April 23, 2010
· Filed under Autumn, Main Dish, Spring, Winter · Tagged celery root, celeriac, carrots, beef, lentils, soups, parsnips
Posted by Lisa
Beefy Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
Family, why do you frown upon Indian spiced lentils? It’s my favorite lentil preparation. What’s a home cook to do? Try again apparently, this time without the Indian spices.
The word beefy in the recipe title may be misleading. There’s not actually much beef in here, but it does have a big, beefy flavor thanks to the home-made stock from meaty soup bones. Since we don’t eat a whole lot of meat around here anymore, that’s beefy to me. I understand it won’t necessarily be to people who eat a lot of meat.
This soup is easy to prepare, but since it requires making stock from scratch, it is time intensive. I would allow about five hours.
Beefy Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
printable recipe
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds meaty beef soup bones
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cooking fat (I used lard)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large or 2 medium parsnips, 1/2″ dice
- 1 large or 2 medium carrots, 1/2″ dice
- 1 small to medium celery root, peeled and 1/2″ dice
- 2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- freshly ground pepper
- sea salt
Place bones, crushed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water, approximately 3 quarts. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat. On a low simmer, cook until the stock looks brownish and the meat is falling off the bones, about 3 hours. Strain the stock and reserve the bones and meat. Using the same pot on medium high heat, melt fat. When fat is hot add onions, parsnips, carrots and celery root. Cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. When vegetables are brown, add strained beef stock, lentils, thyme, freshly ground pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. While soup is cooking, remove the beef from bones when they are cool enough. Roughly chop the meat. When the lentils and vegetables are tender, add the chopped beef and adjust seasonings to taste.
April 5, 2010
· Filed under Side/Salad, Spring, Winter · Tagged carrots, leeks, parsnips
Posted by Lisa
Carrots and Parsnips with Leeks and Mint
Parsnips are like a nuttier cousin of carrots, I think. They have the sweetness that carrots have, but they are more earthy. I typically add them to soups or stews as I would with carrots, but we have amassed quite a few parsnips over the past few weeks and I wanted to incorporate them into a side dish. My family doesn’t enjoy them by when they are the main ingredient in a dish, so I thought I would pair them with carrots. It was a delicious pairing. Leeks added a delicious flavor and the mint was subtle but still detectable; the whole dish was a perfect side with our Easter ham.
Carrots and Parsnips with Leeks and Mint
printable recipe
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 large parsnips, sliced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons butter
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a medium to large sauté pan. Place pan on medium heat. Stir as butter starts to melt. When butter has melted, place lid on pan and stir every few minutes to prevent sticking. Cook until carrots and parsnips are tender and leeks have started to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
November 15, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged carrots, turnips
Posted by Lisa
Asian Turnip Slaw
Salad turnips and carrots are so sweet this time of year. Combined with the gentle acidity of rice wine vinegar and the nuttiness of sesame oil, they made a light and simple salad. My youngest informed me that she could eat the whole bowl of turnips.
Asian Turnip Slaw
printable recipe
- 3 medium salad turnips, halved or quartered, then cut into very thin slices
- 1 large or two medium carrots, halved and cut into very thin slices
- 3-4 scallions, finely chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Place turnip and carrots slices in a bowl with chopped scallions. Add 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle and then add more rice wine vinegar if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
September 27, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Main Dish, Summer · Tagged carrots, green beans, rice noodles, summer squash, zucchini
Posted by Lisa
Pad Thai with Vegetables
I love Thai food, unfortunately I’m usually disappointed with the results when I try to recreate dishes at home. They typically come out well enough, but are lacking something. This pad thai was fantastic. After all the vegetables and sauces are prepped, everything comes together very quickly. I used tofu in this one. I think that unfermented soy is not a healthy food, but my 2/3 of my kids really enjoy tofu and I think for a fast meal, it isn’t as bad as alternatives. I figure that eating it once a year isn’t going to kill us. I would typically use 1/2 lb of shrimp or some finely sliced beef, chicken or pork. Substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand in this dish and take advantage of its versatility!
Pad Thai with Vegetables
adapted from this recipe
printable recipe
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons tamarind pulp
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons shoyu or low sodium soy sauce
Chili-Vinegar Sauce
- 1/3 cup brown rice or rice wine vinegar
- 1/2-1 teaspoons sambal olek or chili flakes
- 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, or other sweetener like agave nectar
Pad Thai
- 1 lb dry Thai rice noodles
- several tablespoons coconut oil or beef tallow
- 15 large green beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 thin carrots, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 1 medium summer squash or zucchini, quartered and sliced thinly
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1/2-1 lb cubed tofu, peeled and deveined shrimp, or thinly sliced meat or chicken
- 5 red scallions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Set aside.
