Curried Potatoes with Cauliflower

I've been sharing quite a few red cabbages recipes lately (with many more still in queue), so I thought I'd switch gears and share a recipe for another few of vegetables of which I've been blessed (or burdened) with an overabundance - potatoes, carrots, and onions. Cauliflower and potato curry is a favorite around my house, and while I was tempted to revisit that standby, I chose this recipe to make a bigger dent in my root vegetable stores. At first I was worried that I would miss the chickpeas, but I found the carrots to be a more that ample substitute, the sweetness a nice complement to the starchy potatoes and aromatic spices. This curry follows uses a traditional assortment of spices to unite the generous portions of vegetables and permeate the house with irresistible aromas that will bring everyone vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike to the dinner table. The depths of winter demand hearty, satisfying foods and this dish is the perfect healthy alternative to adored, yet heavy, classics like meatloaf and lasagna. Accidentally vegan, but hearty enough for big winter appetites, this meal is great way to welcome anyone in from the cold.

Curried Potatoes with Cauliflower
adapted from Eating Well
serves 4

1 tablespoon mustard seeds, preferably brown
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 onions, chopped (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, if desired, and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably Madras
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (3 cups)
2 cups water
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)
2 cups sliced carrots
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, cashews or pistachios (see Tip)
Sour cream or yogurt, for serving (optional)
Naan, rice, or quinoa, for serving (optional)

1. Toast mustard seeds in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until they start to pop, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons water if mixture starts to burn.) 

3. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeños, coriander, curry powder and the toasted mustard seeds; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

4. Add potatoes and water; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cauliflower and carrots and simmer, covered, until tender and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates and garnish with cilantro and toasted nuts, with a side of naan, rice, or quinoa.

Fish Tacos with Quick Asian Cabbage Slaw

I can't tell you how many times I heard my dad say "Variety is the spice of life" and like so many of his ideologies, it has really formed who I became as an adult. When William Cowper wrote "Variety's the very spice of life/That gives it all its flavour", he wasn't talking about food, but that philosophy certainly applies to cooking. All this preamble is all a flowery way of saying that when I had red cabbage and corn tortillas to use up (and tacos on the brain), I wanted to do it in as diverse ways as possible. Despite a number of common ingredients (cabbage, cilantro, corn tortillas), these tacos couldn't be more different. I started on a heartier note with chicken, barbecue, and smoky cheddar, but also found a different success with these light, crunchy, spicy fish tacos. Although fish tacos usually use some kind of white fish, I found that the salmon I already had on hand worked beautifully in this quickly thrown together dinner. The light and crunchy slaw cuts through the fattiness of the salmon so the taco doesn't end up feeling heavy (and you get a lot more omega-3s to boot!). Easy enough to be thrown together at the last minute, but delicious enough to deserve a little special effort, these simple tacos are a great example of how to eat well on the cheap.

Fish Tacos with Quick Asian Cabbage Slaw
serves 2

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon honey
4 ounces finely shredded cabbage (red, green, or napa)
1 medium carrot, shredded (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 4- to 5-ounce fish filets (tilapia, whitefish, mahi mahi, or even salmon)
Cooking spray
4 small corn tortillas
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, and honey and whisk well to combine. Add cabbage, carrots, and cilantro, toss well to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Preheat a pan to medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cooking to desired level of doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness and type of fish. Set cooked fish aside to rest briefly, then break into bite size pieces.

3. Warm corn tortillas in the oven or microwave. Add cabbage slaw to each tortilla, leaving excess liquid in the dish, and top with fish and a squirt of hot sauce.

Granola Bars

There are countless good commercial granola bars out there (Kashi, Clif, Luna, Cascadian Farms, Nature Valley, etc.), but nothing quite compares to the homemade variety. In the same way that the chocolate chip cookie just out of the oven is always going to be best, a fresh, homemade granola bar is going to blow the commercial variety out of the water. Most granola bars are constructed from a combination of oats, seeds or nuts, and dried fruit, and these granola bars strike a particularly good balance of all those elements. The layered sweetness comes from a combination of light honey and deep dark brown sugar, each contributing nuanced flavor in addition along with the requisite sugar content. The pairs of grains (oats and wheat germ), seeds and nuts (sunflower seeds and almonds), and dried fruit (cranberries and raisins, as I made them), make each bite unique so there's no danger you'll get sick of them before the batch disappears. Striking a nice balance between crunchy and chewy, any extras can be frozen without too much loss of texture upon thawing. Simple, healthy, and delicious, if you've got the time for a little culinary project, these are certainly worth the effort.

Granola Bars
adapted from Alton Brown
makes 16 (2-inch) squares

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced or slivered almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries, or blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 9-inch glass or metal baking dish with a foil sling. Coat with butter or spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chicken Tacos with Smoky BBQ Cabbage Slaw

The fact that I hate to waste is often a source of inspiration. I won't hold back on picking up particular ingredients, but I certainly won't let odds and ends go unused. This recipe, for example, came from a desire
to use up the corn tortillas left over from Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Squash Sauce and a seemingly endless head of red cabbage still remaining from my CSA. But despite it's humble origins, this dish doesn't disappoint in terms of flavor even though it only requires a small time investment. High-quality prepared barbecue sauce is the real shortcut here, taking an ordinary collection of vegetables from raw and plain to tender and flavorful in short order. A zesty sauce is best, complemented particularly well by the smoky cheddar, fresh cilantro and cooling sour cream. I made this as a quick meal for two, but it could easily be scaled up for a taco bar at a larger gathering, perhaps served alongside the fish taco recipe with cabbage slaw I created out of the same motivation (and will share soon). A great example of making lemonade out of leftover lemons, these tacos are delicious enough to earn an intentional spot on my menu in the future.

