What can I say, I love my comfort food and boy this one serves up cozy goodness with each bite.  A simple dish, ready to serve in 30 minutes. 

The Greens

• 2 bunches of greens, cleaned and roughly chopped- I love broccoli rabe because the bitter green is a beautiful contrast to the creamy polenta but also consider chard or kale.
• A splash or two of olive oil
• 1 medium red onion sliced thin
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

If using broccoli rabe or kale I suggest blanching quickly with boiling water.  I like to put the prepared greens in a large bowl, pouring over boiling water for the kettle to cover.  Allow to sit for a few minutes and then drain very well, pressing out all of the water or lay out on a dish towel and pat dry.

In a large skillet, heat oil, add red pepper flakes and onions.  Saute over low to medium heat being careful onions do not burn.  Add greens, stir well, heating through. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and let set until polenta is ready to serve. 

The Polenta

• 1 ½ cups of quick cooking polenta 
• 2 cups of prepared veggie broth 
• 2 cups of your favorite plant based milk- I prefer a combination of coconut and almond
• 2-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

Bring liquids to boil in a heavy saucepan. Once they reach a gentle boil, whisk in polenta and nutritional yeast. Reduce heat and stir to keep mixture from scorching on the bottom.  After 5 mins, remove from heat,  cover and let set for 15 minutes to hydrate the grits. You’ll want a thick but pourable texture so you may adjust by adding more plant based milk or veggie broth and warm gently before serving together with the greens. 

Enjoy!

I’ve shared her recipes before and they are always spot on. Aran Goyaga knows her stuff when it comes to gluten free baking and these cookies are no exception. Here is my adaptation to her Sesame Snickerdoodles. 

Ingredients

• 6 T Vegan Butter
• ¼ cup of Tahini
• ¾ cup of sugar- I use coconut or maple, if using normal sugar replace ¼ cup of it with brown sugar
• A pinch or two of vanilla powder or 1 tea of vanilla extract
• Egg replacer for 1 egg 
• ¾ cup of light buckwheat or sorghum flour
• ¼ cup of potato starch
• ¼ cup of almond flour
• 1 ½  t of baking powder
• ½ t of sal
• ½  t of cinnamon

• 2 T sugar
• ½ t of cinnamon
• 2 T of sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a pan over low heat

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. You’ll want to use your stand or hand mixer for combining the butter, tahini, sugar, vanilla, egg replacer.  Whip until light and fluffy.  
3. Measure out dry ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Add them to the wet ingredients and blend until smooth. Place the bowl into the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes.  
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar, cinnamon, and sesame seeds.
6. Using a small scoop or your hands portion the dough into small balls, rolling each one in the sugar-seed mixture and placing onto the baking sheet.  Leave about 3 inches as they do spread.
7. Bake 8-10 mins, only until the edges are crispy but the centers are soft.  Leave cookies on the pan to cool for at least 10 mins.  Moving them any sooner will cause them to break apart.

These delightful cookies keep quite well if they are stored in an airtight container, out of sight 😉

On the counter was a head of cauliflower, 5 medium yukon potatoes, and a small sweet fresh from the farm cabbage just asking to become something yummy. What could I create with such a short amount of hands-on time?  A roasted aloo gobi came to mind and I began perusing recipes for inspiration. What I landed on was a Priya Krishna and Meera Sodha mash-up that was so yummy I wish I had made more.

Ingredients

• Grapeseed cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch each of fresh ginger and turmeric, grated with a microplane
• 1-2 finger chili- sliced thin, include as much or as little as you enjoy 
• Red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• Cauliflower cut into bite sized florets
• Yukon gold or red potatoes cut into cubes of similar size to the cauliflower
• Young sweet cabbage, cored and finely sliced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees with fan if available. 
2. Place potato pieces in a large bowl with just enough oil to lightly coat, season with salt. Spread on a parchment paper covered baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Place on a low rack in the hot oven.
4. Repeat the process with cauliflower pieces, adding after the potatoes have cooked for 10 mins.
5. Roast veggies for approx 25-35 mins, depending on their size, until golden in color and fork tender. 
6. In the meantime heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, when they pop, add onions and thinly sliced chili, reducing heat and saute until onions begin to melt.  Grate fresh ginger and cumin into the mixture and add cabbage.  Stir the veggies well to combine with seasonings, cover dutch oven and cook until the cabbage is tender.  You may need to add a splash of water but not too much. When cabbage is cooked completely, test seasonings, adding more salt, chili, turmeric, etc as needed. 
7. When potatoes and cauliflower are ready add them to the cabbage mixture, stirring carefully not to break up the pieces yet enough to combine the spices.  Simmer for just a few minutes and remove to serve. 

