Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese

January 9, 2021 Sam

I put this together based on past recipes and ideas I saw in a cookbook about how to use lentils, since I had a bit of a surplus. This is delicious and the beets and lentils go really well together. The chard brings the extra flavor and fun that’s needed here.

Note that one big bunch seems like a lot chard, but it somewhat disappears into the lentils once wilted. You can consider two bunches if you want to really enhance the chard.

Print Recipe

Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Lentils

Servings: servings

Calories: 576kcal

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Stand mixer

Ingredients

Beets

10 small red beets about 2" each, leaves and stems removed, scrubed
4 tbsp olive olive oil
3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
½ tsp salt

Lentils

350 g French green lentils
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt

Chard and onion

1.5 lbs chard Swiss or rainbow
1 small red onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
½ tbsp olive oil

Goat cheese

11 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup whole milk
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Beets (up to 24 hours before)

Remove the leaves/stalks from the beets but don’t pierce the beet, if possible. Rinse the beets and scrub off any dirt. Add about 1½ cup water in the bottom of the pressure cooker, just below the steam basket line, and place beets into the basket. Pressure cook on high for 11 minutes for small beets (up to 18 minutes for large beets, or even 25 minutes for real monster beets) and allow pressure to release naturally. Check beets for doneness – a knife or fork should easily pierce the beet and it should be somewhat tender. Allow beets to cool.
10 small red beets
As the beets cool, in a large, covered, non-reactive bowl, combine 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and about ½ tsp salt and a good ¼ tsp or more of fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
4 tbsp olive olive oil, 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp salt
Once beets are cool, slice off the ends and slide off the skin. Then large-dice the beets into bite-sized but hearty pieces, aka bite-a-beets – about ½” square, more or less. Toss well with the marinating sauce. You can add more of the ingredients to the bowl – in original proportion – if it seems like there is not enough dressing to allow the beets to marinate. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Stir occasionally, especially in the beginning.

Lentils

When you’re ready to make dinner, boil some water in the kettle. Measure and rinse the French green lentils. Once the water is boiling, add to a large saucepan along with the lentils and ½ tsp salt and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn to low, or a touch above low. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
350 g French green lentils, 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp salt

Goat cheese

To make the whipped goat cheese, add the goat cheese, olive oil, milk, vinegar, pepper and salt to the stand mixer with the whipping attachment on and whip until the cheese is fluffy and soft. Taste and season with additional vinegar and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
11 oz goat cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt

Wilt the chard and prepare

Strip the leaves from the chard and roughly chop or slice. Cut the bottoms from the stems and slice thinly. Keep with the chopped red onion and chopped garlic.
1.5 lbs chard, 1 small red onion, 3 cloves garlic
To a large Dutch oven, add oil and heat to medium. Add the chard stems, red onion and garlic and simmer a bit until everything is softened a bit and fragrant. Turn down heat and add the chopped swiss chard and cook just until it’s wilted. Then add the lentils and toss gently. Add beets and toss again.
½ tbsp olive oil
Serve the chard, lentils and beets topped with the whipped goat cheese.

Notes

Serves 6

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 576 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 25mg8%

Sodium 1317mg57%

Potassium 1465mg42%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 24g100%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 7556IU151%

Vitamin C 45mg55%

Calcium 206mg21%

Iron 9mg50%

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

Dairy-Free, Dry Beans, Great Leftovers, Holiday, Projects

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

January 1, 2021 Sam

This started out 2021 right for us. Filled with chunks of delicious, home-made sausage and filled with hearty legumes and brown rice, it was a nutritious start to what will be a great year.

It’s a real project with a great payoff.

Print Recipe

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

Starting 2021 off right

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Southern, Vegetarian

Keyword: Dry Beans, Stew

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

Beans and Rice

2 cups dry black-eyed peas
1 bay leaf
1 dried chipotle pepper
½ onion diced
28 oz diced tomatoes fire-roasted preferred
2 tsp salt
1.5 cups long-grain brown rice

Sauté

3 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion diced
2 carrots diced
1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1 serrano pepper stemmed and diced

Finish

4 links sausage or soyrizo
3 scallions optional, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley minced

Instructions

Beans

Rinse and pick over the black-eyed peas. Add to a large soup pot with 5 cups water and the bay leaf, chipotle and the diced half-onion. Heat to a boil and then cover and turn to low so it just barely simmers. Let cook until the beans are not quite tender – as quick as 30 minutes, or as much as one hour. You want them to be notably under-cooked, but at least half-cooked. They should have a crunch, but not still be dry.

