Caribbean Millet Croquettes

It turns out, 40 lbs. of sweet potatoes is quite a bit. Sitting in my pantry, they dare me to sneak them into every dish I make, which is really never a mistake. I'll take what I can get for local produce these days, and sweet potatoes have always been one my absolute favorites (maybe that is why I got a little (over) excited with this purchase).

It was only natural that they made their way into my croquettes this week, adding a Caribbean flair that I could not resist nudging along further with some creamed coconut and sweet corn. Croquettes are typically fried dumplings, often filled with rich cheeses and coated in delicate bread crumbs (also known as "what I survived on" during the year I lived in Spain). This version uses nutty toasted millet along with ground nuts and seeds, yet still bursts with flavor and satisfying texture. Think croquette meets miniature veggie burger. Severely enhanced by a well paired sauce or spread, these were served with Coconut Whipped Yams. In the past (when not so Caribbean), they have been perfect alongside an edamole spread or mushroom gravy.

Rich in magnesium, fiber and vitamin A, sweet potatoes are a nice alternative to their popular white counterpart. Great sliced into wedges, tossed with a tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle of chipotle chili powder and roasted until golden and soft, there aren't too many these spuds can't charm. 

Caribbean Millet Croquettes

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup millet

2 cups vegetable broth or water

½ cup sunflower seeds, soaked

1 small sweet potato, finely grated

½ bunch scallions, minced

2 cups corn kernels

1 tbs. creamed coconut (I used this brand)

1 tbs. arrowroot

2 tbs. tamari, or to taste up to ¼ cup

½ bunch cilantro, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Toast millet until fragrant and popping, about 4-6 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and keep at a simmer for 15-30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, drain and rinse sunflower seeds. Pulse seeds, sweet potato and scallions in a food processor until minced and well blended. Put in a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove from heat and puree half the millet 1 cup of corn, creamed coconut, arrowroot and tamari in the food processor to make a paste. Add remaining millet, corn, cilantro and garlic and pulse several more times to combine. Add to the bowl with the seed mixture and stir to combine. Taste, and add additional tamari if needed. Using circular molds, or clean hands, form croquettes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Relax. Eat Well.

Pistachio Goji Bombs

I think it time for a dessert post. As you might have noticed, I particularly enjoy desserts that can also cross over to the breakfast world (they are consecutive meals after all).  We aren't talking cinnamon buns here, I mean wholesome sweetness: with a nice does of fiber, healthy fat and protein to boot. Something I can feel good about, day or night.

I like a little sweetness in my morning, because it goes well with coffee, and starts my day off with a smile. These delicious "bombs" are rich in anti-oxidants from the crimson goji, sweet with the land's natural sugars, and decadently nutty. If I were making them as a specific morning treat, I might even sneak some ground flax seed in there as well. Store them in the fridge, so that there is no way you won't finish them off before the delicate oils start to turn.

Pistachio Goji Bombs
Makes 8

Ingredients
1/2 cup pistachio
1/4 cup dried goji berries

1/4 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

2 tbs. raisins
1 medjool date, pitted and sliced
juice of 1/2 a clementine
a nice pinch of salt
Additional coconut flakes for garnish

Directions

In a food processor, pulse pistachios, goji and coconut until blended to the texture of sand. Add raisins, date, clementine juice and salt. Pulse to combine.

Press and form mixture into roughly 8 balls. Roll in additional coconut flakes to garnish. Store in fridge or freezer.



Relax. Enjoy.

Avocado, Roasted Squash and Tempeh Sushi with Homemade Pickled Ginger

These days, a meal just doesn't seem complete without some sort of root vegetable or winter squash involved. This is truly a winter sushi roll: grounded and hearty balanced with a nice dose of fresh. I used Kabocha squash, but you could easily use buttenut, parsnips or yams as well. It is really the rich sweetness we are after.