Enjoy!

Let me say right up front all the steps in this recipe put me off for days but once I dove in the hands-on time is minimal. Having said that, I vote for doubling the amounts and gifting yourself with four jars of this jeweled delight rather than two.

So grab yourself some yummy organic citrus. The recipe calls for Meyer lemon and Grapefruit which is scrumptious but blood orange would also be lovely.

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga. Expect to produce between 2-3 8 ounce jars. My batch made two full jars and a custard cup full so we could test right away.

Ingredients

• 3 medium (225 g) Meyer lemons, washed and ends trimmed 
• 1 (550 g) large red grapefruit, washed 
• 2 cups (400 g) sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Directions

The Lemons: Line one small bowl with cheesecloth to collect the seeds and have another bowl handy for juices.  On the cutting board prepare lemons by cutting in half lengthwise, and then once again.  Then cut each quarter into fine strips.  All seeds should go into the cheesecloth lined bowl, juices from the cutting board to the other bowl and lemon strips into a medium stainless steel saucepan. 

The Grapefruit: Use a vegetable peeler removing thin strips of the grapefruit skin. Cut each strip into pieces that are about 3/4” to 1” long and thinly slice into 1/8-inch strips and add to lemons in the cooking pot. 

With your knife, remove all of the pith off the grapefruit and discard it. Cut segments of the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a separate bowl to squeeze available juice adding to the collected lemon juice. You will need about ½ cup total.  Set the cut grapefruit pieces aside.

The Cheesecloth Packet: Add the grapefruit seeds and core to the cheesecloth-lined bowl that also has the lemon seeds. Tie the cheesecloth and make a packet to use during the cooking process. 

Cooking Step One

Add enough cold water into the pot to just cover the lemon and grapefruit peels and bring to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes. Drain with a sieve and return into the pot. Add 1 quart (900 g) cold water into the pot, the 1/2 cup (115 g) juices, cut-up grapefruit segments, and cheesecloth pouch with the seeds. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat. Immediately, remove from heat, cover pot, and let it sit for 10 to 12 hours, overnight. This process is what extracts the natural pectin from the seeds. 

Cooking Step Two

Put two to three saucers or small plates for testing the consistency into the freezer now. Remove the lid from the saucepan, place over medium heat and bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and salt, cooking and stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 218F to 220F.  This can take between 30- 50 minutes so be patient. Watch for the marmelade to darken in color, thicken and the bubbles to decrease in size. This can happen suddenly so keep close watch.

To test the consistency, remove a plate from the freezer and pour a small sample of marmalade onto it. Swirl it around. If it’s where you want it, stop there. If you feel like it’s still too loose for you, continue cooking and testing. 

When you have reached the desired set point, remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then using tongs, carefully remove the cheesecloth packet from marmalade squeezing to release extra pectin. Give the marmalade one gentle stir to distribute the fruit throughout. Pour into sterilized jars. Tap the jars lightly on your surface to release any air bubbles. Let the marmalade cool completely then, secure with lids and refrigerate. 

The marmalade will last in the refrigerator at least 4 weeks. I plan to repeat this same process with 4-5 blood oranges, about 1.5-2 lbs (750-900 grams) of whole fruit.

