Conquering the food pyramid

Five portions of vegetables per day? No problem! Take that, food pyramid! We are currently acing this vegetarian lark! Child number three, whilst not committed to being vegetarian after the end of January (burgers are the sticking point - he may love them more than me, if the truth be told, sob sob) seems to be enjoying eating more vegetarian food, and does want to continue to do so after next week. The challenge for me, is finding vegetarian dishes that are rich and flavorful enough to satisfy our palates. We love rich sauces and deep flavors, and whilst those are easy to achieve with a slow-cooked piece of meat in the mix, they are harder to achieve with vegetables alone. We therefore often rely upon cheese to add that flavor hit that we crave. That is all well and good, and there is no risk of any of us going vegan, but I am always on the look out for recipes for veggie dishes that don't rely on a sprinkling of cheddar of grating of gruyere. The dish below fits the bill (although, full disclosure, it does benefit from a lovely dollop of spiced yoghurt on the top, so is not diary-free unless you skip that addition).

The book from which this recipe originates is a new acquisition (yes the cookbook addiction lives on). The book is Les Legumes: Vegetable Recipes from the Market Table by Pascale Beale. My favorite cookbooks are those which not only contain fabulous (and approachable rather than overly complicated) recipes in their pages, but also those with the kind of photography that turns a plate of food into food porn. This one definitely fits that bill, and I foresee many happy evenings flipping through the pages, dribbling in anticipation. It's also organized by type of vegetable, so when I pick up my veggie bag from the farm, or when I see what is in season, I can then flip to the right section and plan the week's foodie indulgences accordingly. I did tweak a fair amount here but was very happy with the results, and definitely felt confident that we had more than satisfied the food pyramid (and our bellies and taste buds) by the end of the meal.

Vegetable Tagine with Za'atar
Serves 5

For the Za'atar:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the tagine:
1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
3 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1/2" rounds
4-5 green onions/spring onions/scallions, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 shallots, peeled and cut into thick slices
12 oz asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch chard, stops removed and leaves thinly sliced
1lb green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1/3 cup golden raisins/sultanas
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sumac

For the yoghurt:
2 cups Greek yoghurt (I used fat-free)
2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Combine the ingredients for the fresh Za'atar.
3. Combine the red onion, leeks, green onions and shallots on a large baking tray and toss with the Za'atar and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time they should all be soft and starting to brown.
4. Place the roasted vegetables (and any juices in the baking tray) in a large dutch oven and stir in the asparagus, green beans, chard and golden raisins. Add the vegetable stock and remaining 1 tsp sumac and bring to the boil. Cook over a lower heat, gently bubbling for ten minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, then add a little more stock, and cook with the lid on, to prevent any more evaporation.
5. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the yoghurt topping.
6. Serve the tagine over couscous or quinoa with a dollop of yoghurt on top.

It's pie Tim, just not as we know it...

My husband needs sympathy. There is nothing he likes more that a good steak, lamb stew or a meat pie. And yet, this joyfully carnivorous father of three children, is now the father of three vegetarian children. Yikes! Now I like to think I am supporting this difficult transition for the man, I really do, but I'm not cooking several different meals for those of us still living at home. So, like it or not, he is eating a lot more vegetarian food. And this week that mean't that pie WAS on the menu, just not the kind of pie he might have picked off a menu. But a good pie it was indeed! Not the quickest to throw together as it isn't pastry-based, so you can't simply buy ready-made shortcrust and be done with it, but it was nice to have something a bit different. And it was very satisfying and filling, despite the lack of any meat in there. Something for the regular recipe rotation then, and sorry Tim, you'll get used to it, really, you will...

Chard and Smoked Gouda Pie
adapted from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool and France Ruffenach
Serves 4-5

2 cups shredded raw potatoes (don't bother to peel them)
1 shallot, finely chopped
7 large eggs
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil
olive oil spray
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch Swiss chard (I used red, hence the pink tinge in the photo above)
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400F (220C). Lightly oil a 9" deep-dish pie plate.
2. Use some kitchen roll to pat dry the potatoes. Then mix them with one of the eggs, the chopped shallot, the flour, salt and pepper.
3. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread this mixture evenly in the pie plate, so it goes evenly across the base and all the way up the sides (it'll end up being about 1/2" thick). Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is browned.
4. Prepare the chard - wash and pat it dry, then cut out the center ribs and chop them. Take the leaves and chop them separately into smallish pieces.
5. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then saute the red onion for about 4 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and the chopped chard ribs and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until they have wilted. Drain off any excess liquid.
6. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 6 eggs with the milk, oregano and 1 cup of the cheese. Add the chard mixture and stir together.
7. Pour the chard and egg mixture into the pie crust, then sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
8. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and bake the pie for another 30 minutes by which time the top should be browning and a knife inserted into the middle should come out relatively clean, showing that the eggs are cooked. Let the pie stand for 15 minutes to set completely before serving.

