Cauliflower Rice

2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 small red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼-1/3 cup vegetable broth
Salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Pulse 2 cups of cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped (will look like grains of rice!).

Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add cauliflower and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the vegetable broth starting with ¼ cup and adding more if needed.  Steam the mixture, covered, until broth has evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat, add minced parsley and serve.

Notes:  Be careful not to add too much liquid to the cauliflower or cook it for too long.  You don’t want it to become mushy.  You are looking for a tender but firm bite, like you would for rice or pasta. You can add other vegetables or seasonings to jazz this dish up any way you like.  It goes well with any meat, fish or grain entrée.

 
Recipe from the Jan/Feb, 2013 issue of Whole Living Magazine www.wholeliving.com

Sweet Potatoes and Mustard Greens with Coconut

2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 – ¼  teaspoon cayenne
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato
4 to 5 cups mustard greens, (about ¾ pound)
Salt to taste
Fresh lemon or lime juice to taste

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and mustard seeds and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon stick, and sweet potato to onion mixture.  Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until sweet potato begins to soften.

While sweet potato is cooking, wash the mustard greens and strip or cut leaves from stalks.  Discard the stalks. Chop the greens into bite-size pieces.

Stir in mustard greens and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes. The greens should be tender and the sweet potato soft.  Adjust salt level; remove cinnamon stick.

Just before serving, squeeze in lime juice.

Notes: The author of Greens Glorious Greens states that simmering mustard greens in coconut milk takes away their bitterness.  This dish can served as a side dish or over brown rice or quinoa for a main meal.

Recipe from Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi.

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds), cut into florets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sugar (Rapadura, Succant, or Maple Sugar are best)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ hot paprika
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with butter, coating evenly.  In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, spices and mix cauliflower with hands, ensuring that spice mixture has been evenly distributed.

Spread florets on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in oven until fork tender, at least 15 minutes. Serve in a bowl as a side dish or with toothpicks, as a party snack.

Adapted from Food & Wine, December 2002
From Arlington Farmer’s Market E-Newsletter, Vol. 6, Issue 4, January 27, 2007

Visit the Arlington Farmer’s Market year round at the intersection of N. Courthouse Road
and N. 14th Street.  Saturdays from 8 am – noon (summer) and 9 am – noon (winter).

Scalloped Potatoes


1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 lbs. Russet potatoes (about 4) washed, peeled & thinly sliced
2 cups shredded gouda cheese


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 8x8 baking dish with the butter and set aside.


Place the whipping cream and half & half in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and potatoes, adding more cream if necessary to completely cover the potatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the fennel and potatoes are barely fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

With a large spoon, transfer 1/3 of the potatoes with some of the cream to the prepared dish, forming an even layer on the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the cheese, and continue layering the potatoes and cheese, ending with cheese on top. Place on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (appx 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon chopped sage
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash into cubes.  The key here is to chop the vegetables in a uniform size so they cook evenly.

Place all the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the vegetables and add the chopped sage.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender and have started to caramelize.

Remove from oven and toss with fresh parsley.

Roasted vegetables can be served with meats, seafood, beans or grains for a delicious meal!

This recipe came from Smarter*Tables – a blog by Elizabeth Siegel and Juliana Kelliher.  They send out posts about once a week on nutrition and health with an accompanying recipe.  To sign up for their blog go to smartertables.com.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4-6 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small sweet onion, sliced
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp salt
Herbal seasoning of your choice
Freshly ground pepper
3-4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes to approximately 1/3-inch thick slices. Put them in a large mixing bowl and toss them with the rest of the ingredients until they are evenly seasoned.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes.

Roasted Bok Choy and Cauliflower with Cumin and Mint


Bok Choy and Cauliflower:

2 medium, fresh bok choy (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cauliflower florets

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut bok choy in half length-wise and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cauliflower florets on another foiled baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place both trays in the preheated oven and bake until the vegetables are tender when pierce with a fork, about 20 minutes.  When done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

While vegetables are roasting, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.

While still warm, chop the bok choy and cauliflower into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Dress vegetables with vinaigrette and mix gently to combine.  Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Recipe from: Mariel’s Kitchen by Mariel Hemingway

Roasted Asparagus

2 pounds fresh asparagus
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast asparagus for 10-15 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Note: May need to cook longer if the asparagus are thick.

Purchasing & Storing Asparagus:

- Look for tall, straight spears. They should look as if they are "standing at attention."
- Look for tightly packed heads that are not bruised or dry looking.
- Look for brilliant green color that fades from darker green at the tip to a lighter green at the base, or if purchasing white asparagus, it should be an ivory color.
- Thickness is not an indicator of tenderness. Both thick and thin spears can be equally tender.
-Store in the fridge and use within 2 to 3 days. Store spears upright in a container of water, or wrap ends with a damp cloth.

New Potatoes with Lemon Butter & Fresh Herbs

16 small new potatoes (1 – 1 ½ lbs.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and finely ground pepper

If small enough leave the potatoes whole and boil until tender.  Drain and set aside.

In the same pot you cooked the potatoes, add the butter and olive oil and melt over medium heat.  Add the grated lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, and cooked potatoes.  Mix well.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and seasonings.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library - Vegetables

Orange Pecan Wild Rice

1 cup wild rice
1 ¼ cups chicken stock
1 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
½ cup scallions, sliced in rounds, white & green parts
1 cup pecan halves, toasted & coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the rice, chicken stock, water, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and 1 teaspoon of the sea salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until the rice is tender and the grains begin to burst open. Stir the rice occasionally while it’s cooking, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam for about 5 minutes.

Stir the remaining tablespoon of butter into the rice, then add the grapes, scallions, pecans, orange zest, orange juice, 1 teaspoon sea salt and the pepper and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten