Sides

Balsamic Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

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Balsamic Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

My idea of a perfect snack is a big bowl of steamed green beans. I really love green beans. My favorite way to eat them is actually the most boring: steamed and absolutely naked save a squeeze of lemon juice. Strange coming from a flavor freak/chili belly like me. I blame my true-to-form Gemini personality! This side dish (or snack) is incredibly simple, irresistibly tasty, and EASY. The key to maxing out the flavor and, thus, satisfaction is to buy fresh veggies, preferably from your local farmer’s market, and use the best oil and vinegar you can get your hands on. It sounds cliché, but the best food really does come from the best ingredients.

Balsamic Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 2-4

One pint of Cherry Tomatoes, rinsed and dried
Half pound of green beans, rinsed and trimmed
About a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Two tablespoons dried basil
Good olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spread the tomatoes out on it. Drizzle the tomatoes with about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil, sprinkle with a large pinch of salt, the basil, and pepper to taste. Bake tomatoes for 15-20 minutes, until just bursting.

Whilst the tomatoes are hanging out in the oven, steam your green beans. This should be done about 10 minutes prior to removing the tomatoes. Steam for about three to five minutes until bright green and tender (I like mine to have some crunch so I go easy on the steaming). Whilst the beans are steaming, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with fresh water and ice and one tablespoon of salt. Upon removing the beans from the pan, plunge into the ice bath to arrest the cooking process and preserve the color of the beans.

Combine tomatoes and beans in a serving dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste (should not need much salt). Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and the oil. Stir to coat well.

Miso-Garlic Sweet Potatoes

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Miso-Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Ever so slowly, I’m beginning to incorporate sweet potatoes into meals. I am fully aware of the loaded nutrient punch that sweet potatoes throw; however, eating potatoes is very hard for me. Being the daughter of an Englishman is wonderful on many levels. Travel opportunities abound and all your friends love your dad’s accent and it’s Britain, and Britain is amazing. However, one of the negative side effects is that I ate more potatoes than an enthusiastic Idaho resident in the midst of marathon training. A side effect from the thousands of potatoes consumed during my formative years: a general aversion to potatoes of all kinds with the exception of Purple Peruvian Potatoes. Purple potatoes make the cut for three reasons: 1) the awesome alliteration; 2) they are purple and I love purple things; and, 3) In Costa Rica, I was lucky enough to have the world’s best Purple potatoes from my awesome chicken lady and I tend to recreate them and relish the memories and the food. The side effects of the side effects are also my justification for not liking French fries until fairly recently.

So long story long, sweet potatoes are full of beneficial nutrients and a good source of carbs for those with an active work-out regimen. I will not touch sweet preparations of sweet potatoes, but this savory preparation compliments the natural sweetness of the orange starch whilst delivering a savory bite with an umami finish. Miso paste is a good source of umami and a breeze to make into a sauce. I roasted these with some miso and garlic paste and then made additional sauce to pour over the hot potatoes (oh how cliché) after removing them from the oven. The result is a triumph of texture that is given a lovely silky texture from the sauce and rendered slightly crispy with a soft center from the roasting. By all means, if you want to throw some rendered duck fat into the pan feel free.   I ended up throwing what I had leftover into some quinoa a couple days later. You could also make a mash with these same ingredients and a different preparation.

Note: I used roasted garlic that I had from the chicken that I was roasting immediately prior to roasting the sweet potatoes. You can use fresh garlic that has been made into a paste or  even powdered garlic if you have no other options. Whole Foods sells pre-roasted garlic, so you can always skip all the prep work on roasting it (simple as the process is we all have our days) and pick it up.

Miso Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Two medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into half-inch cubes
Six roasted garlic cloves (more or less to taste)
Four tablespoons Miso Paste
One tablespoon Sriracha (optional or to taste)
One tablespoon Mirin
Salt and Pepper
Two tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil or Garlic Olive Oil

Optional Garnish

Two tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Chopped Chives or Scallions

On a large baking sheet, toss the cut sweet potatoes with two tablespoons oil (using more if necessary to coat), two tablespoons miso paste, and a couple god pinches of salt and black pepper. Roast on 375 degrees for about 50 minutes, removing halfway through to stir the potatoes. Test with your eyes and a fork – the outside should be crispy and nicely browned and the inside should be tender. Shortly before removing the potatoes, mix the remaining Miso paste (using more at your discretion), garlic cloves, sriracha, and mirin very well mashing the softened garlic cloves. To achieve a more liquidy consistency or to subdue the miso, you may need to add more Mirin. Remove the potatoes and put into a serving vessel. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat gently. Garnish with sesame seeds that have been toasted for a few minutes in a dry pan on the stove and scallions if desired.

