Kale & Mushroom Chip Fresh Lasagna (v)

     (made at home recently, for game night)

Ingredients:

2 # crimini mushrooms, sliced thickly
3 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

2 bu lacinato kale, sliced 1/2" thick
2 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

1 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 14oz can tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)

2 oz nice olive oil
1 bu oregano, chopped
1 T molasses
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 14oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes

6 sheets fresh pasta, cut into approximately 2" x 4" rectangles
1/2# ricotta cheese
3 medium balls fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the mushrooms with the first 3 T oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 30 minutes or until shriveled and crispy like little chips, but not yet burnt. Set aside.
3. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add 1 T cooking oil, then add half of the kale, season with salt and pepper and saute for 6-7 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the kale and the next 1 T cooking oil. Set aside.

4. Heat the saute pan again over medium-high heat, add the last 1 T cooking oil, then add the onions and garlic. Saute for 6-7 minutes, then add the can of regular tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes), cut the heat and stir. Season to taste.
5. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, molasses, vanilla and oregano. This is the sauce.
6. In a pan, alternate layers of sauce, cheese, kale and mushrooms with the little rectangles of pasta to create little individual lasagnas. Cover them all with sauce, then bake covered in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Turnip Pie (v)

Cooking skills focus: Sautéing, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
3 medium-large turnips, peeled & sliced thinly (ideally, on a mandoline)

1 stick butter

2 onions, sliced ¼” thick

1 head garlic, peeled & sliced ¼” thick
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add the butter. Melt, then add the onion and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes or until well-cooked and gooey.

3. Layer a baking dish with a layer of turnips, then a layer of the butter-onion mixture, a very light sprinkling of salt and pepper, then repeat until you’re out of ingredients.

4. Bake in the oven, partially covered, for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through, soft and fragrant.

5. Let set for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Summer Afternoon Sandwich

*Written for Clean Greens Farm & Market*

makes about four little sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
½ lb crimini mushrooms, cut in half & thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
½ bell pepper, julienned (cut into thin strips)
6 sprigs thyme, rinsed & picked off the stem
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half

½ lemon, juiced
½ c. parsley leaves, rinsed & coarsely chopped
salt & black pepper TT (TT=to taste*)

½ baguette, cut into 4"-5" segments and then cut in half lengthwise

Instructions:

1. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. Then add the onion and brown for one minute.
2. Add the mushrooms, tossing to combine with oil and onion. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the mushrooms have cooked down and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are just tender. Mix in the thyme and tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes more, unti lthe tomatoes have broken down a bit. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Allow this filling to cool slightly before assemblin the sandwiches, then serve. Enjoy with friends! mmm…

*Note: "To taste" implies that you taste your food before you serve it to make sure it's seasoned properly. If you're not already in the habit of doing this, get into the habit! It makes a big difference in your results.

Naked Vegetable Casserole with Greens and Spiced Pecans

A naked casserole is a casserole-type combination of delicious things without a binding component such as eggs, cream, flour or cheese.

You know, I like cheese, eggs, milk and flour. But I also like the deliciously clean flavor of vegetables cooked together with some nice oil and a bit of seasoning. You don't have to be naked to cook this casserole, but you will be more popular if you are.

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil
1 bu greens, washed and chopped bite-sized (any will do; I used collards)
2 shallots, peeled & sliced
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt & pepper TT

1 T olive oil
1 1/2 C pecans
1 t spice blend (I used a chimichurri spice blend from World Spice; most any spice or spice blend will do; just choose one you like)
salt & pepper TT

1/2 head cauliflower, washed & chopped bite-sized
1 crown broccoli (or enough to match the cauliflower), washed & chopped bite-sized
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper TT

1 1/3 C brown rice
1 1/3 C water
salt & pepper TT (enough to season the rice)

1 lemon, juiced
1 T truffle oil (optional)


Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 T cooking oil. Allow the oil to heat up and then add the greens. Saute for about 5 minutes and then add the shallots and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Do this in a couple of batches if you think you're crowding the pan too much. Set aside. Wipe out the saute pan.
3. Heat the saute pan again over medium-low heat. Add the 1 T olive oil, pecans, and seasoning. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower, broccoli, 2 T olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
5. Rinse the rice and layer it in the bottom of a baking/casserole dish. Add the water and season with salt & pepper.
6. Top the rice with the broccoli and cauliflower. Top that with the greens. Top that with the spiced pecans. Top that with a cover and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the rice is done.
7. Sprinkle with the truffle oil (if using) and lemon juice. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Super Vegan Salad

Bonanza of vegetables!

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
1 bu lacinato kale, washed and sliced thinly
salt & pepper TT

1 sm yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 C vinegar
1 large pinch each salt and pepper

1 C cashews
1 t olive oil
1 pinch salt
1/2 t curry powder

1 lemon, juiced
1 t masala kala or another masala spice blend
1/2 t salt
1/2 C olive oil

1/2 bu celery, peeled & sliced thinly
4 Persian cucumbers, washed & diced
4-5 heirloom carrots, washed & sliced thinly
1/2 C dried cherries

Instructions:
1. Toss the onion with the vinegar, salt and pepper and enough water to cover in a small container. Soak the onions for at least and hour and drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the kale, season and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Toss the cashews with the olive oil, curry powder and pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. Whisk together the lemon juice, masala kala, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 C olive oil.
5. Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Red Cabbage & Cashew Slaw, Stuffed Collard Greens and Red Quinoa with Caramelized Fennel

To me, delicious vegan food means lots of vegetables. This recipe is a combination of three small dishes to create an entrée that's got a lot of variety but still hangs together as a whole.

