Rebecca's Recipes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings everyone - I am wising you a peaceful, beautiful, loved-filled holiday complete with lots of amazing veggies from the farm. We will have a few weeks without the abundance, which makes me even more appreciative of all that we do receive. How blessed we are. Have a delightful, vibrant holiday. I am looking forward to hearing from you in the new year. PEACE, LOVE, and JOY to all! Rebecca
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COCONUT CURRY DALcoconut oil for cooking
1 butternut squash
1 large onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 leeks, cleaned well, and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 garnet yam, peeled and cubed
1 fennel bulb, chopped
3 fingerling potatoes, chunked
1 can Thai coconut milk
1-2 tsp. curry powder
1-2 tsp. garam marsala
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh squeezed lemon juice
6-8 C chicken or vegetable stock
1 C dal, rinsed well
1 C orange lentils, rinsed well
1 C yellow dal, rinsed well
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can coconut milk
Squeeze of fresh lemon (optional)
1 to 2 bunches leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach, collards), washed, de-stemmed and chopped
1. Cut the butternut squash in half, de-seed, and rub with coconut oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender (the cooking time depends on the size of the squash). Remove when tender and set aside to cool.
2. In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp. coconut oil and start to saute the onion, until caramelized, about 7- 10 minutes. Add the chopped leeks and continue to saute until very tender, then add the rest the vegetables and saute until all is tender and steamy.
3. Add the spices and saute a bit longer to incorporate and release their oils.
4. Add about 6-8 C stock, then add the lentils and dal. Stir well.
5. Scoop out the butternut squash and add the flesh to the lentils and dal. Mix well to combine. Simmer, slightly covered, until the mixture is tender to the bite. You will want to stir the dal occasionally while it is cooking. You may also need to add more stock as it cooks.
6. Add the rinsed, cooked garbanzo beans and the coconut milk. Stir in gently. I like to add a little fresh lemon juice for brightness.
7. Add the chopped kale and other greens if you like and mix incorporating all. Season to your taste with sea salt and pepper and more lemon juice if you so desire.
8. Serve over brown basmati rice and have a side of roasted, whole cashews to sprinkle on top. This fills the house with love!
9. This makes a large pot of soup so you may want to cut the recipe in half, but don't reduce the quantity of greens.
ABOUT PARSNIPSParsnips can be steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, or sauteed. Parsnips are delicious with just butter, salt, and pepper. They can be stewed with other winter vegetables, added to potato puree, and made into a good soup. Parsnips are related to carrots, and they can be used in most carrot recipes to good effect. Since their flavor always dominates, use them only where you really want it. Good partners for parsnips are butter, brown butter, curry, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard, ginger, parsley, thyme, tarragon, chives, onions, apples, and other root vegetables.
CURRIED PARSNIPS with YOGURT and CHUTNEYServes 4
1 1/2 lbs. parsnips, peeled (optional), and chopped into even-sized pieces
2-3 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp. curry powder
sea salt and fresh milled pepper
1/4 C yogurt
1/8 C apple-pear chutney (recipe follows)
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1. Steam the parsnips until they are barely tender, about 7 minutes. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onion , apples, and curry powder and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the parsnips, season with sea salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes more with an additional tablespoon of butter to help then brown.
3. Turn off the heat and pour in the yogurt, chutney, and cilantro and serve.
APPLE-PEAR CHUTNEYMakes about 2 cups
3 apples
2 pears
1 large quince, if available (optional)
1 C honey
1/2 C apple cider vinegar, unfiltered
1/3 C balsamic vinegar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
5 cloves
10 peppercorns
several slices of ginger
1. Peel (optional-I like the skins on), core, and thinly slice the fruits.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer each fruit separately in the syrup until transparent, about 15 minutes, then remove to a bowl or a clean glass jar (the quince will take the longest, if using).
3. When done, pour the syrup over all, cover and refrigerate. The chutney will keep for several months.
RED CABBAGE SLAWMakes 4 servings
3/4 C plan yogurt
1/3 C apple cider vinegar, unfiltered
1/4 C apple juice or other juice
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. celery seed
6 C shredded red cabbage
2 carrots or beets, shredded (or a combination)
2 apples, diced
1/4 C minced onion
1/4 C minced dill, parsley, or chives
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, mayonnaise, sea salt, and celery seed.
2. Add the cabbage, carrots or beets (or both), apples, red onion, and fresh herbs, and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate the slaw until well chilled at least 1 hour!
BAKED FENNEL with GARLIC and HERBSMakes 4 servings
2 bulbs fennel (about 1 pound each)
1/4 C water
4 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cloves garlic, slivered
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut off the fennel stalks and discard*. Reserve and finely chop enough of the fronds to make 1/4 C and set aside. Cut the bulbs lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and salt. Add sliced fennel and garlic, and toss until well coated. Transfer to a glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the fennel is tender. Sprinkle the reserved fronds over the fennel and serve with the pan juices.
*note from Debbie: I find that the fennel we've been getting lately are small and have tender, very edible stalks; if I slice through the stalk and it is green and juicy throughout, I'll use it. If it is hollow or dry, I will not. So in this recipe, if the stalks seem tender and juicy, I'd cut them into bite-sized pieces and include them in the mix!
