Roasted Beet Relish

Posted on by
  • 3 cups cubed, peeled beets (~2 large or 3 small beets, as original recipe is written)
  • 2 tsp avocado oil (see notes for oil-free option)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin, plus more for garnishing
  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp lime zest
  • 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Add peeled, cubed beets to a medium mixing bowl along with avocado oil (see notes for oil-free option), salt, and cumin.Roast beets for 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender and slightly golden brown / caramelized, tossing once at the 20-minute mark to ensure even baking. The longer they bake, the more tender and caramelized they become, but be careful not to overcook / burn, or they can become crispy and tough.Once roasted, add back to the mixing bowl from earlier and season with maple syrup, lime zest, and lime juice, and mix. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime juice for acidity, lime zest for citrus flavor, cumin for smokiness, salt to taste, or maple syrup for sweetness. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Vanilla Pudding

Posted on by
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 3 cups milk
  • 4 beaten egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until it becomes thickened and bubbly. Cook 2 minutes more. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks and whisk. Repeat this 2-3 more times. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Bring to a gentle boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into small bowls. Chill for 3-4 hours.

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Posted on by
  • 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
  • 1/2 Teaspoon EACH Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Pound Spaghetti Noodles
  • 1 (24 Ounce) Jar Spaghetti Sauce
  • 36 Ounces Water
  • 1 1/2 Jars
  • 1 (14.5 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes
  • Set the Instant Pot to saute’ and add the ground beef.  Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasonings.  Cook the meat and seasonings, breaking the meat up until it’s completely browned.  Turn the Instant Pot off. Drain any excess grease from meat if necessary.
  • Break the spaghetti in half and place on top of meat in the Instant Pot.  Pour over the spaghetti sauce, diced tomato, and water.  Push the spaghetti down with a spoon if necessary to make sure it is completely covered in liquid.  
  • Seal the instant pot and set it to manual mode, high pressure, 8 minutes cooking time.  When the time is up, use manual quick release to open the Instant Pot.  Stir the spaghetti well.  Serve immediately.

Notes

NOTE:  This spaghetti may appear to be a little liquidy right after cooking.  Be sure to stir well to incorporate all of the liquid into the noodles before serving.NOTE:  Some people have had an issue with their noodles “clumping” together.  Try crisscrossing the noodles when you add them to the instant pot, instead of adding them in one big chunk. Some clumping is normal, simply use a fork to pull any noodles apart that have stuck together. 

Pizza Dough

Posted on by
  • 3/4 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Allow the yeast water to sit for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on top.
  • While you’re waiting for the yeast, add 1 cup of the flour and the salt to a large bowl, then stir well to combine.
  • Add the olive oil to the yeast water, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt. Begin adding more flour to the bowl, ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until it forms a ball of dough that can no longer be stirred with a spoon.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour as you go to keep it from sticking.
  • At this point you have three options: use the dough tonight (one hour after kneading), use it tomorrow (allowing it to rise in the refrigerator over night) or within a month (freezing the dough).

To Use the Pizza Dough Same Day

  • Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour, or until it is double in volume.
  • Once risen, stretch or roll the dough out to a 14 to 16-inch circle, place on a pizza pan, and top with your favourite sauce and toppings. Bake the pizza in a preheated 450ºF oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.

To Use the Pizza Dough the Next Day

  • Allowing the dough to proof (rise) slowly in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours gives the dough even more flavor. Form the dough into a ball and coat with oil. Place the dough in a covered container and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.

To Freeze the Dough for Future Use

  • Form the kneaded dough into a ball, coat it with oil, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and transfer to the freezer. When you are ready to use the dough, simply place it on the counter for one hour prior to use. The dough should be at room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.

Sesame Ginger Dressing

Posted on by
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • Mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
  • Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, tahini, and toasted sesame oil to a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Serve over salad or as a dipping sauce.

Sesame Cucumber Salad

Posted on by
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large cucumbers
  • 3 green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, and salt. Set the dressing aside.Peel and slice the cucumber using your favorite method (see photos below for my technique). Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl.Chop the peanuts into smaller pieces. Slice the green onions.Add the peanuts, green onions, and dressing to the sliced cucumbers. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Garlic Ginger Chicken Potstickers

Posted on by
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 3/4 cup diced shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 36 (4 1/2-inch) round wonton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
  1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, mushrooms, cilantro, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, rice wine vinegar, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using.*
  2. To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal.*
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add potstickers in a single layer and cook until beginning to crisp on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. Working quickly, add 1/4 cup water; cover and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottoms of dumplings are crisp and golden, about 2-4 minutes.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes:

*The filling in the potstickers does not have to be cooked prior to wrapping.

*To freeze, place uncooked potstickers in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight. Transfer to freezer bags.

Refried Beans

Posted on by
  • 3 cups cooked pinto beans
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or sub water but double the amount and add more as needed)
  • 3/4 cup diced white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4-1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

REFRIED BEANS: To prepare refried beans, heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender — about 4-5 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.Next add your cooked beans and any of the cooking liquid. Depending on your cooking method, your beans may be looking somewhat dry or they may be submerged in cooking liquid. Because we’re going to simmer the beans even more, you want them to be just submerged, so add only as much vegetable broth as needed to just cover the beans.Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Then add your salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes to further cook and tenderize the beans. If they begin looking dry or stick to the bottom of the pan at any point, add more vegetable broth to moisten.Your beans should now be tender. Our preferred way of mashing is with an immersion blender. If using an immersion blender, tip the pot to one side so the blade can be submerged and blend until the beans are creamy and smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a bean or potato masher will also work. It just takes more work and they won’t get quite as creamy.If you’re blending or mashing and your beans have become too thick, thin with more vegetable broth as needed.Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste. We didn’t find the beans needed more than this. However, you could add chili powder or chipotle pepper in adobo for some heat, or some ground cumin for smokiness.Serve as is, or garnish with desired toppings (lime juice, hot sauce, cilantro, red onion, or this vegan Mexican-style queso would be delicious).

Pho Spice Blend

Posted on by
  • star anise (16 robust points total), or 1 star anise (8 robust points total)
  • 1 medium Chinese black cardamom
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Break up the star anise as needed, dropping the points into a small saucepan, skillet, or wok. If using the black cardamom, use a meat mallet to crush and break the skin, then remove the seeds and add to the star anise; discard the skin since it won’t grind up easily.Add the cloves, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. Toast over medium heat, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Cool off heat and then grind to a fine texture in a clean spice grinder (a dedicated electric coffee grinder works great); if you like, hold on tight and shake the grinder to get all of the ingredients into contact with the blades. Add the cinnamon and pulse a few times to combine.Transfer to a jar and keep in the cupboard for up to 1 month. Grind a tablespoon of raw rice to clean out the grinder.