Kale and Avocado Salad

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Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad may be  IS the King Kong of salads. It is quite possibly one of the healthiest and most nutritious meals you can have for lunch, snack, or dinner (kale has a ANDI score of 1,000). It meets almost all dietary restrictions (no oil, limited salt, no meat, dairy free) and gets richness from tangy avocado – a healthy fat. I became mildly addicted to a similar salad that Whole Foods makes in their prepared, raw foods section. Their version had a bit too much lemon for me and I much prefer not paying four bucks every time I crave this. The best part about making this at home is that you can add whatever you like to it. I tend to make a different version each time. Ingredients I have added include: mango; apple; chickpeas; and, zucchini ribbons. It is important not to let your significant other watch you make this as the massage the kale gets might invoke jealousy. In order to break down the fibrous raw kale, you must massage lemon juice and salt (for proper flavoring) into the kale. Really put some elbow grease during this rub down and you will not believe that the Kale, properly softened, is not actually cooked.

 Words of caution – if you do not like Kale, you may not like this salad. This is not for those who (quite inexplicably) despise kale. It tastes like kale. It is great for all the kale lovers out there. Which reminds me, D recently bought me a shirt that says KALE on it – it is amazeballs (and indicative of how much kale I eat). I am pretty sure he stole it a bite or two even though he pulls a gag face when I pull big bundles of kale out of the fridge. Time to sneak some kale into his quinoa…

Note: The pictured version includes mango, radish and apple. Feel free to use one, two or all.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Serves Four

One bunch Green Kale
One large Haas Avocado
One half red onion, very thinly sliced
One red apple, thinly sliced (sub mango or other fruit if desired)
Two teaspoons Kosher Salt
Juice of One lemon

De-stem the kale leaves and wash well. Drain leave and tear roughly. In a large bowl combine the kale, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle mixture with salt and squeeze lemon juice directly onto the greens. Using both hands, massage the kale while simultaneously mixing the greens. Massage strongly until kale has softened and all elements are incorporated. Add apple and black pepper to taste and mix well.

Serve on its own or with your favorite chicken salad, quinoa, fish or grilled chicken.

Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

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Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s Tasty. It’s versatile. I always serve some variation of this with enchiladas (as we know from my previous post that includes garlic, avocado and tomato). Lately, my favorite application for this summertime delight is to throw it into Mexican Quinoa (recipe coming soon). It would also be a great topping for a mexicanesque or southwest style soup.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa

Black Beans, one can drained and rinsed
Sweet Corn (feel free to use canned, frozen, or fresh charred corn)
Half-Red onion – small dice
One Half Red Bell Pepper – small dice
Sweet Corn
Lime Juice
One tablespoon Red wine vinegar
Spices (just a pinch each): Ground cumin, cayenne, adobo, salt
Two Cilantro to taste

Combine the red onion, bell pepper, corn, cilantro and black beans in a large bowl. Mix gently and well. In a small bowl combine the red wine vinegar, spices, and lime juice and mix well. Add the liquid mixture to the onion mixture and toss gently until incorporated. Adjust seasoning according to taste and if it is too bitter add a pinch of sugar.

Yep that is pretty much it, you are done. Enjoy!

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Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette

I was making dinner recently and one of my besties (and new neighbor) needed to do laundry. Being that I love to feed people, I was ecstatic to make her belly happy. She needed to use some raspberries that were almost bad, some spring mix and some arugula. I was determined to fit everything into the meal so the menu took on the form of a veggie lovers dream…our appetizer was brown butter roasted brussel sprouts and the main dish was spinach basil pasta packed with steamed asparagus, zucchini, squash, arugula and spinach with a pesto sauce and sides of steamed asparagus and mixed greens salad with Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette. The whole meal took about thirty minutes of actual cooking time and was delicious! I used less olive oil than I call for here (also know that you can use Grapeseed oil if you have it on hand) just to decrease fat and calories. Hey even if they are good fat calories, they still can add to the cellulite situation that creeps up in unison with age brackets. I also added more lemon and thought that the end result was a little to acid heavy, though really it was fine (especially for someone who likes lemon). I ended up throwing a pinch of sugar in as well to help sweeten the raspberries. If you make this in the summer you should not need to add extra sugar as the raspberries will be in season.

 Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette

One pint Raspberries, very ripe
Half cup olive oil
Salt, start with a pinch then add as desired IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS
Pepper, start with a pinch then add as desired
Pinch Cane Sugar
Juice of one half of lemon
Four Tablespoons champagne vinegar

Mix all ingredients except oil in a small food processor. Slowly add the oil to the food processing as it runs on a medium setting. Taste and adjust as desired.

Serve over mixed green salad and steamed or roasted asparagus.