To me, avocados are pivotal to the successful vegetarian sushi roll, as they lend a certain unmatched creaminess and ability to satisfy the tongue. Another option might be some sort of flavored cashew cream drizzle (cilantro or basil?). The cucumber offers a crunch factor, and the tempeh a nuttiness, which all roll together into quite the flavor and texture burst. 

If you are making these rolls ahead for an impressive potluck contribution, store uncut and slice just before serving, to minimize "dryout".

Avocado, Roasted Squash and Tempeh Sushi with Homemade Pickled Ginger

Serves 6

Ingredients

5-inch peice of ginger, fresh

1/2 cup brown rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tbs. unrefined sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup short grain brown rice

1/2 cup amaranth

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 cups water

tamari to taste

9 nori sheets

1/2 small kabocha squash, matchsticked

1tbs. coconut oil, melted

8 oz. tempeh, sliced thinly lengthwise

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, washed

1 tbs. wasabi paste

1/4 cup tamari

Directions
To pickle ginger, slice as thinly as possible with a mandoline, or careful knife. Bring vinegar through salt to boil in a small saucepan, and add ginger. Turn down heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and marinate for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until serving.

To roast squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cut squash with coconut oil and salt, spread flat on a baking sheet, and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring after 15 min, or until soft and beginning to crisp on the edges. Cool completely.

In a large pot, bring rice, amaranth, water and coconut milk to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, covered, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 25-40 minutes. Stir, add tamari to taste and cool.

Slice tempeh, cucumber and avocado.

Place a sheet of nori, shiny side down on a sushi rolling mat. Place about 1/2 cup of rice mixture on bottom third of nori sheet, and spread to reach both sides, ending with an even rectangle. Lie avocado, cucumber, cilantro stem and tempeh on top (for a visual, check the title picture). Using wet fingertips, wet the length of the end of the nori sheet. Carefully roll, tucking nori as it meet, into a neat and tight roll, moving away from you. Press to seal. Store if saving for later, or slice with a slightly wet knife into 6 if serving immediately. Serve with cooled and drained pickled ginger, as well as wasabi and a small dish of tamari.

Socca Flatbread

The cold weather has moved in, and my instinct to retire after dark, curled up on the couch with a mug of tea has as well. Oh Vermont, you do know how to turn a 26 year old into an old lady. The good news is that IT has arrived.  You guessed it: soup season. 

I could eat a bowl of soup all by itself, but it is also nice to have a big hunk of bread to carry it to my mouth once in awhile. Trying to avoid refined flour, and often gluten in general, I have developed a new love for whole grain flatbreads. Often multigrain and always loaded with herbs and spices, they are my perfect solution. Wholesome, nourishing and comforting. That is my kind of carbo-loading.

This flatbread took a trip to India, loaded with bits of toasted cumin and ajwain seeds, chopped cilantro and a nice smear of coconut oil. But it could easily go Italian, using fresh rosemary, bits of basil and topped with a smear of garden pesto. It is exclusive to chickpeas, but I could imagine substituting some out for brown rice, buckwheat or quinoa for some interesting twists. I like to grind my own grains to maximize nutrition and flavor, which can be done in a grain mill or high powered blender (another reason I love my Vitamix).  In a pinch, pre-ground flours works just fine. 

Try this flatbread served with a bowl of Red Lentil Dal or Mulligatawny Soup. It is also delicious as an appetizer with a smear of Babaganoush or your favorite hummus. 

Socca Flatbread

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups chickpea flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon ajwain seed (can substitute coriander seed)

1 tsp. salt

3 cups water

1 tbs. coconut oil

2 tbs. minced cilantro

additional salt for finishing

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

If doing so, grind approximately 1 3/4 cups dried chickpeas to produce 2 cups of flour (stick them in the freezer for an hour first so that when you go to grind them the motor and volatile oils stay cool). Mince the garlic and set aside. Heat a small pan over medium heat and toast the seeds until fragrant, only a minute or so. Grind to a coarse meal using a mortar and pestle or small coffee grinder.

