Hey Radishers! Get ready for an intense crispy-tender eggplant with garlic yogurt sauce and sweet-tart pomegranate arils. What?! It’s on the cover of a cookbook, but you can make this, friends. Trust me. Continue reading
vegetarian
pumpkin chili with fire-roasted tomatoes, white beans, and toasted pepitas
Have you heard of Thug Kitchen? Warning: There’s a lot of cussing! I think it’s funny but hey, my Mom reads this so I’ll be keeping it clean. But if you don’t mind the swearing, their thing is to help regular people eat healthy – keepin’ it real – and their recipes are really great, so check out their cookbook. This vegetarian chili turned out so well, I will definitely be trying more in the future! Continue reading
smoky butternut squash and black bean ragout with pepitas and feta
Ah, fall. Don’t you just want to curl up with a fuzzy blanket, a fluffy pillow, maybe a cat on your lap if that’s your thing, and a bowl of yum? Smooth butternut, smoky chipotle, savory beans, crunchy pepitas, salty feta, and bright lime make a savory combination of flavors that will make your taste buds *pop*. Thanks Vegetarian Times! One thing I’ve always wondered about using chipotles in adobo – what the heck do I do with the leftovers? Chipotles are smoked jalapenos. What?! Keep reading – I’ll post about ways to use the remaining smoky spicy goodness next. Continue reading
crispy baked cauliflower croquettes
Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside – yet light and healthy – totally guilt-free. You’d almost think they’d been fried, but guess what – they’re baked! Croquettes are typically deep-fried breaded treats – but these are WAY lower in carbs and fat than fried potato croquettes with traditional breading, because they are made of cauliflower and baked instead of fried. I used panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for breading, but take note – you need some oil to make the panko turn brown and crisp in the oven (it will stay dead white if you don’t use any oil – I learned this the hard way for all of us. You’re welcome.). A blast of olive oil cooking spray before baking does the trick!
If you want to get fancy, you could add a bit of filling to the middle (like a small cube of cheese or ham, if you’re into that sort of thing) – just form the croquette around it.
stuffed peppers with parmesan and olives
Crispy topping and savory filling surrounded by sweet roasted peppers. When you’ve just received a CSA (community-supported agriculture) box containing giant beautiful peppers, what better use for them? I had never stuffed a pepper before, but if I can, you can too! These are so pretty, they would be great for company.
I’m becoming a huge fan of Rose Elliot, who is very well known in Britain for vegetarian cooking. Her recipes are simple yet inventive. As you may know, European recipes often put things in terms of weight, so it’s handy to have a food scale. Mine is tiny and cost $15; it is well worth the added confidence it gives. Continue reading
lemony zucchini zoodle salad with parmesan
Here’s a snappy, crisp, and refreshing summer salad which can become a main course with the optional addition of some protein (I used sliced hard-cooked eggs, but you could use whatever you like, such as sliced grilled chicken or shrimp, or even marinated, grilled tofu).
I used a spiralizer to make the “zoodles” (zucchini noodles), but you can also use a vegetable peeler to make long, fettucine-like ribbons of zucchini. Once you get started with zoodles, it’s kind of hard to stop. You’ll think of all kinds of dressings and toppings and sauces to put on them. This is the time of year when zucchini is abundant, so knock yourself out!
Confession: I wasn’t even sure if I liked zucchini due to a watery experience with cooked zucchini in my childhood, but prepared raw this way, it’s crisp and fresh-tasting. Continue reading