Category: Veggie

Thai Curried Noodles

Thai Curried Noodles

Turmeric is the magic spice. I LOVE curries, and am constantly on the lookout for new curry variants that are available to me on a weeknight (because my classic Chicken Korma is a more extensive undertaking). This one makes a spicy, uniquely-flavored curry bowl owing to a few select ingredients. Recipe credit here goes to The Half Baked Harvest with a few slight modifications.

what you need

For the marinade:

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or ground)

2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari

1 dollop of honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

For the curry:

1 large chicken breast, cut into large chunks

1 package Thai vermicelli rice noodles

2 medium shallots, one sliced in half and one whole

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 bunches baby bok choy, each sliced in half and the interiors washed thoroughly

1/2 lime, juiced

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 medium knob fresh ginger

1/4 fresh chopped cilantro or Thai basil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 16oz can coconut milk (I like to cut the coconut milk with about 1/2 cup cashew or other plant-based milk… cuts down on the fat content of the meal).

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 hot chili pepper, minced

For garnish:

thin red onion slices

fresh coriander or cilantro leaves

Roasted peanuts and/or sesame seeds

how to make it

Whisk all ingredients for marinade together and toss chicken chunks in the mixture. Let stand at least 1 hour.

Using a large cast iron pan or a Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon sesame oil over high heat.

Brown chicken on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate. Place the bok choy bunches and shallot sliced side down in the pan and let cook on high heat for two minutes (do not stir, move, or otherwise disrupt the tiny choy). Flip the boy choy and sliced shallot and cook the other side for an additional 1 minute. The choy should be a caramelized brown color. Remove the choy from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, submerge vermicelli noodles in water, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for five minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and place two twists of noodles into two bowls.

Add the remaining one tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Using a hand grater, grate the garlic cloves, the knob of fresh ginger, and the whole shallot over the pan (alternatively, you can mince these ahead of time). Add the fresh cilantro and the chili pepper, and sauté for about two minutes.

Add the tomato paste, turmeric, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice to the pan and stir to combine. Slide the chicken back in the pan and simmer over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken, about five minutes. Then add bok choy and shallots, and simmer for an additional two minutes.

Remove from heat. Spoon curry over noodles in bowl. Top with a cilantro or Thai basil leaves, sliced red onion, and roasted peanuts and/or sesame seeds.

Tags Asian, bok choi, bowl, chicken, cilantro, curry, main course, noodles, one pot meal, ramen, shallots, thai, thailand, tofu, turmeric, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight

Omni Veggie

Stir Fry

Weeknight Stir Fry

Two years ago I learned to make Pad Thai (the healthy, weeknight way). I was so thrilled with the simplicity and versatility of both the sauce and the base recipe that I quickly started customizing. Two years later we have weeknight stir fry, the meal that makes an appearance on my kitchen table at least twice every week. It is the perfect meal to unite all those errant vegetables from the CSA that are leftover in the fridge after a week of cooking. Read thoroughly below and let the contents of your fridge dictate your version of weeknight stir fry.

recipe

This recipe is like the Pirate Code of cooking. There are no mandatory ingredients. Only guidelines.

It is comprised of three parts: the base, the stir fry, and the garnish (plus the sauce, for which I recommend my tried-and-true Peanut Pad Thai Sauce). You’re going to layer your bowl in this fashion, starting with the base on the bottom, the stir fry on top, and finishing the dish with the garnish, as shown in the images below.

Base

+ Stir Fry

+ Garnish

Base. The base is going to provide the foundation for the meal. The culinary infrastructure on which the vegetables of your choosing will elegantly rest, drizzled with the tiniest bit of sauce. Options include:

brown rice, for a hearty, healthy meal
white rice, for a more commercial interpretation of ‘stir fry’
a bed of sautéed cabbage or wilted garlicky kale for a complete vegetable overload
raw, romaine lettuce for a super light lunch
note: when placing the base in the bottom of the bowl, drizzle with a bit of sauce for extra flavor

Stir Fry. The stir fry is the mixture of proteins and vegetables that you choose to make up the bulk of the dish. If using meat, cook it first in the pan before adding the vegetables incrementally. If using tofu or tempeh, you may want to cook those separately depending on how you usually like them. Stir Fry contents include:

chicken breast or thighs, cut into slices (or similar cuts of pork)
tempeh or tofu
green or savoy cabbage
carrots
yellow onions
zucchini
Portobello mushrooms
Bok choy
kale or spinach leaves
sliced bell pepper (longways)
sliced jalapeño pepper (longways)
broccoli stems (this is one of my favorites to minimize food waste. If you use the broccoli florets in another dish, save the stems. If particularly rough, peel them lightly like a carrot, cut off the ends, and cut them into thin strips. Then mix them into the stir fry as you would carrot sticks. They also take on Tamari or soy flavoring brilliantly on their own over a bed of rice for a simple lunch)

