Baked Sweet Potato Falafel December 11, 2012

My crop-share doled out a ton of huge sweet potatoes this fall and I was in need of an appetizer to serve a crowd.  Scrolling through Pinterest for ideas, I came across a pin for a baked sweet potato falafel from the Leon Cookbook featured on 101 Cookbooks.  I doubled the recipe and added a yogurt sauce to complete the dish (as my husband would say, isn’t everything better with a dipping sauce?!?).  These baked mounds of goodness are topped with sesame seeds to make up for the crunch lost from baking instead of frying.  This recipe is now in my regular weeknight rotation, but is tasty enough to serve as a cocktail party appetizer.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds total)
2 small cloves of garlic

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½  teaspoons ground coriander

½ bunch fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup chickpea flour

Olive oil

Small handful sesame seeds

1 tsp. Kosher salt + more for yogurt sauce

fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 (6oz) container Greek yogurt (such as Fage 0%)

To make the falafel:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Wrap pierce sweet potatoes several times with a knife, then wrap each potato in tinfoil.  Place wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Roast until just tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let potatoes cool, then peel them and discard the skin.

2.  Mince garlic in the bowl of a large food processor, then add sweet potato flesh, cumin, coriander, cilantro, ½ lemon juice, chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth, with no large lumps.  Refrigerate mixture for about an hour, giving it time to firm up.  The mixture should be sticky rather than really wet.  Add a additional chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies).

3.  Reheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Using a spring-loaded scoop or a couple of soup spoons (scoop up a heaping spoonful of mixture in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides), make the mixture into balls and place on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown and the balls are firm to the touch (but not hard – they should give a little).  Serve in whole wheat pita with yogurt sauce.

To make the yogurt sauce:

Combine yogurt, remaining ½ lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Serve with falafel.

Serves 4-6 (makes about 18 falafels)

Gluten-Free Banana, Carrot & Date Muffins November 24, 2012

These muffins are just what you need after several days of indulging.  They’re packed with fiber and contain no added sugar.  They’re also satisfying without causing a blood sugar spike or craving for additional sweets.  I found this recipe while searching on Pinterest for gluten-free muffins.  I have a few almond flour-based muffins that I make (including the Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Muffins that are in the regular rotation), but was out of blueberries and looking for a new recipe to try.  A variation of this recipe was developed by Heidi Swanson over at 101 cookbooks (fruit-sweetened carrot cake), and was later made gluten-free by the skilled baker over at Elena’s Pantry.

 

These gluten-free muffins taste like a cross between a bran muffin and unfrosted carrot cake.  They’re very moist, slightly sweet and definitely taste whole-grain (which I like).  These muffins work well with a healthy brunch menu and any leftovers are a great on-the-go breakfast or snack.

 

Gluten-Free Banana, Carrot & Date Muffins

 

2 cup almond flour (such as Trader Jo’s almond meal)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup dates, pitted

3 medium ripe bananas

3 eggs

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 ½ cups shredded carrots

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients (dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil) in bowl of food process until smooth.  Transfer wet ingredients to the large bowl with the dry ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Fold in carrots.

 

2.  Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake about 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack and store in air-tight container for up to 4 days.

Makes about 12 muffins

 

Green Beans with Craisins & Toasted Almonds November 16, 2012

This recipe has become a fall/ winter favorite of mine and is a real crowd-pleaser.  The sweet taste of caramelized shallots, toasty almonds and chewy craisins are the perfect foil for fresh green beans.  This dish is a healthy alternative to a green bean casserole, and the festive color combo makes it the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Serve it with turkey, roasted meat or a whole tenderloin.

Try substituting walnuts for the almonds and dried cherries for the craisins.  If you can find them, use slender French haricots verts.

 

Green Beans with Craisins & Toasted Almonds 
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
¼ C. slivered almonds
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
Salt & Freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ C. craisins

 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of kosher salt to the water, along with the green beans and cook until bright green and slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and immediately plunge into an ice bath (fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water). Once beans are cool, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. [Beans can be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated until ready to use.]

2. Toast the almonds in a large fry pan over medium heat, stirring continuously, until slightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the beans to the pan. Sauté, stirring continuously, until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with almonds and craisins, then transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

Orzo with Fennel & Tomato Ragout September 21, 2012

I created this recipe for Vegetarian Times (1 food, 5 ways: Fennel, March 2012).  Fennel serves as the base of this wonderfully hearty, Italian-inspired vegetable stew.  Using a combination of fire-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes provides a rich flavor and a thick sauce for the orzo. Serve this ragout with crusty bread and a light salad for a casual fall dinner party.