SPICY ROASTED ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER PASTA with GARLIC BREAD CRUMBSServes 4-6
4 slices artisan bread, each about 1/2 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 heads Romanesco cauliflower
3 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
3/4 lb. whole wheat penne
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C fresh parsley leaves, chopped
3 tbsp. capers, drained
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and dry, about 30 minutes. Cut one of the cloves of garlic in half and rub toasted bread slices with them. Cool, then tear into chunks. Put in a food processor and process into coarse crumbs. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Discard the leaves and cores and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick.
3. Mince the other garlic clove. Put cauliflower in a large baking pan and gently toss with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and minced garlic. Roast, stirring after 10 minutes, until cauliflower is browned on the edges and tender when pierced, about 20 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, or according to the package. Drain, reserving 1/2 C cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot and add cauliflower, lemon juice, parsley, capers, red pepper flakes, and reserved cooking water. Stir in bread crumbs and cheese and serve at once.
WILTED GREENS with SPICY GARLIC DRESSINGServes 6
for greens:
1 1/4 lbs. of leafy greens of choice, or a combination
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
for garlic dressing:
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine or sake
1 TBs,minced garlic
1 tsp. sweetener
1 tsp. hot chili paste (optional)
1. Combine ingredients for garlic dressing in a cup or small bowl and set aside.
2. Tear the stems from the greens and toss the leaves in the colander. Rinse thoroughly under cold water, drain, and set by the stove.
3. Heat a wok or large pot, add the oils, and heat to near smoking. Add the greens and toss lightly with a slotted spoon over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the garlic dressing and continue stir-frying about 30 seconds more, until the leaves are slightly wilted but still bright green. Scoop out the greens and sauce into a serving bowl. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.
This dish can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature. It is a delicious garnish for any meat, poultry, or seafood.
ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER with SOY-LEMON DRESSINGServes 6
2 lbs. Romanesco cauliflower
3 tbsp. to 1/4 C soy sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. sweetener
1. Combine soy, lemon juice, garlic and sweetener in a cup or small bowl and set aside.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut away the stem ends of the cauliflwer. Cut off the florets on the diagonal into 1 1/2 inch thick sections. Separate the larger florets so they are all similar in size.
2. Arrange the cauliflwer in a steamer tray or on a plate set on a wire rack. Fill wok or pot with several inches of water and heat until boiling. Place the vegetable over the boiling water and steam for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
3. Thoroughly drain cauliflower and place it in a bowl, pour dressing over all and toss well, then serve.
CHICKEN SOUVLAKI with TZATZIKI SAUCEServes 6-8
For chicken*:
2 lbs chicken breasts, boned, skinned, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C dry white wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic, 2 crushed, 2 minced
1 tbsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
For tzatziki sauce:
1/2 English cucumber, coarsely shredded
14 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
6-8 pita breads
1. Heat a BBQ grill to high. Mix chicken, olive oil, wine, lemon juice, oregano, crushed garlic, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Thread the chicken onto 8 skewers.
2. Grill the chicken , turning occasionally, until grill marks appear and meat is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
3. To make the tzatziki sauce, cut the cucumber in a kitchen towel and wring out any excess water. Transfer to medium bowl. Add the yogurt, minced garlic, remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper, and the vinegar and mix until combined.
4. Serve the chicken in warmed pita breads, topped with sauce.
*you could make this same recipe with lamb. Same marinade, same process as Rebecca describes (Rebecca doesn't eat red meat but some of us others do) ;-) Debbie
Debbie here again, with a recipe of my own I thought you might like! I made this last night - it was super simple and came out really well, so I'm passing it along:Debbie's Cauliflower-Fennel Spaghetti Saucewill serve 3 to 4
1 or 2 heads Romanesco cauliflower
2 to 3 fennel bulbs
one uncooked hot Italian sausage, or equivalent quantity of bulk sausage (I make my own)
1 jar Happy Girl Kitchen preserved tomatoes
Linguine pasta (although I call it "spaghetti" sauce I actually prefer linguine) ;-)
Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces; you can use most of the stem/core if you cut it into pieces too, just trim off the hard bottom end. You can *also* use the cauliflower leaves! They are delicious. Cut them into chunks and include!
Trim very bottom hard end of fennel bulbs and cut off fronds. Save fronds for another use or compost them. Slice bulb crosswise and chop tender stems (if the stems are hollow and whitish inside, don't use them, but if they're tender, juicy and green throughout - they're full of flavor!).
Start a pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. Heat some olive oil in a big heavy skillet (cast iron is great), squeeze sausage out of its casing (if in a casing) into hot pan and break apart with a wooden spoon and brown it. [My sausage has lots of garlic and spices in it; alternatively you could use some ground beef, a couple smashed/chopped cloves garlic, some fennel seed, crushed chilies, basil and salt.] Add fennel and cauliflower, stir to coat veggies with flavorful sausage bits and fat, turn heat to medium and cover about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the jar of tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon and mixing everything together well. Turn heat down a bit and cover again, so cauliflower and fennel cook through and become tender while your pasta boils (most pastas take about 10-12 minutes or so to boil; the cauliflower and fennel takes about 10-12 minutes to cook too - how convenient!). When the pasta is about done, test veggies for done-ness with the tip of a sharp knife (should pierce with no resistance). Remove lid and increase heat to reduce juices for a minute or two while you drain your pasta. Drain pasta and serve with cauliflower-fennel sauce; top with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese if you like (I love to drizzle everything with additional good olive oil too).
Cheers everyone! Have a happy new year and we'll be back in touch in January!
- Debbie
