Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Holiday, Roasted Vegetables, Side, Spring

Roasted Spring Onions

March 28, 2021 Sam

This simple dish is a great side. If you roast them long enough, the lower half softens into a subtly flavored mush and the tops get crispy and salty. It’s a real treat. Two to three per person is enough.

I made this for Passover 2021 and it was an excellent and surprising side.

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Roasted Spring Onions

Simple seasonal deliciousness

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keyword: Spring

Servings: servings

Calories: 88kcal

Equipment

Deep-sided metal pan

Ingredients

6 large spring onions
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Trim bottoms and tops of the spring onion. Coat with oil, salt and pepper. Place in the large pan.
Place pan in the oven and roast for at least 20 minutes, uo to 25 minutes, until the tops have darkened significantly and the bottoms look flat as if they've fully softened.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Spring Onions

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 275mg12%

Potassium 221mg6%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 753IU15%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Appetizer, Holiday, Spring

Caprese Eggplant Bites

March 28, 2021 Sam

These delicious little devils are less work than they look. It’s a lot of dishes, but it’s worth it. They even save pretty well! I made this for a informal Passover 2021 and it was a nice, semi-fresh compliment to a heavier meal.

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Caprese Eggplant Bites

An appetizing bite-sized dish

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 360kcal

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 large graffiti eggplant or 1 medium regular eggplant
½ cup oil Canola or other high-heat oil
3 medium heirloom tomatoes
12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
Fresh basil
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Prep the breading work area. Measure flour and put on a plate. Then measure the breadcrumbs and put on a second plate; add salt and pepper and mix well. Beat 3 eggs in a large, shallow bowl and place between the two plates.
Trim the top and bottom of the eggplant. Slice about ⅜" rounds, or just larger than ¼" rounds.
Preheat the oil in a large frying pan over medium, medium-high heat.
Using one hand, move each slice of eggplant through the flour, coating well. Then dip into the egg, coating well again. Finally, gently press each side into the bread crumbs to ensure it's well-coated.
Using a slotted turner (or tongs), gently place battered eggplant slices into the oil in a single layer. You will have to do a few batches. Fry on each side without disturbing for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat until all slices are fried.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. While the slices fry, slice the tomatoes into the same number of slices as you have eggplants. Also prepare the sliced mozzarella. Once the slices are fried, place on a lightly oiled sheet pan (half-size is fine) and top with the sliced tomatoes and then the sliced mozzarella.
Bake the slices at 400ºF for 3-5 minutes, until the mozzarella just barely starts to melt. While that bakes, slice the basil leaves.
Remove and top with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of a flaky salt and the sliced basil leaves.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Caprese Eggplant Bites

Amount Per Serving

Calories 360 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 76mg25%

Sodium 667mg29%

Potassium 413mg12%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 1078IU22%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 333mg33%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy-Free, Roasted Vegetables, Side, Spring, Weeknight Dinner

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

March 20, 2021 Sam

This is an excellent way to make roasted Brussels sprouts. The added lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce gives them much-needed tang. They even save better than average because of that extra flavor.

Print Recipe

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keyword: Roasted Vegetables

Servings: servings

Calories: 241kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussels sprouts trimmed and sliced ¼" thick
3 medium shallots sliced ¼" thick
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
8 thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce vegetarian
½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
Grated Parmesan optional

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 450°F while you prepare the sprouts. Toss the brussels sprouts, shallots, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Divide sprouts between two baking sheets and spread into a thin layer. Top with thyme sprigs.
Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, until brussels sprouts and shallots are tender, golden and lightly charred in spots.
While that roasts, mix together garlic, Worcestershire and lemon juice in a small bowl.
As soon as you remove the sprouts from the oven, drizzle with the dressing and toss a bit to combine. Serve and top with grated Parmesan, if using.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

Amount Per Serving

Calories 241 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 667mg29%

Potassium 1344mg38%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 13g54%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 2494IU50%

Vitamin C 266mg322%

Calcium 262mg26%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dessert

Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

March 7, 2021 Sam

This isn’t ice cream. Some people call it (or variations of it) “nice cream” but I am too ambivalent about that term to use it as the title. My main problem is that it replaces the word “ice”, which is the one word of the phrase that is still true – there is ice in there. There is no cream, or at least there may not be any cream. Also, “nice cream” may be someone’s intellectual property.

