Kinda Big ‘Dill’ Potato Salad

We recently celebrated National Potato Day by sharing this recipe, and the result, with Laura Borchers and Jeff Booth on WBNS 10TV. Now we’re sharing it with you and the rest of the world!

But first, some fun facts about potatoes: they were first cultivated by the Inca in South America about 7-10k years ago; the English word ‘potato’ comes from the Spanish ‘patata.’

Americans eat about 124 lbs of potatoes per year; Germans eat about twice that.

Potatoes are relatively low in calories yet they pack a nutritional punch in terms of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber!

Serves 4
Prep time: about 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb potatoes (we used 4-5 red potatoes for a bit of color in the finished product)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup plant-based mayo (the one we used included avocado oil and aquafaba as the first two ingredients)
1 tbsp mustard
1/2 tbsp dill
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp tumeric

Instructions
Boil potatoes until tender and easily pierced by fork (about 10 minutes). While the potatoes cool, mix the rest of the ingredients together well in a bowl. Once potatoes are cooled, combine with the mixture. Refrigerate and let the flavors meld for at least an hour (it’s best-tasting the next day).

As mentioned in the tv segment, these are recipe guidelines – have fun and try variations with bell pepper, parsley, and even hot sauce!

Garlic Basil Spaghetti Squash

With the super-bugs going around and infecting people with flu/cold and coughs that linger for weeks, we thought it was high-time to bring in some garlic. Other than the folklore surrounding its ability to keep vampires at bay, did you know that garlic has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties? This vegetable from the lily family has a well-deserved space on our plates this season.

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
25oz jar of tomato sauce
1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced
6oz white button mushrooms, sliced
5oz shredded green cabbage
1oz fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down on baking sheet into pre-heated oven (400 degrees) and cook for 45-50 minutes.

Prep all other ingredients with knife and cutting board. Put garlic and mushrooms in large pan over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add cabbage, tomato sauce, and fresh basil and simmer until done.

After spaghetti squash has cooled a bit, use oven mitt to hold while scraping out ‘spaghetti’ with a fork. Top with tomato sauce mixture and enjoy!

Recipe: Peppermint Eggnog & Vegan Nog

Our first eggnog experience was rather unremarkable and with concerns about foodbourne illness from raw eggs, we’ve never pursued it…until now. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tasty peppermint eggnog recipe for you which can be made safely with eggs AND we have an eggless, vegan version which is equally delicious. We love to be the bearers of joyous tidings, and this beverage is one of them.

Eggnog is technically stirred custard, very similar to ice cream.

Peppermint Eggnog

6 organic large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 cups non-dairy milk (we used unsweetened almond milk, you can DIY here)
1/2 can or 6.5 oz coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of cloves, if desired

Instructions

Whisk eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together in large saucepan over low-medium heat until combined. Then pour milk in slowly while whisking to fully incorporate into mixture. Whisk ingredients over heat constantly, until thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 30 minutes.  This is an important step; should you leave the eggnog mixture to cook on its own, you’ll likely get an unappealing scrambled egg-in-milk, porridge-y mixture.

After cooking is complete, pour mixture through fine sieve over a medium bowl, cool for a few minutes, and stick in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also do an ice-bath to help cool mixture down faster. You’ve made a custard; great job!

Remove custard from refrigerator and set aside as you put coconut milk cream in a bowl and mix well. Then fold into eggnog custard mixture until combined; fill cups with this delicious, creamy eggnog.

Option to add alcohol. To garnish beverage, sprinkle with finely crushed peppermint, nutmeg, cinnamon, peppermint or cinnamon sticks, or whatever strikes your festive fancy.

Vegan Peppermint Eggless Nog

The only real difference here in terms of ingredients is the fact that we’re using frozen bananas instead of eggs. Because of the natural sweetness they provide, you may want to consider decreasing the amount of maple syrup added or omit it.

4 bananas (peeled and frozen)
1/2 cup maple syrup, if desired
3 cups non-dairy milk
1/2 can or 6.5 oz coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of cloves, if desired

Instructions

Even easier! Put all ingredients in a blender and blend it until smooth. Garnish as above with your favorites.

Besides being delicious, eggnog is quite versatile and can be added to coffee, used in making french toast, quiche, and more! We hope you enjoy these egg- and/or dairy-free versions of eggnog with your friends and family over the holidays.

Cashew & Chickpea Korma

Our favorite Indian food delivery service stopped. Rather than languish, cry, and starve, we  put on our big kid pants and decided to channel our inner Indian cooking guru. The result? Almost unbelievable but it’s way better than what has been arriving at our door steps.

This is a quick prep but slow cook meal (the longer you can wait, the better!). If you don’t know us by now, let us explain that we are pretty experimental in the kitchen, rarely is anything measured before we add it, but we’ll recount the end result in the recipe below. May your autumnal evenings grow warmer and your taste buds do a dance of joy!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup cashews
1 can chickpeas
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar tomato sauce (we used fire-roasted tomato sauce)
1 red bell pepper
1 carrot
1 baby bok choy
1 onion, chopped

Herbs & Spices
1″ ginger
1″ tumeric
1/3 bunch of cilantro
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp harissa
1 tbsp garam masala

Instructions

Heat cashews and chickpeas in a pan with olive oil for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Prep other vegetables – chop carrot, red pepper, cilantro, and bok choy. Transfer chickpeas and cashews to a pot to rest and now heat the vegetables in the pan with jar of tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Add vegetable mix to pot with the nuts and chickpeas along with spices and 1/2 liter of water. Simmer for as long as you can stand or about 45-60 minutes. Serve with blend of wild rice if desired.

