Frugal Foodie on a Ghana Cedi: Candle-Lit Dinner

Let’s talk about electricity. You probably don’t think about it a whole lot (at least, I didn’t); something that’s easy to take for granted. A quick flip of a switch and voila, a luminescence appears without the slightest effort. But let’s suppose that is not the case. Perhaps 10:00am rolls around and BAM, the socket is dead, your computer has maybe an hour or two of life left, there is that important Skype call at noon, and the power could be out for an hour or ten. At least it’s a nice day, so take a break and go for a walk.

But let’s say it’s 6:30pm, you’ve just begun to put dinner on the stove, and suddenly you are left with little more than the glow of the gas burner. Now that’s a different story, but one that has become all too common here in Ghana. In the States, electric companies are responsible for ensuring adequate power to cover both base loads and peak usage. I can just imagine the outrage, the demands for compensation, the hours upon hours of customer service calls, if regular power outages occurred.

Here, the absence of electricity during certain days or times of day seems almostmandatory, and is very much expected. As many people cook with charcoal, or gas if they have the money, they don’t run into the same problems of non-functional microwaves, electric ovens, or burner coils (though refrigeration can be a problem in some circumstances).

Life without light – without the blaring TV, the ever-present computer – just goes on. It’s kind of nice though; you can sit, writing, listening to the sounds of all life around – the strange chirps and buzzes that only come with the night. Reading, talking, playing games, or actually getting that much-needed sleep rather than spending an extra hour or two on Facebook. There are also downsides to the unpredictability: work can come to a grinding halt (like my literature review progress, yesterday); food that was refrigerated or frozen could spoil; and the streets of the city become a little more hazardous for pedestrians.

Yet, power out or not, we still have access to it regularly; many communities are left without it entirely. In fact, in Ghana 28% of the population (about 7 million people) still has no electricity, and in the whole of Africa 550 million people (that's just under 50%) are without reliable electricity. While I fully believe that in the US model, we rely too heavily on a constant supply of electricity for devices and other stimuli, there are also serious barriers to development that coincide with its complete absence. Think about hospitals. Think about schools. Think about air control towers.

All that said, I quite enjoyed my torch-lit (yes, electric powered by rechargeable batteries…) dinner. It is by far my favourite combination of Ghanaian foods, and really the only dishes I can competently make myself.

Red-Red and Stew of Contumere ne Naadewa (serves 2-3)

6 small spicy peppers

5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

3 onions, sliced thin

1 cm³ ginger, minced very finely

2.5 cups black-eyed peas, cooked

6-8 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 tbs tomato paste

2 small eggplants, seeded and finely diced

3 cups/6-8 leaves cocoyam leaves or collard greens, shredded

2 tbs vegetable oil + 3-4 tbs red palm oil

Salt to taste

Water as needed

1. Place peppers, onions, and garlic in a bowl of water. Prepare the eggplant, and do the same but salted. Ever 10 minutes, drain the eggplant and refill with water

2. With a mortar and pestle, begin to grind the peppers until the seeds are no longer identifiable. Add half the onions and all the garlic, and continue to grind to a uniform pulp.

3. We’re making two dishes simultaneously, so in two saucepans, heat 1 tbs of vegetable oil and 1 tbs red palm oil over a medium flame. Add half of the pulp to each pan, stir, and then cover. Allow to cook only for 2-3 minutes, and then add half each of the rest of the onions (and maybe a splash of water, if it’s sticking). Now cook for about 5 minutes. 

4. To one pot, add the tomatoes and ginger. Cover and let stew for about 10 minutes to break down the tomatoes. Drain the eggplant one final time, and pour it into the other pot. Stir, add water if needed, and cover, allowing to stew for 10-15 minutes.

5. Thin tomato paste in ¼ cup of water. Add, along with beans, to the tomato pot. Reduce to a simmer and let the flavours meld for a nice 20 minutes. In the other pot, add the greens. You may have to do this in stages, as it will cook down considerably. Also reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the eggplant is basically falling apart and the greens are very soft. Salt both stews to taste.