Orzo with Fennel & Tomato Ragout

¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste
16 oz. dry orzo pasta
1 large fennel bulb, cut into 16 wedges
2 medium carrots, diced (2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 28-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1. Cover sun-dried tomatoes with 3/4 cup boiling water in bowl. Soak 30 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and set aside.

2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain, and set aside.

3. Coat Dutch oven with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add fennel; top with carrots and onion, and cook 5 minutes without stirring. Stir, and sauté 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, and sun-dried tomato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over orzo.

Texas “Caviar” (aka Tex Mex Bean Salad) August 29, 2012

I first heard of Texas “caviar” several years ago when a friend brought it to a picnic.  I immediately loved the name – this prized Texan dip is made from black-eyed peas rather than fish eggs.  The combination of fresh herbs and a store-bought dressing give the beans great flavor without much effort.  It’s a nice addition to any menu, especially for those with food restrictions – it’s gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, making this dish a real crowd-pleaser.  It will easily serve a crowd and goes well with any Tex Mex or Mexican menu.  I also like to serve Texas “caviar” as a side dish with grilled meat or fish.  This is a great dish to bring to a picnic, clambake or BBQ; it travels extremely well and is best made several days in advance so the flavors have time to merry.  Hope y’all enjoy it as much as I do.

Texas Caviar

1 bunch scallions, chopped (about ¾ C.)

½ bunch parsley, chopped

1 Tbs. cilantro, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (about 2 C.)

½ red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 C.)

2 cans (32 oz. total) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 Tbs. Tobasco

1 Tbs. Worcestershire

1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Italian dressing

Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine ingredients in a bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs, is using.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

Serves 10 as an dip or 6 as a side

Vegan Roasted Corn Chowder August 14, 2012

With plenty of fresh corn coming in from my CSA crop-share, I decided to use it all at once by making a vegan corn chowder.  The recipe, inspired by Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Roasted Corn Soup, uses the corn stalks to make a rich broth.  It isn’t a quick soup to make, but the recipe can be made in stages (I made the stock and roasted the corn one night, and put it all together the following day) and is worth the effort.  The soup comes out creamy and rich without a hint of milk.  I used a little butter to give the soup a bit of richness, but you can easily use a “buttery” spread in equal proportions to make this soup truly vegan.  My corn was super sweet, but if it’s towards the end of corn season or the off season, you may want to add a little agave nectar or sugar to sweeten it up a bit.  This soup makes great leftovers and the taste actually improves after a few nights in the fridge.  Serve it with some warm sourdough bread and a salad tossed with basil vinaigrette for a light late-summer meal.

Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers August 1, 2012

I must admit that I first heard of peppadews a few weeks ago when a friend offered me one after her visit to a local olive bar.  Peppadews are tiny little peppers that are mildly spicy and slightly sweet, with a complex flavor.  They are seeded and pickled and typically found in a jar near olives or on an olive bar.

As you may know, I love all things mini and am always looking for new bite-size appetizers to serve at my next soiree.  Stuffing them with a creamy cheese or tuna salad makes for a lovely appetizer.  This tuna stuffing recipe is inspired by Andrew Carmellini’s recipe in Urban Italian, and is packed with protein, flavor and tang.

The tuna can be made up to 2 days in advance, but the peppers should only be stuffed up to 2 hours in advance.  Stuffing 30 peppers takes about 10-15 minutes so it can be done right before serving.

I made these little tuna stuffed peppers for a picnic in the park, but they would also be perfect for any cocktail party – especially a retro-themed party, complete with deviled eggs, a port wine cheese ball and pigs in a blanket.

Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

10 oz. can tuna (in oil)

3 scallions, divided

1 Tbs. mayonnaise

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. picking juice from peppadew peppers

Juice of 1 lemon

6 basil leaves, chopped

1 jar peppadew peppers (about 30)

salt and pepper to taste

Drain oil from tuna.  Combine tuna and 2 minced scallions in bowl (reserve additional scallion for garnish).  Add mayo and olive oil and mix until well combined.  Add peppadew juice, lemon juice and basil and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Using your fingers, stuff each pepper with tuna mixture.  Place stuffed peppers on serving platter and sprinkle with reserved chopped scallion.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Zucchini Basil Soup July 27, 2012

There’s a great vegetarian restaurant by my office that makes delicious chilled soups.  Last week I had their zucchini basil soup which had a really mellow zucchini flavor, infused with lots of bright basil.  The soup was creamy and filling, but contained no dairy other than a few tablespoons of butter.  We have had quite a bumper-crop of zucchini from our crop-share so I was inspired to recreate this one at home.  I found a recipe for zucchini garlic soup from Kitchn, which had great reviews so I used that as my base, and adapted it by adding basil.  I used purple basil from the crop-share, which altered the color and bit so I added some baby spinach to retain the vibrant green color I was after.  The result was a fresh, summery chilled soup that the whole family loved – including my 17-month-old daughter.

Make this soup vegan by using a vegan butter spread in place of the butter (it will add more flavor than olive oil, but you could use that instead).  Serve this soup as a starter for a summer al fresco dinner.  Double the recipe if you’d like; leftover are great for lunch and will even freeze well.

Zucchini Basil Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, diced

8 large cloves garlic, chopped

4 medium zucchini (about 1 ½ lbs.)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

½ cup baby spinach

½ cup fresh basil (or more)

½ tsp. salt

fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

basil springs, as garnish (optional)

1.  Melt butter in heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic after butter begins to foam.  Sweat onions and garlic over medium-law heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes (keep heat low enough to prevent garlic from browning).

2.  Add zucchini and cook until soft.  Add broth and bring to boil, then reduce to simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, add spinach and basil, and cool slightly.  Using an immersion blender, puree until creamy, or use puree in blender in small batches.  Serve soup chilled or reheat over medium heat until warm.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with basil, if using.

Serves 4 (about 1 ½ quarts total)

Cooking Tips:

• If the soup is still hot when transferring it to the blender, open the center of the lid for the blender slightly, while holding it over the hole as the mixture is pureeing.  This will allow the steam to escape.
• This soup can be made 1-2 days in advance, as the flavor actually improves after a day or two in the fridge.

Perfect Roasted Beets with Orange Segments May 29, 2012

This is a Hip Hostess original recipe that I developed for Vegetarian Times.  It is the only roasted beet recipe you’ll ever need.   Roasting beets enhances their natural sweetness, and acidic ingredients like vinegar and citrus compliment their sweet, earthy flavor.  When making this recipe, roast a few extra beets to use in salads and sandwiches.  Try the recipe with golden beets and use blood oranges instead to create a contrast in color.

Perfect Roasted Beets with Citrus Segments

 4 medium beets (1¼ lb.), trimmed and scrubbed

2 medium oranges

1 Tbs. sherry vinegar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Wrap each unpeeled beet individually in foil.  Place on baking sheet, and roast 40 minutes, or until beets are tender enough to be pierced with knife.  Cool until easy to handle.

2. Grate 1/2 tsp. zest from 1 orange; set zest aside.  Trim ends away from both oranges, stand fruit upright, and remove peel and pith with knife.  Hold fruit over bowl (to catch juice), and cut segments from membranes.  Cut each segment in half, and place in separate bowl.

3.  Whisk together 2 Tbs. orange juice (in bowl), vinegar, orange zest, lemon juice, and salt. Gradually whisk in oil.

4. Peel beets by rubbing off skin under cold running water.  Cut beets into 1-inch pieces,  and add to bowl with orange segments.  Top with vinaigrette, and toss well. Chill several hours, or up to 2 days.

Photo credit: Vegetarian Times

May/June 2010 (p.75)

comment from VT website:

Wow what a great salad easy easy. I boiled the beets and put the rest together. Omitted the salt as I restrict my salt intake but it was still awesome!!!!!

Debbielmc – 2012-05-04 03:25:07

Mediterranean Baked Olives October 26, 2011

Imagine the best olive mix you’ve ever bought.  The marinated olives you can make at home are infinitely better.  Combine a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your house (garlic, wine, bay leaf, oregano, etc.), bake them with your favorite mix of olives, and serve them with crusty bread for a simple tapas-style appetizer.  The smell of these olives cooking will elicit moans from anyone in the vicinity of your kitchen.

Mediterranean Baked Olives

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 cup green olives, such as Picholine

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic, 1 sliced and 2 minced

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. parsley

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1.            Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine olives, bay leaf, sliced garlic and wine in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake in single layer, covered, for 45 minutes or until olives are fragrant and swollen.

2.            Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, parsley, oregano and olive oil in mortar and pestel until it resembles a thick paste.   When olives are done baking, pierce each olive with a knife or fork, and add parsley mixture, along with olive oil and crushed red pepper, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately or cool and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Serves 6-8