Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Pinch of cayenne
• 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in the InstantPot on sauté setting and cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the spices and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
4. Stir in the chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock, salt and pepper.
5. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
6. Release pressure ans check sweet potatoes are fork-tender. (If not, cook longer.)
7. Add the baby spinach and cook on sauté for another 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Adapted from https://skinnyspatula.com/spanish-chickpea-sweet-potato-stew/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=grow-social-pro

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

▢ 

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 cups onion chopped
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 1.5 cups carrots chopped
• 1 lb mushrooms chopped
• 32 oz vegetable broth sodium-free
• 0.5 cup white wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 cup wild rice, uncooked (2 cups cooked)
• 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 0.5 cups heavy cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice according to package instructions. 
2. In small bowl, combine heavy cream and cornstarch, stirring constantly with fork until mixture is smooth. Set aside. This is your roux.
3. Add olive oil, onions and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. 
4. Add carrots, celery, cumin and sage. Stirring frequently for 5 minutes, or until veggies begin to soften. 
5. Add mushrooms and stir well. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms begin to "sweat.”
6. Add white wine. Stir and simmer for 1 minute. 
7. Pour in vegetable broth. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to boil.
8. Slowly stir roux into soup mix, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, usually only about 1 minute.
9. Add in cooked wild rice and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
10. Add the rest of the heavy cream and warm through.

Adapted from One Pot Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup (V, GF) | Vegan Vigilante (veganvigilanteblog.com)

Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana

 

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time35 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp Italian herbs
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock (4 if omitting cream)
• 1 1/2 lb red-skinned potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup cream
• 7 oz spinach or Cavolo nero, chopped, hard stems removed
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the pressure cooker

1. Start the pressure cooker on “sauté” mode on high heat. Add the olive oil; when it’s hot, add the chickpeas and fry them until they start to get golden and crispy, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Turn the heat to medium. Add the sage and fennel seeds and cook for one more minute.
3. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it softens. 
4. Add the garlic and Italian herbs and cook for a minute until fragrant.
5. Increase the heat back to high and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
6. Add the potatoes and cook on medium pressure for 5 minutes. 
7. Stir in the cream and kale and put the lid back on for 2-3 minutes until the kale leaves soften.

For the stove

1. Follow the steps for the pressure cooker, but use a Dutch oven or another heavy-based pot instead. Follow the same timings until step 6. After adding the potatoes, boil the soup on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add the cream and kale and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the kale has softened.  

Adapted from https://skinnyspatula.com/ultimate-vegan-zuppa-toscana/

Candied Sweet Potatoes-half

 This recipe is from Blondelish.

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes:

• 1.25 lbs (20 oz) Sweet potatoes - about 4 medium-large
• 1 cup whole raw pecans

Sauce:

• 2 T EV olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 T water
• 2 T pure maple syrup
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tbsp orange zest - or zest of 1 medium orange
• optional for garnish: chopped fresh or dried rosemary - sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2-inch thick half-moons. Place them into a baking dish with the pecans.
  
• To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter is fully melted.
  
• When the sauce starts to bubble, stop stirring and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from heat and pour it over the sweet potatoes and pecans.
  
• Toss well to evenly coat, then cover and place the dish in the oven.
  
• Bake for about 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
• Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with flaky salt and/or rosemary if you like.
• Cool a bit before serving. Enjoy! 
• *Note that the sauce will be runny right out of the oven, but it thickens as it cools. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sauce will be thick after refrigeration but will thin out as you warm the leftovers in the microwave.
  https://www.blondelish.com/recipes/baked-candied-sweet-potatoes-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR2ujqRyUrE10NxiSAfdiuvjB-nMoREXdmja-1edQuDMXiN1nfBIYKsEr7o

Candied Sweet Potatoes

 

This recipe is from Blondelish.

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes:

• 2.5 lbs (1.1kg) Sweet potatoes - about 4 medium-large
• 2 cups (300g) whole raw pecans

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 57g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp orange zest - or zest of 1 medium orange
• optional for garnish: chopped fresh or dried rosemary - sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2-inch thick half-moons. Place them into a baking dish with the pecans.
  
• To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter is fully melted.
  
• When the sauce starts to bubble, stop stirring and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from heat and pour it over the sweet potatoes and pecans.
  
• Toss well to evenly coat, then cover and place the dish in the oven.
  
• Bake for about 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
• Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with flaky salt and/or rosemary if you like.
• Cool a bit before serving. Enjoy! 
• *Note that the sauce will be runny right out of the oven, but it thickens as it cools. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sauce will be thick after refrigeration but will thin out as you warm the leftovers in the microwave.
  https://www.blondelish.com/recipes/baked-candied-sweet-potatoes-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR2ujqRyUrE10NxiSAfdiuvjB-nMoREXdmja-1edQuDMXiN1nfBIYKsEr7o

Hot Goat Cheese Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

This was the first course of my French dinner with Beatrice!

Ingredients:
Red leaf lettuce
4" log of herbed goat cheese (about 3" diameter)
2 eggs
bread crumbs to coat
1-2 tablespoons butter
walnut oil

Instructions:

1. Make walnut oil vinaigrette with instructions below
2. Cut off the end of the lettuce and wash the leaves
3. Gently rip leaves into large pieces and dry in salad spinner
4. Heat butter in a pan
5. While butter is heating, beat 2 eggs with a splash of walnut oil
6. Place breadcrumbs in a separate bowl
7. Slice the goat cheese into 1" rounds
8. Dredge each round of cheese in egg and then breadcrumbs
9. Place them (all at one time) in the pan with melted butter and saute until browned on each side
10. Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates, place the hot goat cheese on the plate with the lettuce (drizzling some of the browned butter on top) and dress each salad with walnut oil vinaigrette

To make Walnut Oil Vinaigrette combine:

2 oz walnut oil

1 oz white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Poisson a la Beatrice

Merci de Beatrice pour ce recipe!
A friend from Paris came to visit this week and made the most amazing fish dinner. Here is my version of it (almost identical).

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (approx.)
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup (approx.) white wine
4-5 small potatoes, sliced
1 lemons, thinly sliced with rind on
1 lb turbot or cod
3-4 small tomatoes
Dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (approx.) light cream


Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan
2. Saute onions on high heat until very soft and starting to caramelize
3. Add white wine and continue to cook on medium heat while adding the next ingredients
4. Layer sliced potatoes on top of onions, then thinly sliced lemons, then fish, then sliced tomatoes
5. Add seasonings to taste
6. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender; about 15 minutes
7. Uncover and boil off any excess liquid (there should be some sauce, but not like a soup)
8. Add cream and taste to adjust seasonings
9. Serve hot

Recommendations: Serve with a sourdough boule cut into large chunks. Precede this meal with Hot Goat Cheese Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette.