vegetables – Page 7 – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Broccoli, Raisin + Sunflower Salad

July 21, 2017by Rebecca2 Comments

I’ve had a whole line of early summer recipes to share, which I tested on repeat until getting just right. Inevitably I never got around to photographing and sharing, and then the ingredients in question were past their season and the moment was gone.

Sigh.

It’s been that sort of summer. I’ve been trying to just go with it.

The Recipe Redux challenged us to Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker this month instead of turning on the oven or stovetop. But the god’s honest truth? I wiped out//not invited in as many appliances as I can, in the name of less clutter, open space, and more peace of mind. So I don’t have too many kitchen appliances to cook with in lieu of the oven and stove, save our tiny countertop grill.

And also, If you read my last post about eating more soup in the summer (a practice that is still going strong), you’ll know I’m okay with a little summer heat. I’ve been delving more into eating in the way that serves me best these last few years and warm, cooked foods are generally better for me. Our climate is also fairly mild and I’m enjoying being outside as much as possible in this season; the warm days are particularly pleasing. Chameleoning, I call it.

I worked outside in the shade for most of the day earlier this week, and though it was easily in the low 80’s, I had a long-sleeve on for most of it. Later, at a meeting in an unairconditioned house, I put those longsleeves back on and was super comfortable while around the table, everyone else was in shortsleeves and tank tops. The sameish story is true when I work from home, until the end of the day when William walks in the door and must-have-fan/AC. In the evenings, I don my sweaters and socks!

So super cold person here. And summer is my season.

But to keep with the theme for this month, I did turn off the oven/stovetop and I made one of my favorite broccoli salads. It’s a rendition of that mayonnaise, bacon, and sugar-infused potluck dish I remember from summers long ago, but this is one I actually enjoy eating.

Plus, it’s keeping the broccoli forest in my backyard in check!

Paired with easy grilled tofu and some slices of rustic whole-grain bread, or whatever else you’ve got on hand and sounds nice, it’s a dish for these warmer summer evenings.

Broccoli, Raisin, and Sunflower Salad, serves 3-4
I’ve been growing Apollo Broccoli from Territorial Seeds for the last couple years and this variety is a broccoli cross, which has tender side shoots/sprouts that grow continuously from May through December. It looks extra leafy because when harvested and used fresh, the tender buds, stems, and leaves are all sweet and delicious. Make this with the broccoli you have available, but try to limit the from garden/farm/store-to-plate timeframe because some of broccoli’s best nutrients are depleted rapidly by light, heat, and long-storage!

a big bunch of fresh broccoli
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, toasted*
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
1/2 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cut the broccoli florets and stalks into small, bite-sized pieces. Place them in a big serving bowl along with the raisins, toasted seeds, yogurt, and salt and pepper. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix everything until the broccoli is coated with yogurt to your liking.
Serve right away along with the sides/mains of your choice.

* To toast your seeds, put them in a small saute pan over medium-low and heat until just beginning to smell toasty and turn golden, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into this salad.

Nutrition + Health, Spring

Red Lentil Falafel with Millet, Lemon Ginger Dressing + Quick-Pickled Onions

March 21, 2017April 23, 2017by Rebecca4 Comments

I’m reading this novel right now, Sweetbitter. It is a coming-of-age about a young girl who lands her first post-college job as a back waiter in a prestigious New York City restaurant. Broken up by seasons in her first year, I’ve just reached the point of early spring and the first thing she does is mention the Hungry Gap, the short phase in the year when even the hyper-local restaurants scramble for produce and need to source from afar, the season where we’re sick of winter but warmer days are fickle and food is just sort of ho-hum.

I’ve definitely been feeling the hungry gap season and have reached the point, which inevitably happens every year, where the only meal that sounds good is plain, steamed vegetables (mostly cabbage), a plain grain and protein, and if I’m feeling particularly adventurous, a leftover dressing or some random seeds sprinkled on top. William is extra lucky he’s working long days because of tax season and his office often feeds him. Mutiny would come quickly if he had to endure more than one or two nights of my “plain steamed veg” for meals.

Thanks in part to The Recipe Redux for the march theme of making due with what’s on hand, i.e. spring cleaning the cupboards, I decided to use my creativity an extra bit and make the first day of our new season include more than steamed carrots, turnips, and cabbage.

So here we have red lentil falafel, an extra delicious lemon ginger cashew-based dressing, and pickled onions. This just might be the meal that gets me back into eating a little more adventurously. And maybe you too?

Red Lentil Falafel with Millet + Lemon Ginger Dressing, serves 4
I love falafel, especially baked falafel with lots of accompaniments like pickled onions, but the lemon ginger dressing is the real star of this dish, in my opinion. After enjoying a lemon ginger dressing at a super hipster Portland restaurant a while back, I’ve been trying to get a homemade rendition right all winter. It may have taken all season, but this version might just be better than its inspiration. Make sure to be liberal with both lemon zest and ginger!

Red Lentil Falafel:
1 cup red lentils, soaked
3 garlic cloves, peeled + roughly chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. sea salt + more to taste
freshly ground black pepper pepper
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup cooked millet

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the soaked lentils and 2 cups water to a boil. Turn down, and simmer for 20 minutes. They do not have to be completely soft all the way through. Drain and turn into a food processor.
Then, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
In the food processor with the red lentils, combine the garlic, spring onions, spices, apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Pulse the mixture until it comes to a chunky paste but is not completely a puree. It should be fairly wet so add a little liquid if it’s not. Then turn it into a large mixing bowl along with the one cup of cooked millet. Combine the grain and lentil mixture well.
Next form about 20 falafels with your hands or with a medium cookie scoop and place them on the parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly browned and a little firm to the touch.
Serve the falafels with extra millet or flatbread, the sauce, lettuce, and pickled onions if desired.