6. Fry up some plantain (1 per person is probably fine) and enjoy! Remember, in true form, only eat with your right hand. :)

Don't worry Mom and Day, I'm alive and well!

Frugal Foodie on a British Pound: Back to School Edition

Why hello! As you can see, Monday has a new title (though same great theme), to reflect my current state of starving studenthood. A couple of years ago, I wrote a post titled 'A Frugal Foodie', in which I laid out my manifesto for eating well on the cheap. As low effort as it may seem to just make rice and beans every day, there is also so much room for creativity and exploration, even on a slim food budget. Now, more than ever, that mentality will come in handy, and I'm going to take you along for my culinary journey.

One of my rules of thumb is to always opt for dried legumes. In the States you can buy a pound of black beans (a solid 6 cups cooked or 3 cans) for less that $2; similarly 500g (1.1 lbs) of garbanzos are about £1.5. Plus, you avoid all the fillers, preservatives, and salt by cooking your own. Innevitably, beans lead to hummus. The funny thing, and unbeknownst to me, is that the Brits apparently have a thing for the beany dip. An article in the Guardian noted how 41% of households  harbour some in the fridge, and it is definitely a picnic staple. 

While perhaps veering away from traditional Middle East preparation and consumption, it is still a reliable and reasonable lunch or snack. I've added a bit of greenery with some local arugula (better known as rocket on this side of the Pond) to spice things up. 

Rocket Hummus

1 cup garbanzo beans, soak overnight and then cooked until very tender

2 cloves garlic, roasted (if you have time)

1/4 cup olive oil (good quality!)

1/2 cup arugula (or more for spicier/greener hummus)

1/4 cup walnuts, raw (optional)

Juice of half a lemon

Water from the beans as needed

Sea salt to taste

Hummus is such a simple dish to make. Toss all the ingredients in a food processor (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Note that this recipe does not have tahini (a pricier ingredient), but adding some of the sesame paste would make it a little creamier. Regardless, enjoy with crackers, pita, or some good ol' crudites (e.g. celery sticks)!

What's Cooking? Lettuce Leaves

A week of silence on the blog doesn't mean I haven't been eating, it just means I haven't been too creative about what I eat. After a long day at work, plus perhaps a yoga class, the stovetop or oven are often the last of the modern amenities I want to use. So dinner could be a hastily thrown together melange of easy-to-prepare protein source + vegetable (e.g. microwaved sweet potato and Butler's soy curls...yes, I know, sad.).

Once Saturday comes around, though, I am ready to jazz things up. And when a housemate leaves for a month and says "eat my romaine lettuce"...well, by golly, I'm going to eat that romaine! But salads are so boring sometimes, particularly if they are lacking in the kale department. So instead, I used the lettuce leaves as a conduit for a colorful array of fresh, tasty goodies. 

This always makes me wonder why my first reaction upon coming home is to shut off my brain and settle into a known pattern. We are creatures of habit, favoring routine and the path of least resistance. And I suppose prepping the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day allows for that comfortable routine. But to be honest, while creativity can sometimes be draining, this rather simple dish was not at all. It's easy and relatively fast, so you could feasibly make it even after a busy day! So I'd say change things up and try something new...

Lil' Lettuce Tacos

Miso Tahini Marinade

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp brown rice miso paste

1 tbs chopped shallot

Other Ingredients

1/2  block firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed

1 medium sweet potato, cut into strips

1/2 medium mango, sliced into strips (optional)

1/2 cup cucumber, sliced thinly

1/2 cup kohlrabi, sliced thinly

6 large romaine leaves

1. Marinate tofu in miso tahini mix. Meanwhile, roast sweet potato with olive oil and salt in a 375F oven, until soft (approximately 35-45 minutes).

2. In an oiled skillet, pan-fry the tofu until browned on both sides. Set to side to cool.

3. Cut romaine leaves where rib starts to get really thick (about halfway down). Eat that or use it for salad later; you only need the top of the leaf.

