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Kale Chips

By Christy on May 3, 2012 in Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan

My poor kale was starting to yellow. One too many days in the fridge. I needed to cook it right away but was not in the mood for cooked greens. A quick toss with some oil, salt, and sesame seeds and I had a delicious crunchy snack of kale chips. Even the kiddos will like this one.

1 tablespoon sesame oil or chili oil if you like it spicy

1 head kale, thoroughly washed and dried

salt to taste

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Remove tough stems from kale. Toss with oil. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring after about 20 minutes.

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Homemade Veggie Bouillon

By Christy on March 9, 2012 in Soups, Uncategorized, Vegan

As a rare cold winter day hits Austin, my craving for a warm bowl of comforting soup heats up. But who has time to spend all day chopping and simmering? Fortunately, I have a secret weapon in my freezer I can reach for in times like these. My homemade veggie bouillon has no msg or unpronounceable preservatives. Just farm fresh veggies and salt.

Before you ask, yes, you really do need all the salt to preserve the vegetables. You only use about 1 teaspoon of the bouillon per cup of water, so the overall salt content in the final soup is rather low.

Use the bouillon as the base for a homemade soup, to punch up a sauce, or mix with sour cream for a veggie dip.

Vegetable Bouillon

3 carrots, scrubbed and peeled, cut in 1 inch pieces

3 celery ribs, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

12 sun dried tomato halves

8 ounces mushrooms (crimini, white button, portabla, whatever you like)

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems

7 ounces of salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon pimenton or smoked paprika (optional)

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it forms a smooth paste. Will store in fridge for about a week, store in freezer after that. Use approximately 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water.

Hints- I have a smaller food processor, so I have to do this in 2 batches. You can add as much as you can fit in the bowl and pulse it down to add more if you need to also. This recipe is very versatile and you can use almost any vegetable you want. Don’t like mushrooms? Substitute parsnips. Want a Mexican style soup? Use cilantro instead of parsley. The sun dried tomatoes are pretty important to rounding out the flavor for me and fresh tomatoes would add too much liquid so I would not sub those out but experiment with your local box to find what works for you.

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Salad of Roasted Beets, Grapefruit, and Escarole

By Kathryn on February 27, 2012 in Gluten-free, Recipes, Salads, Vegan

The inspiration for this dish is Elise Bauer’s Orange and Beet Salad Recipe, one one of my favorites this time of year– the brief window when both citrus and spring root veggies are in season in Central Texas.

I replaced the arugula in her recipe with escarole; this mild winter green has a slightly bitter flavor, with a crunchier texture than arugula. I also opted for Texas pecans over walnuts, since you can’t beat the nutty pecan flavor against the pucker of Texas grapefruit.

To sweeten up Elise’s dressing, I added local honey and grapefruit juice. Our grapefruit have been quite juicy this year, so be sure to peel and segment the grapefruit for this salad over a small bowl. You’ll probably catch enough juice to make the dressing, without needing to juice a separate fruit.

Salad of Roasted Beets, Grapefruit, and Escarole (serves 4)

1 bunch escarole, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
3 beets, roasted and skins removed, chopped
1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1/4 cup pecan halves
Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the beets well ahead of time, and peel away the skins once the vegetables have cooled. Prepare remaining veggies and grapefruit, and combine them in a large bowl. Whiz the dressing ingredients together in a blender, or mix them together in a small jar. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss, serve immediately.

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Easy Pickled Daikon and Carrots

By Megan on February 9, 2012 in Gluten-free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan

If you’re a fan of Portlandia you’ll know the joke behind pickling, but pickling really is an easy way to transform food and extend its life in your kitchen. Daikon in particular is wonderful pickled, as anyone who is a fan of banh mi sandwiches can attest to.

This recipe made exactly one pint jar, which in my mind is the perfect amount for fridge pickles, especially if you are unsure about what you’re doing or the flavors of the end result. You can omit the spices if you’d like, but be sure to not reduce the vinegar. By the way, I find pickling works best if you use a wide-mouth jar, but regular jars work fine too, and you can even use a Tupperware if you don’t have jars on hand.

Pickled Daikon and Carrot
makes 1 pint jar

1 pound total daikon and carrot
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (or use fresh grated if you have it!)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Peel daikon and carrot and slice into thin rounds. Place in a fine sieve or colander set over a bowl, and sprinkle salt over vegetables. Stir to coat, and let sit for at least 20 minutes while the salt draws excess water out. (This will speed up the pickling process.)
Mix together the rest of the ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pack vegetables tightly into a clean jar, and pour liquid over the top, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top of the jar. Place lid and ring on jar and store in the fridge. Let ferment for at least 4 hours before eating, but preferably overnight.

Note: You might have liquid left over, but don’t worry about it. As long as your veggies are covered they should be fine.

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Green Garlic Sandwich Spread

By Megan on February 9, 2012 in Gluten-free, Side Dishes, Vegan

I almost feel silly giving a recipe for this, and in fact, it’s not much of a recipe other than the list of ingredients. But truthfully, I’m not sure how many people look at vegetables and wonder what happens when you shove them under a stick blender.

The result of my curiosity was a pungent neon puree that is great for topping burgers, falafel, or tofu. Mix it with some sour cream or cream cheese for a dip, or thin it out more for a salad dressing. You just might want to keep some mints on hand.

Green Garlic Sandwich Spread

1 bunch green garlic (or green onions), roots trimmed off
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt

Slice garlic or onions into large pieces. Using a blender, stick blender, or food processor, blitz garlic until chopped. Add olive oil and lemon juice, a little at a time, until you get the flavor and consistency you like. Once fully blended, salt to taste. Eat and don’t breathe on anyone.

Lasts about a week in the fridge.