Lemon Ginger Dressing, makes about 1 cup
1/2 cup cashews, soaked + drained
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water + more if needed
2 Tbs. freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. maple syrup (optional)
1 Tbs. light miso

In a food processor or blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews, lemon zest, and remaining ingredients and blend until it comes to a consistency that is spoon-able but not runny. Add more water as necessary to reach this consistency.

To Serve:
Quick-Pickled Onions
lettuce
additional cooked millet or flat bread, if desired

Winter

sesame garlic tofu + rice bowl with pickled ginger

January 21, 2017January 22, 2017by Rebecca3 Comments

William and I met up with a friend for dinner a few weeks back in the middle of our travels home after Christmas. He and I have been together for seven plus years now and that dinner happened to be the first (and so far only) time we’ve ever ordered exactly the same thing at a meal out.

I just about hyperventilated as he ordered the exact same sesame garlic tofu bowl with pickled ginger and seasonal vegetables. To make a quick summary of what I’ve been learning from observing William’s eating patterns throughout the years, behavior and food preferences change. For most of us, it definitely doesn’t happen overnight. This meal is an example of that. When we met, there was no way William was going to pick a tofu and vegetable bowl off an ample and varied menu, but he would have picked something with Asian flavors.

This recipe is my contribution to The Recipe Redux theme for this month, to create and share a budget-friendly meal. I’ve spoken about my experiences with creating meals out of resourcefulness in the past and so I won’t go into specifics again here. I tend to think I eat budget meals most days but that is also a matter of perspective, since the majority of our at-home food spending goes to fruit, and during the winter season, vegetables from local farms. I also have access to several co-ops/natural food stores where I can source nearly all my ingredients save produce in bulk–including the sesame oil, tamari, rice, and vinegar featured here. I know this is not an option for many, but if there are two tips I can share, purchase from the bulk bins when you can and be resourceful; think of recipes as a template and be courageous enough to make substitutions depending on what’s on hand.

Since we’re talking budget meals, below are a handful of recipes I’ve created over the years that are also friendly for frugal eating in this winter season:

Beans + Rice with Turmeric Special Sauce
Mejadra with Swiss Chard + Tahini
Polenta with Lemon-Garlic Raab + Chickpeas
All-the-Greens Interchangeable Pesto
Black Bean + Corn Chilaquiles
Black Bean + Vegetable Grain Bowl

Sesame Garlic Tofu + Rice Bowl with Pickled Ginger and Gomasio, serves 4
You’ll notice this is a meal of many components. I said it’s budget-friendly but I didn’t say it is super quick! :) You can purchase the pickled ginger and gomasio rather than make them, or even leave them out, to simplify and speed things up. If you do choose to make them, the pickled ginger will need to be made ahead so it can “pickle” for a couple days. Both it and the gomasio make big batches for many future uses. Also, definitely use any vegetables of choice. I went out to harvest the last of my carrots (the vibrant purple ones!) and found a couple little salad turnips remaining so I tossed those in the mix as well.

Sesame Garlic Tofu
1 16-oz. package firm tofu
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbs. apple cider or brown rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs. reduced sodium tamari

Begin by cutting the tofu in half through it’s width, so you have two rectangles. Then wrap in paper towel and press between two cutting boards for at least 30 minutes. Remove the towels, and cut into pieces.
Stir together the remaining ingredients in a large container with a lid and add the pressed tofu. Stir or close the lid and shake briefly. Then, allow the tofu to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
When the tofu is ready to be baked, remove it from its container onto the parchment. Reserve the marinade because you’ll use it for the vegetables.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are beginning to get nice and crispy, turning halfway through.

Pickled Ginger, makes 1 small jar
1 large hand fresh ginger
2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup apple cider or rice vinegar
1/2 cup water

Peel the ginger and thinly slice with a sharp knife or on a mandolin.
Then combine the ginger and salt in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
Add the ginger to a small jar and pack it tightly.
Make the pickling brine by combining the vinegar and water and then pour it over the ginger, filling the jar to within 1/2 inch of the top.
Gently tap the jar against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles, then seal it tightly.
Let the jar cool to room temperature and then store the pickles in the refrigerator; they will improve their flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.
They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Gomasio
1 cup sesame seeds
2 tsp. sea salt

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside to cool and toss with 1 teaspoon of the salt.
Put 1/3 cup of the seeds into a food processor and process until broken down into a powder. Remove and put into a jar or other container, add the remaining whole seeds and remaining salt and mix together.
Use by the spoonful to top finished dishes and store the extra in the fridge. It will keep for many weeks!

Other bowl components
4 cups cooked long-grain or basmati brown rice
4-6 cups seasonal vegetables of choice, diced (I chose carrots, broccoli, and turnips)

To bring the bowl together:

When the tofu and rice are nearly done, add the diced vegetables to a steamer basket in a large pan filled with water. Steam until they’re nearly soft but still have a little bit of a bite.
Then, remove the steamer basket, drain the water from the pan, and add in the reserved tofu marinade, along with a little extra sesame oil, if needed. Turn the pan up to medium-high and sear-sauté the vegetables in the marinade until just done.
For each bowl, arrange cooked rice, tofu, vegetables along with the pickled ginger, and top with the gomasio.