4. To assemble, layer tofu, sweet potato, mango, cucumber, and kohlrabi in each leaf. To consume, roll in the edges of the leaf and enjoy!

Find more fun foods on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

What's Cooking? Happy Green Stuff

With shorter days and colder temperatures, winter months often bring on some serious cases of the blues. And yet there is really no reason why this must be so. A co-worker sent me an article in Mother Jones that argues what I had only dreamed could be true - that eating kale can make you happier. The article cited a study by Harvard researchers linking an adult's level of optimism with the amount of carotenoid antioxidants in the bloodstream. Researchers also identified fruit and vegetable consumption as one potential pathway to increase carotenoids, which abound in green and orange vegetables. Like any responsible scientist, these researchers note that their study can't conclusively link eating kale (or other green/orange veggies) to optimism. Ok, so it's a bit more of a correlation than a direct link. But then again, it can't hurt you to eat more of a good thing.

Regardless of whether kale and sweet potatoes actually make me optimistic (they sure make me happier...), there is no doubt they are healthy and part of a nutritious diet. Why then do we not consume more of these foods? Last Wednesday I discussed the draw of salt, fat, and sugar, which in the right combinations make a food almost irresistible. And while processed foods have their scientists, stylists, and marketing professionals, kale is just kale. An NPR piece in the series on healthy families suggested that if parents eat their veggies, kids are more likely to be healthy eaters in the long-run.

Instead of posting another recipe for kale smoothies or salads, I dug into my archive and noticed quite a large stockpile of past entries focused on leafy greens. There really is no end to the culinary possibilities, if you put your creativity into it. I've made kale in a pan with some caramelized pears or as part of a salad with tangy dressing. Collard greens have made it onto my plate, and mustard greens into my lunch pail. And while there is no end to what amazingness you can do with salads (thanks, Gena), there are also always ways to sneak in a bit more verdure into your other edibles...

Stay green, my friend :)

What's Cooking? Tangy Greens

I'm on a greens kick. And not your delicate lettuces, but the hardy ones from the cabbage family. The brassica family is a winter-friendly veggie. When temperatures drop out of their summer swelter, the flavor of brassicas becomes sweeter rather than spicy or bitter. They also tend to store well, so that when the freezes hit, the harvest can still last...provided the little cabbages have been pulled from the ground. Kales of all sorts litter the markets right now - from lacinatos and dinosaurs to red Russians and Siberians. I nabbed some curly purple kale this weekend, along with another brassica - brussels sprouts! Combine these two beauties with another storable produce item - the apple, specifically Black Twigg - and you have yourself a nice and hardy salad!

Tangy Tahini Greens

1/4 cup tahini

2 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tsp brown rice miso paste

2 tsp agave

2-4 tbs water (until desired consistency is reached)

Big bowl of kale

1 cup Brussels sprouts, quarter and roasted with salt and olive oil

1 apple, sliced

Handful of pepitas (optional)

For the dressing, mix tahini and miso with oil until it becomes smooth. Add lemon juice and agave, pour water one tablespoon at a time. I would use a small jar, seal with the lid, and shake until everything is well-mixed. Continue to add water in increments until it reaches a thick, but pourable, consistency. Dress your salad before it suffers too much from exposure!

Sneaking this into Wellness Weekends...it's been a while!

What's Cooking? Iron Chef Sesame

It's pretty incredible, but October is three-quarters of the way complete. That also means another Vegan Month of Food is nearing an end. Last weekend was really fun with vegan Chopped, so I thought I would this weekend's Iron Chef MoFo! It's pretty simple - use the two key ingredients in the creation of a new recipe. So what's on the burner this week? Potatoes (sweet potatoes included) and Sesame!