Ingredients:
Red Cabbage & Cashew Slaw:

5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeños, minced
1 grapefruit, juiced
1/2 t salt
2 t Chimichurri powder
1 t sugar (preferably raw sugar)
2/3 C olive oil
1/2 head red cabbage, sliced very thinly
2 red bell peppers, sliced thinly
4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), cut bite-sized
1/3 bu cilantro, sliced thinly (use the stems too)
2/3 C cashews

Stuffed Collard Greens:
1 T cooking oil
1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
salt & pepper TT
1/2 lemon, juiced (you use the other half below)
1 zucchini, julienned (cut into thin planks 2" long, and then cut along the planks into little batons)
1 bu collard greens, washed, cut in half & ribs removed

Red Quinoa w/ Caramelized Fennel:
1 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 bulb fennel, washed, outer layer peeled (vegetable peeler) and sliced thinly (remove the tough, cone-shaped core at the bottom of the bulb)
salt & pepper TT
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 C red quinoa

Instructions:
0. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Red Cabbage & Cashew Slaw:
1. Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a big bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix around.

Stuffed Collard Greens:
1. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the cabbage and garlic, season with salt & pepper and cook about 6-7 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and zucchini.
2. Allow the filling to cool and stuff the collard greens with it like little burritos. Line them up in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and bake for 20 minutes.


Red Quinoa w/ Caramelized Fennel:
1. Heat the same large sauté pan over high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the onion and fennel and brown for 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes or until all soft and deliciously caramelized. Add the lemon juice and set aside.
2. While the onion and fennel is cooking, cook the quinoa according to package directions. Combine everything together.

Summer Vegetable Salad

So pretty.



Ingredients:
2/3 lb crimini mushrooms; washed, cut in half & sliced thinly
2 T cooking oil
salt and pepper TT

2 T cooking oil
5 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
1/2 head garlic, peeled & cloves sliced
1/2 red onion, diced small
salt & pepper TT

1 bu lacinato kale, 1/2" trimmed off the bottom and sliced 1/2" thick
1 t cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

2 bu French breakfast radishes, washed & trimmed
1 T white wine vinegar (I used a really nice Pinot Grigio vinegar that my mom sent me)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the mushrooms with the first 2 T cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crispy.
3. In the meantime, heat a large saute pan over high heat and add the next 2 T oil. Add the corn, onion and garlic, season and saute for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Remove from heat and reserve.
4. Heat the saute pan again over medium high heat and add the last 1 t oil, then add the kale. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Combine all ingredients and serve.

Zanzibar Egg Curry

(There are a lot of curry powders available.. you can pick one from Zanzibar or use whichever you like.. we used one from Pakistan with a nice sweet flavor)
from the last Pike Market Community Kitchen

Ingredients:
5-6 yellow potatoes, diced large
2 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT
9 eggs
1 red onion
1/2 head garlic, minced
1" piece of ginger, minced
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 T cooking oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 C water
1 T & 1 t Curry Powder (we used a Pakistani curry powder from World Spice)
1/2 t salt
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped small
1/2 # yellow wax beans (or green beans), trimmed & cut bite-sized
1 bu broccolini, 1/2" trimmed from the bottom and sliced 1/2" thick
salt & pepper TT

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes with salt, pepper and oil, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and set in an ice water bath to cool. When cooled, peel and cut them in half lengthwise.
3. In a food processor, puree the onion, garlic, ginger and tomato sauce together. Add a bit of water if you have to, taking from the 1/2 cup of water you'll use later.
4. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion-tomato mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, curry powder and 1/2 t salt, and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Add the cauliflower, broccolini and wax beans and cook until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and gently combine. Serve over the roasted potatoes.

Pav Bhaji

(a Western Indian snack or light meal, often sold in stalls as street food. Kala Masala is one of many masalas, or Indian spice blends)
from the last Pike Market Community Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 large carrots (or 8-9 baby carrots), diced
1/2 cauliflower, diced
4 yellow potatoes, diced
2 T cooking oil
1 red onion, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 can tomato sauce
1" piece of ginger, peeled & minced
1/2 head garlic, peeld & minced
3 chile peppers, minced
1 T Kala Masala (an Indian spice blend I got at World Spice in the market)
Salt & black pepper to taste
Rolls or bread for serving

Instructions:
1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the carrots and cauliflower and boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the water and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and add the potatoes, boiling until just done, about 10 minutes for potatoes cut fairly small. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato products, ginger, garlic, chiles and Kala Masala and cook for 10 minutes. The oil should come to the surface and the sauce shoud reduce a little.
3. Add the potatoes and mash a bit with a potato masher or fork. Add the carrots and cauliflower, then season to taste.
4. Serve over toasted rolls.