Blueberries!

One of my yearly July rituals is picking blueberries. Blueberries are extremely nutritious, and also one of the most refreshing and convenient foods to eat in the heat of the summer. If you pick enough, you can also freeze them and continue enjoying their health benefits and deliciousness for many months to come.  I am lucky to live near several organic/no-spray blueberry farms, and I have visited three of them regularly in the past few years. Today, my mom joined me at the Friendly Grove Blueberry Farm, where we had perfect weather for picking lots of tasty berries. I have also  enjoyed picking at Carr's Organic Blueberry Farm, and Blue Horizons Farm.  There is something really cool about having seasonal rituals to look forward to, and when I woke up this morning, I knew that I wanted to do my first pick today. Last year, I ate all of the blueberries I picked before I got a chance to freeze them, so this year, I'll need to be sure to go out a few more times to make sure I get my freezer (and belly) full of blueberries before the season is over!

Chocolate-Cherry No Bake Pie

Tonight I made a pie by pairing components of two separate desserts and then topping them with fresh cherries. It turned out really well, and is quite healthy as far as desserts go. Recipe #1 is here. It's a raw fruit pie that I've tried making before. The crust is amazing, but the cashew "cream" in the original recipe didn't turn out well for me- maybe because I don't have a high speed blender- I couldn't get the texture right, and it tasted like sweet hummus,ugh! So I was looking for something else creamy to use for a filling and I came across this recipe for a chocolate mousse that's made from avocados. Perfect! I didn't have the raw cacao powder or coconut nectar that the original calls for, so I used cocoa powder and honey+maple syrup. I also learned a great trick for pitting cherries! If you don't have a cherry pitter, check out this video for a demonstration of pitting cherries using a bottle and a chopstick. Anyhow, this pie takes awhile to make, but it's a delicious and healthy sweet for a hot night when you want to impress someone and you don't want to use your oven.

Chocolate-Cherry No Bake Pie
adpted from recipes at lifewithgreens.com and thekitchn.com

Pie Crust:

8 medjool dates

1 cup raw unsweetened coconut

1 cup nuts ( I've used both raw and toasted, both are good)

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

2 teaspoons of vanilla

Directions: Place all ingredients into a food processor with the “S” blade. Pulse and mix until moist and formable. Transfer raw pie crust mixture to a pie pan of your choice and press into the sides of the pan.

Make Pie crust first. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you are working on the other ingredients.

Chocolate Avocado Pie Filling

4 ripe avocados
, cut into chunks

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 cup raw cocoa powder


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


pinch of salt
fresh fruit and nuts for garnish

In a food processor, blend avocado until smooth. Add all other ingredients, blending until mixture is uniform. Chill for half an hour in the freezer.

Next make the chocolate filling. Put it in the freezer to chill while you are pitting the cherries

About 1lb cherries, pitted 

Go on, pit those cherries!

Remove pie crust from refrigerator. Place half the pitted cherries on top of the crust in a uniform pattern. Top with chocolate filling (I only used about ¾ of the filling recipe in the pie). Top with remaining cherries. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for later enjoyment.

Easy and Versatile Fruit Cobbler

The following recipe is magical. It's delicious, takes very little time or effort to make, can be made with any almost any fruit, and comes out perfectly every time. Is it healthy? Well, it has a lot of fruit in it, but it also has quite a bit of butter and sugar, so this is one you''ll want to eat in moderation. I got the recipe many years ago when I was getting a CSA from Helsing Junction Farm. It was printed in one of their newsletters, but luckily, they still have the recipe on their website. I have made it with apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, berries, cherries apricots, and plums. I never peel the fruit, so the only real work is slicing the fruit up. It's also a great way to use up fruit that is getting a little too ripe or is otherwise not in the best shape for fresh eating. Usually, I use a mixture of whatever fruit I have on hand. The one ingredient you don't want to leave out is the lemon zest- it adds a bright and unique flavor to this excellent and very special dessert.