An antidote to cold gray days

What will be immediately obvious when you look at the photo below is that, unlike most of my foodie pics, it was taken after a fair amount of the meal had already been eaten. You've got to love a dish that is so delicious that you can't wait to snap a pic before tucking in, and almost forget to snap a pic entirely! It's a good job I remembered eventually, as leftovers were not much in evidence after this meal. For us it checked all the boxes - spicy but not hot-spicy, just flavorful-spicy, filling, and nutritious. Winner!

To be fair, I should have known it was going to be a hit, as I found out about this recipe through word of mouth - apparently it has featured on a number of posts, been instagrammed around the globe in every direction, and has even been made on the Today program, where Hoda Kotb's tastebuds were suitably tickled. So I am merely jumping on a bandwagon, but a tasty bandwagon it is :-)

The main thing I changed was to substitute cilantro (coriander) for the mint, as, whilst I love mint in cold dishes, sweet or savory, I'm not a huge fan of it in hot dishes. I know, I know, minor hang-up, and if you don't share my predilections (or whatever the opposite of predilection) then feel free to put the mint back in (in which case, use 1 cup mint for the recipe, sprinkled over the top at the end for serving).

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Serves 4
Slightly adapted from New York Times' Alison Roman's recipe

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2" piece of ginger root, grated (or 2 TBSP ready prepared pureed ginger)
salt
ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground dried turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
2 15.5oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 14 oz cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
rice to serve

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and softening (3-5 minutes).
2. Add turmeric, chili flakes and chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are sizzling and starting to break down a bit. They might even start to brown.
3. Remove about 1 cup of the chickpea mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Add coconut milk and stock to remaining chickpea mixture in the pan and stir, scraping up any browned spices etc that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Use a potato masher to partly mash some of the chickpeas in the pan as the mixture comes up to the boil. You don't want it to become smooth,  just break up some of the chickpeas so that they help to thicken the stew as it cooks.
6. Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, by which time the mixture should have reduced a little and thickened (and your kitchen will smell divine!)
7. Add the Swiss chard and the reserved chickpeas and stir them in. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Serve over rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Nuts and grains and greens...oh my!

I know, I know. It's been a while (don't worry - we have been eating, just not blogging). But this is early January, a time for resolutions and the conviction that you might actually be able to pull them off. So here I go, determined to blog more this year. To be honest, I need to - my addiction to trying out recipes and tweaking them isn't going anywhere, and it is one of my healthier addictions, so probably best to follow where it leads! And, if I don't blog about them, I don't have a record of the recipes, so repeating the fabulous ones is way more difficult.

The other resolution for the month (and hopefully beyond) is the obvious and ubiquitous 'eat more healthily' one. We generally eat pretty healthily in this house, but...ahem... December is a bit of an exception! (Oh Peppermint Bark, how do I love thee?). In addition, all three of my children have recently become vegetarians. Number three is not yet completely committed, but is determined to try it out for a month first. Nevertheless, it does mean broadening my repertoire of veggie feasts. Fortunately no one is going vegan (because cheeeeeeeeeese!). Otherwise the slightly grumpy, "why-can't-I-eat-meat-for-dinner" husband would probably be leaving home.

I am hoping to win round Mr I'll-wither-away-if-I-don't-eat-meat to a healthier lifestyle though, as his choices are not always made with health and longevity in mind, shall we say. My goal is that we become what I think is known as 'flexitarian'. We'll eat vegetarian most of the time, but occasionally we will tuck into a steak, or a pulled pork sandwich if we feel we want to. My hope is that recipes like the one below are tasty and satisfying enough to make that a rare occurrence. Fingers very crossed!

The recipe in question is a great salad because it is filling and checks a lot of the boxes, with whole grains (farro), plenty of vitamins from the veggies, antioxidants, protein from nuts, and tasty tasty feta cheese (because cheeeeeeeese!). It isn't a throw-it-all-in-the-bowl-and-toss-to-serve simple five minute salad, admittedly, but it is worth a bit of time and effort and can also be made well ahead of when you want to serve it. (I served it at room temperature, but I'm sure it would be great hot or cold too).

Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad
Serves 5
Adapted from cookieandkate.com

1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro
2lbs sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
olive oil
2 tsp sumac
salt and black pepper
1 bunch laminate (or Tuscan) kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
2 medium lemons
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Juice the lemons and whisk the juice with 1 TBSP of olive oil, the dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss this mixture with the sliced kale, massaging it into the kale leaves, as this will help them soften. Leave aside for at least 30 minutes (but it isn't a problem if you leave it for longer).
3. Spread out the sweet potato cubes on a large oven tray, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac and salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in oven for 30 minutes by which time the sweet potato will be fork tender and starting to brown at the edges (and your kitchen will smell delicious!)
4. Cook the farro by adding to boiling salted water and simmering for 15-20 minutes (should be chewy and tender but not soft when cooked). Drain and leave to cool.
5. Combine the sliced shallot with sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes by which time the liquid should have reduced a little (and your kitchen will smell even better!). Set aside
6. To assemble the salad, drain the onions, and mix with the cooled farro, marinated kale and roasted sweet potato. Stir in the fresh mint and the feta, and then sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top.

Salad Central

It's been Salad Central in our house over the last week - not only did we vastly over-indulge recently what with stressing over college acceptances and (the decidedly more pleasant) celebrating of family visits, graduations and birthdays, salad is also the only thing I can look forward to preparing in this kind of hot weather. I have to fire up the oven more than enough earlier in the day for my baking business, BiteSize Baking, and I like to give our poor old air-conditioning a break later on when it comes to dinner time, so I send my husband outside to stand over a hot grill cooking the meat for these salads (bwahahahaha!).

Again, it's been a while since I last posted (did I mention college, family visits, graduations and birthdays?), so as a reward, I am gifting you three great main-dish salad recipes. My growing teenagers are more than sated with a plateful of these, and in case not, I simply plonk a bowl of bread in the middle of the table to soak up any remaining hunger pangs.

BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad
Serves 5

1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite pre-made BBQ sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup black beans (from a can), drained and rinsed
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumber
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
6 crisp cooked bacon slices, sliced
1 TBSP fresh chives, snipped

For dressing:
1 cup buttermilk
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
juice of 1 lime
1 TBSP snipped fresh chives
salt and pepper

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, and then again vertically, so each breast yields four smaller pieces. The marinate the chicken in the BBQ sauce and then grill until just done (but not nuked!)
2. Meanwhile make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizzing until smooth.
3. In a large bowl toss the Romaine, cilantro, black beans, cucumber and tomatoes with the dressing.
4. Sprinkle with the bacon, and then arrange the avocado slices, eggs and chicken over the top.
5. Serve sprinkled with the chives.

Zesty Chile Pork Tenderloin Salad
Serves 4

For rub (recipe from Barbecues 101 by Rick Rodgers):
2 TBSP chile powder
1 TBSP garlic granules
1 TBSP sweet paprika
1 TBSP ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne

For dressing (recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 medium avocado
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1 large pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
canola oil spray
1/2 cup Mexican style shredded cheese blend
1 can garbanzo beans/chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 heads Romaine lettuce or Oak lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1/2 cup unsalted pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds
handful of tortilla strips, or broken up tortilla chips

1. Spray the pork tenderloin with oil spray and then rub with the spice rub mixture (you won't need all of it).
2. Grill until just done. Then leave on a chopping board to rest while you prepare the salad.
3. Prepare the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizzing until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and garbanzo beans with the dressing (you won't need it all).
5. Sprinkle salad with cheese, cilantro and pepitas.
6. Slice the pork and arrange on top of salad.

Chicken Gyro Salad
Adapted from: The Dinner Salad Cookbook by Nicole Pavlovsky
Serves 4

1lb chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally so thinner
salt
ground black pepper
1 1/2 TBSP Shawarma seasoning (less if that's too much spice for your crowd)
olive oil spray
8 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
2 Persian (mini) cucumbers, cut into half moons
1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

For dressing:
1 cup low fat sour cream
1/ 4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
juice of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Spray chicken breasts with oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and Shawarma seasoning, and rub to distribute evenly.
2. Grill chicken until just done. Then set aside until ready to assemble salad.
3. Make dressing by whisking ingredients together in a bowl (it will make more than you need).
4. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and feta with enough dressing to coat.
5. Slice chicken breasts on the diagonal and arrange slices on top of salad.

