Teriyaki Tempeh Meatballs

You may remember a Tempeh Meatball recipe I posted last year, which often graces our table with Italian style meals. Think Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, or Summer Pesto Pasta. This dish borrows the base from those meatballs, and brings it East with a homemade Teriyaki Sauce. I like to serve it with a quick stir-fry of broccoli and bell peppers.

If you are unfamiliar with tempeh, this is a great intro recipe. Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake, which renders the soy easy to digest and assimilate. Rich in protein as well fiber- it is the kind of dish that sticks with you. I love to have my fridge stocked with meatballs for both snacks and a quick meal.

This is a great recipe to get kids involved in. My daughter loves to add all of the ingredients to the food processor, and then help roll them as well.  Just expect a mess (always). She can barely wait for them to cool before she starts gobbling them down.

Teriyaki Tempeh Meatballs

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

½ cup water
2 tbs. tamari soy sauce
¼ tsp ginger powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbs. honey
¼ tsp. sriracha
1 tsp. arrowroot powder
1 tbs. cold water

8 oz. tempeh

1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tbs. neutral oil
1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbs. oil

1/2 cup chives, chopped

1 tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare teriyaki sauce, place water through sriracha in to a small pot and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, mix cold water with arrowroot. Add to boiling sauce, continue to simmer stirring constantly, until thickened, and remove from heat.

Cube tempeh and add to the bowl of a food processor. Process until crumbled. Add 4 tablespoons of prepared teriyaki sauce, as well as flour, oil and salt. Continue to process until dough gathers in to a ball.

Roll mixture into 12-16 meatballs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate and roll over and continue for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

To finish, heat last tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add chives and stir-fry for one minute. Add meatballs and remaining teriyaki sauce and cook until sticky and golden. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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.

Rosemary Roasted Rainbow Carrots

There are a precious few local ingredients that remain on the shelves (or in the cellars) in the depths of January, but carrots are one of them. I made an effort to find some rainbow carrots recently, for their vibrant hues and visual appeal. Bonus: varied colors offer a wider spectrum of antioxidants on one plate. Perfect for this heavy-hitting cold season.

Remember my post about preserving the herb harvest? In this recipe, I used whole frozen rosemary, simply stripped from the stalk and chopped. It is as good as fresh!

In my opinion, the best way to prepare your winter roots in roasting, however, I caution you against super high oven temperatures. The rich sugar content of the vegetables can easily burn. The trick is to get a nice browning, without burning the outside before the middle is cooked. My preferred temperature is 375 with the convection fan running.

Rosemary Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 lb. rainbow carrots (about 6 medium)
1 tbs. grapeseed oil
1 tbs. honey
1 tbs. rosemary
1/4- 1/2 tsp. salt


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub carrots well and cut lengthwise into 4-6 long sticks. Place in a large bowl and toss with oil, honey, rosemary and salt.

Spread on to a large parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes, rotate pan and continue to cook another 10 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown on the edges.

Relax. Eat Well.

Tempeh Meatballs

These meatballs are one of my favorite ways to use tempeh- a fermented soybean cake rich in protein, fiber and iron. As a fermented product, the soy in tempeh is partly "pre-digested", making it is easier for us to digest and assimilate. It is also much less refined than tofu (another soy product), making it my preferred whole-food vegetarian protein source.

The entire recipe is put together in the food processor, making it a cinch to throw together on a week night.

My daughter likes to snack on them on their own- I like them with spaghetti squash or as part of a Thanksgiving feast. The flavors fit right in!

Tempeh Meatballs
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz. package tempeh, cubed
1 tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves, minced
¼ cup brown rice flour
3 tbs. olive oil
1 ½ tbs. tamari
1/4 tsp. chili flakes, optional
1 tbs. maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large food processor, pulse tempeh until crumbled. Add fresh herbs, rice flour, olive oil, tamari, chili flakes and maple syrup and pulse until well processed and beginning to form a ball. Taste, and adjust with additional salt and pepper flakes if desired.

Roll mixture into 12 meatballs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate and roll over and continue for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cauliflower "Couscous"

Cauliflower is really making a comeback these days, I'm not sure if you've noticed. Mashed Cauliflower, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Cauliflower Steaks- is there anything it can't do?