This is very indicative of the turn of the seasons. We're moving into potato time. Spuds are this amazing diverse group of starchy tuber vegetable - critically important to the food security of populations around the world (but the Andean region in particular). Propagated through runners, you can literally plant a sprouting potato in a large pile of fertile soil and have a mound of potatoes in a matter of months (ok, perhaps a bit more complicated).

In fact, there is an entire research center devoted to potatoes! First domesticated 8,000 years ago, approximately 3,000 varieties of potatoes exist. This genetic diversity has significance even for modern-day crises - from the great Irish potato famine (this links to a great explanation of the dangers of monoculture) in the 19th century to the present massive loss of potato diversity. All that said, what did I actually make? While potatoes originated in South America, this challenge draws in the Far East.

 

Sweet Sesame Shepherd's Pie

1 small sweet potato

1 tbs tahini

1 tsp agave

1/2 tsp miso paste

3 mushrooms, chopped

1/3 cup diced green beans

1/2 cup beet greens, shredded

1/2 tbs toasted sesame oil

Couple shakes garlic powder

2 tbs soy sauce

Enough boiling water to cover soy curls

2/3 cup dry soy curls (from Butler)

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

1. Soak soy curls in soy sauce and boiling water. Meanwhile, heat up sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Start to cook green beans and mushrooms.

2. After ten minutes of soaking, pour the entire mix into the pan and continue to cook. 

3. Meanwhile, microwave your baby sweet potato (pierce a few times by a fork) for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Peel and then mash with said fork along with tahini (which is sesame paste!), agave, and miso. Set aside.

4. Add garlic powder and greens to the pan. Cook down the greens and then pour into a small casserole dish. Top with sweet potato mash and broil for five minutes or so. Serve!

What's Cooking? MoFo Chopped!

Sunday evening is not my usual blog posting time. But this week's Chopped/Vegan Brunch Round was too tempting to pass up (and tomorrow is the deadline and Blog Action Day). This game is fun. We're given a meal and four ingredients, and then set free to design a dish. Judged on perceived taste and presentation (drat, I wish I had some natural light for my photo), the dish may also include other ingredients. Ok, drum roll please...the secret ingredients are: butternut squash, popcorn, rosemary, and apricot jam!

So here goes, Complete Brunch, gluten-free vegan style (serves two).

Making brunch for dinner means terrible indoor lighting

 Poppin' Johnny Cakes

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup lite coconut milk

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped finely

1 tbs apricot jam (or the wonderful apricot rosemary jam the farmer I work for sells)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1/3 cup air-popped corn

1. In a food processor,  combine all ingredients except lemon juice and popcorn. Taste to ensure desired sweetness has been achieved.

2. Add juice and corn, and pulse five or so times.

3. Heat a little oil or non-dairy spread in a skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon batter into four circles in the pan. Cook until edges look set, then flip and press. Continue to cook until other side browns. Remove from skillet and plate, maybe top with some more jam (rosemary infused or otherwise).

Butternut Hash

1/2 medium butternut squash, grated

1 cup beet greens or chard, chopped

1/4 onion, diced

Salt to taste

1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and cook until starting to become translucent.

2. Add butternut squash and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes with a lid covering to keep in moisture. 

3. Throw in greens and cook until wilted and squash is soft. Salt to taste and plate.

Tofu Scramblers

1/4 onion chopped

6 oz firm tofu

5 baby bella mushrooms

1 tbs white wine (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp oregano

Salt to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high. Cook onions until starting to become translucent, then add mushrooms, garlic, (and wine). Cook another five minutes or so.

2. Meanwhile, mash tofu, turmeric, thyme, oregano, nootch, and salt in a bowl. Add to the skillet along with peppers. Fry up until liquid has evaporated

What's Cooking? Purple Potato Eater

First of all, Happy Earth Day! 42 years of celebrating the Earth, and unfortunately we still have much to do. So how did I spend my (admittedly soggy) Earth Day? It was my first day back at the farmers market selling organic produce!

