airy texture. This is a classic spring version, but you could add mushrooms, substitute different vegetables for the spinach, or swap the Gruyere cheese for a different variety. (Save the extra egg yolk to make Pasta with Asparagus and Prosciutto.) The souffle begins to deflate as soon as it comes out of the oven, so serve it immediately with a “Bon Appetit!” in your best Julia Child imitation. Pair it with a green salad dressed in Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette and dry white wine for a light supper.

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Mama Kourtesi’s Beet and Green Salad

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This salad, which I learned from Mama Kourtesi in Greece, is the essence of “whole eating.” She boils both beets and their greens and tosses it all in a simple dressing of oil and vinegar for a surprisingly tasty, super-versatile salad or side dish.

beet-green-salad-recipe1-1/2 pounds baby beets with greens attached
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim the leaves from the beets a half-inch from the base of the stem. Wash, dry and chop the leaves.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beet roots, lower heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, and cook for 20-35 minutes (depending on size), until the tip of a sharp knife can penetrate to the beet’s center without resistance. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beets to a bowl and let cool until manageable. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.

Bring water back up to a boil and add beet greens. Boil for 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stems are tender. Drain well.

Mix together beets and greens in a large salad bowl ,and toss with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

Guatemalan Guacamole Avocado Salad

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This take on guacamole comes from a Guatemalan recipe for avocado salad. There’s nothing quite like the buttery flesh of an avocado, made even better by the fact that it’s loaded with healthy fats. Do be aware, though, that those same fats make this a calorically dense dish . . . so just be conscious of your bites.

guacamole-avocado-salad-recipe2 large, ripe avocados
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and coarsely mashed
1/4 cup jicama, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup lime juice, divided
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh hot chiles
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Scrape the flesh from the avocados into a bowl and roughly mash them with the egg. Mix in the jicama, 2 tablespoons lime juice, onion, oregano, chile and salt and pepper to taste. Mix enough to blend the ingredients, not so much so that it becomes smooth. This should be a chunky guacamole.

Serves 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Braised Kale Trio

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Use a mixture of different varieties of kale–like red Russian, Tuscan and Portuguese–if you can get your hands on them. A local farmer, Bibianna Love, opened my eyes to the incredible variety of flavors and textures between them. Together, they elevate a simple side dish of greens.

braised-kale-trio-recipe
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
16 cups kale, zipped, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large, deep saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute, until golden brown and fragrant. Add kale and vegetable stock to pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 2-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until kale is crisp-tender.

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook for 2-5 more minutes, until any remaining liquid has evaporated and kale is tender but still vibrant.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Mushroom, White Bean and Sage Soup

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If you have mushroom stems stashed away, make this with homemade Mushroom Stock. This gluten-free, vegan soup is hearty enough to make a meal with nothing more than a hunk of good bread.

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No Work Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

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How to preserve the flavor of summer tomatoes? I love the whole concept of canning, but more often than not I’ll opt for low-heat and a deep freeze instead. After roasting, let the tomatoes cool to room temperature and pop the whole pan in the freezer (this freezes them individually, so they’re easy to separate later). When the tomatoes are firm (usually after just an hour), slide them into a Ziploc bag and keep them in the freezer for luscious, flavorful roasted tomatoes all winter long.

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Grilled Onions with Chile-Nut Puree

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These grilled onions make me  think of Mexico and cebollitas (little onions), nestled in embers, turning buttery soft with a rich, smoky flavor. I like to wrap the charred tail around the bulb like wrapping string around a ball, then I scrape it through the flavorful paste and pop it in my mouth whole.

grilled-onions-ceb-chile-nut-recipe

2 red bell peppers
1 tomato, halved lengthwise
1/2 onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ancho chile, halved, stemmed and seeded
3 chile morro (or 2 dried chipotles), halved, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
3/4 ounce peanuts, (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 pounds spring onions, cleaned, greens kept on
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

On a medium-high grill or over an open flame, roast bell pepper until flesh is completely charred, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a paper bag until cool enough to handle, then peel, stem and seed. Place roasted peppers in the bowl of a food processor.

Heat a large skillet to medium and toast tomato, onion and garlic. Turn every few minutes to char all surfaces, about 5 minutes total, and transfer to food processor. Flatten chiles onto the skillet and toast for 30 seconds on both sides, until shiny and fragrant (be careful not to scorch). Transfer to the bowl. Add cinnamon stick and pumpkin seeds to the skillet, and transfer to the bowl when toasted and fragrant. Add peanuts, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the mixture and process until a coarse paste.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and when oil is hot, add puree (be careful; puree may splatter at first). Fry sauce for 5 minutes, until darkened a shade and thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and transfer to a serving bowl.

Toss green onions with remaining teaspoon oil and salt and grill for 5-8 minutes, turning often, until charred but not burnt on all sides. Serve with Chile-Nut Puree.

Serves 4

Open-Faced Avocado Tomato Sandwich

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This avocado and tomato sandwich embodies all sorts of nutritional virtues: whole grains, healthy fats and fresh vegetables. But really it does even more than that . . . it exemplifies how enjoyable even the simplest fresh food can be.

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