To make the stir fry: simply cook meat through in frying pan and add vegetables in order of crunchiness at 2 minute intervals (for example, broccoli stems first because they are crunchiest, then carrots and onions, then zucchini). Once all is cooked, top with sauce, stirring for another minute, then removing from heat.

Garnish. This is how you will top your stir fry, but it’s not just decoration. The garnish can add real substance if you want to make the meal more or less substantial. Suggested garnishes:

fried egg (for extra protein)
sesame seeds
minced chives or green onions
halved cherry tomatoes
carrot or cucumber slices
lime wedge
sautéed Portobello mushroom slices (pan fried in sherry and garlic)
halved peanuts or cashews toasted under the broiler
shelled, steamed, salted edamame (more extra protein!)
sliced jalapeño pepper (roundways)

Customize away and enjoy! Again, this is such a staple meal in my house, if you come up with combinations not listed here, put them in the comments section!

Tags Asia, Asian, chicken, egg, eggs, garlic, ginger, lime, main course, peanut, sesame, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight

Omni Veggie

Pad Thai

Healthy Pad Thai

Most of us know Pad Thai as a delicious, peanut-y warm dish that is comforting and about 1K calories per bite. Not this pad thai. Make way for delicious, healthy, easy, weeknight pad thai. You’ll never order take out again after you acclimate to this super flexible, vegan, vegetarian, chicken, pork, or tofu pad thai, made with peanut sauce.

what you need

2 chicken thighs or 1 large chicken breast, cut into slices or chunks (alternatively, pork, tofu, or tempeh)

1 small zucchini

2 medium carrots

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 package Organic Forbidden Rice black rice noodles (or Pad Thai noodles of your choosing)

1 tablespoon Ghee (butter or sesame oil will work in the absence of Ghee)

1 batch of homemade peanut pad thai sauce

2 tablespoons butter or desired cooking oil

(optional additions) 1/2 small head of cabbage cut into ribbons, 1 Portobello mushroom, 1 head of broccoli, 2 eggs, 1/2 an avocado cut into slices, etc. See notes below.

Get the sauce recipe here.

how to make it

Make the base. If using brown rice, pour two cups of water into a pot with 1 tablespoon of salted butter and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice and cook, covered on the lowest simmer for 45 minutes until all water has disappeared. Do not stir at any point during the process. Leave covered and remove from heat.

If using noodles, cook noodles according to instructions on package, strain, and set aside.

Make the sauce.

Make the stir fry. Cut zucchini, carrots, and onion into long, thin strips and set aside. Place ghee in large frying pan and melt over medium heat. Add chicken slices/chunks and sauté until pink has just disappeared from the centers. Starting with the carrots, then the onions, and finally the zucchini, add vegetables to pan in 2 minute increments, then cook for an additional 4 minutes until vegetables (especially carrots) are softened but still retain a bit of crunch.

Pour 3/4 of the sauce over the vegetables and stir for 30-60 seconds, just to warm and thicken the sauce ever so slightly. Remove from heat. If topping with fried egg, heat 1 tablespoon butter in pan and quickly fry 2 eggs to desired consistency.

Serve. Place a helping of rice or noodles in the bottom of a bowl and drizzle lightly with remaining sauce. Spoon a hearty helping of the vegetable mixture over the base. Top with desired garnish (see notes below).

With Egg

With Peanut

Without Egg

This recipe, its sauce, and its sister dish Weeknight Stir Fry are literally the most versatile recipes I have ever tried. They are excellent for having a CSA, when many times I end up at the beginning of a week with several misfit vegetables and no one dish to unite them. This is that dish. Check out the Weeknight Stir Fry and Peanut Sauce posts for customization instructions.

One way to take this one bowl wonder up a notch is to augment it with garnish. Actually, this recipe is the reason I pay attention to garnish at all. Not only does it make the dish more presentable (say, for Instagram posts…), but it also adds considerably to the flavor and substantial-ness (totally a word) of the meal.