There are many variations here. I am going to include the basic recipe and then variations below that. The variations would change the nutritional profile, but generally the bananas or other fresh fruit are going to provide the primary source of calories and nutrients.

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Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

So good it doesn't need added sugar

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Substitutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 88kcal

Equipment

Food processor or high-speed blender

Ingredients

3 large bananas peeled, sliced and frozen
½ cup strawberries cubed and frozen
½ cup mango peeled, cubed and frozen
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup flax milk

Instructions

Peel the bananes and slice into 1"-thick slices. Add to a bag or container and place in the freezer until they are fully frozen, at least 6 hours or up to a few days. Also prepare the other fruit. In this standard recipe of strawberries and mangos, I am assuming they are already cleaned, cubed and frozen.
Add all frozen fruit to a large food processor or a high-speed blender.

Notes

Variations

Chocolate tahini: 3 frozen bananas, ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup flax milk, 2 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt
Peanut butter and chocolate: 3 frozen bananas, ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup flax milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp cocoa powder

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 16mg1%

Potassium 321mg9%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 234IU5%

Vitamin C 18mg22%

Calcium 44mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Breakfast

Breakfast Naan

March 7, 2021 Sam

Excellent way to use leftover naan and yuba bacon! A delicious second-day meal to follow up the naan and sausages.

You can reduce the calories and fat if you make simpler scrambled eggs, without the 4 tbsp of butter. Or even reduce the eggs to just 1 egg per serving. But really, why would you do that? This is decadent!

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Breakfast Naan

For when you just have too much naan, if that's even a thing

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 762kcal

Ingredients

6 slices yuba bacon
4 scrambled eggs
2 pieces naan
2 oz cheddar cheese
Hot sauce optional
Green chilies optional

Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Warm the naan and bacon.
Place the naan on a place and top with bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese. Add the optional hot sauce and green chilies. Serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Breakfast Naan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 762 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 28g175%

Trans Fat 2g

Cholesterol 478mg159%

Sodium 1412mg61%

Potassium 258mg7%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1699IU34%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 361mg36%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Breakfast, Dairy-Free

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

March 7, 2021 Sam

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Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Basics

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

2 tsp cornstarch
4 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cut into ¼" cubes
4 large eggs
⅕ tsp salt

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tsp cornstarch with 1.5 tbsp water until there are no lumps. Add half the butter cubes to the mixture. Add eggs and salt. Whisk until the eggs are well-beaten. (Yes, the butter cubes will remain.)
The rest goes very quickly, so prepare your plates next to the stove. Heat 1 tbsp water in a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl with a spatula gently until the water evaporates. As soon as the water is all-but gone, add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and push around with the spatula for just a few seconds until the better is almost entirely melted but not brown.
Add the egg mixture and cook, pushing and folding the eggs with the spatula. Do this until they are just less cooked than you like them, which usually takes about 1-2 minutes depending on how you like eggs, and then transfer them to a plate. Faster stirring leads to finer, softer chunks, while a slower stir will result in larger, fluffier curds.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 432mg144%

Sodium 378mg16%

Potassium 145mg4%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 1240IU25%

Calcium 63mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Fall, Great Leftovers, Rotation, Seasons, Spring, Summer, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Naan & Sausages

March 6, 2021 Sam

This is inspired by Short Leash, which is the first place I saw that put sausages in naan and filled them with delicious toppings.