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, minced garlic, salt and spices. Add water gradually, until you reach the consistency of heavy cream. 

Prepare a baking sheet with tall sides with a layer of parchment paper. Pour in batter and tip to create an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, using a convection fan if you have one. Remove, spread with coconut oil and garnish with cilantro and salt. 

Relax. Eat Well. 

Cilantro Lime Corn

I am all about quick and easy lately in the kitchen. I find that the flavors seem to pop and speak for themselves a little louder when there aren't too many other ingredients elbowing them for room. This corn side dish might seem a bit out of season, but was actually made from corn frozen from the summer's harvest, which makes it extremely simple to put together (I knew there would be a time when all of the prepping and freezing would pay off!)

The prominent flavors are cilantro and lime, both fresh and zippy, with a touch of raw honey and salt to round it all out. That is it: no oil, no garlic, no heat. Like I said, quick and easy. The results are extremely light and bright, but could be tamed with the addition of some cumin, red pepper flake or chipotle if that is your aim. Or sauteed in a bit of coconut oil for a hot side. You get the picture.

This week it accompanied a Cowboy Bean Quinoa Burger with a Spicy Avocado Mole Spread and some Toasted Cumin Roasted Roots. There is also a Pistachio Goji and Coconut Truffle finale, but I will save those pictures and recipe for another time (sounds good, right?). Yum.

Cilantro Lime Corn

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 cups corn kernels, blanched if fresh, or thawed if frozen

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1/2 cup cilantro stems and leaves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. raw honey

Directions

In a large bowl, mix corn kernels and lime zest. In a blender, blend lime juice, cilantro, salt and honey until smooth(ish). Pour over corn, mix and serve. 

Holiday Spinach and Pomegranate Salad

This is a post about repeating themes (are you flashing back to High School English class yet?? What were you wearing??)

This salad is not unlike the Arugula, Orange and Fiery Pumpkin Seed Salad posted back in September. And the seeds are a bit similar to those found in the Rubbed Kale Salad from November. Sometimes, repetition is key.

The art of creating in the kitchen (or in layman's terms: cooking) often comes down to finding a formula that works, and altering the ingredients to generate something new and brilliant. Because of my love for all things salad, this post is meant to be a guide for creating a delicious and interesting salad, customized for any season or occasion, using a simple formula and a good dose of creativity. 

And so here are the building blocks:

Fresh Greens: Baby Spinach, Mesclun, Leaf Lettuce, Shredded Cabbage, Torn Kale, Arugula, Dandelion, Frisee, etc. 

Crispy vegetables: Thinly sliced cucumber, Cherry tomatoes, Grated beets and carrots, Snap peas, Scallions, Radishes, Blanched asparagus, Sprouted French Lentils or Alfalfa Seeds etc.

Sweet Element: Apple chunks, Roasted squash, Orange segments, Dried cranberries, Currants, Quartered figs, Pomegranate seeds etc.

Savory Booster: Spiced Nuts and Seeds, Blue Cheese crumbles, Spice-rubbed Goat Cheese, Slivered Manchego, Homemade Croutons, Smoky Shitake Slices, Herbed Tofu, Olives etc.

Complimentary Dressing: Herbed Dressings, Fruity Vinaigrettes, Vegan Creamy Ranch or Caesar etc. 

Go forward and be bold! Want a salad to match an Asian meal? How about shaved Napa Cabbage, shredded Daikon Radish, Avocado Chunks, Ginger Toasted Sesame Seeds and a Miso Sesame Vinaigrette? Latin? Try Red Leaf Lettuce, Cherry Tomato Halves, Kalamata Olives, Goat Cheese, Fiery Pumpkin Seeds, and a Cilantro Lime Dressing. Indian? Baby Spinach, Roasted Eggplant Cubes, Chickpeas, Slivered Red Onion, Cashews and a Toasted Cumin Tahini Dressing sounds nice. 