Add Rice

Once the beans have reached the right near-cooked phase, add the tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and black pepper. Raise the heat and add the rice. Bring to a boil and then turn back to low so it barely simmers. Cook for 30-50 minutes until the beans and brown rice are tender and just cooked.

Sauté and Sausages

While the brown rice cooks, prepare the sauté ingredients. Also prepare the sausages by slicing them into 1-inch pieces.
When the rice and beans are nearly done, heat a large skillet over medium and add 2 tbsp olive oil and then the onions. Soften and brown the onions for 5-6 minutes. Then add the carrots and stir for a 2-3 minutes until bright and starting to soften. Then add the bell peppers, celery, garlic and serrano pepper. Sauté and stir for another few minutes until fragerant. Remove to a small bowl and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
In the same pan, add another 1 tbsp oil and heat. Then add the sliced sausages and gently fry, turning after a few minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and remove from heat.

Combine and Serve

Once the rice and beans are fully cooked, turn off the heat. Add the sauted vegetables and mix gently but well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages last, or even add them as you serve the dish. Sprinkle the scallions and fresh parsley on top, if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

New Year's Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 757mg33%

Potassium 1119mg32%

Carbohydrates 58g19%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 3625IU73%

Vitamin C 49.5mg60%

Calcium 132.5mg13%

Iron 6.5mg36%

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

Dessert, Favorites

Chocolate Fudge Tahini Rye Cake

December 24, 2020 Sam

This cake looks great whole or as slices. It has a complex, sweet, fudgey and whole-grain flavor and the salted tahini icing highlights the uncommon flavors.

This is the cake I would bring in to work – if I found a safe way to transport it – if I wanted to show off something different and special.

Print Recipe

Chocolate Fudge Tahini Rye Cake

A spectacular, moist and flavorful cake

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, California

Keyword: Cake

Servings: slices

Calories: 359kcal

Equipment

Stand mixer
Bundt cake pan

Ingredients

Cake

270 g rye flour
300 g sugar
65 g cocoa powder
8 g baking powder
7 g baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
2 large eggs
215 g whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
80 g unsalted butter
160 ml hot coffee

Icing

225 g powdered sugar
⅛ tsp salt
½ tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
In a very large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Prepare the cake pan by rubbing all surfaces of the inside with butter. Then dust with flour to ensure all surfaces are well-coated. Then shake out any leftover flour.
In the stand mixer, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla on a low-medium speed until well mixed but not overly frothy. Switch to the flat beater. Add the dry ingredients in stages, mixing until combined each time you add more. Continue until all dry ingredients are well-combined. Then, add the hot coffee and mix well again.
Pour in the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Then flip he pan upside down onto a cooling rack and gently shake to remove from the pan.

Icing

While the cake cools, prepare the icing. Add all ingredients to a clean stand mixer bowl with the cleaned whisk. Mix well until everything is very well combined. You are looking for an icing that is just viscous enough to run down the sides of the cake, but that won't slide off. It's going to be very thick, but still run off a spoon a little.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Fudge Tahini Rye Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 359 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 377mg16%

Potassium 234mg7%

Carbohydrates 66g22%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 45g50%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 249IU5%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 88mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

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

Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Dry Beans, Fall, Favorites, Projects, Spring, Summer, Weekend Dinner, Winter

Chickpea & Shishito Paella

December 20, 2020 Sam

This is an exceptional dish. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. There are a lot of dishes, though.

Print Recipe

Chickpea & Shishito Paella

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Spanish, Vegan

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 476kcal

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Immersion blender
Large oven-proof skillet

Ingredients

½ lb dry chickpeas
3 cups vegetable broth
1 pinch saffron threads crushed
¼ cup olive oil
12 small shishito peppers stemmed but left whole
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
½ lb green beans cut into 1” pieces
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika pimenton
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup passata or 2 small tomatoes passed through the food mill
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems
1½ cup Spanish rice Calasparra is best, can be Arborio
2 cups spinach chopped

Vegan aioli (optional)

1 clove garlic
¼ cup aquafaba
2 tbsp cooked chickpeas
¾ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp kosher salt
¾ cup grapeseed or neutral oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Cook beans (1-2 days before, if making the vegan aioli)