If it seems I’m a bit stuck on comforting bowls of goodness you are 100% right and I don’t hear any complaints.  Are you going to argue with a heaping dose of nurturing these days?  I’m not and anyway there are certainly worse vices than obsessively cooking soup, at least in my opinion. Inspired by Alexis Gauthier’s 

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 inch of turmeric root freshly grated or ½ tea dried tumeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
• 2 veggie broth cubes
• 1 bag of baby spinach washed and trimmed
• 1 large potato Yukon Gold or Red Skinned, cubed
• 1 Medium Sweet potato, cubed
• 2 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drain one can and preserve the water of the other
• 2 handfuls or ¾ cup of raisins 
• 1 big pinch saffron threads
• Salt and Pepper
• A handful of slivered almonds
• A handful of coconut chips
• 1 big handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Prepared steamed rice ( optional)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, then add the onions, and cook over low heat very slowly to create a caramelized effect. Add saffron to a small amount of hot water in a small dish or glass, set aside to bloom. Add all of the remaining spices to onions, warming them gently for another 5-10 minutes. 

Pour coconut milk, broth cubes, and a can of chickpeas into the mixture and simmer gently for 20 minutes. In the meantime steam potato pieces until just fork tender and add along with the spinach, raisins, and saffron.  Let it sit over very low heat or cover with a lid and turn off the heat for a moment.

In a cast iron skillet toast almond and coconut chips, being quite careful not to burn.  Finely chop cilantro.  These will be your stew toppings. 

Dish stew up, add a scoop of rice and  top with coconut, almonds and fresh cilantro.  

Enjoy!

This nourishing noodle soup is my equivalent of love in a bowl.  Why not gift it to yourself and someone you love this week. Don’t be put off by the 2  ingredient lists, it goes together in a snap AND you’ll end up with extra curry paste to make it again or gift to a friend.

Thanks to Hetty McKinnon for the recipe that inspired the version below.  

Curry Paste

• 4 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped or if you aren’t a fan replace with a red onion
• 5 medium shallots, roughly sliced
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger roughly chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh turmeric grated or 2 tea of ground tumeric
• 1-3 serrano chiles depending on desired heat, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 2 tea fresh lime juice
• 2 tea ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup good-quality coconut oil

Place all but the coconut oil in a small food chopper/processor and pulse until items are well chopped and combined.  Add coconut oil and process it again until a paste forms. 

Whip this up first, setting aside ½ cup to be used immediately and place the rest in a air tight glass jar in your fridge to use within the next ten days.

Noodles

Uncooked noodles- I’ve used pad thai rice noodles and buckwheat noodles, both are delicious. 

For rice noodles, place the desired amount in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until tender, drain and rinse and drain again.  

For buckwheat noodles,  prepare according to package directions.

Set aside until soup is ready to serve.

Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth- I made mine from Rapunzel Veggie Broth Cubes
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can organic coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1  bunch Swiss Chard, Broccoli rabe, or kale.  Stems removed and chopped, greens roughly torn.

Toppings

• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, quartered

Add olive oil to a heavy deep pan, and warm over medium heat.  I like using my enameled dutch oven. Increase heat a smidge and add stems from the greens and sliced mushrooms searing until barely fork tender. Add the 1/2 cup of the curry paste on reserve, reduce heat to low, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in vegetable stock and coconut milk. Let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Throw in the chopped greens, cover with lid and remove from heat.  When leaves have wilted assemble soup.

Divide noodles among serving bowls, ladle over soup, top with chopped scallions and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges. 

Makes 10 large or 16 small  cookies

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s Olive Oil and Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140 g) light buckwheat flour 
• 1/2 cup (50 g) finely-ground almond flour 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 cup (110 g) a fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup (50 g) coconut sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  or ½ tea of vanilla powder
• 4 ounces (120 g) 70% chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I love the hu brand, bars or chunks)
• Flaky sea salt (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir together with a spatula until the dough comes together. Then, fold in nearly all the chocolate until smooth and evenly distributed. 
3. Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to measure out dough onto prepared baking sheets. You should have 10 cookies. Optional: Add a piece of chocolate to the top and sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt.
4. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes just until the edges are golden brown but the center feels soft. Rotate the pans halfway through if necessary for even browning.

Important:  The cookies must cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before lifting or they will break apart.  I know it’s a long time to wait but so worth it!

They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Consider adding a heaping tablespoon or so of raw cacao powder for a double chocolate treat.