You get the idea. The possibilities are endless, but the pattern simple. 

So here is this week's "Italian holiday" creation. To take it up a notch, I would throw in some roasted winter squash (I'm thinking delicata) and a few crumbles of the best blue cheese you can find (for those Vermonters out there, have you ever tried Boucher Blue?? NO? Please run, don't walk, to you nearest gourmet cheese supplier now. You can thank me later. Hunger Mountain Co-op is one such purveyor.) But this might push it into the category of a "meal in a salad", so it depends on how far you want to go. This time I served it with a Polenta Torta with eggplant, fire-roasted tomato sauce and tofu pesto ricotta, as well as garlicky Cannelini beans in a vegan cream sauce. I don't think the squash or cheese were missed. 

Holiday Spinach and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 lb. baby spinach

1 pomegranate, deseeded

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 tbs. maple syrup

1 tbs. tamari

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

a dash cayenne

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 2 large lemons

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp mustard

1 tsp. white miso

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

black pepper to taste

2 tbs. fresh sage leaf

Directions

To remove the seeds of the pomegranate, cut in half and carefully use your fingers to release the seed pockets, picking out any pith that tried to hang on. Don't mind the blood splatter pattern on your cutting board, it will come out. 

Heat a medium cast-iron pan to medium heat. Toss in the sunflower seeds and toast, stirring frequently for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Add maple syrup through cayenne and continue to cook for one minute. Remove from heat and cool. 

In a blender, combine olive oil through sage leaf, and blend until smooth. 

To assemble, toss spinach and currants with dressing, using just enough to coat the leaves without over-dressing (you may have some leftover). Place in serving bowls, and top with pomegranate and spiced sunflower seeds.

 Relax. Eat Well.

Raw Parsnip Rice Curry Bowl

Since the weather seems to be stalled at a balmy 50 degrees or so each day, I am prolonging the raw food movement in my life for a bit longer. 

I am often asked my opinion on "the raw diet", and always have to pause to collect my thoughts before responding. To sum it up: I fully believe in the importance of raw food within our diet. Fresh ingredients, prepared with intention in their raw state, provide us with energizing enzymes and abundant nutrients easily digested and assimilated. Just try a glass of fresh juice (juiced within minutes of consumption), full of fresh, organic colorful veggies and experience for yourself the rush that ensues. You can literally feel the energy pumping through each and every vein. 

That being said, I am not sure I am fully on board with eating completely raw, all the time. At least not for myself, especially in the climate I happen to call home. In my (professional?) opinion, the take home message here is: Include more raw food in your diet, on a daily basis, at every meal if possible. In menu planning, I always strive for at least 1 raw dish out of three, and often times a raw dessert. I am sure you will make the final judgement for yourself, but I urge you to pay a bit more attention (especially at breakfast!) and see what happens. 

This main dish is a fun and easy raw food preparation, including no fancy equipment (dehydrators, juicers etc.). The results are quite filling, and satisfy the need for savory often absent in raw food menus. 

Raw Parsnip Rice Curry Bowl

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried hijiki seaweed, soaked in orange juice for at least 30 minutes

6 medium parsnips

2 tbs. raw almonds, soaked for at least 4 hours if possible

½ lime, juiced

2 tbs. thai red curry paste (try the homemade version in this post for AMAZING results)

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. tamari

2 tbs. coconut milk

1 tbs. coconut oil

1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 tbs. pickled ginger

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped

Directions

Set hijiki to soak in enough orange juice to cover by 2 inches, as it will grow impressively. Drain and rinse. 

Wash parsnips well and cut into large chunks. Place in a large food processor fitted with the S blade (the most common one) and pulse until it resembles a rice.           

In a blender, process almonds through coconut oil to make the sauce.              

To serve, place parsnip rice in large bowls. Drizzle with sauce and toss to coat. Top with rinsed hijiki, edamame, red pepper, avocado, cashews and pickled ginger. 

Relax. Eat Well.