Spicy black bean, corn and avocado tacos

June 24, 2019 Belinda

Ripe summer corn is so delicious, so fresh, and so full of flavor, you can literally enjoy it raw. Filled with black beans, avocado, and raw corn marinated in bright lime juice along with jalapeño, cilantro, and toasted nuts and seeds, these hearty tacos make a great side to your BBQ meat.

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Serves 4

1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 medium jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided, plus lime wedges for serving
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 tbsp ground cumin (preferably roasted, but don’t worry if you don’t have any)
12 small corn tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large avocado, thinly sliced

Toast the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the corn off cobs into a large bowl (you should have about 2 cups kernels).
Add the toasted nuts and seeds, jalapeño, red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup oil, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, and 1/2 tsp. salt; toss to combine.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion starts to release moisture and turns translucent, 4–5 minutes.
Add the beans, cumin, 1/3 cup water, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook until liquid is reduced and beans soften, about 5 minutes.
Uncover, add 1/3 cup water, and use the back of a fork to mash up about half of beans.

Working one at a time, warm tortillas with tongs directly over a gas burner over medium heat, turning often, until lightly charred and puffed in spots, about 45 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or wrap in damp paper towels and microwave in 20-second bursts until warm.) Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Whisk the sour cream and remaining 2 tbsp lime juice in a small bowl. Fill the tortillas with the bean mixture, then top with the corn salsa, avocado, and cilantro leaves.
Drizzle with sour cream mixture and serve with lime wedges alongside.

Do Ahead
Corn salsa and beans can be made 3 days ahead; store separately, cover, and chill. Bring corn salsa to room temperature. Reheat beans in skillet before serving.

Vegan · Vegetable sides

Whole roasted celery root

May 19, 2019 Belinda

I made this for the first time recently, and it was so good and unusual.
I get tired of the same old vegetables day in and day out, so this dish was such a welcome change.
It looks a little strange when roasted, sort of cross between a loaf of bread and a brain but it’s low carb, low calorie and low cost!

Roasted celery root

Serves 4 – 6
1 large celery root (celeriac) (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed, hairy roots discarded, rinsed clean
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
3 tsp coarse salt, plus extra to serve
Chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the celery root on a small parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub it all over with olive oil and salt, and roast for 3 hours, until a knife inserted into the flesh goes in very easily.

Slice into 12 wedges and serve with a final pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parsley.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Paprika-Seared Potato Wedges with Olive-Date Tapenade & Date Sour Cream

May 3, 2019 Belinda

Another great recipe from the food blog “The Original Dish”, author, Kayla Howey
I love the way she is so inventive with vegetables and highly recommend going on her blog and signing up.

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Serves 4
Date Sour Cream
8 oz pitted Medjool dates
1 cup cream sherry
8 oz sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Paprika-Seared Potatoes
2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and wedged (about 4 large potatoes)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon

Olive-Date Tapenade
4 oz pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
5 oz black pitted olives, finely chopped
1/2 oz capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine the dates and cream sherry in a small saucepan. Bring the sherry to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the dates have absorbed most (but not all) of the sherry. Let the mixture cool.
In a food processor, blend the cooled date mixture until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ounces of the date mixture with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the potato wedges with the paprika, salt and pepper. Make sure each wedges is coated with paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, add the potato wedges (you may need to work in batches; you don’t want to overcrowd the pan).
Lower the heat to medium and sear the potatoes until golden brown, a few minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the potatoes, about 10 more minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the potatoes as soon as they come out of the oven.

Combine the dates, olives, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

To Serve
Spread the date sour cream on a plate. Place the potato wedges on the plate and spoon the olive-date tapenade over the top. Alternatively, serve the date sour cream in a bowl with the tapenade on top and potato wedges alongside.
notes

** To lighten this dish up, try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You also will have extra date puree. Save this to flavor other dishes or to make the sour cream again. You can freeze it if needed.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted carrots with scallion vinaigrette

May 1, 2019 Belinda

I get more excited about interesting vegetable dishes than meat or fish. Although I couldn’t be a vegetarian, I could happily eat this sort of dish 5 out of 7 days a week.
This recipe comes from the great food blog, #theoriginaldish Recipe by Kayley Howey

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Scallion Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 scallions
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup neutral oil (safflower, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
½ cup raisins
kosher salt

Roasted Carrots

½ cup raw hazelnuts
2 bunch long baby carrots, scrubbed and halved
olive oil
kosher salt
feta cheese, shaved or crumbled (as much as you’d like)
carrot top leaves, to garnish (optional)

Scallion Vinaigrette

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Cook until tender and caramelized, just a few minutes, stirring often.
Lower the heat and toss in the scallions. Continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the white wine vinegar and honey. Let the mixture come to a bubble and simmer for a minute. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and slowly drizzle in the neutral oil until emulsified. Fold in the raisins. Season with salt to taste.
Let the vinaigrette sit while you make the carrots.

