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.

Hearty Bean and Cabbage Soup

Yesterday I made a big pot of soup with some produce that inspired me this week- dried beans from Helsing Junction Farm and Savoy cabbage from Newaukum Valley Farm. Both of these were so beautiful I knew I wanted to make something with them, and preferably together. I looked through a bunch of recipe sites for a soup recipe that would use both, but I didn't see anything I was crazy about, so I decided to just wing it. I used Deborah Madison's  Vegetable Soups cookbook to make sure I got the water to bean ratio and cooking time right. Her cookbooks are pretty fantastic, and getting this one out reminded me that I have lots of great recipes at my disposal without looking online at all. My soup turned out well, but I will say, it's not going to win any beauty contests. Good thing I have the "before" photo!

Hearty Bean and Cabbage Soup
5 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
3 carrots, diced
2 small yellow potatoes, cut into small cubes
3 springs rosemary or other fresh herb of choice (the bean website below recommends sage)
1lb dried beans (I used Calypso beans)
10 cups water
6 cups shredded Savoy cabbage, Italian kale, or a combination of both
2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
lots of fresh ground pepper
1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Heat 4 Tbs of olive oil in your biggest soup pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they soften and start to become fragrant. Add the celery,carrots, and potatoes and cook for a few minutes more. Add beans and water. For the rosemary, put springs in a reusable cloth tea bag or a piece of cheesecloth tied into a bundle and float it in the soup while it cooks. This will give the broth a nice herbal flavor. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat and cook until the beans are almost soft (mine took about 45 minutes, but time will vary a lot depending on type of beans used). Add salt, cabbage, pepper, and vinegar. Give it a good stir and cook until the cabbage/kale is wilted but still fairly firm. Stir in the remaining Tbs of olive oil. Top with a few grinds of pepper and serve.

Grains and Vegetables With Broccoli Pesto

Earlier this week, Zach and I made a delicious dinner together. We used this recipe from 101cookbooks, which I've been meaning to try forever. I altered it just a little, since it calls for heavy cream (totally unnecessary) and almonds which we didn't have on hand (we substituted pecans, and they were fine). The one other change I made was substituting brown rice for the quinoa. We did this because we had some cooked rice that we wanted to use up, but I think it would be better with quinoa.  Actually, any whole grain would probably work fine, so experiment and see what you like.



Grains and Vegetables 
With Broccoli Pesto
adapted from 101cookbooks.com
makes four servings
3 cups cooked whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, barley, etc)
5 cups raw broccoli florets
4 cloves garlic
2/3 cup nuts, toasted
1/3 cup parmesan (could probably omit and add a little nutritional yeast to make this dairy-free)
2 pinces salt
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
cubed avocado and tomatoes for topping

Add 3/4 of a cup of water and pinch of salt to a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer. Add broccoli, cover and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a strainer and run under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside. Puree 2 cups of broccoli, garlic, 1/2 cup nuts, parmesan, pinch of salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Add olive oil in a slow stream and puree until oil is well-combined. Mix cooked grain, pesto, and remaining broccoli florets. Top with avocado, tomato, and remaining nuts. Serve.

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.

With An Open Heart

Image of Wheel pose from Universal Yoga Center

Last week work was very challenging both physically and mentally, and I expect this week may be more of the same. I was so glad that I took the time to go to yoga on Sunday morning and to go to the gym today. Being physical makes such a difference in how I feel about myself and about the world around me. Each time I have a really great workout, I feel like I have contributed positively to my own being and also to the person I am capable of being in the world. 
Two memorable things happened this week in yoga- I did my first backbend (also called wheel pose), and my yoga teacher read part of the quote below, which I've been thinking about a lot. Sometimes, it is really challenging to have an open heart and to be our best selves. When we can, however, those feelings of love, generosity, kindness, and compassion that we express to those around us build on themselves. When we express our love and gratitude, it helps those feelings grow not just in ourselves, but also in our communities.

"This scarce human body is acquired after many lifetimes; don't waste this opportunity. Every moment of life is precious. Do not think of yourself as weak and fallen. That which was done up to now, understand that this was unintentional. But now, apply yourself to action fit for a human. If having become a human being you do not obtain knowledge of your Divine nature, it is as if you have sold a diamond for the price of spinach.

The world is in need of love. With an open heart, you radiate the light of love to all those around you. Remember, no impulse of love is wasted. As a lover, rejoice in your state of lovingness, and know that every being who reflects a ray of your love is enlightened by the experience. This is your essential state. It always was and always will be.

Do not allow the pervasive worldly demands of life to constrict your heart. The sun does not use the excuse of clouds to stop shining its light, for it knows that clouds will always come and go. It is your birthright to live a life abundant in love. Make the commitment today to open your heart and let your love flow. No matter what has happened in your past, you have an infinite capacity for love. Please use it, for your own sake and the sake of this precious world."-Swāmī Brahmānanda Saraswatī

Spicy Sweet and Sour Sesame Cabbage Salad

Tonight I made a tasty new coleslaw. It's super simple to make if you have a blender or food processor. I plan to take it for lunch and top it with green onions, cilantro, tofu, and pumpkin seeds.

Spicy Sweet and Sour 
Sesame Cabbage Salad
1/2 a small red cabbage, shredded
1 large bunch Italian kale, removed from stems and sliced into ribbons
For Dressing
1/2 cup raw red beets, grated
1 Tbs brown rice miso
juice of 2 limes
2 Tbs seasoned brown rice vinegar
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 inch piece of ginger, cut into smaller pieces
4 squirts of hot sauce (like Sriracha)
Optional toppings (use any combination of these that you like)
cilantro
green onions
fresh basil
toasted sesame seeds
toasted pumpkin seeds
tofu

Puree all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. You will need to scrape down the sides several times to get it well-mixed. It won't be totally smooth, but don't worry, it tastes great on the cabbage and kale and has a nice texture.
Transfer dressing to a large bowl. Add cabbage and kale and mix well. Top with whichever optional ingredients you like.

Cilantro Pesto Quinoa

When I brought home my produce groceries this week, I realized that I already had both cilantro and green onions in my refrigerator. In fact, counting this week's groceries, I had 3 bunches of cilantro and 2 bunches of green onions, so I decided to make a recipe that would use up a lot of both- cilantro pesto. It's super easy to make and can be used as a condiment, or as a dressing for grains or pasta, just use it the way you would regular basil pesto. I made mine without cheese because it's cheaper and healthier, and I don't really miss it when it's not there. If you want to add cheese to this, I'd suggest a 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan, and maybe add a little more oil to get the texture right. I used the cilantro pesto I made to dress a pot of quinoa that I plan to use on green salads with beans for lunches this week.

Cilantro Pesto Quinoa
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water

1/2 cup nuts (I used a mixture of hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans since I had some little bits of each that I wanted to use up, but I bet any nut would work just fine)
1 large bunch of cilantro, washed and stems removed
4 green onions, trimmed and cut into pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/4 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil

Place quinoa and water in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook quinoa for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto: Grind the nuts in a food processor. Next add the cilantro, green onions, garlic, and salt. Blend until you have a vibrant green paste. Now add lemon juice and blend, scraping down the sides as needed. Add olive oil (in a slow stream if possible) and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, lemon juice, olive oil) as desired. When quinoa has finished cooking, mix in a large bowl with the pesto.