Recipes
Honey-Ginger Carrot and Parsnip Salad Topping
This is a great way to sweeten up a cold season green salad when seasonal salad favorites are not around. The idea is to roast the vegetables in a lemon-honey vinaigrette and serve on top of a green salad with sunflower shoots and whatever else comes to mind.
2 c carrots, diced small
2 c parsnips, diced small
1/4 c ginger, grated
3/4 c olive oil
1/8 c red wine vinegar
1/8 c lemon juice
tsp lemon zest (if you have)
pinch of dill
1/4 c honey, soft
extra honey to drizzle
In a bowl combine carrots, parsnips, ginger and lemon zest. In a small sauce pan, warm on low heat: oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dill and honey and combine well. Pour half of dressing onto chopped vegetables and mix well. Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper lay vegetables out evenly. Drizzle with honey and bake in the oven at 375F for 20-30 minutes until they are soft and begin browning. Remove from parchment paper right away and cool. Top green salad with veggie mix and use remaining dressing.
Steamed Parsnips with Sweet Butter Sauce
The parsnip’s humble appearance conceals its luscious taste; it needs very little fuss in order to be sweet and delicious. Simply steamed and topped with just a touch of maple syrup or honey, parsnips are irresistibly good. The tender strips in this recipe can be served whole, sliced, or even mashed. Friend of the Farm.
3 large parsnips, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Place the parsnips in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the maple syrup or honey.
Pour the butter mixture over the parsnips. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bean Chili with Walnuts & Chocolate, or Chili sin Carne
This bean chili recipe is a little outside the box. Not only is it very warming but also comforting and spicy. It has the most wonderful flavor from dark chocolate, coffee, red wine and crunchy walnuts.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ghee or coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 fresh chili, minced (more if you like it spicy, or leave it out for no spice)
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 package frozen sweet peppers
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
2 large stalks of celery with top greens, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup raw walnuts, very finely chopped
5 cups cooked black beans
2 14oz cans whole plum tomatoes
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup coffee
2 ounces 80% dark chocolate, broken in pieces
For serving
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 lime, quartered
4 corn tortillas, toasted
Start by preparing all vegetables. Heat oil in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili, paprika and oregano, and let fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spices smells fragrant. Be careful so they don’t burn. Add bell pepper, carrot, parsnip and celery, let cook for another couple of minutes. Add walnuts, beans, tomatoes, water and salt and let cook for 30 minutes more. Now add red wine, coffee and chocolate, stir around carefully and let cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve in bowls with a dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, lime and toasted corn tortilla.
Huevos Rancheros Tacos
What could be better than huevos rancheros folded into a taco? This is more of a knife and fork taco. I would also throw in the thawed peppers and some corn. From Cooking Light, May 2013.
4 6-inch corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup cooked black beans
2 tsp olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup pico de gallo or salsa
2 tbsp Mexican crema
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
4 lime wedges
Preheat broiler to high. Arange tortillas on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes; remove pan from oven. Turn tortillas over and top each with 2 tbsp cheese and 2 tbsp beans. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Remove from oven.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Crack eggs into pan and cook for 2 minutes. Cover and cook 2 more minutes or until whites are set. Place 1 egg in center of each tortilla and sprinkle with pepper. Top tacos evenly with pico de gallo, crema, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with lime.
Sauteed Beet and Potato Hash
This is a great recipe from the Farmer John's cookbook. I love using the potatoes and beets together.
3 tbsp oil
2 small onions, diced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
2 medium beets, grated (2-3 cups)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large skilled over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, beets,thyme and garlic. Season with salt to taste. Cook, turning it occassionally, until the potatoes and beets are tender and slightly crispy, 15-20 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat. Season generously with pepper and more salt if desired to taste.
Chocolate Beet Cake
Who doesn't love chocolate? Especially with a healthy twist thrown in? I tried a similar recipe to this a few weeks ago at my kids' school cafeteria. It was surprisingly good; I could taste the beets a bit but the kids just thought it was plain chocolate cake.
Oil and flour for preparing the pan
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup mild-flavored vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups pureed cooked beets (3 medium beets)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar, if desired
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan (or 2 loaf pans) with oil and dust with flour.
Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat just until the chocolate melts; remove from heat and stir until well combined.
Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 1/4 cup oil, applesauce, chocolate mixture, beets, and vanilla.
Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stire in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until the flour is mixed in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Corn Chowder with Spicy Red Pepper Cream
A summer favorite with a spicy edge to warm you up in these cold winter days.
Spicy Red Pepper Cream (make ahead)
1/2 package frozen sweet peppers, thawed
2 tsp medium-hot chile powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs heavy cream
For the Chowder
1/2 package frozen corn
1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)
1/4 c plus 2 Tbs yellow onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs celery, finely chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
1 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock (sub water if none)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 c milk
Coarsely chop the pepper. In a blender or mini-processor, puree the pepper with the chile powder, oregano, olive oil and salt. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cream. The pepper cream can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
In a soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate-low heat until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, stock, thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn and simmer until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the chowder into soup bowls and top each with a spoonful of Spicy Red Pepper Cream.
Spoon Bread with Leeks and Corn
Unsalted butter, for pan
3 large eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup corn, thawed
1-2 leeks, halved lengthwise, and sliced
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 6-cup baking dish. Lightly beat egg yolks; set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 2 cups of milk, cayenne, and salt to a boil. Sprinkle cornmeal into liquid, stirring constantly, and cook until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, baking powder, and egg yolks.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Stir 1 large spoonful of whites into cornmeal mixture, then gently fold in remaining whites.
Pour half of the batter into prepared dish. Sprinkle on corn and leeks. Cover with remaining batter. Bake until set and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
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