Whisk sauce ingredients together and set aside. Whisk chili-vinegar sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, in a large wok set over high heat. When a whisper of smoke shows, add in the carrots and green beans. Toss constantly with a large spatula for 1-2 minutes. Add squash and sauté until vegetables are browning and crisp tender. Push the vegetables up the side of the wok and pour the whisked egg into the bottom. Stir the egg constantly for 1 minute, or until scrambled. Toss the cooked vegetables back in with the egg. Remove mixture from pan and keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and toss tofu, shrimp or meat for a couple of minutes, until it is nearly cooked (or in the case of tofu, beginning to turn golden). Add in the mung bean sprouts, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Toss constantly for 1 minute more. Remove and add to the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
Immediately re-heat the wok with the remaining tablespoon of oil. When hot, add in the rice noodles and toss constantly, pressing the noodles to the side of the wok to slightly brown and sear. Toss for about 1-2 minutes, add the vegetables and meats/tofu back in along with the sauce, and toss 1 minute more to combine. Serve hot with lime wedges and the chili-vinegar sauce.
May 3, 2009
· Filed under Main Dish · Tagged broccoli, carrots, rice noodles
Posted by Lisa
Thai Rice Noodles
This dish has been a favorite in our family for several years. It is very versatile. You can make it with beef, chicken or shrimp or meatless. If you have some assorted vegetables, you can throw them in, though I always have broccoli, carrots and onions in there as a standard. In this incarnation, I also added a bunch of rapini and I used leftover fried chicken. The recipe calls for oyster sauce. I don’t typically use prepared foods or sauces, but I haven’t found a suitable replacement for it yet, so I keep using it. This is best prepared in a wok, but a large pan will work as well.
Thai Rice Noodles
adapted from The Oregonian’s Food Day
- 1 lb package wide rice noodles
- coconut oil (or other cooking fat)
- 12-16 oz, meat of your choice (can be raw or leftover cooked meat)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup broth or water
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos
Cook noodles in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
Combine oyster sauce, 1/2 cup of water, brown sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.
In a large wok, heat 3 tablespoons coconut oil until almost smoking. Add cooked rice noodles. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges of the noodles just begin to turn golden. Remove noodles from skillet and set aside. (I’ve skipped this step before and I wouldn’t recommend it. Cooking the noodles at this stage prevents them from sticking into a big globby mess later.)
Add 3 tablespoons coconut oil to skillet, add meat (only add raw meat at this point, if you are using leftover meat add it later), garlic and ginger. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until your meat is no longer pink . If you are using leftover meat only cookthe garlic and ginger for 30 seconds or so, until they are golden. Add broccoli, carrots and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are crisp tender. Add leftover meat at this point if you are using it and cook for another minute or two (I also add rapini at this point if I’m using it). Add oyster sauce mixture and noodles. Stir and cook until everything is heated through and evenly distributed. If the noodles are a little dry, add another 1/4 cup of water and heat a little longer.
March 29, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad, Spring, Winter · Tagged cabbage, carrots, vinaigrette
Posted by Lisa
Easy Vinaigrette Coleslaw
I like a good creamy coleslaw, but sometimes something that is sharper is required. A coleslaw dressed with a vinaigrette fits the bill and is very quickly thrown together. It is also easily tailored to what you have on hand or what type of dish you are serving. If I’m serving Mexican food, I can throw in some chopped green onions and diced bell peppers into the coleslaw and some cilantro into the vinaigrette. In the coleslaw above, I tossed in some mung bean sprouts and added some home dried oregano to the vinaigrette.
Easy Vinaigrette Coleslaw
- 1/3 to 1/2 head cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 1 or 2 carrots, grated
Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- a couple of grinds of fresh pepper
Optional additions to coleslaw: nuts, sprouts, sliced or diced onions, diced bell peppers, grated zucchini
Optional additions to the vinaigrette: fresh or dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, mint; spices like cumin, curry powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper; a trickle of honey or maple syrup
March 3, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Main Dish, Winter · Tagged carrots, corn, frozen vegetables, peas, pork, potatoes, stew
posted by Lisa
In our freezer, we have some delicious, natural and pastured raised pork, grown by my good friend and fellow blog contributor, Sheila. We don’t have very much of it, so I’ve been cooking it sparingly, so as to extend the time we can enjoy it’s deliciousness. As I previously mentioned, we didn’t have any vegetables from our CSA last week, so along with the pork I combined winter staples of potato and carrot with frozen vegetables (grown and packaged in the NW) to create a simple, hearty and stick-to-your-ribs stew.
Pork and Vegetable Stew
Pork and Vegetable Stew
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 lb pork, cut into bite sized cubes (I used pork steak)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (preferably home canned)
- 1 quart filtered water
- 2 carrot, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 cups of frozen corn
- 1 cup of frozen peas
Brown onions and pork in a little olive or coconut oil of your pork is very lean, like mine was. When the pork is browned, add salt, flour and pepper and cook for a minute or two. Add tomato sauce, water, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. Adjust seasonings to your taste and add frozen corn and peas. Cook until corn and peas are heated through.