Easy and Versatile Fruit Cobbler
adapted slightly from Oly’s Swedish Apple Pie recipe at helsingfarmcsa.com

-Slice whatever fruit you are using into a 10 in round cake pan. I usually try to fill the pan about ¾ full with fruit. For this one I used 3 white peaches, 2 yellow nectarines, 2 plums, 4 apricots, and a ½ pint of blueberries. I never peel the fruit, but if you don't like the texture of the peels, you could. If you are using apples or pears, you will probably want about 5-6 pieces of fruit.

-Mix together the following:

-1 TBS sugar

-½ tsp cinnamon

-Sprinkle half over the fruit and toss together. (Save the other half to sprinkle over the top of the cobbler).

-Melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan and then add the following:

-1 cup of flour

-The zest of 1 lemon

-¾ cup of white or brown sugar

-Gently mix together and then add 2 beaten eggs.

-Fold the mixture together and then pour it over the top of the fruit

-Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

Coconut Kale Bowl with Quinoa and Tempeh

Today I went out for my first paddle of the year, and it was AWESOME. But one thing I forgot about paddling is that it makes you really HUNGRY. When I got home I was ready for some dinner. I wanted something nutritious that would be ready pretty quickly and with minimal effort.  I decided to try out a recipe for a baked kale and coconut dish that I found when I was looking through some sites I bookmarked a few years ago. The recipe I used is here. I altered it slightly, and I'm reprinting it below with my changes. I also made some little tempeh squares to have some protein with this. That recipe came from Vegetarian Times. I can't find an online version, but I've put the basic instructions below. Kind of an unusual supper, but pretty tasty and filling.

Coconut Kale Bowl with Quinoa and Tempeh

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbs tamari

1/2 tsp sriracha or similar hot sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

5 cups Italian kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

1 cup unsweetened large flake coconut

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 8 oz package tempeh, cut into four pieces

nutritional yeast

sesame seeds

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer quinoa covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for five more minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork, set aside.

Meanwhile, place sesame oil, tamari, siracha, and olive oil in a small jar. Shake to mix well. Put kale and coconut in a large bowl. Pour over about 2/3 of the dressing, and mix well with your hands, massaging kale gently. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then give it all a good stir and put back in the oven for 5 more minutes or until the coconut is well-toasted and golden in color.

While the kale is baking, prepare the tempeh squares: Start a medium-sized skillet heating over medium-high heat. On a small plate, mix together a few Tbs of nutritional yeast and a few Tbs of sesame seeds. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and mix well. Run each tempeh square under water, and then dip in the nutritional yeast mixture, turning each piece until it is well-coated. Spray one side of the coated tempeh with cooking spray. Cook it spray side down in the hot skillet for about 7 minutes. Spray the other side with cooking spray, then flip the pieces over and cook for 7 more minutes or until browned. When the quinoa, kale, and tempeh are all done, assemble them in a bowl (there will be a little dressing left in the jar that you can pour on if you like). Enjoy!

Inspired Salad:Black Rice with Mango and Peanuts Topped With Scrambled Eggs

Tonight I made a fantastic salad. I wanted to try out a recipe I found that combines black rice with mango and peanuts. I decided to serve it on a big plate of salad greens. Grain salads are delicious and healthy, but I like to eat them on a bed of salad greens so that I don't make them into my entire meal (which is easy to do, especially if they are as tasty as this one). I also really wanted to top this with some tofu for extra protein, but I didn't have any, so I scrambled up some eggs instead- what a happy accident! The eggs are the perfect complement to the rice, the texture of everything together is just wonderful. The black rice salad does take a little time to prepare, but it makes a great big batch- perfect for taking to a potluck or just having around for a quick and easy lunch or side dish.

P.S. Unfortunately, the photo didn't load properly and I've already deleted it. I guess you'll have to make it yourself if you want to see how pretty it is!

