Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

6 ingredient lemon ginger sauce to serve with roasted asparagus

Belinda

This is the perfect side dish to any dinner! It’s ready in 20 minutes and is totally vegan & oil-free!

12 oz asparagus spears, washed and patted dry
salt and pepper
1/4 of a lemon

LEMON GINGER SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup (60g) water
2 tbsp (30g) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (64g) roasted creamy almond butter
2 tsp (8g) peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp (10g) agave or maple syrup
2 medium garlic cloves (5g)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric powder
1/4 tsp fine salt + 1/8 teaspoon pepper

NOTE
Don’t worry about this sauce being spicy. The ginger gives amazing ginger flavor, but it is not spicy at all. The lemon juice, almond butter and agave all balance it out like a dream.
I’d suggest making the sauce early in the day or the day before. While it’s not totally necessary, it does thicken as it sits. But it’s delicious immediately.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a pan with parchment paper.

Trim the ends off of each asparagus about 2-3 inches. Place on the pan spread out evenly. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 8-9 minutes until fork tender, but still firm. You don’t want them overcooked and limp, but not raw either. Depending on the thickness of the spears, time may need adjustment by a minute or so.

While the asparagus is roasting, make the sauce.
Add the water, lemon juice, almond butter, ginger, agave, garlic, turmeric, salt & pepper to a food processor or a Vitamix, if you have one. Either will work fine. For the ginger, you want to make sure you get the right amount, so weigh after peeling. I basically grated a large piece of fresh ginger over a bowl and then measured.

Blend everything on low, slowing increasing speed, until smooth. Scrape the sides down well and blend once more on low. It will be a fairly runny sauce, like a salad dressing. This is so it drizzles easily over the asparagus.
But it does thicken overnight or several hours in the fridge. It also doubles beautifully to toss as a salad dressing in greens. So so good.
Drizzle over the hot asparagus and serve immediately.
You will be tempted to drink the sauce!

Chocolate · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Icecream

Avocado Ice cream

Belinda

This avocado ice cream is so creamy, made with only six ingredients and doesn’t require an ice cream maker! It’s also vegan and gluten-free.

Recipe from Food Blog “Eating Bird Food”

2 ripe avocados (You could try another non-dairy milk too)
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup honey or other liquid sweetener
1 Tbsp coconut oil measured in a liquid state
¼ tsp peppermint extract
¼ cup chocolate chips (dairy-free, if needed)

Add all ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Stir in chocolate chips and pour into a freezer-safe container. I used a loaf pan lined with parchment.
Place container in the freezer to set. It should take about 4-5 hours.
Once frozen, pull ice cream from the freezer, let sit out on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften. Use an ice cream scoop to serve and enjoy!
You can use an icecream maker if you prefer, so after blending the ice cream, pour it into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions

Notes
Sweetener: Feel free to use your sweetener of choice here. Play around with using stevia instead of maple syrup/honey if you want to reduce the sugar content.

Baking · Do-ahead

Oh sooo easy date and orange Scones.

Belinda

This café favorite is so easy to make at home. The trick to baking fluffy scones is not to overwork the mix once you add the flour. That’s why I always stir the mix with a knife – it keeps the action light.

Recipe by New Zealand cookbook writer, Annabel Langbein

Ready in 30 mins
Makes 12 large scones

Finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups self-raising flour or gluten-free self-raising flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
3oz (75g) chilled butter, grated
2 cups pitted dates, chopped
1¾ cups buttermilk or natural yoghurt
icing sugar (powdered sugar), to dust (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F/200°C fan bake. Line an oven tray with baking paper and lightly dust with
flour.

Combine orange zest, flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and use a knife or your fingertips to work into the flour mixture to a coarse crumb. Mix in the chopped dates.

Add the buttermilk or yoghurt and stir with a knife until the mixture just comes together into a soft, wettish dough. (do not over-mix)

Turn out onto prepared tray and flatten into a circle about 10″/25cm in diameter. Cut into 12 wedges – like the spokes of a wheel- and rearrange with a little room in between so they can rise .

Bake until risen, fully set in the centre and lightly golden (about 20 minutes).
Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Whole30 compliant

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cumin-Coriander Tahini Sauce

Belinda

I loved roasted carrots and these ones are so tasty. Make sure you roast your cumin first, it makes all the difference.

Recipe by Angela Liddon

Serves 4

For the carrots
1 1/2 – 2 lbs rainbow carrots
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (roasted)
3/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Sauce
2 tbsp tahini
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin (roasted)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt

Prepare the carrots by trimming their stems, washing them off, and patting them dry.
Parboil the carrots until barely tender in salted boiling water, drain and dry the carrots with kitchen towel.
Place the carrots on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Roll the carrots along the baking sheet to evenly disperse the olive oil.
Sprinkle the oiled carrots with the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, salt, and black pepper and toss.
Roast the carrots at 425 F until fork-tender but still slightly firm, about 20-25 minutes.
While the carrots roast, prepare the sauce by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander, and sea salt.
Drizzle the sauce over the roasted carrots and enjoy.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Slow-Cooker Tomato Compote

