whole roasted cauliflower + kale pesto

I feel like my recipes have been a bit of a celebration of vegetables recently …. and I like it that way.  

Part of my passion behind this blog is showing that vegetables can be the star, instead of just a side. This recipe is the perfect example, it take the cauliflower and makes it a big bright superstar. 

I mentioned a couple of recipes ago that I get a lot of inspiration from eating out, and our meal at the Fat Radish totally inspired this dish. We had a whole roasted cauliflower as an appetizer, and I just loved how they served it whole instead of chopped up into florets. It was so much more exciting. I thought with just a few added extras, this would make an impressive entree.

Michael and I shared this for lunch last week. I served it over some millet and tossed some currants on top. Each with fork in hand we tore into this cauliflower, and finished it in about 7 minutes. We both agreed, it was an awesome meal that was fun to share and full of flavor. 

I have something to admit. For someone who is obsessed with kale, I had been a bit skeptical of kale pesto. I thought, how can kale pesto taste good? Kale on it’s own is nothing special and it needs some love and a good bit of massaging to taste great. It does not have an exciting scent or taste like basil or mint, so how is it going to flavor a pesto? Well … after making one batch I now have a whole new level of respect for kale.  I’m not quite sure what it is, but kale pesto is crazzzy good.

I’m warning you now, you’ll probably be seeing a few more recipes with kale pesto in the coming weeks, but for now, if you've been skeptical like me and haven't tried it, well, you must. And then you must smear it on this roasted cauliflower and eat this for a meatless Monday or Tuesday ... or any day of the week. I'm certain you will be smitten. 

Click to read more ...

spaghetti squash + lentil "meatballs" in a spicy arrabiata sauce

I love pasta. It is my favorite (indulgent) food.

Maybe it's the Italian in me ... maybe it's because my great-grandmother used to serve us her homemade pasta every Sunday when I was little ... maybe it's because I.just.love carbs. Place a big bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce in front of me and I am a happy girl.

But, you know and I know that a big bowl of pasta is not exactly the healthiest thing on the planet. It screams: Refined ingredients! Carbs! Gluten! Not-so-healthy!! 

However, that's not going to stop me from craving pasta, or enjoying a bowl of spaghetti ... it's just more of a once in a while, special occasion type meal for me. 

So what do I do when I get a craving for spaghetti (which is about once every few days)? Spaghetti squash, my friends. Spaghetti squash is the answer to all crab craving, tomato sauce longing days. 

Head on over to The Conversation for my post + recipe for this hearty, tasty, spaghetti squash + lentil "meatballs" in a spicy arrabiata sauce . 

zucchini, red bean & quinoa cakes

I have a savory tooth. Is that even an expression? Well it is now. 

If you placed a piece of vanilla cake with vanilla frosting in front of me and a zucchini red bean and quinoa cake and said pick one, I'd no doubt go for the zucchini red bean quinoa cake. 

Then I'd ask nicely if I can have the vanilla cake back for dessert. 

I feel that most people would be able to define themselves as either a savory person or a sweet person.  Don't you? It does not mean that you do not enjoy both, it just means that if given the choice between the two, you'd opt for one over the other.

Since I'm a savory gal, I love savory cakes of all shapes and sizes. These little cakes, however, are my new fav. They're a combination of a couple of different cake recipes we have made recently in class. Zucchini cooks up nicely with the red beans, and the quinoa and millet are used to hold everything together (and make them super awesome). 

Oh, and in case you didn't know, quinoa cakes are all the rage right now amongst savory and sweet people alike.  If you haven't tried one, you need to go and make these now and find out why. 

 
zucchini & red bean cakes

{Inspired by a few differnt recipes I have made in class at The Natural Kitchen Cooking School}

Makes
About 6-8 cakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup of zucchini, grated (unpeeled)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of onion, minced 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of red beans (kidney beans)
1/2 cup of quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup of millet, cooked
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt & pepper

a couple of tablespoons of grapeseed oil

optional garnishes: lemon, parsley, sesame seeds

Directions

• Place the grated zucchini into a strainer in the sink or over a bowl and rub the 1/2 teaspoon of salt into it. Let it drain for about 20 minutes. 
• While the zucchini is draining, sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they are browned. 
• Then, in a large bowl, smash the red beans with a fork until they form a thick paste. Then add in the other ingredients for the cakes: zucchini, onion, garlic, quinoa, millet, and lemon juice, and then season with salt and pepper. 
• Once all of your ingredients are combined, form the mixture into small patties. 
• To cook the patties, heat up a couple of tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat.  Add the cakes, as many as will fit comfortably in the pan, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (until they are browned).  Be careful when you're flipping the cakes, they can fall apart easily if you're not gentle with them.  
• When they're cooked on both side, transfer to a plate and garish with the optional lemon juice, parsley, or sesame seeds. Serve warm. 

Enjoy.

 

cauliflower steaks with caramelized fennel and harissa laced millet

Click to read more ...