Soak the beans in water and 1% salt for at least 6 hours. Drain and put in the pressure cooker. Add water to about ½" above the chickpeas – you don’t want too much water for this given the vegan aioli step. Don’t add more salt or spices, to keep the flavor fairly neutral.
Bring to pressure for 14 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and remove the inner pot. Allow to cool.
Once cool, store chickpeas and their cooking liquid together in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Make paella

Prepare ingredients first per the ingredient list. Onion, garlic and red bell pepper can go together. Passata and chopped cilantro can go together in a glass. Paprika, cumin and salt can also be combined.
Heat the 3 cups broth in a saucepan until boiling. Then turn heat to low and cover. If chickpeas are in the fridge, you can add them to the broth here, to warm them up. (Otherwise leave them to the side for now.)
Heat a very large (at least 12”), straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ¼ cup olive oil and heat to shimmering. Place the shishitos in the pan with tongs and sear each side for 1-2 minutes. Transfer them back to their bowl.
Around now, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook to the pan, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin and salt and stir well for 30 seconds. Then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes until they’ve brightened.
Stir in the tomato sauce and cilantro and let it cook a bit, maybe 30 seconds. Then add the rice and stir well, making sure it all is combined thoroughly. Stir in the broth, drained chickpeas, and spinach. Sprinkle in the crushed saffron. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the rice has begun to absorb the liquid. The rice should still be covered by liquid, but it should have started to dry out.
Then nestle the shishitos on the rice and transfer the pan the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cover with a lid or aluminum foil and let it sit for 10 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.
While it cooks, make the aioli. Cut the garlic and remove green shoots, if any, to prevent some of the bitter taste of uncooked garlic. In a small cup that can fit the immersion blender, puree the garlic, aquafaba, chickpeas, mustard and salt until smooth. Drizzle in the oil, starting slowly until it begins to thicken. Then you can pour the rest in. You may need to blend for several minutes before it starts to thicken. Once as thick as you think it’ll get, or as thick as it needs to be, add the lemon juice and any extra salt, to taste. Store in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

This recipe makes 8 servings.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chickpea & Shishito Paella

Amount Per Serving

Calories 476 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 692mg30%

Potassium 631mg18%

Carbohydrates 59g20%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 3155IU63%

Vitamin C 91mg110%

Calcium 69mg7%

Iron 5mg28%

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

Dairy-Free, Dry Beans, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Cranberry Bean and Barley Stew

December 7, 2020 Sam

A delicious and simple soup that uses barley to soak up the rich pot broth produced by a cranberry bean. You can substitute other hearty, delicious beans that produce a great pot-broth, like Rio Zape.

Print Recipe

Cranberry Bean and Barley Stew

A simple, flavorful bean soup – an instant and recognizable classic

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Soaking Time8

Total Time10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keyword: Barley, Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 463kcal

Ingredients

Beans

1 lb cranberry beans (dry)
4 bay leaves
1 shallot peeled and left whole or cut in half
2 cloves garlic whole
1 stalk celery cut into large chunks
1 carrot cut into large chunks
1 tsp peppercorn
1 sprig rosemary
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano

Stew

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp miso paste or 2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 carrots halved and sliced
3 stalks celery halved and sliced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup pearled barley
3-5 cups spinach
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions

Soak Beans

Rinse and pick through the beans. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with at least double the amount of water, by volume. Add about 1% (by weight) salt, typically around 2 tsp salt and mix. Set aside, covered, for at least four and up to about eight hours.