The Fundamental Laws of Garnish

1. Always add something fresh. This recipe is filled with cooked vegetables that can benefit from the added freshness and crunch of an uncooked vegetable. Some of my favorites: halved cherry tomatoes, sliced radishes, fresh lime wedge, a couple raw carrot wheels (or, if you’re feeling adventurous, perhaps a carrot flower), cucumber slices.

2. Always add something tiny. This gives the dish a daintily haphazard ‘sprinkled’ air. That may sound ridiculous but it looks great in pictures. Suggestions: halved peanuts or cashews toasted under the broiler, sesame seeds (!), minced chives or green onion, fresh parsley flakes.

3. Consider amplifying the meal with a side. If the one bowl concept isn’t popular with family members (or your significant other simply wants something a bit more “substantial”), consider adding a side dish or two to the bowl. Some of my favorites: long slices of Portobello mushroom pan fried in marsala or sherry and garlic, fried egg, steamed broccoli florets, salted and shelled edamame beans, fresh avocado slices.

On a completely separate topic, I am definitely noting “The Absence of Ghee” as a potential mid-life crisis rock band name.

Tags Asia, Asian, chicken, chopsticks, eggs, garlic, garnish, ginger, health, healthy, main course, peanut, sesame, stir fry, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight

Veggie

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce

This is the versatile Peanut Sauce. Ironically, only the variation is made with actual peanut butter. The version I typically make is peanut-free! But this is THE sauce for healthy Pad Thai, Weeknight Stir Fry, rice attire, salad dressing, noodle accoutrement, etc. If you’re missing an ingredient, don’t panic. There is a substitution for almost everything. So customize away!

what you need

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut butter)

Juice from half a lime

1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 whole garlic clove, peeled

1 small knob of fresh ginger (no need to chop or peel)

3 tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

1/4 cup cashew milk (or other nut milk, or regular milk)

Salt, black pepper, & cayenne pepper to taste

See below for sweet peanut variation.

how to make it

Place all ingredients in chopper or small blender (I use the smallest container in this 3-in-1). Blend until smooth adding milk or water to reach desired consistency, noting that if adding to stir fry over heat, the mixture will thicken slightly.

Notes on texture: The amount of liquid controls how thick or thin this sauce becomes. Add more or less milk depending on desired thickness.

Notes on ingredients: This recipe is SUPER flexible. The substance comes from the nut butters. My favorite blend is tahini + almond, but peanut is a good option as well. If lacking tahini, you could make the entire thing with 4 tablespoons of almond butter.

Lime and vinegar give you the tanginess. I would be hard pressed to make this without lime juice but, technically, you only need one of the two, and could probably get away with lemon in a pinch. Similarly, you could skip the ginger OR the garlic OR the fish sauce and not be hurting for it.

To make this recipe sweeter: add 1 tablespoon fresh honey, 1 tablespoon of Hoisin sauce, or 1 tablespoon of molasses.

Sweet Peanut Variation

what you need

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup lime juice or 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

2-3 tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)

1/2 teaspoon fermented chili paste (or sriracha)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2-6 tablespoons of water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

(optional) 1 garlic clove, finely grated

(optional) 1 fresh ginger knob, finely grated

how to make it

Whisk together all ingredients excluding the water. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Since natural peanut butters vary in consistency from very thick (Whole Foods or Publix brands) to very thin (some in jars), you will need to adjust the amount of water to achieve the consistency that suits your dish.

Tags Asia, Asian, creamy, garlic, ginger, lime, peanut, sauce, sesame, tahini, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight

Veggie

Cornbread

Basic Skillet Cornbread

If you are from the south, you know that the only way to make cornbread is in a skillet. It should be drier than it is wet, breadier than it is cakey, and not overly sweet (but lightly sweetened with fresh honey). It should also be free from whole corn kernels. In my opinion. If you’re looking for that spongy corn cake served in Barbeque restaurants, this is not it. But this is what you need if the black eyed peas are soaking.

what you need

1 1/2 cup fresh ground corn meal

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

2 tablespoons oil (vegetable, safflower, olive)

1 1/4 cup whole milk

how to make it

Utensils: cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 425 and oil the cast iron skillet. Put it in the oven to heat up a bit.

Mix dry ingredients together. Separately, beat the wet ingredients together. Then mix all ingredients and pour into the warm cast iron skillet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. If the top does not brown enough for your liking, feel free to broil for a minute or two.

Note on Local Grains, Meal, & Rice

Check out the Grain, Meal, & Rice post.