I am generally happy with the farmers markets in DC. They may be expensive, but there is a good selection and friendly vendors. But for some reason certain produce items do not seem as prominent here as they were in good ol' Seattle. Only one vendor sells sunchokes, one of my favorite winter root veggies. Rabes, the flowering part of hardy winter greens, are also generally absent from the market stalls. While both of these are a little more obscure, I was extremely surprised at the lack of potato varieties! No rosy-fleshed taters, very few fingerling types, and not a purple potato in sight. So when I found some of these majestic spuds at the grocery store, I couldn't resist. And though there may be slight nutrition benefits to choosing purple over white, ultimately I just love the color and subtle flavor.

Purple Potato Scramble

1 medium purple potato, grated

1/4 onion, chopped

1 cup mixed greens

1 oz firm tofu, mashed 

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dill

Salt to taste

1. Heat a medium skillet on high with a little bit of olive oil. Saute onion for about five minutes. Add potato. Allow to cook for 10 minutes until potatoes begin to soften.

2. Mash up tofu with nootch and garlic powder. Throw into the skillet and cook another 5 minutes or so. Add greens, dill, and salt. Continue to cook until potatoes are tender.

Check out other tasty weekend dishes on Wellness Weekend and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

What's Cooking? A Weeknd in the Woods

Some times, with all of the concrete and buildings. the motivation to escape the city limits and venture into less charted territory becomes overwhelming. On this fine weekend in April, I flew the coop. Traipsing along trails in the in the George Washington National Forest, it was great not to think about the things that bog down life - including internet and email (sigh) - and to get some more "tree" time in. 

One of my favorite things about hiking is, what I feel, justified free reign to consume trail mix to my heart's content. With chipmunk-like tendencies, any way, I seem drawn to the mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate. But, by the end of a day of hiking, it is often nice to have a cooked meal. Though my outing experience is not extensive, I have become relatively adept at concocting relatively "gourmet" camping dinners. Usually, these rely on quick-cooking dried soups and grains. This time, some couscous, smooshed tomatoes, leftover salad mix, and a seasoning packet (called Poultry Magic, but no fowl play there...) made a really delightful meal.

Cookstove Couscous (serves 3-4)

1 cup dry couscous (or quinoa*)

1 cup water, boiling

1 cup salad mix/greens**

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Seasoning (mix of paprika, onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and salt)

1. Bring water to boil in a camping stove. Turn off gas and add couscous. Allow to sit for five minutes. 

2. Mix in chopping tomatoes and seasonings. Add greens right before consuming. Voila!

* I added in a quinoa option for a gluten-free, and more nutrient-dense option. Please note, that the preparation is slightly different for this, and will require more time. Add an extra half cup of water, add quinoa while water is boiling and let cook for about 20 minutes. Once the quinoa has cooked, you can add other ingredients. I have made quinoa on camping trips before, so am confident it works!
** Fresh greens not recommended past a day or so without refrigeration (unless it's pretty cold outside).

Check out this recipe and more on Wellness Weekend and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!

What's Cooking? Brrr...

Weather in Washington, DC is funny. It can be 60F and sunny one day and 25F and snowing the next. Well, yesterday was cold. And windy. It finally felt like winter, and as such, I had been craving something toasty. So, I threw together a few things into a pot and let them stew this evening.

Wintry Mix Soup
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot
2 celery stalk with leaves
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 cup collard greens, chopped
4 cups water
1/2 cup black-eyed peas, dried (soaked overnight)
1/2 cup wheat berries (soaked overnight)
1 tbs curry powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
Salt to taste
Olive oil for the pot

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Slip in the chopped onion and garlic and fry until starting to go translucent. Pour in water and bring to a boil.
2. Add wheat berries and black-eyed peas. Cook for about 20 minutes and then add sweet potato and carrot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or so, until sweet potato is fork-tender.
3. Turn off the heat and add seasonings and greens. Let sit and stew for however long. Serve warm, perhaps with some toasty crusty bread.