Prepare Soup

When ready to cook the beans, drain and add the beans to a large pot. Add 4.5 quarts of water; you will be using the bean cooking liquid as the base for the soup, so you want plenty of water here. As you bring the beans and water to a boil, clean the various ingredients used to cook the beans listed above and add to a large soup sock and/or a spice bag. (You can leave the bay leaves out if you’d like and just add to the bean liquid, since you can continue using those for the final product too.)
Once the beans reach a boil, cover and set a timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, bring the mix down to a low simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until beans are nearly cooked. (They can be just a little undercooked, since you will continue to simmer.) If the beans get overcooked, quickly remove from the heat, salt the water well, and add the tomotoes. The salt and acid will slow the cooking.
While the beans cook, prepare the other ingredients. Large dice the onion, mince or crush the garlic, and slice the celery and carrots into stew-worthy small pieces. For the celery, I usually slice the stalk in half vertically (or even fourths for very large stalks) and then slice into 1-2 cm slices. For carrots, I would cut large ones in half and then slice the halves (or smaller carrots) to 1-2 cm slices. Add all of the vegetables to a single large prep bowl. Rinse the pearled barley. Rinse the spinach.
Optional: If you are cooking the final soup in the same pot as the beans, you can wait until the beans are fully cooked and move the beans and their cooking liquid to a bowl to the side. Remove the soup sock and/or spice bags from the beans and their liquid. DO NOT DRAIN – you want to save all liquid.
Either way, in a large pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Add about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper (or to taste). Cook until they are softening and developing flavor, usually 5-7 minutes. It’s OK if the onion is taking on some color. Then, add the 2 tbsp miso paste or the 2 tbsp tomato paste. Cook until fragrant, 30-90 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes, with their liquid, and mix well. Season with the remainder 1 tsp salt and additional ½ tsp pepper (or to taste) remembering tomatoes soak up a lot of salt usually.
Add the rinsed 1 cup barley and the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir everything together. Lower the temperature once you’ve reached a simmer and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, until the barley is chewy and no longer hard.
Once the barley is cooked, add the rinsed spinach and turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Six servings
Could use a small portion of crusty bread for the liquid, but the barley provides enough filling carbs

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Bean and Barley Stew

Amount Per Serving

Calories 463 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1056mg46%

Potassium 1441mg41%

Carbohydrates 82g27%

Fiber 27g113%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 6751IU135%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 168mg17%

Iron 6mg33%

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

Basics, Holiday, Sauces

Classic Umami Gravy

November 29, 2020 Sam

This gravy works really well and can even tolerate some improvisation. The key components are here though, so don’t alter it too much. You really do need the fennel and celery seed to give it a nice sausage-like flavor, and the miso helps add important umami.

Print Recipe

Classic Umami Gravy

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Ingredient, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: Sauces

Servings: servings

Calories: 56kcal

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion minced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp fennel seeds crushed
1 tsp celery seeds crushed
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp flour
¾ cup vegetable broth
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp miso
1 tsp good-quality soy sauce or tamari

Instructions

Melt the 3 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Sauté the onion until it softens, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spices (fennel, celery seed, thyme and cayenne) and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
1 small yellow onion, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp celery seeds, 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Add the 2 tbsp flour and mix constantly for 4-7 minutes until the color turns medium brown.
2 tbsp flour
Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the vegetable broth, miso and soy sauce and stir until smooth and thickened, a few minutes.
¾ cup vegetable broth, 1 tbsp miso, 1 tsp good-quality soy sauce or tamari
Drizzle in the milk slowly and mix well to ensure it all incorporates well. Stir until somewhat thickened, about 5-7 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools.
¾ cup milk
Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt, pepper and other seasonings as needed.

Notes

Makes 10 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Classic Umami Gravy

Amount Per Serving

Calories 56 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 177mg8%

Potassium 52mg1%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 179IU4%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

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

Dry Beans, Fall, Projects, Weekend Dinner, Winter

Vegetarian Cassoulet with Bean Sausages

November 29, 2020 Sam

This is an interesting meal. It makes a lot of a very high-fiber meal. I would only recommend making it once per year.

Print Recipe

Vegetarian Cassoulet with Bean Sausages

Prep Time4 30

Cook Time2

Total Time6 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California, Vegan

Keyword: Dry Beans, Stews

Servings: servings

Calories: 312kcal

Ingredients

½ lb cassoulet beans
3 tbsp olive oil
1 bulb fennel cleaned and sliced
1 large leek cleaned and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 stalks celery diced
3 large carrots diced
½ tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
15 oz diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp miso
1 farcelette or dried herb bundle with bay leaf
3-4 sprigs sage thyme, sage, rosemary
2 cups vegetable stock
6 bean sausages optional yet important