Here is my version of a Mediterranean Couscous dish, that uses minced cauliflower to replace the grain. Simple enough to go under a heartier main dish (ragout or curried chickpeas come to mind), yet flavorful enough to stand up on it's own, this is a dish that will bring a smile to your lips without weighing you down.

Cauliflower Couscous

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower
1 tbs. coconut or olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of turmeric
a few sprigs fresh curry leaves, optional
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tbs. parsley, or cilantro

Directions

Pulse garlic in food processor to mince. Add cauliflower florets, in batches, pulsing until you achieve roughly to the size of couscous.

Heat oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add cauliflower and garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until tender. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, curry leaves and golden raisins. Stir to combine. Remove to serving dish and garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Relax. Eat Well.

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Indian Stuffed Eggplant

I've been craving Indian food lately, and with a large order of local eggplants just in, I thought this would be a perfect time to share one of my favorite Indian preparations. This is a recipe I first learned from an inspiring chef, Thom, from the Millbrook Inn in Waitsfield. He hosted a wonderful Indian cooking class every summer based on his Peace Corps years there, and most of my staple recipes came from those classes. It's been adapted, paired down, then beefed up over the years, but it still reminds me of Thom every time I prepare it.

The variety of spices used in Indian cooking is not only responsible for the complex, satisfying flavors unique to that part of the world, but also the health benefits they impart. Turmeric, a potent antioxidant, helps fight free radicals and inflammation, while cumin, ginger and garlic all aid in digestion and boost the immune system.

You can use this stuffing with a variety of vegetables based on what is in season- tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini all work well.

Indian Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

1-inch slice of ginger
2 garlic cloves
2 tbs. roasted salted peanuts
2 tbs. chickpea flour
1 tbs. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/8 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. coriander
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. raw sugar
3/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro
juice of a small slice of lime

2 tbs. coconut oil
1 tsp. mustard seed
1/2- 3/4 cup water

Directions

Cut a large cross into the eggplant, cutting halfway deep, careful not to let cut through completely.

In a food processor, mince garlic and ginger. Add peanuts, chickpea flour and coconut flakes. Pulse to mince. Add red chili flakes though lime juice and continue to pulse, scraping the sides down occasionally, until a crumbly paste forms.

Stuff paste deep into the cross in the eggplant.

Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cover, letting the seeds pop for one minute. Add eggplant, stuffing side up. Pour water into bottom of pan and cover to steam, cooking for 20-30 minutes, checking every ten minutes and adding water if necessary and rotating pan. Eggplant is done when soft all the way through.

Relax. Eat Well.

How Your Freezer Can Save You Money

When it comes to preserving food, I'm much more likely to use my freezer than to break out the canning equipment. Granted, I have a bigger freezer than most, but even without tons of space there are plenty of ways you can preserve food in your freezer to save time and money in the future. Here are my favorites:

Citrus Zest

Organic produce is expensive, and I try to use every bit. Whenever I am using citrus for it's juice, whether it be lemon, lime or orange, I first zest the peel. If I don't want to use it in the current recipe, I simply put it in a small container in the freezer for the next recipe I come across that calls for zest. That way I don't have to buy a whole new fruit just for the zest!

Ginger

Ginger is one of those ingredients most people buy for a recipe, and then months later find the remaining stub in the back of a fridge drawer, dried up or moldy. No more! Simply wash your ginger well and stick it in a bag in the freezer. I don't even peel mine- you'll never notice. When you're ready to use it, simply let it sit out for a few minutes to thaw slightly, and using that handy microplane, grate the amount you need. You'll notice most of the peel will just remain on the top of the microplane anyway. The rest goes right back in the freezer. Frozen ginger will last for up to a year!

Fruit and Vegetables

When the harvest season is in full swing, I try to stock my freezer with a number of vegetables that can be enjoyed year round. My favorites are: roasted red peppers, herbs (as pesto or as whole leaves), lightly steamed edamame pods, corn cut off the cob and berries.