Black Rice with Mango and Peanuts 
2 cups black rice
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice of 2 limes and zest of 1lime
1 Tbs tamari
1 tsp brown sugar
a few drops toasted sesame oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2 Tbs oil (I used avocado, but any oil will work)
2 cups diced mango (fresh is preferable, but thawed frozen mango is fine)
1 cup chopped onion
6 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped

To make it into a super-awesome inspired salad you will also need:
salad greens, washed and torn
eggs, scrambled (2 per person)
avocado, cubed (about 1/4 per person)
red pepper slices (about 1/2 a red pepper per person)

First get the rice started: combine 2 cups rice with 2 3/4 cups water in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring  to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook covered for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 more minutes.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the dressing for the salad: combine juice and zest of orange and lime, tamari, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and jalapeno. Whisk together. Add the 2 Tbs of oil in a slow stream, whisking as you go. Set aside.
When rice is done, mix rice and dressing in a large bowl. Add mango, onion, green onion, peanuts, and cilantro and mix well. Serve as is, or if you are making this into a super-awesome inspired salad, fill each plate with a generous serving of salad greens, top with 2 cups of black rice salad, avocado cubes, and scrambled eggs. Garnish with red pepper slices if desired.

A Few More Overnight Oats Recipes

I've been tinkering a bit with the overnight oats recipes I posted a couple of months ago.  I wanted to make a recipe that includes greens but is is a little lighter on them (shocking, I know since I love greens, but my blender is having a hard time with the greens to liquid ratio I've been using). I've also been making my oats with whole chia seeds rather than ground since they add such a nice texture. Everything I've read indicates that unlike flax, chia's nutrients are available even when the seed is in the whole form. You can find more about that, and the nutritional benefits of chia seeds here. The chia seeds are totally optional though, and the overnight are still delicious without them.

Berry Cinnamon Overnight Oats
makes 2 jars
1 ripe banana
1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice)
zest and juice of 1 large orange
2 cups blueberries or blackberries (frozen is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups spinach leaves (baby spinach is fine)
2/3 cup rolled oats
4 tbs chia seeds (optional)

Put first 6 ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add spinach, push to the bottom of the blender with a spoon, and blend again until smooth. Place 1/3 cup of oats in each jar. Fill with smoothie mixture, stir, and add more until jar is almost full. Repeat with second jar. Top each jar with 2Tbs chis seeds and stir until well-mixed. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Tropical Fruit Variation:
Substitue 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup mango for the berries (frozen is fine). Omit cinnamon, and instead add in a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger (I recommend cutting it into slices to ensure that it gets well-blended)

Each jar contains:
2 servings berries (or 1 serving pineapple and 1 serving mango)
1/2 serving bananas
1 serving spinach

Simple Lunch- Quinoa Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Pineapple, and Currants

Today I wanted a quick, healthy, simple lunch so I threw together this easy quinoa salad and enjoyed it with a serving of plain steamed kale. I based the ingredients I mixed into the quinoa on little bits of stuff I wanted to use up. Think of the quinoa with dressing as a base and let your imagination (or what you have on hand and want to use up) guide you in your next quick lunch endeavor!


Quinoa Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Pineapple, and Currants
About 3 cups cooked quinoa (if you don't have this on hand, make up a batch and let it cool. There are great instructions here, you will want to use 1 cup dry quinoa and 2 cups water to yield about 3 cups cooked)
2 Tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
2 Tbs currants
2 Tbs toasted walnuts (toast on the stovetop in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, shaking occasionally)
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (or frozen thawed, or substitute mango)
1 green onion, finely sliced
a small chunk of feta, crumbled
Mix dressing in a large bowl by combining lemon juice with a little salt and pepper. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking as you go. Stir in quinoa and mix to combine with dressing. Stir in walnuts and currants, then add pineapple and green onion. Add feta last, stirring gently. Serve with a side of steamed greens.

Braised Chard with Currants and Feta

I'm teaching a class this weekend that focuses on cooking with greens. I always like to run through the recipes I'll be making (kind of like rehearsing for a show I suppose), so tonight I made Braised Chard with Currants and Feta. This dish is simple, unique, and very flavorful. It also tastes a lot richer than the ingredients it contains would lead you to believe. I discovered this recipe on epicurious.  It gets the site's highest rating (4 forks), and 100% of people who reviewed it said they would make it again. I served it atop a bed of quinoa and sprinkled some sprouted almonds on at the end for an added crunch. Delicious!


Braised Chard with Currants and Feta
from Gourmet, December 2006

1 large bunch Swiss chard

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons dried currants

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/3 cup)

preparation

Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.

Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta

Blood Orange, Fennel, and Cabbage Salad

In addition to making a tasty soup on Sunday, I also make this fantastic salad. It's crunchy and fresh tasting; lightly sweet and tart. I tweaked a dressing recipe from an older post, and altered it by using blood oranges since they are in season and possibly the best citrus fruit we have in the produce department right now. The dressing comes out a little pink, but it tastes great and looks pretty against the pieces of blood orange.

Blood Orange, Fennel, and Cabbage Salad
serves 4
For salad:
A mixture of red, savoy and/or green cabbage and Italian kale, washed and shredded into fine ribbons
1 bulb fennel, chopped into very small pieces
A large handful of fresh mint, washed, and sliced
2 blood oranges, peeled, segmented, and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

For dressing
:

2 Tbsp. olive oil



zest of 1 blood orange

juice of 1 blood orange

1 Tbsp. liquid honey (or agave, maple syrup)


1/3 cup roasted tahini


Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Fill each plate with your cabbage/kale mixture. Top each plate with mint, fennel, and blood orange pieces. Drizzle dressing on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.
Note: After I made this, I kind of wished I'd dressed the salad before plating it. So for a more even dispersion of dressing, put the dressing in a large bowl, add a little water to thin it down, then add the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Proceed with platting and topping the salad.

Weird Snack: Blueberry Cinnamon Whole Wheat Crackers With Yogurt Dip

Yesterday I made some very weird snacks. Even though I am not a football fan, I decided to show some team spirit for a super bowl party by making snacks that were intended to be green and blue (but turned out green and purple-oops!). I was inspired by this post on oh she glows, and the green cracker and dip in the photo come from that recipe. For my "blue" crackers, I decided to try using blueberries, and they turned out pretty well for a first attempt. They remind me a little of the cinnamon and sugar tortas we sell at the Co-op, but whole-wheat and baked instead of fried. I will warn you that these take awhile to make  and aren't super healthy- after all, they're crackers topped with sugar! But in the realm of "healthier" treats, I guess they qualify. You can use whatever cookie cutters you like. I happened to have these Halloween cookie cutters on hand and decided they were perfect for scaring the opposing team and sweeping them right out the door. Ha!

Blueberry Cinnamon Whole Wheat Crackers 
With Yogurt Dip
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
4 Tbs butter
1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine but thaw them ahead of time)
extra cinnamon and sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 400F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives scissor-fashion, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Blend the blueberries in a blender until they are smooth. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until well-combined. Gently knead the mixture and form two balls. Using a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough and cut into shapes with your cookie cutters. By the way, this dough is pretty sticky, so continue adding flour to work surface and rolling pin as needed. After you have cut out your shapes, re-roll remaining dough and continue making crackers until all of you dough is used up. Mix the extra cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle liberally on top of the crackers. Bake for four minutes, the switch position of pans in oven.  bake four more minutes and then check crackers for doneness, baking two minutes more or as long as needed for them to turn slightly golden-brown.

Berry Yogurt Dip
2 6oz containers greek yogurt
1 cup blueberries (frozen fine, but thaw)
1 cup blackberries (frozen fine, but thaw)
2 Tbs maple syrup
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Chill and serve with crackers.

Sesame Ginger Blueberry Overnight Oats

Here is another overnight oat recipe. This one is creamier and richer tasting then the ones I've made before. It also has a healthy dose of ginger, which makes it a little spicy and warming. The addition of tahini is what made this batch so creamy, but it also made it a little tougher to blend up easily. Be patient and give frequent stirs and scrape-downs while you're blending.

Sesame Ginger Blueberry Overnight Oats
makes 4 jars
2 1/2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 bananas
Juice and zest of one orange
Juice of one lime
A 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into pieces (no need to peel)
6 Tbs chia seeds
1-2 Tbs tahini (I used 2, and it came out a little too rich for me)
2 cups blueberries (frozen is fine)
2 cups rolled oats
toasted sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Combine first 7 ingredients and blend until smooth. (You may need to do some scraping to get the tahini well-blended). Add blueberries and blend until well-combined. Divide oats between four jars and top evenly with smoothie mixture. Stir each jar well and cover and refrigerate overnight. Top with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Blackberry Collard Green Overnight Oats