Belinda

This savory compote — a typically sweet, slow-simmered fruit preserve — is a delicious way to eat cherry tomatoes, especially those that are on the verge of being too soft. But it’s also a great way to intensify the flavor of middling supermarket cherry tomatoes in the winter. Either way, the sweet-tart tomatoes can build super-quick meals: Put them on top of ricotta or avocado toast, or squish them into a grilled cheese. Toss them with hot or cold pasta. Use the oil and juices in salad dressings and the tomatoes in the salad itself. The compote can be used right away, but it’s best the next day and will keep in the fridge for at least a week. Feel free to throw in any hardy, woody herbs you like, but don’t add very delicate herbs like basil, chives or dill before cooking. You can add a handful of those softer herbs before serving, if you like.
Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio for the New York Times

Yields about 3.5 cups

2lbs cherry or grape tomatoes (about 4 pints)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 bushy sprigs fresh herbs, such as rosemary, tarragon, thyme, sage, parsley or a mix
½ tsp red-pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
Juice of 1/4 lemon (about 2 tsp)

In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, add the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, honey, vinegar, herbs and red-pepper flakes (if using), and stir to combine. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook on low for 6 hours, until the tomatoes are wrinkled, sweet and very soft, and some have burst. Remove the herb sprigs and squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Vegetable sides

Carrot Tart With Ricotta and Feta

Belinda

Carrots work beautifully in this simple tart, but onions, parsnips, beets, zucchini or pumpkin work just as well. The key is to cook the vegetables before putting them on the tart, since the moisture released by baking raw vegetables would make the puff pastry soggy and prevent it from rising. Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to firm up slightly.
The tart can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature, and would make a great addition to a picnic.

By Sue Li for the New York Times Food Section

Serves 8

Flour, for rolling out dough
1 (14-oz) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1lb multicolored carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 oz ricotta
4 oz feta, crumbled
1 garlic clove, grated
Chopped fresh parsley, chervil or chives, for garnish

Heat the oven to 425 F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4-inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Dairy-free · Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Asian-style garlic noodles

Belinda

Asian-style garlic noodles only takes 15 minutes to make and are perfect for a busy weeknight when you need dinner on the table fast!

Serves 2 but can be easily doubled

8 oz thin spaghetti

For the sauce:
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
1 cup thinly sliced or chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4-1/3 cup water, broth or pasta water
2 green onions chopped reserve green parts for garnish
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish

Cook your spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Boil a large pot of water and once boiling, add a good helping of salt and add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once starting to get hot, add in your garlic and cook until the garlic is starting to get golden on some edges. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Then add in the turmeric and pepper flakes and mix in. Then add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and mushrooms and mix well.
Cook for 2 minutes and add in the sesame oil, green onions, and parmesan and mix in.

Add in a 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the pasta water and mix in. Then mix your pasta and toss well to coat. Then take off of heat.
Taste and adjust salt and flavor then plate. Add some more parmesan on top and some green onions and serve immediately.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Shrimp satay skewers

Belinda

Serve with lime wedges for the perfect summer appetizer!

Recipe by Tara Holland

Servings: 4

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 limes—1 zested (1 tsp.) and juiced (2 tbsp.), 1 cut into wedges for serving
1 1/2 lb. medium shrimp—peeled and deveined, with tails
Chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro leaves, and sliced red chiles, for garnish

For the sauce, in a medium pan, whisk the first 6 ingredients, lime juice, and 1/4 cup water.
Pour half of sauce into medium bowl; toss with the shrimp. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat the grill to medium-high. Thread the shrimp onto skewers; season.
Grill the shrimp until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to platter.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining sauce over medium until heated through, about 5 minutes, adding more water to loosen, if needed.
Stir the lime zest into sauce. Garnish the shrimp with nuts, cilantro, and chiles.
Serve with lime wedges and remaining sauce.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Halibut in Creamy Coconut Sauce

Belinda

This soul-warming dish is hearty without being heavy. Perfect for a cool autumn evening.
Recipe by Joe Piccirillo

Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

4 boneless, skinless halibut fillets (6 oz. each)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 can (13.5 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2 scallions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 tsp. lime zest, plus 1 tbsp. juice
1 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated or crushed garlic
4 cups chopped, stemmed kale (from 1 bunch)
Sliced red chil1, for garnish

Season the fish.
In nonstick skillet, cook the fish in oil over medium-high heat until flaky, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
In the same skillet, add coconut milk, scallions, lemongrass, lime zest and juice, ginger, and garlic; season.
Bring to simmer. Cover; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the kale. Cover; cook for about 1 minute. Arrange the fish on top of sauce.
Cover; cook until kale is tender and fish is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Garnish with the chili.

Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Roasted Cod with Zucchini, Fennel & Onion

Belinda

Freshen up your dinner routine with this light and bright skillet supper
Recipe by Janet Taylor McCracken

Serves 4

1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus fronds reserved
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
4 cod or halibut fillets (5 oz. each)
1 baguette, warmed

In large ovenproof skillet, toss sliced fennel, onion, and zucchini in oil; season.
Broil, stirring once, until browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
Stir in wine, stock, and oregano. Place fish on top; season. Broil until fish is just opaque in center, about 7 minutes. Top with fennel fronds; season.
Serve with baguette.