Thirty Second Thursdays: Cherry Berry Green

Yesterday we spent some time discussing food waste, and how there is plenty of room for improvement. Well, you know those beautiful bunches of beets in season at the farmers market? And you know how once you've diced and roasted the roots you are at a loss for what to do with the tops...so you toss them? Never again! After making this smoothie with the semi-sweet beet greens, I'm buying the bunches of beets for the foliage.

You may recall and acquisition I made while in Portland this summer. Slowly but surely I am making my way through cherries (from Out West) and blueberries (from MD) sitting patiently in my freezer. If you happen to have some frozen (or canned, for that matter) spoils of summers, here is a great way to use them up!

Cherry Berry Green Smoothie
1/3 cup frozen Bing cherries
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup shredded beet greens
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
5 drops vanilla stevia (optional)

Check out this and more on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

What's Cooking? If I had a Turnip...

...I'd-a-eat in the morning, I'd-a-eat in the evening, all over this la-and...eh-em. I mean, if I happened to acquire two bunches of sweet White Lady turnips this week at the farmers market... As it has come to pass, turnips have figured prominently in my diet for the past few weeks. This sweet root veggie, with a hint of bite, it excellent - morning, noon, or night. You may recall a post nearly two years ago on the origins and nutrition of the veggie, back when my Produce of the Week series was still running.

Like many brassicas and cold-weather greens, turnips become bitter and tough under high temperatures. This probably has to do with the signal heat gives to the plant to go "to seed" - putting energy into reproducing and not deterring other other creatures from consuming its structure. Then again, I am no plant physiologist. I just cook things; and let me say, turnips in some form have been featured in every meal.

Mornin' Cajun Tomato Turnips  (adapted from La Dolce Vegan)

2 medium sweet turnips, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used ones I had preserved this summer)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
Salt to taste
Olive oil to coat the skillet

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, cooking onions and cook until translucent.
2. Throw in the turnips, until the turnips begin to soften. Then add in the tomatoes and seasonings. Continue to cook until turnips are fork-tender and liquid has boiled off from tomatoes.
3. Serve with a tofu scramble! Mmmm.

Lunch: Quickie Kale Salad with Turnips and Tahini Dressing

3 large Red Russian kale leaves, chopped
1 medium sweet turnips, diced

1 tbs tahini
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
water or vegetable/olive oil as needed for texture

1. This is my new favorite dressing...Whisk all dressing ingredients together with a fork until smooth and acceptable flavor. Dress salad...how scandalous!

Dinner: Beans and Greens

Small bunch of turnip greens, coarsely chopped
1 cup white beans
Garlic powder and salt to taste
Olive oil to coat skillet

1. Seriously, just pan fry some greens with garlic, salt, and oil until stems are soft. Add beans for the last few minutes. Enjoy this take on a classic Italian country dish.

Well, you got not one, but three yummy turnip recipes today! For more healthy recipes, check out Wellness Weekends.

What's Cooking? Down-Home-ish Cooking

The leaves have changed and fallen. Winter, I suppose, is here. At least I can take comfort in the fact that there are many warm, comforting foods to help eke out a winter existence. Celery root and hardy greens are two great options. The former held the spotlight on my blog nearly a year ago, and the latter adds some color and nutrients to a chilly day's meal. This weekend I also discovered a new spice - smoked Spanish paprika! I was beyond excited, so had to incorporate it into dish.

Roasted Mashed Celeriac
1 celery root, cubed
1/4 medium red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, split
salt to taste
olive oil to coat

1. Roaste all ingredients in a pan at 400F for about 30 minutes, until very tender. Stir halfway through.
2. Dump into a food processor. Blend until desired texture. And enjoy! Simple? Yup.

Smokey Greens
5-6 collard greens leaves, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 cup cooked black-eyed peas
dash salt
Juice of half a lemon (optional)
1-2 tsp olive oil

1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and cook until they start to get translucent. Add greens, cooking until starting to wilt. Add spices and peas, heating for another 5 minutes or so. Spritz with lemon juice. Top with celeriac mash. Enjoy warm!