I've been really into making overnight oats lately, and this is my latest recipe. This version is a deep purple color and has a great tart berry flavor. Something I didn't mention in my last post about overnight oats is that I have been adding Chia seeds to them. Chia seeds function as a thickener in the smoothie base, and nutritionally them are pretty stellar too: "Chia seeds have recently gained attention as an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. They are also an excellent source of fiber at 10 grams per ounce (about 2 tablespoons), and contain protein and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Emerging research suggests that including chia seeds as part of a healthy diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors such as lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure."(from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic website). I hope you enjoy this new recipe as much as I do. You could probably substitute any green for the collards, I just used them instead of my usual spinach because there were a couple of bunches in the reduced bin at the Co-op.
Blackberry Collard Green Overnight Oats
makes 4 jars
2 bananas
Juice and zest of 1 orange
3 cups almond milk
6 tbs chia seeds
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups frozen blackberries (blueberries work too, but smoothie turns out gray instead of  dark purple, and has less of a  "berry" flavor)
1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and torn from stems
2 cups rolled oats
Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender. Blend until well combined. Pour 1/2 of mixture into a bowl or large measuring cup and set aside (unless you have a huge blender, the finished smoothie won't all fit into the blender at once, so this way you can make it in 2 batches). Add 1 cup blackberries and 1/2 of the collard greens to mixture in blender. Blend until well-combined. Place a 1/2 cup of oats in each jar. Top 2 jars of oats with the blackberry-collard smoothie mixture, stirring as you go. Repeat process with the set aside mixture and remaining blackberries and collard greens. Cover jars and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with nuts and unsweetened shredded coconut if desired.

Note: These keep well for several days, so feel free to make the whole 4 jar batch at once, even if you will be the only one eating them. They also make a nice portable breakfast to share with friends and co-workers. Also, this recipe is not especially sweet, so if you like your breakfast sweeter, you might add a little maple syrup to the smoothie mixture.

Easy, Cheap, and Healthy Breakfast: Green Overnight Oats

I'm teaching a cooking class in January that will focus on  improving nutrition in the New Year. I think one of the easiest things people can do to improve their nutrition is to add a serving  of vegetables to their breakfast, but I also recognize that most people don't want to eat a bowl of steamed kale first thing in the morning like I do. I've been trying out a few recipes with the hopes of finding something really easy and healthy that incorporates a serving of greens in a way that doesn't taste like it has a serving of greens in it. I think I've found a  winner! This recipe is an amalgamation of a couple of overnight oat recipes I've tried out: this one from the Whole Foods website, and this one from Oh She Glows. This recipe is filling, quick, cheap, and easy to make. It's also awesome because it is ready to eat when you wake up, and can come to work with you if you don't have time to eat it at home. The recipe makes enough to fill four pint-sized mason jars with enough room at the top to add some nuts and fruit if you desire (but it's totally delicious as is). The other thing I want to note is that this has no sweetener in it other than the bananas which I find pretty amazing. I have only eaten this cold so I can't vouch for its deliciousness warmed up, but I bet it would be tasty that way too.
Green Overnight Oats
3 bananas
3 cups milk (I used almond milk, but use whatever kind you like)
4 1/2 Tbs chia seeds
juice and zest of one large orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large bunch of spinach, washed
2 cups rolled oats
Combine bananas, milk, chia seeds, juice and zest, and vanilla extract in a blender and blend. Add spinach and blend until smooth (You may want to do this in two batches depending on the capacity of your blender. Also, a blender works slightly better than a food processor for this, but I've used both with fine results). Put 1/2 cup of oats in each jar (or use cereal bowls) and pour approximately one cup of the mixture from the blender into each jar.  Stir each jar until the oats and the liquid are well-combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight (will also keep in the refrigerator for a few days with no problem).  In the morning, top with a small handful of nuts and any fresh fruit you desire and enjoy!

Amazing Fall Dinner

Oh yum. Tonight I made salmon burgers with pan fried Brussels sprouts and roasted beets. Zach said this looks like a fancy meal you'd get in a restaurant, and honestly, it tasted that good too. I will confess that this was only my second real attempt at cooking Brussels sprouts. They are unbelievably easy and tasty, and even if you don't like Brussels sprouts (I thought I didn't until I tried them made this way) I encourage you to try them and see what you think. The beets are super easy too- they just take some peeling and chopping prep work, but then you just put them in the oven and let them do their thing.