Wade's Mill, Virginia

Anson Mills, South Carolina

The Story Behind One(andahalf)Slices

One(andahalf)Slices was originally conceived as a non-fiction book, the subject of which was to posit the First Principles of healthy, holistic living.

(Interlude: First Principles and Fermi Questions are cognitive heuristics that allow us to simplify complex concepts and seemingly intractable problems)

There were going to be four sections in the book corresponding to my four first principles for health: Movement, Hydration, Nutrition, and Rest. The sections were to contain chapters on how to pursue these things in daily life, recipes, thoughts, funny stories, and other things. Fundamentally, I wanted the text to underscore the two things that, in my opinion, are hardest for humans: 1) balance and 2) consistency.

To treat oneself with indulgence and discipline in equal measure. And to do so consistently.

Nothing earth shattering, right?

Anyway, I kept a running list of chapter ideas in my little black work notebook for a year or two. Even wrote a couple. The idea for the title OneandahalfSlices came to me one day while eating pie with a friend.

After finishing my first slice of pie, the usual debate began in my head: ‘Man, I want another piece. No, you don’t need one. But you’re literally going to finish this entire pie later anyway so might as well. Seriously, a little self control never killed anyone.’ until I settled on the obvious answer… to have another HALF slice of pie.

“I’m going to have half a slice more,” I announced.

“Who has a HALF a slice of pie?” my friend scoffed from the couch, without looking up from her second piece.

And that got me to thinking… who DOES only have half a slice of pie. Or pizza. Or cake. Or cornbread. Well… I do. All the time. In fact, I frequently eat one and a half slices of many things. Because two slices is just too much but one slice is never quite enough. To treat oneself with indulgence and discipline in equal measure and to do so consistently.

OneandahalfSlices became, in a way, a philosophy. Go to the gym every day and do something without needing to set a personal record, even if that something is just to stretch. Drink plenty of water without denying yourself bourbon, red wine, and coffee. Eat well and cook most of your own food, but every so often, mix corn flakes into Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream because there is just no need to take life all that seriously. Sleep in every so often without becoming chronically lazy.

OneandahalfSlices is more than a title. And this blog is more than a collection of recipes. It’s a continued exploration… with stories unfinished and questions unanswered. Which is why the title is much more suited to something that will evolve as opposed to something that would be forever codified between a cover page and a conclusion.

I’ve tried vegan and vegetarian diets. People have told me repeatedly that the moniker ascribed to my approach to eating is called paleo. But there is a lot I haven’t tried as well. Like hunt my own food and learn how to process meat. Like meet the local farmers and purveyors of Virginia grain and groceries. Those questions will all be asked here and the stories told here as well.

Experiences will be curated, people will be invited, and many different perspectives will be welcomed.

But for those not in need of a philosophy, what you’ll find here are just recipes. Delicious, simple, tried and true, healthy (most of the time) recipes. Because food is much more than what we put in our mouths for energy. It is culture, sustenance, and identity all in one, with history as rich as the flavors that we taste.

#oneandahalfslices

#equalpartsdisciplineandindulgence

Tags baking, bread, comfort food, corn, cornbread, cornmeal, flour, grain, honey, rice, signature, southern

Local Veggie

Caesar Sauce

caesar salad sauce recipe one and a half slices

Caesar Sauce

What is Caesar “sauce?” You mean Caesar dressing… as in, Caesar salad? Or is this some kind of dipping sauce? And does it have anything to do with dill? Yes, all three! This is an all-purpose, HEALTHY, creamy, herby, Caesar-esque sauce for dressing salad, for dipping vegetables, and, yes, even for chicken wings. And it has become a weeknight meal staple in this house.

How can sauce be the centerpiece of a weeknight dinner?

Keep reading…

///Update: If you are looking for a more traditional Caesar dressing recipe, you can find it here.

There are several core, buy-every-time-I’m-at-the-grocery-store ingredients in my kitchen. 0% (non-fat) plain Greek Yogurt is one of them. I eat a ton of it, mostly in homemade breakfast parfaits. Chobani, Fage, or Whole Foods brand will do. But most importantly, it serves two unique purposes: (1) It doubles as sour cream. That’s right. Anywhere you would put sour cream (chili, baked potato, sweet potato, quesadillas), just lop on a dollop of Greek yogurt instead; (2) It serves as the base for creamy sauces like this one.