Brussel Sprouts in Shallot Wine Sauce

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I happen to love brussel sprouts even when they are plain, but even those finicky sprout eaters will love these. I mean they have pancetta, apples, and are doused in shallot-garlic white wine sauce. Best part is that they are still a healthy alternative to loading your veggies with butter without sacrificing any of the flavor. You can roast or steam the sprouts first; I steamed them since these were last made on thanksgiving and the oven was full of butternut squash and turkey and dressing. Either way you choose to do them, simply toss them in the sauce afterward and you are done!

Brussel Sprouts in Shallot Wine Sauce

Serve Five to Six

One pound Brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
One half red apple, diced and squeezed with lemon
Four ounces pancetta, diced
Eight large cloves garlic
Six Large shallots
One Cup White wine (or half cup wine with half cup broth)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
One tablespoon butter (optional – really only for the Paula Deen’s out there)

Steam or roast brussel sprouts until 95 percent cooked. In a large saute pan, heat a dab of garlic olive oil in the pan and fry up the pancetta. Remove and reserve on a napkin. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and a bit of salt to the pan. Once glassy, add the white wine (or broth) to the pan and reduce by half. Add butter if using near the end to create a bit of richness. Toss pancetta, apples, and brussel sprouts together with the sauce in the pan. Grind fresh black pepper and serve immediately.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Ketchup and Sriracha Aioli

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One of the health food trend’s best contributions is the ubiquitous sweet potato fry. Of course not all fries are the same and I have standards for these nutritious little treats. They should be crispy on the outside and soft, but never mushy, on the inside. They need to be properly seasoned and they always need to be baked, not fried (sorry Paula Deen cronies). In short, please don’t serve me limp, under-seasoned fries that are mushy with oil. I am not entirely sure why but I have had a standing craving for sweet potato fries since about mid-July and this recipe, admittedly, is something of a Semi-Homemade approach (though I really cannot stomach Sandra Lee). Hey, I am a full time-grad student who works full-time, until December I will need all the help I can get. The secret…Alexia Sweet Potato Fries (in your freezer section). These are awesome. Sure sweet potato fries are not insanely hard to make but now that Alexia has an all natural brand that you can just pop in the oven, why spend a minute longer doing prep? Now if you will excuse me, I have to go read 150 pages of advanced policy economics by tomorrow.

Note: I fortified my ketchup to make a quick (read four second) tasty dipping sauce. Because I like options, I also made a Sriracha aioli really quickly – if you have some chipotle aioli or another favorite dipping sauce feel free to use it instead.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Ketchup and Sriracha Aioli

One Half Bag Alexia Chiptole Sweet Potato Fries

Cook according to package instructions, preferably on a vented baking tray to achieve optimal crispiness.

Sriracha-Curry Ketchup

Two to Three tablespoons (depending on preference) Sriracha
One Tablespoon (plus more depending on preference) Red Curry Paste
One-Fourth Cup Ketchup

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.

Sriracha Aioli

Squeeze of lemon or lime
Four tablespoons Sriracha
Four tablespoons Garlic Mayonnaise 

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.

Roasted Butternut Squash

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Apart from zucchini, I do not really harbor much love for the squash family. Given this, my undeniable love affair with butternut squash is something of an anomaly. It is not that I do not eat yellow squash, I just do not do it whole-heartedly. I downright dislike spaghetti squash and eggplant purely on a textural basis. But butternut squash is like a giant, soft, comforting blanket for me for some inexplicable reason. I love roasting it and happily scarfing it down in bite size chunks or pure pleasure. I also love roasting it and turning it into the star of dishes in unexpected ways. It is a great way to “sneak” nutrients into common things such as pizza, pasta, lasagna, risotto, etc. It can be pureed for small children (though it is generally soft enough to eat on its own),  used fortify soups and salads during the fall., and be sweet or savory. It is just a wonderful little powerhouse of flavor and nutrients that I turn to time and again. The only discouraging thing about butternut squash is the time and effort it takes to peel it. I have not mastered this technique yet and, more often than not, I will buy previously diced squash from Whole Foods. Whole Foods also has bags of frozen butternut squash which are great for making a quick, nutritious puree without the torture of cutting the squash! The following method is my favorite way to roast butternut squash.

Roasted Butternut Squash

One pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
One large white onion (or six or seven medium shallots), large dice
One head garlic, minced
Two tablespoons Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
One tablespoon black pepper
One teaspoon White Pepper (optional)
A couple good pinches of salt
Couple glugs good olive oil (regular, basil, garlic, or truffle)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place garlic, butternut squash, and onions in a baking dish. Add oil and spices to taste, sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake until golden brown and squash is tender, 40-50 minutes.  Taste and adjust for seasoning preferences.