Better than the heated car seat..

There are days when, if it wasn't for the heated car seat, I would probably end up losing some fingers or toes to frostbite. (I am a delicate flower). But there is something about feeling that gradual onset of heat on your rear end that makes you feel (a) like you may have inadvertently wet yourself; and (b) like you may be able to get through this cold rainy day after all. And then that heat permeates from your bottom to your extremities, and all is well with the world once more.

Today was one of those cold, rainy days, and, having made copious use of the heated seat (thank you Honda!) during the day, this evening I found another way of warming myself down to my pinkies. This soup is a doozy - just enough heat to spread a sensation of delicious warmth speedily through your veins, but not so much heat that you run spluttering and gasping for a glass of water while steam emanates from your ears. And it's veggie. And it's vegan if you skip the dollop of yoghurt on the top. And the kids ate it. Ha! I have clearly peaked, so show me a sofa and a blanket and I will beach myself there for the rest of the evening!

Curried Lentil and Spinach Soup
Serves 6
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 3" piece of ginger root, grated
2 TBSP canola oil
5 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 14oz can lite coconut milk
1 cup split red lentils
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 10oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

to serve:
plain yoghurt
chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)

1. Saute the onion with the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until translucent and starting to brown.
2. Add garlic and ginger root and cook stirring for a further minute.
3. Add curry powder and cayenne pepper and stir until spices are fragrant and starting to stick to pan.
4. Add coconut milk and stir to loosen the spices from the bottom of the pan. Then stir in lentils, salt and 5 cups of water.
5. Bring to the boil and turn heat down to a low heat so that the soup simmers gently, uncovered. Leave to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, by which time the soup will have thickened and the lentils will be breaking down.
6. Stir in spinach and tomatoes until heated through, and taste to see if more salt is needed.
7. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt on top and sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro.

Yay for small victories!

There are days when success as a parent seems unattainable, and you end the day in the knowledge that, without exception, every one of your children currently hates you for the latest situation in which you:
(a) didn't do something for them that they should have done themselves, but clearly thought you were their personal slave;
(b) did something for them that they are "perfectly capable of doing for themselves, thank you very much!";
(c) embarrassed them by breathing/speaking/being yourself in a public or private space;
(d) noticed that they were upset and tried to talk to them;
(e) noticed that they were upset and didn't try to talk to them;
(f) didn't notice they were upset....

Some days the eye-rolls outnumber the hugs when your house is full of teenagers.

Therefore I vote we all celebrate the small victories, and today's small victory is that now (drum-roll please) all three of my children like avocado! I know, earth-shattering and life-changing. I discovered this by chance because the avocados I was insisting on buying anyway for my husband and I, despite numerous protests of "Ugh, how can you eat those disgusting green slimy things?", were disappearing from the fridge. An investigation revealed that no, the dog hasn't learned how to open the fridge (although given the chance, and opposable thumbs, this is would probably be the first of many food-related accomplishments), but rather that the daughter (Princess of eye-rolling and (former) avocado hatred) has been making herself avocado toast after school. I am clearly raising hipsters.

Whilst this development has clearly had the result of increasing the avocado expenditure budget in our house, it does also make for some great meals, not least the one below, which not only did everyone eat, but the one box of leftovers was snaffled by youngest son for breakfast this morning.

Green Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 5-6

1 TBSP butter
1 tsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 TBSP AP flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups salsa verde/green salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), divided
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (2 large chicken breasts should do it)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped roasted red pepper (use a jar, drain and pat dry before chopping)
2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar if you can't get it), divided
4 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped into 3/4" chunks
10 wholewheat flour tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the canola oil and saute the garlic over medium heat without browning.
3. Add the flour and continue to cook stirring for a further minute.
4. Add the stock, cumin and the salsa, stirring to combine, and bring to a boil.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and most of the cilantro (save a couple of TBSP for garnish at the end). Set aside.
6. Mix together the chicken, black beans, red pepper, 2 cups of the cheese and the avocado in a large bowl.
6. Spray a 9"x13" dish with oil spray and pour 3/4 cup of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
7. Take a tortilla and place 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center before rolling up and placing in the dish on top of the sauce.
8. Repeat with remaining tortillas until there is a row of enchiladas filling the dish.
9. Pour over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
10. Bake in oven for 25 minutes to heat through by which point the cheese should be melted and golden.
11. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.