Red Quinoa Cabbage Kale Salad

Sweet and Spicy Triple Red Quinoa Salad

Let’s talk about cabbage. I love cole slaw—like, really love, it’s one of my favorite sides/snacks. Sometimes I will eat a big bowl of slaw for dinner. Is that weird? Probably. Other than cole slaw, though, I don’t really do much with cabbage. So I had to get a little creative with the huge head of crisp, red cabbage that came in our Johnson’s Backyard Garden CSA box last week.

Red Quinoa Cabbage Kale Salad

What’s my go-to when it comes to using up vegetables? Mixing them into some quinoa, of course. What’s my other go-to? Adding a runny egg to anything/everything. Using these two standby moves, I transformed a head of cabbage into a super flavorful, easy, and healthy dinner for the household. (Let me tell you, it’s fantastic living with a boyfriend and roommates who enjoy healthy cooking as much as I do.)

This warm salad is red on red on red on red! We’ve got red quinoa, red cabbage, and red onion mingling with kale, sour apple, rich tropical coconut oil, and sweet raisins. The addition of curry and red chile flakes kicks up the spice and keeps this combination from becoming too sugary. Make sure you don’t overcook your quinoa or produce—mushy quinoa is a bummer and you want to be able to savor the crispness of the cabbage, apples, and kale.

Sweet and Spicy Triple Red Quinoa Salad

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The Secret History of French Fries

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Few things get the mouth salivating like a plate of deliciously crispy French fries. Whether you’ve enjoyed salty, mayonnaise-covered fries from a ‘Patat’ stand in Holland, where the potato is revered almost as much as the Dutch royal family, or had a go at making them yourself, they’re a staple that both food snobs and ready-made fans can agree on.

But the history of the golden French fry is complicated. There have been rows over which nation invented them (it would be too obvious if they were French right?), wars that made them popular, and even a marketing campaign fronted by Marie Antoinette.

So here’s our whistle-stop tour of the secret history of French fries. We’ll take you from the discovery of the potato, right through to how the likes of McCain French fries became so popular today.

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Roasted Carrots with Salsa Verde Buttermilk Dressing

Even for the most committed locavore, this time of the year visits to the farmers market start to get uninspiring. Potatoes, onions, carrots…Potatoes, onions, carrots….There’s just not much to work with. Helping us get creative with what we do have is Theo Peck, who just opened Peck’s food store in Brooklyn. Theo’s great grandfather owned  legendary Kosher restaurant Ratner’s on the Lower East Side, so he knows a thing or two about good, simple comfort food. Here’s Theo Peck’s guidance for spicing up your carrots.

Roasted Carrots with Salsa Verde Buttermilk Dressing

carrots

2 bunches carrots, cleaned and peeled
2 cups carrot juice
1 sprig thyme
1 T honey

1 jalapeño
5  tomatillos, washed and cored
½ onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ bunch cilantro, cleaned and picked

Salt, to taste

Buttermilk, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan the carrot juice, thyme, and honey.

3. Skim any floaters off the top, strain and reserve the liquid.

4. In a roasting dish, place the carrots, pour in the reserve liquid, and season with salt. Then place in the oven and cook about 20 minutes, until just tender.

5. Take the jalapenos, tomatillos, onion, and garlic and place into a shallow pan with a little water. Broil until charred and remove.

6. Put all the charred vegetables in the blender with the remaining ingredients, puree and season to taste with salt and buttermilk.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Keepin’ it Light: Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Now that the holidays have passed and things are calming down, I’ve been trying to focus on easy, nutrition-packed meals, like this one! This super simple quinoa salad is a lovely mix of flavors and textures. Cool, creamy avocado and spicy squash are folded into a protein packed mix of quinoa and black beans. With some other vegetables and a bright splash of lime for good measure.

This particular creation was actually dreamed up thanks to a bunch of leftovers I had the other night. I had some friends over to watch The Bachelor (don’t judge—criticizing sobbing drunk girls on TV is amazing) and I prepped homemade burrito bowls for our dinner. This is the salad that came out of all the remaining components. There is literally NOTHING bad for you here. 100% health. Tons of protein, tons of vegetables, and some good fats from coconut oil. You’re welcome.

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Polar Vortex Cooking: Pea Pot Pie

Not sure if any of you have noticed, but it is COLD outside. Cara Daffron of EdibleFeast.com joins us to share this slow cooker comfort food recipe. Her pea pot pie uses hardy and readily available winter vegetables and herbs like tarragon and thyme…plus it takes like three steps to make. Stay warm!

Serve this crust-less pot pie on its own or with biscuits. If you really want a traditional feel, you can bake the finished product in a pie tin with a simple pot-pie-style pastry top. To incorporate more protein into the dish and 2 cups of diced cooked chicken or turkey to the pot before cooking.

Pea Pot Pie

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Leftover City: Pumpkin-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yet another recipe involving pumpkin from yours truly. What can I say, it’s Thanksgiving time! If you’re wondering what you’re going to do with all that leftover pumpkin puree from your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe, I have one for you. It’s easy, cheap, tasty, and healthy without tasting particularly like a health food. You can serve a couple of these as a main course, or use one as a nice, hearty side with your turkey leftovers. Either way, you’re looking at a complete protein, fiber, veggies, and a little bit of savory indulgence (blue cheeeeeese!) all at once. Win win win.

Pumpkin-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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A Little Orange with Your Spuds?

Mashed Orange Juice Sweet Potatoes

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, every marketer and their mother is trying to sneak their products onto your holiday table. One of the most interesting press releases I received this year was from the folks at Florida Orange Juice. Their suggestion for how to add orange to the turkey day table? Whip it up with your sweet potatoes.

Is this a thing? Has anyone tried it? I’m unsure whether to be intrigued or appalled…

Mashed Orange Juice Sweet Potatoes

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