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Celebrate the season with hearty comfort food and fresh flavors.
Laughter is brightest in the place where food is good.
– Irish Proverb
RECIPE: Kale, Mushroom, and Fontina Slab Pie
- Yield: Serves 10–15 1x
Description
In this simple recipe, seasonal veggies and melty cheese are layered between two slabs of store-bought, all-butter puff pastry to create a large-format Hot Pocket for grownups. It’s easy, impressive, vaguely nostalgic, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 2 shallots, or 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 sheets all-butter frozen puff pastry, thawed but still chilled
- 1 1/2-2 cups shredded melty cheese such as Fontina, Comté, or Gruèyere
- Flaky salt, such as Maldon
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat and sauté the shallots or onions until soft and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the kale and 1/4 cup water, cook until everything is wilted, then transfer to a strainer to drain and cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and set aside. Working one at a time, roll out the first slab of puff pastry on a lightly-floured work surface to about 10-by-13 inches. Transfer to a large baking sheet and top with the sautéed veggies and cheese; leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brush the border with the egg wash. (If you don’t have a brush, just use your fingers.) Roll out the second slab and gently place it on top of the first. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Brush the top with more egg wash and poke a few holes for steam vents throughout the top with a fork or a knife.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and flaky. For optimal crispiness, set the pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- Pie can be made up to 3 days ahead and reheated.
- Other fun filling ideas include mushroom and Gruyère; caramelized onion and Comté; and blue cheese, pear, and walnut.
- Scrambled egg can be added to instantly transform this into an elegant brunchtime dish.
- A layer of cooked sausage or bacon pairs well with just about anything.
RECIPE: Winter Citrus Salad With Avocado Vinaigrette
- Yield: Serves 8
Description
If you can find Cara Cara oranges, please use them in this salad. I first came across this orange at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. They are divine. Originally grown in Venezuela, they are a type of navel orange that tastes like citrus honey, not cloying but fresh, juicy, and pleasantly sweet. They are beautiful with pink flesh similar to pink grapefruit and look marvelous next to the blood orange segments. Yes, I’ll admit that it’s a bit of an effort to section each fruit, but it’s well worth it. Your salad will taste better and look pretty, too.
Ingredients
- 1 pink grapefruit, peeled
- 1 Cara Cara orange, peeled
- 1 blood orange, peeled
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- Pinch pink flake salt
- 4-5 grinds black pepper
- 8 oz mix of mache, baby romaine, and little gems
- 1/2 cup whole pecan halves, dry roasted until golden brown
- 1/2 cup small basil leaves
Instructions
- Place the peeled grapefruit on a cutting board with a channel groove to catch any juice. Section the grapefruit using a small sharp knife. Remove as much of the bitter membrane and pith as possible. Repeat this procedure with the oranges. Reserve any juice.
- Place the avocado in a large salad bowl and mash it together with the lime juice and reserved juice from the oranges and grapefruit. Add the olive oil, chives, pink salt, and pepper, and mix well. Place utensils over the vinaigrette.
- Place the fruit segments on top of the utensils to keep mostly separated. Add the greens, pecans, and basil on top. When ready to serve, toss well to combine.
RECIPE: Chickpea Breakfast Scramble
- Yield: Serves 2–3 1x
Description
Chickpeas take center stage in this nutritious, savory breakfast that incorporates a variety of colorful veggies. Choosing beans over animal proteins promotes soil health, which helps improve crop yields and reduce emissions from nitrogen fertilizers. (Check out the box below for local, seasonal veggie options and other variations!)
Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/4 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned
- 1 1/3 cups cooked or canned brown lentils or green lentils, drained and rinsed if canned
- 1 cup carrots, shredded or grated
- 1 1/2 Tbsps raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1/2 cup onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 4 oz potatoes, diced small (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups mushrooms, brown or white, sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 12 oz leafy greens, chopped (see box)
- 1-2 tsps raw apple cider vinegar (optional, but recommended)
- 2 Tbsps raw hemp hearts
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the thyme, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and nutritional yeast. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, lentils, carrots, and sunflower seeds. Set aside.
- Preheat a heavy nonstick or carbon steel skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and swirl it around until it coats the bottom of the pan. Let the oil heat for about 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and bell peppers to the pan. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Return the cover to the pan and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the potatoes soften and start to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 3 minutes.
- Add the greens and cook, stirring frequently, until bright green and softened. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes for soft greens like chard and up to 10 minutes for firmer greens like kale.
- Add the chickpea and spice mixtures to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add the vinegar and stir again to deglaze the pan. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are just tender and the mixture is heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Avoid overcooking the carrots. The scramble is best when they stay a bit crunchy!)
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with the hemp seeds.
Use What You’ve Got!
Try these seasonal variations or use whatever you have in your kitchen:
- Greens: kale, Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli raab, bok choy, or a mix.
- Seasonal veggies: zucchini, yellow summer squash, green beans, or broccoli.
- Potatoes: Sweet potatoes or purple potatoes.
- Protein: Replace the lentils with 8 ounces of crumbled tempeh.
Recipe: Vegan Szechuan Carrot Soup For Dean
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
As a surprise treat, there are more than a dozen recipes included in Amy Rosen’s new novel, Off Menu, all of which relate to the story. The novel’s protagonist, Ruthie, makes this hearty vegan soup with tons of carrots flavored with ginger, soy, spices, and peanut butter to impress her boyfriend Dean. Straight from the pages of the book, this soup will win the heart of any vegans (or non-) in your life.
Ingredients
- 2 tsps vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsps creamy peanut butter
- 4 tsps soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- A few drops of sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, or until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Add the carrots, ginger, red pepper flakes, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Using a hand blender, purée the soup in the pot.
- Reheat over low heat until it’s hot enough to eat, without letting it boil.
Want something more? Try this egg-free and dairy-free cornbread.