Check out more healthy weekend dishes on Diet, Desserts and Dogs for Wellness Weekends!

Cookbook Mondays: A Taste of Veganopolis

Once upon a time there was a fantastic vegan restaurant in Downtown Portland. I know, not all that unheard of. But, this was the lunch spot my mother, sister, and I frequented every year around New Years. We'd usually split a tempeh sandwich or salad with seitan chicken. At one point, we sampled the mac 'n' cheeze with peas, only to miss all the days they served that delectable dish from that point forward. And then one year it was gone. The cafe up and moved to Chicago. Well, I don't know how well it fared out in the Windy City, but I do know we sorely missed it in Portland. Luckily, I finally came across The Veganopolis Cookbook and now can make cheezy macaroni to my heart's content!

Ok, so maybe not. Instead, this weekend I cooked up an exotic soup and some down-home greens!

Curried Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Green Peas (adapted for a large single serving)
1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1 tbs garam masala
1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1 1/2 tbs white spelt flour
1/2 cup peas

1. Massage 1/2 tbs olive oil, salt, and garam masala into cauliflower. Spread on baking pan and roast at 450F for 30-45 minutes until well-browned.
2. Meanwhile, heat rest of oil and flour in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking until color begins to darken. Add milk and stir until the mixture thickens. Turn off heat until cauliflower finishes.
3. Once roasted, add cauliflower to saucepan and puree until smooth. Return to heat to reach a simmer and add peas. Cook until peas are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve!

Cajun Slow-Cooked Greens (I also halved this recipe)
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1/2 cup finely diced sweet peppers
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder (omitted)
2 tsp ground white pepper (omitted)
2 tsp ground black pepper (omitted - ok, I don't like pepper. So sue me)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 bunches of collards (or mustard greens), chopped
1 cup tomato stock (liquid from roasted tomatoes, or vegetable stock)
salt to taste
seasoned rice vinegar, to taste (omitted)

1. Heat onlive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add celery, onions, and peppers. With dry spices, sautee until onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add chopped greens. Cook everything at least 30 minutes.
3. Add salt and vinegar to taste. Easy peasy!

Produce of the Week: Bietola

I bet that one got your attention! On the farm in Italy, I could easily walk out back and grab a few large leaves of bietola for a stir-fry, soup, or salad. While ours were merely green-leafed, whitish stalks, the varieties come in a spectrum of colors. The “Bright Lights” I brought home last week sure lived up to their rainbow reputation.According to a 40-year-old Italian-English dictionary, bietola translated as beetroot.

While the same species as your basic beet – Beta vulgaris – bietola is the variety bred for leaves rather than roots – chard. Recognized during Greek civilization in the Mediterranean Basin, chard didn’t migrate to North America until the 19^th century. As many vegetables, it was traditionally applied to medicinal uses, particularly in the beetroot form. Containing plenty of vitamins A and C, it is no surprise that this leafy green provides a nice health boost!

A week ago, one of the many time-sensitive duties on the farm was transplanting young rainbow chard plants. If you have never gotten your hands dirty, tenderly moving a plant to newly tilled soil, then you are missing out. It is altogether gratifying seeing the row progress from bare soil to rows of tiny leaves to the bouquets into which chard transforms.

Well, after traveling home with a hefty bunch of these multi-colored stems, I had my work cut out for me coming up with creative uses for my bounty. As you will see below, there are endless possibilities for your chard:

Bright Lights Chard Quiche

Crust

½ cup cornmeal

¼ cup white whole wheat flour

1 tbs olive oil

2-3 tbs water

Filling

8 oz tofu

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

4 large chard leaves

salt to taste

1 tbs garlic scapes

1. Combine crust ingredients until the sand-textured mixture sticks together. Press into two 4” tart pans.

2. Heat some olive oil or spray a skillet. Sautee chopped garlic scapes. Add chard and cook until soft.

3. In a food processor, blend tofu until relatively smooth. Add garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and sautee until chard in roughly chopped.