Easy Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
water
Cut the stems off the sprouts and slice them in half. Melt the butter in a very large frying pan.  Place sprouts cut side down in the pan and allow them to cook over medium-high heat until they begin to brown (I think this was about 10 minutes). Sprinkle salt and pepper on the sprouts. Add a bit of water to the pan (I'd start with a 1/2 cup) and allow the spouts to continue cooking until they become soft enough to piece easily with a fork, adding more water if needed.  These are best served hot out of the pan.

Easy Roasted Beets
2 large beets (I used one red and one gold, but either will work just fine.)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F
Peel beets and cut into bite-sized pieces. (If you've never cooked with beets, just treat them like they are potatoes that want to turn your hands pink). Place in a glass baking dish and pour on oil to coat (I used an 1/8 cup). Toss well. Place in oven and allow to roast for 50 minutes, turning them every 15 minutes or so. On their last cycle in the oven, sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roasting causes the beets to caramelize slightly, and you will be rewarded with the sweetest and best-tasting beets ever. Serve hot if possible. Also great on a cold salad with salty pungent cheese like feta or gorgonzola.

Cranberry Crunch

During November, we always have lots of fresh cranberries available in the produce department, which means it's time to make Cranberry Crunch! I love to make this cobbler; it's simple and quick to put together and has less sugar and fat than most cobbler recipes (although I will say it is even more delicious with some vanilla ice cream). The recipe comes from the American Wholefoods Cuisine Cookbook. The cranberries retain their delightful tartness and have an awesome cherry-like texture when cooked as the recipe instructs. I also sliced up a small apple and a fuyu persimmon that had seen better days and added them to the original recipe. Cobbler is the perfect vehicle for using up fruit that is past its prime, so if you ever have apples, plums, etc that need to be used up, throw them into a cobbler with more expensive fruit like berries- they'll blend right in and often add some nice textural contrast too.

Cranberry Crunch
adapted from American Wholefoods Cuisine
2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries that have been thawed will also work)
1 small apple, cut into small pieces (optional)
1 fuyu persimmon, cut into small pieces (optional)
1/3 cup honey plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs molasses
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine berries and 1/3 cup honey in a small pot and boil gently until berries pop, about 5 minutes. Pour into a 8 or 9 inch glass baking dish (don't use a metal baking dish, it will make the berries taste metallic).  If you are using the apple and/or the persimmon, stir these in with the cranberries.
In separate bowl, combine oats, flour, and cinnamon, and cut in oil and butter with a pastry blender or wire whisk to an even consistency. Scatter on top of berries. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of honey with molasses and drizzle evenly over topping.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

Fall Fruit Salad: Starring a Fuyu Persimmon

Photo from Sigona Farmer's Market

Even though summer is long gone, there are still days when I want fruit salad. With all of the spectacular fall fruit that's available right now, there's no reason not to make one, and today I did. The star of today's salad is the squatty and unassuming Fuyu persimmon.  We sell two types of persimmons at the Co-op- Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyus are the ones I prefer; they are sweet and firm, with a unique flavor/texture profile that (to me anyway), tastes kind of like a cross between a pear, an apricot, and a mango. Fuyus are ripe when they are firm, so don't wait until they are soft to enjoy them. If you've never used one before, don't be shy... they're easy! Just cut the top off to remove the leaves, and then slice into little wedges. In this salad, I also added some pomegranate seeds which provided a nice textural contrast to the apples and pears. If you decide to be brave and try a persimmon, do make sure you pay attention to which type you're buying. Hachiya persimmons must be very soft (almost gelatinous) before you can eat them, otherwise you will end up with a horribly astringent flavor in your mouth. To eat a Hachiya, slice the top off and scoop out the gelatinous fruit with a spoon.The photo above shows the differences between Fuyus and Hachiyas.