Print Recipe

Naan & Sausages

Relatively easy and simple, if you already have naan, beans and yuba bacon

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Simple

Servings: servings

Calories: 864kcal

Ingredients

1 cup pinto beans
4 pieces naan
4 vegetarian sausages Beyond Meat "Brat Original"
4 tbsp green chilies
1 tbsp canola oil
2 yellow onions
1 jalapenos
8 pieces yuba bacon optional

Instructions

Prep

These do not count towards the total time for this meal, because hopefully you are cooking this part of a larger meal plan. Make sure you have naan, pinto beans (or other bean that holds it shape) and yuba bacon (if using).
1 cup pinto beans, 4 pieces naan, 8 pieces yuba bacon

Cooking and Assembly

To a large skillet or sauté pan, add the 1 tbsp canola oil and heat over medium. Then add the yellow onions and jalapenos and fry until they develop some color and are well-softened.
1 tbsp canola oil, 2 yellow onions, 1 jalapenos
Remove the onion mix while preserving the oil in the pan as much as possible. Once removed, add the sausages. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Remove the cover and turn. Adjust heat. You want the sides to develop some light color over 5 minutes per side. Continue to rotate and adjust heat so they sausages crisp up and cook. Check internal temperature so it reaches at least 165°F.
4 vegetarian sausages
Assemble by placing each naan on a plate and topping with the sausage, ¼ cup of beans, 1 tbsp or so of green chilies, and some of the cooked jalapenos and onions. You can add a small amount of mayonaise or a light mustard. A little cheese would be fine too.
4 pieces naan, 8 pieces yuba bacon, 4 tbsp green chilies

Notes

Makes 2 very hefty servings; nutrition assumes inclusion of Yuba bacon.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Naan & Sausages

Amount Per Serving

Calories 864 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 3g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 2404mg105%

Potassium 805mg23%

Carbohydrates 127g42%

Fiber 17g71%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 42g84%

Vitamin A 337IU7%

Vitamin C 27mg33%

Calcium 229mg23%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Dry Beans, Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Dry Bean Recipe

March 5, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Basic Bean Recipe

This recipe assumes you're using a Instant Pot. It is only a minor difference to instead use a stovetop pressure cooker; just use a timer and assume high pressure (except when low pressure is mentioned).

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Soak Time6

Total Time7 5

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Spice bag

Ingredients

¾ cup dry beans
1 piece kombu about 4 square inches, which could be a 1” piece if it’s wide, or a 4” piece if it’s skinny – place in a spice bag to make it easy

Bean spices (options; place in spice bag, usually)

1 Bay leaf I put one in nearly pot of beans
½ tsp Peppercorns
¼ tsp Red pepper flakes up to 1 tsp or so, great addition to make the beans spicy to their core
⅓ tsp Oregano
Other potential herbs: rosemary, sage, and thyme
1 clove garlic or about ½ tsp granulated / powder
¼ onion or shallots
1-2 stalks carrots and celery these are particularly good additions if you plan on using the bean cooking water as the base of the rest of the dish.

Instructions

I recommend pre-soaking. Rinse the beans and remove any broken pieces. (You can leave in broken pieces if you are making a mashed-bean recipe.) Add to a medium mixing bowl along with about 1 quart water and 2 tsp salt. Mix well. Set aside for 4-8 hours, covered to make sure nothing gets into the soaking beans.
If you pre-soaked, drain the beans well before moving to the next step. If you did not pre-soak, measure and rinse the beans well before proceeding.
Place the beans in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cover with about 1” water – I think this is usually about 1 quart water, but it’s not more than 2 quarts for this few of beans. You don’t want too much water. Add your bean spices (from above options), either in a spice bag (or wrapped in cheesecloth) or into the pot directly. Secure the lid.
Set the desired pressure-cooking time and bring to pressure. See below for times.
Once the machine has stopped the pressure cycle, I would recommend canceling the “Keep Warm” function (if applicable). Allow pressure to release naturally. I think this is the most critical part for soft, well-cooked, but unbroken beans. You should, however, not let this go longer than 25 minutes if you want whole beans as letting the pressure stay elevated (and therefore the water to stay above-boiling) may overcook the beans.
If beans are not fully soft, you can bring to pressure again for 1-2 minutes and then release pressure manually and that should finish them off. If they seem to need a lot more time, try cooking for an additional 5 minutes and then releasing pressure after 10 minutes.