Instructions

Make the bean sausages the day before. Store in the fridge to firm up.
Soak beans all day in salted water. Drain and add water to a medium saucepan. Add the beans and bring to a gentle boil and then turn down to low. Check after 20 minutes and if the beans are getting relatively soft, turn off the heat and set aside. You want to soften the beans substantially but not fully cook them.
½ lb cassoulet beans
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a Dutch oven, cook the vegetables with plenty of olive oil over medium-high with just a pinch of salt until softened and starting to take on some brown color, 5-8 minutes.
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 bulb fennel, 1 large leek, 4 cloves garlic, 1 large yellow onion, 3 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, ½ tsp salt
Add 1 tsp smoked paprika and stir. Add the tomato paste and miso and mix well. Add the tomatoes and cook for a bit longer until everything is well-combined.
1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp miso, 15 oz diced tomatoes
Add the vegetable stock, farcelette (dried herb bundle) and the fresh herb sprigs. Mix. Add the drained, soaked beans. Bring to a simmer, ensuring there is plenty of liquid to cover the beans and allow absorption for the beans. Add a bit of vegetable stock or water if needed.
1 farcelette, 2 cups vegetable stock, 3-4 sprigs sage
Once simmering well, cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake, covered, for 1-2 hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to ensure the beans are well-covered in liquid and then, after an hour, the doneness of the beans. Beans should cook in about 60-90 minutes.
As the beans approach being done, prepare the sausages. Slice on a diagonal into 1” or ½” pieces. Pan-fry in a few tbsp oil until they’ve developed a nice crust.
6 bean sausages
Once beans have cooked, uncover the dish and add the fried sausages on top. Gently press sausage pieces into the soup. Bake, uncovered, for another 15-30 minutes to allow the sausages to flavor-meld with the soup and for some of the remaining liquid to cook off.
Remove from the oven and carefully remove the herb bundle and herb sprigs. Allow to cool some and then serve with a crusty bread.

Notes

Serves 8

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegetarian Cassoulet with Bean Sausages

Amount Per Serving

Calories 312 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 201mg67%

Sodium 927mg40%

Potassium 940mg27%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 5392IU108%

Vitamin C 16mg19%

Calcium 172mg17%

Iron 7mg39%

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

Dairy-Free, Fall, Favorites, Rotation, Spring, Summer, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Tofu, Broccoli and Rice (Hainanese-Inspired)

November 9, 2020 Sam

This requires some work the day before or in the morning, to create a good ginger scallion sauce and also to marinate the tofu.

Print Recipe

Tofu, Broccoli and Rice (Hainanese-Inspired)

Like "Rooster & Rice" – a simple delight

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Marinating Time1

Total Time1 1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Rice, Tofu

Servings: servings

Calories: 1017kcal

Ingredients

Ginger scallion sauce

3 tbsp light oil canola, grapeseed
2 tbsp scallions minced
1 inch fresh ginger 1 tbsp minced or 2 tbsp grated
1 tbsp soy sauce

Tofu

1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin rice wine
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
20 oz firm tofu 2 Hodo Soy packages

Rice

2 cloves garlic minced
1 inch fresh ginger 1 tbsp minced or 2 tbsp grated
1 cup long-grain rice basmati
1½ cup vegetable or no-chicken stock

Broccoli

1.5 lb broccoli
Water or vegetable stock

Serving

1 tbsp Sambal oelek or sriracha

Instructions

Ginger scallion sauce

Mince the green onion. Mince or grate the fresh ginger. Add to a storage container (like a Mason jar) along with the 3 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Allow to marinate for at least one hour and up to one week.

Tofu

Marinate the tofu in advance by mixing all of the liquid and ginger ingredients together in a sealable container. Slice the tofu into bite-size cubes and pat dry. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to a full day.
When ready, heat 2 tbsp of a high-heat oil over medium-high heat in a large straight-sided pan or Dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in one layer. Cook for a few minutes on each side without disturbing before flipping, aiming for a light-brown, crisp exterior on each side.

Rice

In a large soup pot that fits a strainer attachment (you’ll see why later) over medium heat, add a few tsp oil and the 2 cloves minced garlic and minced or grated ginger. Fry a bit. Rinse the 1 cup rice thoroughly, then add the drained rice to the pot and stir well for 1-2 minutes.
Move the ginger, garlic and rice mix to a rice cooker and add 1½ cup vegetable stock. Cook until done. (Do not clean the large pot.)

Broccoli

To steam the broccoli, add 1” water or stock to the pot where the rice was briefly fried. Bring to a boil.
As it comes to a boil, chop the broccoli so you have large bite-size pieces. Once the water/stock is boiling, add the broccoli to a steamer basket and place on/in the pan.
Cover and steam for 5-6 minutes. Try to time this so it’s the final step as the rice and tofu are finishing, or even after they finish so the broccoli is very freshly steamed.