4. Pour filling into crusts. Bake at 350F until starting to brown and setting on top. Usually 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool!

For a beautiful non-vegan but gluten-free tart recipe, check this one out.

Chard gnocchi made an appearance on my plate tonight – essentially mix mashed potatoes, chard, salt, nutritional yeast, and flour (besan + AP would be good) until a not-so-sticky dough forms. Make little logs, mark with a fork, and then place in boiling water until they float. Drain and then pan fry in olive oil and salt or a nice marinara!

You could always go the sweet route...

Upside-Down Lemon Chard Muffins

½ cup olive oil

2/3 cup almond milk

1/3 cup applesauce

1 lemon, juiced and zested

¾ cup brown or turbinado sugar

1 tsp lemon extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3 cups chard stems, chopped

½ - ¾ cups sugar

1. Combine chard and sugar in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until stems are tender and sugar bubbly.

2. Mix wet ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Incorporate dry ingredients until they just come together.

3. Oil muffin tins. Place chard in the bottom of each cup. You could also add some to the batter (or even add some finely chopped chard leaves). Pour batter over chard. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until a knife comes out cleanly. Allow to cool before un-molding.

There are, of course, more ways to use up chard. 101 Cookbooks has a lovely garlicky recipe. Parmesan is so unnecessary in this tasty chard risotto on the NY Times. A hearty lentil and chard stew is most fitting to the current weather. And these is always the ornamental path…

Yes, the Swiss enjoy the aesthetic properties of chard gracing their cities' gardens!

Produce of the Week: New Mustard Greens

My tiffin box lunch - carrot and celery sticks on top of my mustard greens with sunflower seeds!

Food-related news just seems to be endless; I can hardly keep up! One article I found particularly interesting in the NY Times discussed the history of corn. While I have often bemoaned our country's heavy reliance on processed corn, this crop played a critical role in our species' transition away from hunter-gatherers, and the development of agriculture. What our modern corn really demonstrates is the drastic transformation from the ancestor of maize through selection of favorable traits over generations. Compared to a present-day development of crops, this is such a snail pace. I think the evolution of our diet and food-system is just fascinating and incredible!

On another note, PepsiCo announced it is replacing all high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar due to consumer pressure. There has been a ton of press on corn syrup this year, and I am glad this issue is coming into the mainstream! FYI Michael Pollan gives a bit of a history of corn in Omnivore's Dilemma.

Ok, on to more nutritious (and might I go far as to say delicious) produce. While it is almost June - and for some of you, it may be the wee hours of the morning of the first - the colorful bounty of fruits and vegetables comes late in the Pacific Northwest. Young leafy greens, however, are plentiful.

Two weeks ago I started working one day a week on a local farm. They are super-cool, providing produce to several Seattle-area restaurants and selling at a few of the farmers markets! In exchange for hoeing, weeding, and whatever else is needed of me, I get loaded down with a variety of produce. This past week I walked away with baby turnips (heavenly), chard, spinach, baby leaks, and something new and exciting - young mustard greens.

Oh, dear, but what does one do with new mustard greens? Most recipes seem to call for cooking of some manner...101 Cookbooks has Garlicky Greens. You can twist the classic beans and greens recipe like Fat Free Vegan - or use adzuki beans and flavor with curry powder for an Indian flair. Southern cuisine favors braising hardy greens, while the Vegetarian Times prefers steaming. There are several African-inspired soup recipes, including one with yams and one with peanuts (using mustards as the greens). But all these recipes are geared towards the tougher variety that resembles kale or collards, and more appropriate for winter. My new greens fit the spring profile better, but require a tender touch.

Citrusy Dressing (from the Vegan Gourmet)

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup whole grain or dijon mustard

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tbs agave nectar

pinch salt

1 tbs olive oil

Lightly dress your greens and add sunflower seeds!

Enjoy the young greens season, and anticipate our upcoming berry season!