Chicken Tacos with Smoky BBQ Cabbage Slaw
serves 2

One 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
Cooking spray or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 medium onion, sliced (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, diluted with 2 tablespoons water
4 small corn tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Shredded smoked cheddar cheese (or other cheddar or Jack cheese), for serving
Sour cream, for serving

1. Preheat a pan to medium heat and spray with cooking spray or drizzle with canola oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook until breast reaches 170 degrees F. Remove chicken from pan and allow to rest for a few minutes, then cut or shred into bite-size pieces.

2. Add additional oil to the hot pan, if needed, and add onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are browned and just softened, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage is softened but still somewhat crisp, about  3 to 5 more minutes. Add corn, stirring constantly until corn is heated through. Add 3 tablespoons of the diluted barbecue sauce, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until all the vegetables are coated most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove pan from heat, add remaining tablespoons of diluted barbecue sauce, and stir to combine everything thoroughly.

3. Warm corn tortillas in the oven or microwave. Add cabbage slaw to each tortilla and top with chicken, cheese, cilantro and sour cream. Serve promptly.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Squash Sauce

Of all the things I've made in an effort to use up ridiculous amount of squash puree in my freezer, this has to be my favorite. Sadly, it's not because of the inherent squashiness of the dish, but the way in which it brings all the other ingredients together so perfectly. Squash puree is a fantastic shortcut to a lush sauce, able to blend with all manner of ingredients without dominating the flavor. Though this may not be the kind of authentic fare that will show up in a Rick Bayless cookbook, there's no denying that the silky and subtly sweet squash is an ideal foil for spicy jalapenos and chili powder. Add a hearty black bean filling and a savory frosting of cheese and you've got a crowd-pleasing meal as suitable to Meatless Monday as it is to a celebratory feast. Even better, this meal freezes wonderfully, so make up a double batch to be ready to feed the masses any time.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Squash Sauce
adapted from Martha Stewart
serves 4

One 15-ounce can seasoned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 cups butternut or other winter squash puree
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 teaspoon chili powder
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 cup grated sharp or smoked cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a blender, puree squash, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Taste sauce and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 9x13-inch baking dish.

3. Lay tortillas on work surface; mound black bean mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.

4. Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

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Carrot Date Muffins

Although I do indulge in culinary trends from time to time, I haven't jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon. There are plenty of people out there without a gluten intolerance that think going gluten-free is somehow healthier, but I'm certainly not one of them. That being said, if I come across something delicious that also happens to be gluten-free, I won't pass it up. Thanks to Good to the Grain, I have a deep appreciation (and large store) of less-than-mainstream flours. When I woke up New Year's Day in the mood to bake up some breakfast, I had everything I needed already in the pantry to make these coincidentally gluten-free muffins. Although they are a bit denser than ones I would typically make using whole wheat pastry flour, the lovely flavor of the almond flour makes up for the difference in texture. Carrots, dates, and maple syrup create a complex sweetness, combining beautifully with the rich nuts, aromatic spices, and tropical hint of the coconut oil. Naturally most delicious fresh from the oven, extras can be frozen so a quick breakfast is always at the ready. Whether you're going gluten-free or not, these muffins will get your day started right.

Carrot Date Muffins
adapted from Whole Foods Market
makes 12 muffins

2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup melted virgin coconut, high-heat sunflower oil, or canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3/4 cup amaranth flour or millet flour
3/4 cup ground almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or oil with natural cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place carrots and dates in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse and then blend until finely chopped. Add walnuts and pulse to finely chop. Transfer to a bowl; add oil, eggs and maple syrup, stir to combine completely.

2. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining dry ingredients. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Roasted Beet, Orange, and Goat Cheese Salad

As lame as it may sound, Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht got me really excited about beets. Thus armed with a new-found love for the roasted variety, I turned to one of my favorite canvases for recipe creation - salad. I eat salad for lunch at least four times a week, so I have plenty of opportunity for experimentation and get geekily excited when I come up with something new. Since I'm married to someone who would prefer to subsist on meat and potatoes, I bring this recipe to you. Many of the salads I create are wonderful in any season, but roasted beets give this one the very essence of winter. Though I was never one to order or make anything with beets in the past, I knew that beet and orange was a tried-and-true combination and used it as a place to begin crafting my recipe. From there, the rest was a snap - add some red onion to cut through the sweetness of the beets and orange, and nuts and cheese for richness and saltiness and to make it filling enough for a main course. If a winter diet of too many root vegetables is weighing you down, use this recipe to lighten up a bit without losing the best flavor the season has to offer.

Roasted Beet, Orange, and Goat Cheese Salad
serves 1 (as a main dish)

2 ounces lettuce, mixed greens, or spinach (about 2 cups)
4 ounces beets, peeled and cut into small dice (a few small beets or 1/2 medium to large beet)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 0.5 ounce)
Clementine, satsuma, or half of a small regular or blood orange, cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup/1 ounce crumbled goat or feta cheese
2 tablespoons/0.5 ounce toasted chopped walnuts or pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast until beets are tender and caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

2. Arrange greens on a large plate, and top with onion, beets, oranges, cheese, and nuts. Drizzle with dressing of choice and enjoy!