Assemble & Serve

Once the tofu, rice and broccoli are done, assemble in a bowl (recommended) by placing the rice on the bottom, with fried tofu on one side and broccoli on the other. Top with drizzles of the ginger scallion sauce and the sambal oelek, as desired.

Notes

Makes 2 very large servings, or 3-4 smaller servings

Nutrition

Dairy-Free, Favorites, Great Leftovers, Side

Best Potato Salad Ever

October 31, 2020 Sam

This is from an excellent book. You can add in chopped boiled eggs if you want to make it non-vegan and add a bit of protein. But really it works excellent on its own.

Print Recipe

Best Potato Salad Ever

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Picnic, Potatoes

Servings: servings

Calories: 292kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs red potatoes
4 large shallots thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp Dijon mustard or horseradish
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
2 cups baby arugula

Instructions

Start boiling a large pot of salted water. Wash the potatoes and cut into bit-size chunks (½” pieces). Cook potato for 6 to 8 minutes, until cooked (not al dente).
2 lbs red potatoes
Whisk the sliced shallots, minced garlic, mustard, salt and several grinds of fresh pepper together with the vinegar in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil.
4 large shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½ cup olive oil
Drain the potatoes. Toss with the vinaigrette. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Rinse and dry the arugula. Fold the arugula into the potatoes. Adjust salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.
2 cups baby arugula

Notes

Serves 6 as a side dish

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Best Potato Salad Ever

Amount Per Serving

Calories 292 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 284mg12%

Potassium 792mg23%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 173IU3%

Vitamin C 16mg19%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

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

Bread and Pasta, Indian

Best. Naan. Ever.

October 4, 2020 Sam

There are a lot of great ways to make naan. This is the best I’ve discovered so far. It’s relatively quick and you get 12 delicious pieces of yeasted, mildly sour bread.

Print Recipe

Best Naan Ever

This excellent naan has more complicated ingredients, but remains relatively quick to make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Rise Time2

Total Time2 45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 195kcal

Ingredients

250 g all-purpose flour
250 g bread flour
2 tbsp canola oil
4 tbsp whole-milk yogurt
7 grams active dried yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk warmed
1 tsp canola oil

Instructions

Measure the flours into the stand mixer bowl. Add the paddle attachment. Mix in the canola oil, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Then add the yogurt and mix until you get a crumb-like texture. If it starts to form a ball, stop and switch to the dough hook. Once mixed, switch to the dough hook, and stir in the warmed milk until it comes together into a ball. You may need to add more flour or milk, but you essentially want to get a ball that comes together but isn’t too dry or too wet.
250 g all-purpose flour, 250 g bread flour, 2 tbsp canola oil, 4 tbsp whole-milk yogurt, 7 grams active dried yeast, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp baking powder
Kneed with the dough hook for a few minutes. You want it to form a dough, but it can stay fairly sticky and formless at this point. It should be just dry and gluten-strengthened enough to not stick to the dough hook. (This will be a fairly wet dough.)
Place a teaspoon of canola oil into a large, clean mixing bowl. Pull the dough out of the stand mixing bowl and gently turn over in the oil in the mixing bowl, so it’s well-coated. Cover with a wet dish towel and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
1 tsp canola oil
Pull the dough from the mixing bowl and gently and quickly roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal portions using a knife or dough-scraper. Let rest on a lightly floured work surface, covered with a dry towel (which can also be covered by the wet towel).
Heat a very large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, about a 6.5/10. Allow it to get hot while you roll out the first naan.
Next, you will roll out each naan and then add to the hot pan. While it cooks, you will roll out 1-2 more naan. It's best if you have a willing helper to manage the rolling while you handle the cooking naan, but you can multi-task this too. More specifically: With each piece, flatten into a long round, about 4” wide and as long as needed (maybe 9”) to get a fairly thin piece of naan. You may need to use some flour to prevent sticking to the work surface, but try not use too much.
Once the pan or skillet is hot, cook each naan for about 45-90 seconds per side and then flip and press down with the spatula for another 30-45 seconds until cooked and developing color. Remove to a warmed oven, if desired.

Notes

Makes 12 pieces of naan

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Best Naan Ever

Amount Per Serving

Calories 195 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 436mg19%

Potassium 85mg2%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 39IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 57mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

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