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread

I'm teaching a quinoa cooking class this Sunday, and I wanted to try out a recipe I saw recently that sounded intriguing. The original calls for using sprouted quinoa, and being the slightly lazy cook that I am, I decided to try it with raw quinoa just to see if that shortcut would work out.  My verdict? It's tasty, but a little weird...
This bread is dense, sweet,and filling, with a flavor that reminds me of a nourishing bowl of sweetened oatmeal. Using the uncooked quinoa gives the bread a slightly crunchy and seedy texture. I think it would be really good topped with a little blackberry jam and/or some dried cranberries and lemon zest thrown into the batter, but it's also pretty good on its own. Overall, this is a really nice substitute for a less healthy pastry or dessert, but trust me, you will feel like a total hippy when you're eating it.

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread
 recipe by Brandi Evans

1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup quinoa (sprouted or not)

½ cup sprouted (or nonsprouted) oats

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped pecans

2 ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed

1 cup buttermilk

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons oil or melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Stir together the flour, quinoa, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and oil or butter.

Add banana mixture into the flour mixture, and fold together until the batter is just combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9 × 5 loaf pan (or use a 10inch springform cake pan like I did) and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf (mine took 35 minutes and probably should have stayed in for 5 more minutes). Cool for a few minutes for easier slicing.

Fabulous Fall Kale and Pomegranate Salad

I had some friends over for dinner this week, and I made this totally delicious kale salad. It incorporates some nice fall flavors: pomegranate seeds. toasted pecans, and raw beets. Once the veggie prep is done, this comes together in a few minutes. I used my julienne peeler on the beets and daikon, they'd also be fine grated. This recipe makes a huge batch, so you will have plenty of leftovers for lunch. 

Fabulous Fall Kale and Pomegranate Salad

2 bunches Italian Kale, rinsed and torn from stems

Seeds from 1 Pomegranate

1 medium piece of daikon radish, peeled and shredded

1 medium beet, peeled and shredded

1 very small red onion, finely chopped

1 large handful of pecans, toasted and chopped

Dressing

6 Tbs fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp jam (cherry or orange marmalade are great here, but any jam will do)

Salt and pepper

Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, jam, and a little salt and pepper. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking as you pour. Set aside.

Chop the kale into fine ribbons. Pour the dressing into a large bowl. Add the kale and massage the dressing into the kale leaves with your hands. Now add the shredded beet and daikon, pomegranate seeds, red onions, and pecans. Mix well and serve.

Removing Seeds From a Pomegranate

Pomegranate seeds are a great addition to fall dishes. They are high in antioxidants, and also contain a healthy dose of Vitamin C. Their unique tart and sweet flavor makes them an especially nice addition to kale salads. I have seen a few recipes that call for pomegranate seeds which include notes that say something along the lines of "you can find pomegranate seeds at Trader Joe's/Whole Foods, etc".  I'm here to tell you that you do not need to buy packaged pomegranate seeds! Pomegranate seeds come in their own natural package (the pomegranate!), and they are easy to get out if you know how. The trick? A bowl of water and a colander or strainer. You cut  the pomegranate open and then submerge it in the bowl of water and massage to gently release the seeds. The seeds sink to the bottom and the white pith floats to the top. There are lots of youtube videos demonstrating this; I like this one. I don't have a strainer, so I just skim the white pith off the surface of the water with my fingers and then dump the water and seeds in a colander to drain. This only takes a few seconds, and you get to enjoy delicious pomegranate seeds with no mess.

An Apple A Day

Alright, as cheesy as it is, I'm making Goal #34 to eat an apple every day at least through the end of this year (in Washington, due to amazing storage technology, apple season can go almost into the spring, but I will probably stop eating one every day once they start getting mealy and old-tasting). Research has shown apples to be beneficial for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, improving overall cardiovascular health, regulating blood sugar, and providing anti-cancer benefits. Some links about apple nutrition and health benefits, here, here, and here. They are also tasty, filling, easy to transport, and inexpensive (at least where I live). I feel really fortunate to live in the apple capital of the world, as we have so many varieties to choose from. This morning I had a Honeycrisp apple with some quinoa, walnuts, cinnamon, and a little agave syrup. It also looks as though you get pretty much the same benefits from eating apples raw or cooked, as long as you keep the peel on, as that is where many of the nutritional benefits are found.