Simple Sushi: DIY California Roll

The word ‘sushi’ was a bit scary for a number of years growing up. What kind of weird sea creature (or their eggs) would be placed on top of rice during this dining experience? Luckily, the years of becoming a adult (and traveling!) tend to provide us with friends from many cultures who expose us to formerly unfamiliar foods such as tahini, mochi, falafel, sashimi, kimchi, navrattan korma, Shepherd’s pie, Marmite, or Hanuta.

Fortunately, if you love sushi and don’t want to unload your wallet for a nice Japanese meal, we have a solution. Roll up your sleeves; it’s time to DIY some easy, fresh California rolls.

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain brown rice, uncooked
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise into strips
1 carton of mushrooms, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
2-3 nori sheets
1/2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

Instructions

First, cook the rice according to the instructions on the package; it will take about 40 minutes until finished. In the meantime, wash all veggies and start slicing. Put mushrooms in a saucepan and cook on medium-low heat, adding soy or tamari and simmering for about 15 minutes.

Lay out your bamboo mat on a cutting board and put about a 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice in the middle, spreading out to the sides. In the middle, place a strip of carrot, cucumber, a few avocado slices and then add mushrooms as a layer. Using the bamboo mat, carefully fold over on end of nori wrap until it meets the other. Squeeze the roll, then remove it from the bamboo mat and slice into pieces. Use some chopsticks, pickled ginger, or wasabi (for those of you who are brave!) for a more authentic dining experience.

Recipe: Turkey Chili & Arugula

Winter = slow cooker; at least for us. There is nothing better than loading up up the ceramic bowl with a variety of greens, protein, and vegetables, and letting the ‘kitchen servant’ work its magic while we perform ours in the nutrition world. Coming home to a cooked dinner is a relief and a joy – even better when shared with loved ones!

We are huge fans of cooking once and eating twice. You’ll notice that the caramelized parsnips and turkey, made in advance, provide the benefit of 1. using leftovers wisely and 2. making preparation so much easier.

Prep time: 15 minutes (we made the caramelized parsnips and turkey sausage patties earlier; otherwise this recipe extends to about 40 minutes)
Cook time: 6-8 hours in the slow cooker

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey (or use 3 leftover turkey sausage patties from this recipe!)
1 lb parsnips, caramelized
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch dandelion greens, chopped
1 jar (25oz) tomato sauce
1 jar salsa
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup arugula, rinsed

Instructions:
If you haven’t already caramelized the parsnips or made the turkey patties, start them. Once turkey is cooked, add to bottom of slow cooker, layer with chopped green bell pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute onion and set aside. Pour jar of tomato sauce and salsa on top of turkey mixture in slow cooker and greens. Then add caramelized parsnips and the sauteed onion. Set crockpot timer for 4-6 hours.
Serve turkey chili over fresh arugula. Enjoy!

Strawberry Summer Salad

 
We find having an idea and two (or more) minds coming together can create such delicious synergy. Our shared goal was to create a summer salad to enjoy on the back patio; what turned out was even better than expected. A friend brought over some strawberries, avocado oil and vinegars; we paired them with salad mix, nuts & seeds, and spices to create a masterpiece. Enjoy this strawberry summer salad along with some good conversation!

Serves 2
Ingredients
4 cups salad mix
1/4 almonds (sprouted)
1 cup strawberries (sliced)
1 cup carrots (chopped)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp avocado oil
Salt & pepper
Optional: add chicken and/or pumpkin seeds for additional protein sources

Instructions
Wash salad mix and rinse all vegetables. Soak almonds in water for a couple of hours if you want them sprouted, otherwise use them dry. Chop carrots, slice strawberries. Mix white wine, balsamic vinegars with avocado oil and drizzle over salad. Use a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
 

Recipe: Tilapia with Avocado-Pineapple Salsa and Quinoa

photo source: kristineskitchenblog.com

Time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup pineapple, diced (or use canned pineapple chunks)
• 1 jalapeno, minced (for a bit of spice/heat!)
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt & pepper
• 2 tilapia fillets (substitute halibut or most fish, if desired)
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach

Preheat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine avocado, pineapple, jalapeno pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice with salt and pepper to taste.

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or use coconut oil.  Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet and broil until all areas are opaque, about 6-7 minutes. Fish will flake easily with a fork when ready – don’t over cook it!

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa until done (little ‘tail’ will emerge). Season with salt and/or butter, if desired. Add in baby spinach so it wilts. Serve fish with the salsa on top and add as side of the quinoa with spinach for a delicious & healthy dinner!

Recipe: Shiitake and Kale

photo source: http://www.bostonfoodandwhine.com

Cook time: 10 minutes; yields about 4 servings

Ingredients:
one bunch of kale
3 cloves of garlic (more or less, depending on how much you like kale)
1/3 cup raw walnuts
a handful or two shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Cut off the stems of the kale and place it in a large bowl. Chop the garlic into thin slivers.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and then add the garlic and walnuts
3. Add the shiitake mushrooms and let cook for about 5 minutes
4. Add the kale and let it cook for a couple minutes
5. Salt and pepper can be added to taste
6. Remove from heat, and enjoy!

Recipe: Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt

Dressing:

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (including tender stems)
1 teaspoon of lime zest or lemon zest
2 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of salt

Instructions

Turn on your grill and let it heat up
Peel the sweet potatoes (feel free to leave some skin on if desired) and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick pieces
Coat the sweet potato slices with olive oil and add salt to taste
Combine all the dressing ingredients into a bowl
Once the grill is hot, put the sweet potato slices on the grill
Cover, and let cook for about 3-6 minutes on each side
Mix the sweet potatoes in the bowl with the dressing
Enjoy!