Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 3 tsp Tamari,
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil, and
- ½ teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds
Directions
- Slice cucumber (thick or thin)
- Mix all ingredients together
Vegetable Dishes
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant (large)
- 3-4 oz of freshly grated mozarella
- 1 oz of freshly grated Parmesean
- 4 oz of Ricotta
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 oz of Shredded Fontina
- 8 oz of Marinara Sauce
- 2 oz of Basil Pesto (optional)
- 1 Egg
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Grate all of the cheese and set aside.
- For the filling: mix the Ricotta, 1 Egg (can also just use the yolk if you want), 1 tsp of the Italian Seasoning, half of the mozarella, fontina and parmesean and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Trim top of eggplant and bottom of eggplant and thinly slice lengthwise into 1/4″ slices and aim for about 14-15 slices for an 8×8 baking dish
- Arrange the eggplant slices on a paper towel lined plate, sprinkle with salt. Cover with another paper towel and layer the eggplant and microwave it for 6-7 minutes until it is tender and folds easily.
- Put a bit of marinara sauce at the bottom of the 8×8 baking dish.
- Roll the eggplant with the filling and place in baking dish.
- Top with marinara sauce and remaining cheese to top and sprinkle with 1 tsp of Italian seasoning.
- Cover with foil and bake until 25-30 minutes.
- Remove foil and broil on high until cheese is browned and bubbly.
- Dollop with pesto before serving.
Note: 1 recipe is enough for the kids, need to double to include adults.
Artichoke Ingredients
- 2 jars @sadaf_foods chargrilled artichokes in oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbs parsley, chopped
- 1 tbs dill, chopped
- Baguette crostini, for serving
Goat Cheese Yogurt Spread Ingredients
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- The zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbs water
Directions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 F;
- Drain artichokes as you reverse about 3 tbs of the oil; pour artichokes to an oven safe dish, add garlic, parsley and dill; mix well and air- fry for 10 minutes;
- In the meantime add goat cheese, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, salt and water to a food processor and give it a blitz;
- Spread the goat cheese mixture over a plater, place artichokes on top, finish with fresh black pepper, lemons and enjoy with baguette crostini
Ingredients
Roasted Mushrooms
- 700g/ 1.4 lb small whole white mushrooms or halved larger ones
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme (sub 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
Balsamic Marinade
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/375°F (180°C fan).
- Season – Put mushrooms into a roasting pan (not tray, easier to mix well in pan). They can be snug but should be in a single layer (mushrooms shrink ~25-30%). Toss with olive oil first. Then add salt, pepper, thyme and garlic (minced & whole), then toss again.
- Roast 35 minutes, tossing well at the 20 minute mark, or until the mushrooms are browned and soft.
- Marinade – While hot, transfer mushrooms into a bowl (including all the juices). Add balsamic and olive oil. Toss well.
- Marinate 2 to 24 hrs – Let the mushrooms cool and marinate for 2 hours (uncovered), tossing once or twice, or for even better flavour, marinate overnight (covered in fridge once cool).
- Serving – Always serve at room temperature or slightly warmed, for best flavour. And don’t waste the juices – it’s full of flavour!
Note: Serving options – As part of a grazing board, on polenta or mash as a meal, on toast slathered with goats cheese or cream cheese, on the side of fried eggs, on creamy risotto or risoni/orzo.
Ingredients
- 1 (2 lb) butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into wedges
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts) cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup (56 grams) tahini paste *I recommend Soom brand
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water plus more if needed
- 1 garlic clove finely grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon za’atar spice blend
- flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Turn the oven to 475°F (246°C) with a rack in the center position.
- Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a large sheet pan. Roast until the squash starts to brown, about 15 minutes. Toss the leeks with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and add to the pan of squash. Roast until the squash is tender enough to pierce easily with a knife, about 15 minutes more.
- While the vegetables roast, whisk the tahini and orange and lemon juices in a small bowl. Add enough water to make the mixture the thickness of a thin cream sauce. Season with the garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and stir until they darken slightly and smell toasty. Scrape into a bowl, cool for a bit, and toss with the parsley and za’atar.