Beans

It is much cheaper (and tastier!) to cook your own beans than to buy cans. But who has the time and energy to soak and boil every time?!? No worries- simply cook off a large batch at once, and freeze the cooked beans in smaller portions in freezer bags to be pulled out as needed. You could freeze them in can-size portions (about 2 cups) for added convenience. You don't even need to plan ahead- if you need the beans right away, pull them out of the freezer, dump them into a strainer and run hot water until they are thawed. I usually have both chickpeas and black beans stocked in the freezer at any given time, as well as whichever other varieties have caught my fancy recently (right now that's adzuki and cannelloni beans).

Grains

It's easy to end up with leftover grains, rice in particular. Instead of letting them go hard sitting in the fridge unused, I freeze my leftover grains and pull them out the next time I want to make veggie burgers. Throw them in the food processor with whatever other ingredients you are using (beans, vegetables, cheese, tofu, herbs etc.) and you're off to a great start!

Frozen Meals

It is much easier to double a meal once in a while than have to cook every single night. I try to do this regularly, and freeze the extra portions in freezer bags, so that I always have a variety of meals to choose from when I just don't have the time or energy to cook. Right now I am stocked with: Pumpkin Baked Mac and Cheese, Tamale Pie, Beet Burgers and Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos. Also perfect for a last-minute lunch to bring to work.

I hope this post helps inspire you to put that freezer to work! If you need any extra convincing, it is true that a full freezer actually takes less energy to run than an empty one.

Happy freezing!

Relax. Eat Well. 

Rosemary Pesto

On the first day that truly feels like winter, I have a little throwback to summer for you. 

Remember those herbs we talked about preserving at the end of the harvest this year? Dig those rosemary sprigs out of the freezer and let's get started. 

If starting with frozen sprigs, simply let them sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, until they are easy to strip off the stem. 

Pesto can be the basis for so many wonderful dishes- I love to have a few different types in my freezer, ready to be pulled out for a quick dinner. Trying varying the herbs for some new twists.

Try this one instead of tomato sauce on a flatbread, with caramelized onions, fresh chèvre, and a sharp cheddar. Or tossed with some pappardelle noodles with blanched broccoli and toasted pine nuts. Or folded into a quick frittata with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms.

Rosemary Pesto

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 cup packed rosemary leaves- from fresh or frozen
1 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Zest of one lemon
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Peel garlic, and mince in food processor. Add rosemary through lemon juice and continue to puree, drizzling olive oil and scraping down as needed in to achieve desired consistency.

Store fresh in the refrigerator, or freeze in ice cube trays to be used later.

Relax. Eat Well.

Preserving the Herb Harvest

There are several ways I like to put up my herbs during the summer to be used during the winter months, when the snow covers the ground and there are no greens in sight. It not only saves money on pricey herb bunches, but it allows me to enjoy bright vibrant flavors and nutrition packed leaves when I need it most. 

Frozen as Pesto Cubes 
I make a huge batch of my favorite pesto, portion off into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Once frozen solid, the cubes can be transferred into a freezer bag, labeled and stuck in the back of the freezer to be taken out and enjoyed in a variety of portion sizes. I use these on pizza, tossed with pasta or spread on wraps. You can use any herb, but my favorites are basil and rosemary.

Freezing the leaves whole
Can't be simpler than this. Simply harvest, wash, remove leaves and spread out on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and label, to be pulled out in small amounts without sticking together. The texture will be a bit off (not the best for fresh salads) but the flavor remains vibrant. I use my frozen leaves for sauces, smoothies salad dressings or anything baked or stir-fried, where texture is less important. I use this method with parsley, cilantro, sage, chives, lemongrass and mint. Even kale for that matter. Nothing better than Vitamin C rich summer parsley during the winter flu season!

Dried 
Simply harvest, wash, dry and bunch your herbs with a rubber band. Hang upside-down indoors or out for a few weeks until completely dry. To simplify storing, you can then remove the leaves and store in a airtight container (they'll fall off easier once dry). The stems are great for soup stock. I prefer this method for the oilier herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and sage, as they hold their original flavor better. I also like it with tulsi basil and mint for loose leaf tea. 


There you are! Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to preserve your garden herbs for the upcoming winter, or to grow a few more in your garden next year. There is no better way to eat locally, and promote health during the long winter months.