I took about a month off from the Whole Dish to work on some new year projects and get focused on 2018. And, to be honest, I really wanted to take some time to play around with aquafaba in the kitchen. And these red kuri squash pancakes are a pretty good start! I think the gluten-free flour makes them a tad chewy and dense, but I thought they came out delicious, especially with a little coconut butter or ghee melted over the top. They are delicious without much of anything added! You can go the sweeter breakfast or brunch route and add some maple syrup, fresh fruit, or dark chocolate almond butter (as pictured); or enjoy them as a savory appetizer, lunch or hors d’oeuvre with bruschetta salsa, avocado, guacamole, or some kind of tapenade. Aquafaba is basically the liquid byproduct of cooked beans, and a newly emerging vegan ingredient craze. To test the hype, I used some liquid directly from a can of garbanzo beans, and it worked delightfully well! These unique pancakes are best enjoyed right off the griddle!
Radish Tops & Beet Greens Tacos
Don’t throw away your radish tops! Sometimes I get a bunch of radishes or beets with a really healthy, abundant supply of greens attached to the top. For some asinine reason, we have been hard-wired in our culture to throw those greens out. But they are full of both macro and micro nutrients and phyto-chemicals; and if done right, can be made into the star ingredient of a variety of dishes. In this particular case, I made my radish tops and beet greens into nutrient-dense, vegan tacos. You don’t need to wait to get a healthy head or radish tops to try this though. Just about any kind of root vegetable greens or other leafy greens will work just as well as the radish tops. Enjoy!
Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash with Tuscan Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad
Each year I like to try a different kind of squash in the food garden. And I am extremely pleased that ronde de nice squash made its way onto my list this year! It has the consistency of a summer squash like zucchini, yet it is hearty, with a soft center and tender seeds that can be eaten, similar to a winter squash. And it’s spherical shape lends itself to awesome stuffing potential! So it’s extremely versatile. This healthy vegan recipe for stuffed ronde de nice squash is a great summertime meal, as a warm-ish dinner entree or cold salad, or even at brunch.
Oil-Free Red Lentil Pasta Salad T.B.G.A.
I am enjoying the new red lentil pasta varieties that have been popping up at the store. If you are going to have pasta, these are a good way to go, with just lentils, quinoa and water as ingredients, and packed with protein and other nutrients.
This recipe is a cold salad twist on linguine with tomato, basil & garlic. And it takes the nutrition density even a step further by eliminating the refined oil and instead getting it from whole foods like avocado. You can add other veggies to the asparagus or eliminate the asparagus for a more traditional version of a tomato, basil, garlic “TBG” pasta salad.
Bullet Proof Golden Milk Turmeric Latte
Here is a wonderful way to get some warm, satiating healthy fats into your body with the awesome benefits of turmeric and other spices, featuring a Turmeric Spice Blend from Create Your Health Teas. This recipe is inspired by the classic Golden Milk recipe, but the emersion blender gives it a modern twist inspired by the Bulletproof diet, and adds to the creamy aesthetics. This is sure to comfort your soul on a chilly evening or morning. The fat from the almond milk and coconut oil makes the turmeric more bioavailable, for an overall wonderful, healing cup of wellness– fuel for the body and the mind! Enjoy!!
Robata Eggplant Tacos
The Japanese eggplant is going nuts in my garden right now. I have enjoyed Japanese eggplant many different ways. This time, I wanted figure out a way to keep it intact, because the shape is so cool and versatile, while trying something entirely new and different from my typical eggplant concoctions. Robata is a Japanese method of cooking long pieces of food on an open flame, on big skewers. Traditionally, the skewers are placed around the fire by sticking them directly into the sand or earth that surrounds the fire.You don’t have to go to the trouble of building a fire to enjoy something similar. You can grill the eggplant, or just cook it on a stovetop griddle if you don’t have a lot of time. In fact, modern robata restaurants use a charcoal grill, not an open pit fire. The charred eggplant, combined with the slightly spicy miso slaw make for an awesome fusion taco. The sprouted corn tortilla is superior for nutrition and it has a homemade tortilla kind of texture and flavor. I loved the way this came out and will definitely make this a regular.
Radish Greens & Rice Noodles with Fresh Mango
You have probably heard the expression “diamond in the rough.” Well, what about “vitamins in your rubbish pile?” That is exactly what you have when you throw away your radish tops. I know, I know, it is probably an automatic reflex to just break those greens off and toss them away. It’s cool, if you are okay with tossing a significant source of calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, vitamin A, C, K and other nutrients into the trash. Not only are radish greens edible, they are the most nutritious part of the plant! It is worth the effort to find a good source of fresh radishes with live, abundant greens. Here is just one example of an easy way to utilize fresh radish greens. The slightly bitter bite of the radish and the fresh, sweet mango are like two peas in the pod…sorry I couldn’t resist the cliche! Read More
“Raw” Portobello Burger with Basil Cashew Cheese
Happy Father’s Day! How about giving your dad something he probably has never had? This raw, portobello mushroom burger is pretty hard to pass up and could end up being the best gift you could give someone…the gift of better health. Warning, this “burger” is addictive and can be a transformational experience! Keep in mind that in order to keep this in it’s raw state, it is actually dehydrated, and takes 3-4 hours to prepare. But the actual active time to prepare is short, maybe just 15 minutes. If this sounds too weird to you, keep an open mind, because the end result is a juicy, dense, flavorful burger that can stand up to any beef burger. Read More
Eggplant Cannelloni with Mushrooms & Leeks
Cannelloni, ravioli, manicotti, tortellini…what do these foods have in common besides ending with the letter “i”? Well, it is probably safe to say that they are all loved by many for their cheese-stuffed, pasta goodness. One of my favorite reasons for blogging on here is to discover healthier, less toxic versions of this kind of stuff. With that said, I am loving this cannelloni creation that has been evolving in my kitchen. It delivers a rich, comfort food experience without any of the bad stuff. And, it is great the next day, even cold! I know this because I left it sitting on the stove one cold winter night, and the next morning it was devoured before I could wrap it and put it into the refrigerator! The sunflower seeds give this dish enough clean protein to replace any meat or dairy version, and the mushrooms don’t need any nutrition hype to make their healthy introduction. In other words, this would make a great entree whenever you have that urge for a comfort food whatever…ending in “i”!
Sprouted “Risotto” with Asparagus, Peas, Fennel, & Mint
This time of year, whenever I start to see fresh English peas and asparagus at the market, and the nasturtium flowers start to take over the garden, my cooking mind always wanders to spring risotto with asparagus and peas. So, the other night I was making a side dish of sprouted brown rice, and I noticed that the texture would probably lend itself well to a risotto-style dish. Well that’s all I needed to give this one a try…voila! A healthy, sprouted risotto that makes a great vegan entree or side dish! Read More