Mentally and creatively caught up this week in explorations beyond my kitchen I was in search of straightforward simplicity. Inspired by Ali Slagle’s NYT recipe I ad-libbed my own version using what I could scavenge between the next trip to the Farmer’s Market and my CSA delivery and what a winner! How something so ridiculously simple can be so good I don’t know, but I’m not going to argue. There are no limits to the veggie combinations here so be creative and curious. Right now I am dreaming up a version using butternut chunks, but it can just as easily be sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, maitake or cremini, trimmed and quartered (or cut into 1-inch pieces, if large)
• 1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 bunch of chard roughly chopped
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. On the sheet pan toss mushrooms, red onion and gnocchi with 4 TBL olive oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper, shake into an even layer, and roast without stirring until the gnocchi and mushrooms are golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. In the meantime, add the remaining olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes, and add the chard stems. Saute gently until fork tender and add the leaves, cover, and reduce heat allowing them to wilt. Toss greens with gnocchi mixture before serving. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Enjoy!

While these delightful twice-baked bites keep well, you will have to hide them to do so.
Adapted from Canelle Et Vanille Bakes Simple

Ingredients

• 1 cup Super-fine Brown Rice Flour
• ¾ cup Sorghum Flour
• ¼ cup of Tapioca Starch
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ¾ tsp Salt
• Prepared Egg Replacer for Two Eggs ( I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Grated zest from one lemon
• 1 tsp of Almond extract
• 7 ounces/200g coarsely chopped almonds and dried cherries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Blend dry ingredients ( except fruit and nuts) with a wisk
4. Blend wet ingredients in a separate bowl
5. Add wet to dry, fold in nuts and fruit
6. Using a spatula scrape dough onto the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a log approx 2 inches wide.
7. Bake for 30 mins. Allow the log to cool completely.
8. Slice carefully with a very sharp knife, laying out on the baking sheet.
9. Never mind if a slice breaks in the process, it will still taste delicious!
10. Bake until dry and crunchy, approx 20 minutes.
11. Cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container to retain their crisp texture.

Enjoy!

I love these yummy stacks and although they require a few steps the results are so worth it.  The presentation is just beautiful.

2 servings as a main dish

Stacks Ingredients

• 2 medium aubergine sliced into ½ inch slices, salted lightly, and laid on paper towel to drain
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Vegan herb pesto, store-bought or prepared
• Vegan ricotta, store-bought or prepared 

Sauce Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes and 1 TBL of tomato paste or 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of maple syrup
• 1 bunch of fresh basil, a sprig or two reserved for topping
• Red pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat heavy skillet over medium heat, add just enough oil to coat bottom, saute eggplant slices 3-4 mins aside to lightly brown. Slices should still hold shape but be slightly softened.  Set aside until all are complete.
3. As the eggplant cooks begin preparing sauce.  
4. In a heavy medium saucepan add a splash of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes.  Cook and stir until tomatoes collapse and begin to form a sauce.  
5. Add tomato paste, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be a bit runny not thickened. 
6. In a casserole dish place the first layer of precooked aubergine slices.  Top each with a spoonful of vegan pesto.  Cover with the next slice and top that slice with a spoonful of vegan ricotta.
7. Add final slice and cover all stacks with tomato sauce
8. Bake 35-40 minutes, top each stack with fresh basil sprig.
9. Serve alongside pasta, polenta, quinoa, or rice.

Enjoy! 

Listen in and discover what Black Poplar extract can offer you and your family now. Enjoy this sweet mix of Gemmotherapy Materia Medica and an Asian Medicine lens as Maegan and Lauren explore the potential of Black Poplar Gemmotherapy Extract.

Discover more about Lauren and Maegan’s work here:

Lauren Hubele

Maegan Lemp

Learn more about Gemmotherapy here.

Find Gemmotherapy extracts here.

New to Gemmotherapy? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to get you started.

Listen in and discover what Black Poplar extract can offer you and your family now. Enjoy this sweet mix of Gemmotherapy Materia Medica and an Asian Medicine lens as Maegan and Lauren explore the potential of Black Poplar Gemmotherapy Extract.

Discover more about Lauren and Maegan’s work here:

Lauren Hubele

Maegan Lemp

Learn more about Gemmotherapy here.

Find Gemmotherapy extracts here.

New to Gemmotherapy? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to get you started.