Roasted Carrots

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lay the hazelnuts out onto a baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes. Let cool just slightly and use a kitchen towel to rub the hazelnuts between your hands in order to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
Meanwhile, lay the halved carrots out onto a baking sheet. Toss with enough olive oil to coat them well. Spread them into one, even layer. Season with a pinch of salt.
Roast the carrots for 12-15 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized (time may vary depending on your oven).
Toss the warm carrots with the scallion vinaigrette. Serve them with the chopped roasted hazelnuts, feta cheese, and carrot top leaves (optional) on top.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Salad · Vegetable sides · Vegetarian pasta

Buckwheat noodles with ginger and miso

March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 Belinda

Recipe by David Tanis

“Buckwheat noodles are often served cold in Japan and Korea, and are especially welcome during hot weather. To appreciate buckwheat’s delicious nutty flavor, look for 100% buckwheat noodles in Asian groceries. The bright, gingery dressing needs a little spiciness, so use a good pinch of cayenne or other hot pepper. This version is meant to be a small first-course salad. Add slices of grilled chicken to make it more of a meal.”

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Photo by Karsten Moran for the New York Times

4 small servings

3 tbsp red miso
1 2-inch piece ginger, finely grated
2 tsp sugar
⅛ tsp cayenne
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 3-inch piece daikon radish, coarsely grated
8 oz buckwheat noodles
6 small red radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup radish sprouts, trimmed
¼ cup thinly sliced cucumber
Salt
A few shiso leaves, for garnish

Make the dressing: Put miso, ginger, sugar, cayenne, mirin, soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl. Mix together, and stir in grated daikon radish. Set aside.

Boil the noodles in abundant salted water until cooked but still firm. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Blot dry.

Divide noodles among four small bowls. Top with radish, radish sprouts and cucumber slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Garnish with torn or chopped shiso leaves.
Serve with dressing and lime wedges on the side.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Nuts · Salad · Vegetable sides · Whole30 compliant

Carrot and Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins

March 13, 2019 Belinda

Another beauty of a recipe that use beets in a very different way.
(Recipe by Joshua McFadden & Sara Kramer, Photo by We Are The Rhoads)

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Serves 6
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
6 medium carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled, julienned
2 medium beets (any color; about 1 lb.), peeled, julienned
1/2 cup (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted, shelled raw pistachios

Preheat oven to 350°.
Spread out pistachios on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.

Combine garlic, raisins, and vinegar in a large bowl; let sit 1 hour.

Remove garlic from raisin mixture and discard. Add carrots, beets, pistachios, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add oil; toss gently.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides

Yoghurt beet dip

March 12, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

This fuchsia-colored dip is so visually beautiful and even better eaten smeared on bread or endive leaves. The tang from the vinegar and yoghurt balances perfectly with the earthy sweetness of the beets.

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Serves 6

1 medium beet, cooked and peeled
1 cup Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
Olive oil for drizzling

Into a medium bowl, grate the cooked beet on the large holes of a box grater.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil and mix well to combine.
Taste to make it delicious, keeping in mind that the flavors will deepen as the dip rests.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for the flavors to develop.
Stir, drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Do ahead
You can prepare this up to 3 days in advance in an airtight container.
If the yoghurt “weeps” just stir in together again and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Cauliflower steaks with walnut-caper salsa and lemon-yoghurt sauce

March 10, 2019 Belinda

This is a fabulous adaption of an Ottolenghi recipe by the food blog, Alexandra’s Kitchen. If you have a Le Creuset braiser it will help, as the shallow sides help caramelize the cauliflower steaks.The combination of the lemony yoghurt sauce under the cauliflower steaks and the walnut caper salsa on top is spectacular

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For the salsa:
1/2 cup walnuts
¼ cup olive oil, plus more to taste
2 tbsp drained capers, patted dry
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried currants
1 tbsp vinegar, such as white balsamic, sherry or red wine, plus more to taste
zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt to taste

For the cauliflower:
1 small head of cauliflower
2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
Kosher salt

For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt, (I like Fage 5%)
1 tbsp fresh lemon, from about 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
parsley, optional

Make the salsa.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Toast the walnuts on a small pan or rimmed baking sheet, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then use your hands to break the walnuts into small-ish pieces. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.

Heat the oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour the oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and currants. Let cool. Then, stir in the walnuts (leaving as much papery skin behind), parsley, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt. Taste.
If it tastes too sharp, add more olive oil by the tablespoon. (I almost always add 2 more tablespoons of oil.) If it needs more salt, add to taste.

Make the steaks.
Trim the cauliflower stem on the bottom to create a flat base. When I first made this, I trimmed away the greens, but now I like to keep the outer greens attached — they taste good roasted. Remove them if you wish.
Cut straight down through the center, then make another cut 1.5 inches away from the center on each side — you’ll likely get 2-3 steaks total. I used to save the cauliflower pieces that broke away for another day, and you definitely can do this, too, or you can sear and roast them right along with the steaks in the pan.

Heat the oil in one or two large skillets over medium-high. Add the cauliflower steaks and any florets/greens that broke away, if you wish. (If the steaks don’t fit in a single layer, you should use two pans or you won’t get a nice sear.)

Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.

Make the yogurt sauce:
Stir together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. If you have leftover parsley from the bunch you purchased, and you think you might not use it anytime soon, chop it up finely and stir it in. Taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To finish: smear the yogurt sauce over a large platter. Top with the cauliflower steaks. Spoon the caper-yogurt sauce over top. Serve immediately or at room temperature.