- When the vegetables are done, transfer them to a platter. Season with flaky salt and black pepper. Drizzle with the tahini sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and scatter the walnut mixture on top. Serve right away.
Make Ahead
Roast the vegetables ahead of time and re-warm in the microwave or oven. The tahini sauce can be prepared a day or two in advance and kept in a small container in the refrigerator (if necessary, add a splash of water to thin before using). Just before serving, prepare the walnut herb topping.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium head green cabbage, cut through the core into 8 wedges (about 2 pounds)
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup sake
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- Handful wild arugula
Directions
- Heat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the oil and heat through. Add the cabbage to the pan with one of the cut sides facing down, working in batches if needed. Sear the cabbage until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Flip and continue to sear on the other side, about an additional 3 minutes.
- Set the cabbage aside on a plate and return the pan to heat. Add the butter and allow to melt, then add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the miso and rice vinegar, then add the sake and ½ cup water to the pan.
- Nestle the cabbage back into the skillet and move the pan to the oven. Cook until the cabbage has reduced in size and is tender, about 1 hour.
- Season with salt and pepper then garnish with sesame seeds and arugula.
Ingredients
- 2 sliced bacon, diced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 TO 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 (22 ounce) cans baked beans (I use Bush’s Grillin’ Beans for this recipe)
- 2 slices bacon, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large (oven safe, if you don’t want to transfer) skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it’s brown and crisp and most of the fat is rendered.
- Stit in the onion, pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until everything softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar until combined.
- Stir in the baked beans directly from the can. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. I suggest tasting the beans here and adding more salt, pepper or heat if desired. If you’d like, you can lay a few strips of bacon on top of the beans here too!
- Place the skillet (or transfer to an oven-safe dish) in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and syrup. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
- You can make these ahead of time – cook them in the skillet then let cook to room temperature and cover, placing in the fridge. Bake the next day (or whenever you’re ready!).
- These also freeze well!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
- 2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1.5 cups broth (vegetable broth or dashi)
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed
Directions
- Put all ingredients in a pan and boil until reduced and slightly thickened.
- Add desired ingredients (black cod, tofu, shrimp, mushrooms, radish, green onions) etc.
- Finish with cornstarch slurry if you want to thicken.
Ingredients
- Sunflower oil for frying
- 6 medium zucchini
- Salt
- 14 ounces | 400 grams spaghetti
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (preferably aged 2 years)
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Heat a generous amount of sunflower oil in a large saucepan.
- Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and then fry in the hot oil until they begin to turn golden. Drain the zucchini with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and leave in the fridge to rest and soften for at least 2 hours.
- When you are ready to prepare the dish, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water for the next step.
- Heat the rested zucchini in a large frying pan along with 2 ladles of the spaghetti cooking water and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the zucchini. Remove the pan from the heat, add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss everything together well.
- Divide into 4 portions, sprinkle each bowl with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and top with a few fresh basil leaves before serving. For extra decadence stir through a spoonful of butter before serving.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, roughly chopped (you should have 4 to 6 cups packed kale)
- 1/2 cup shimeji mushrooms with stems, or shiitake mushroom tops
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry vermouth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso, or more to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When melted, add the shallot and garlic. Cook over low heat without letting the garlic and shallots color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the kale and continue to cook for a few more minutes until wilted. If it won’t all fit in the pan, just add what’s left after it’s cooked down a bit.
- Meanwhile, in a small pan set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and cooked through, about 5 minutes. If the mushrooms become too dry, add more butter. Stir in the soy sauce, cook another minute and turn off the heat.
- Once the kale is wilted and soft, increase the heat to medium high, add the vermouth and cook until it’s just evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the cream and miso, stirring until completely incorporated. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 2 more minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and tightens up the around the kale. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if you like (but don’t forget the mushrooms have soy sauce). Place the kale on a warm platter and scatter the mushrooms over the top. Serve immediately.