Avocado Egg Salad

To be honest, egg salad was never a food I enjoyed much, I think mostly because of it's reputation towards spoilage due to the thick mayonnaise that surrounds it. But somehow my interest was piqued when I came across the idea of replacing the mayo with mashed avocado. I love the combination of egg and avocado- a few slices almost always grace my breakfast bowls. So I gave it a go, and now I am hooked.

The egg salad stores well and is the perfect snack or light meal with a few cucumber slices or on a bed of spinach. Of course, it pairs with toasty bread beautifully as well, if you are more inclined to sandwich structures.

It took me awhile to perfect my hardboiled egg, but I think I have finally figured out the tricks. The first is to use eggs that are not fresh from the coop- ideally a week or two old. The second (and I think most important) is to use an ice bath after the eggs have cooked. I am not one for finicky cooking techniques such as ice baths, but this step is non-negotiable in this recipe. It results in shells that peel off effortlessly and makes the process a breeze.

Avocado Egg Salad

Serves 2-3

Ingredients
3 eggs

1 avocado
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 scallions, minced

1 cucumber

Directions

Place eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, cover and bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare a bowl of ice cold water. Drain eggs and transfer to ice bath for another 15 minutes before peeling. Chop roughly.

Mash avocado, with mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and toss with chopped eggs and minced scallions. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

To serve, spread on to sliced cucumber, or if preferred, toasted bread. Sprinkle with an extra garnish of paprika.

Relax. Eat Well.

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Miso Balsamic Dressing

It is pretty hard these days to feel inspired by the few local ingredients that are left. Mostly roots, maybe some cabbage. It has been a long hard winter and we are OH SO close to greens popping up for spring, but just not quite there.

Here is the last of my homegrown garlic - scraping the bottom of the bin.

But on to beets- one of the few roots I have yet to satiate on this winter. I'm not going to dive into the nutrition world today- because, well, I just don't feel like it. Instead, let's just drool over some pictures...

Roasty, toasty, cozy…...

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Miso Balsamic Dressing
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 large beets, ruby red, golden (pictured) or bullseye chioggia
1 tbs. grape seed oil
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb. baby spinach
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, minced.
1/2 cup raw walnuts

1 garlic clove
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
2 tbs. miso
1 tbs. maple syrup
½ tsp sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash beets well and slice of ends. Slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds, unpeeled. Toss with grape seed oil, syrup and salt, and place on baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast for 15 minutes, check and flip if beginning to get golden. Continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees and toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Watch carefully- they have a propensity to burn! Remove and cool.

To make dressing, combine garlic through sea salt in a blender and process until smooth.

Just before serving, toss spinach with dressing and place in a large bowl. Top with minced crystallized ginger, roasted beets and toasted walnuts.
Relax. Eat Well.

Fresh Spring Rolls

It is a salad season, that is for sure. Hot days lead into hot evenings, and most nights, no one wants to cook. Which is just fine, as it lines up nicely with greens popping out of the garden, snap peas dangling on the vines and cherry tomatoes bursting with sweet summer heat.

So that is our theme: raw, fresh and chock full of garden greens. But night after night of salads can become a tad boring, so this is my other favorite way to serve up the bounty. Rolled in fresh rice paper, spring rolls are essentially a salad in a wrap, with the dressing thickened up a bit for dipping. And for some reason so much more exciting- I promise they will be the hit of any dinner party you attend.

The possibilities are endless, so let your creative juices flow. The recipe I am posting below is for a fairly straight forward roll, but know that I leave you with ultimate creative license on this one. For a more substantial roll to replace a meal, try adding rice noodles, minced nuts and seeds, even fruit (mango?). Amp up the flavor with some thai basil, minced ginger or spicy chili peppers- you get the idea. My one rule: avocado is non-negotiable. Period.

This Thai Almond Dipping Sauce is my absolute favorite, but there are plenty of other options out there. You could go for a light tangy vinaigrette by mixing together equal parts honey and brown rice vinegar, with a dash of tamari and chili flakes. Or whip up an Orange Ginger dressing with some fresh squeezed orange juice, shredded fresh ginger, toasted sesame oil and a dash of salt. You get it.

As for the wrapping- there are two tricks. The first is to dip the wrapper in water until it is completely wet, remove immediately and place on your cutting board. By the time you have arranged your vegetables and are ready to wrap, it will be soft and pliable, but with some remaining integrity. Leaving the wrapper in the water until it seems ready to use will only lead you down a slippery path of ripping, tearing and ultimately, snorts of frustration. The second trick is let yourself practice. The first few might not be pretty, but you will get the hang of it. Those are perfect for your pre-dinner snack, as I guarantee you they will still be delish.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1 tbs. red Thai curry paste

2 tbs. almond butter

2 tbs. coconut milk

1 tbs. tamari

1 tbs. honey

1 tbs. lime juice

1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

2 medium carrots, shaved using a peeler

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

a handful of sprigs fresh cilantro, washed

a handful of mesclun greens, or shredded napa

¼ cup almonds, crushed

optional: toasted coconut shreds, minced ginger, minced chili pepper, vermicelli noodles etc.

12 spring roll wrappers (rice), 8½inch size

Directions

To prepare the dipping sauce, blend curry paste through lime juice in a small bowl or blender.

Place remaining ingredients separated on a platter. To assemble, set up a large deep plate of room temperature water. Slip a spring roll wrapper into the water until completely wet, remove, and lay it flat on a cutting board. Arrange vegetables along the middle of the wrapper in a straight line, along with almonds and optional toppers. Once the wrapper is pliable and soft, fold over the ends and roll the wrapper up as tightly as possible. Cut each roll in half across the middle diagonally, using a wet knife blade.

Stand the rolls flat on their ends and serve with Almond Dipping Sauce.

Relax. Eat Well. 

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

April is one of my favorite months- when the earth begins to peak through and show signs of life, the sun comes out of hiding and buds magically appear on trees. However, it can be a bit of a tease as well. With all of these hints of summer, all I want is fresh-from-the-field vegetables, and yet we are still a  month or so away. This salad is my compromise. Using the baby kale that is coming out of the early season greenhouses as well as stored cabbage and radishes from last fall- it hints at summer without the full commitment.

This dressing is one of my favorites. Every time I throw this myriad of slightly-obscure ingredients into the blender and come out with a disarmingly accurate vegan rendition of caesar dressing, I surprise myself all over again. I made this with the 5th and 6th graders at Moretown Elementary last year and was shocked out how well it was received, despite watching their twisting faces as we filled the blender. A great example of a product that is a million times better than the sum of it's parts. The original recipe pairs it with the traditional romaine-crouton-parmesan trio, so feel free to go in that direction if you prefer.

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tbs. tofu

1 large clove garlic, peeled

1/2 sheet nori, toasted and crumbled

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

2 Tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tsp. miso

1 ½ tsp mustard

1 ½ tsp capers

1/2 tsp tamari

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 cup brazil nuts

1 garlic clove, minced

pinch of salt

1 head of kale, or about 6 cups baby kale

2 cups shredded cabbage, red or green

1/2 cup red or daikon radish, in slivered half moons

1/2 cup currants, or other dried fruit of preference

1/2 small red onion, minced

Directions

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

To make the Parmesan, combine Brazil nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse for one minute. This part is optional- don't let it stop you if you don't have the brazil nuts on hand. A great substitute is raw almonds, if you prefer. 

To serve, toss kale through red onions in a large bowl with dressing, using just enough to coat. Top with Brazil Nut Parmesan, if using. Due to the hearty greens in this salad, it actually stores well and can be made in advance if necessary. 

Relax. Eat Well.