Homemade Caesar dressing is delicious, especially when made with a non-fat base like Greek yogurt as opposed to Mayonnaise. With a few alterations, you can easily turn this into a dill sauce for dipping (which pairs phenomenally well with carrots or drizzled on baked potatoes). So take this where you want to take it with customizations following the base outlined below. And if you come up with something that you like, please share it in the comments section!

Steak Caesar Salad 1

Steak Caesar Salad 2

(local flat iron steak from the Whiffletree Farm meat CSA)

This sauce is integral to my mission to re-imagine the American weeknight dinner, a la Michael Pollan and Dan Barber. Simply put, putting meat at the center of every meal is not a good thing – not good for our bodies, not natural, and, most importantly, not good for the greater food system and its sustainability over time… our sustainability over time. Both Pollan and Barber state it more eloquently than I ever could, so for a quick dose of this philosophy, I recommend Season 1, Episode 2 of Chef’s Table on Netflix.

Telling World War II era Americans not to eat steak and potatoes is about as American as communism. But let’s not make it about our politics or our cultural identity. Let’s make it about our relationship with food and how, worldwide, it has gone astray. Food is highly commoditized, commercialized, and over-engineered. And our relationship with it is a product of convenience, indulgence, and excellent marketing (did you know that there is a sugar lobby right here in Washington, DC?!).

So what can we do? How can we fix it? First and foremost, vote with our feet. Explore Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in the local area. The Northern Virginia area has several and mine is, proudly, Potomac Vegetable Farms with a Whiffletree Farm meat share (supplemented by periodic trips to the Spring House Farm). And patronize truly local farm-to-table restaurants (The Restaurant at Patowmac Farm and Field & Main, you rock my world… even Fiola DC has allowed COVID to take it in a new farm-centric direction).

Potomac Vegetable Farms works in concert with many smaller farms nearby (it has meat, poultry, and eggs, not just vegetables). Using a CSA not only supports local farms but it forces us to eat more seasonally – more naturally – as opposed to running to the store for an imported ingredient anytime we want to make a dish. You’ll make tomato soup in the summer because that is when tomatoes are abundant. And guess what? Those tomatoes will taste SO much better. While CSAs typically require payment up front, they average out to the equivalent of store-bought groceries… because produce isn’t expensive; packaged food items are. Just be flexible and focus on your store-bought staples (like yogurt, in my case), letting the CSA contents drive the menu for the week. And don’t be afraid to put a baked potato, a sweet potato, or a Portobello mushroom at the center of your weeknight plate.

hmm… I got a TON of carrots this week… how will I use all these carrots?! Hey, I know a food blog for that… 😉🥕

what you need

> > > Base

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (Reggiano is best)

2 table spoons olive oil

1 garlic clove (raw or roasted)

Salt & black pepper to taste

> > For Caesar

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

(optional) dash of Worcestershire sauce

> > For dipping sauce

1 tablespoon dried dill (or 2 tablespoons fresh dill)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sweet Hungarian paprika, to top

how to make it

For either variation, place all ingredients in high-speed blender (this is my favorite 3-in-1) and combine.

The thickness will largely depend on the consistency of your yogurt (for example, Chobani is thinner where Fage makes a much thicker yogurt). Most often, the sauce will be too thick and require thinning. This can be done with water, milk (non-dairy like cashew, macadamia, or oat is fine), or by adding extra lemon juice and olive oil.

Feel free to play with the amounts. Anchovy paste is one of the key ingredients to authentic Caesar dressing (but then, so is egg, if not in the sauce, in the salad itself). So if you like to anchovy it up, by all means. This recipe is tuned to my taste, with extra parmesan. I will also usually be heavy handed with the dill if making the sauce variation.

You can also roast the garlic clove in tinfoil for 10 minutes on 350 to deepen the garlic flavor.

Top either dressing or sauce with a sprinkle of paprika.

Sweet Potato Wedge Dippers

Carrot chips!

Carrot Chip Dippers

hmm… I got a TON of carrots this week… how will I use all these carrots?! Hey, I know a food blog for that… 😉🥕

Tags blender, caesar, condiment, Dan Barber, dill, dip, garlic, kitchen equipment, Mediterranean, Michael Pollan, parmesan, philosophy, salad, salad dressing, sauce, vegetarian, weeknight

Veggie

Guacamole

The avocado is native to… Mexico! The growing season peaks in the summer but avocados are prevalent year-round (PSA: this post is NOT local). Then there is the less-desirable, much larger Florida avocado, which is less preferable for guacamole due to its high water content.

The avocado has an extremely high fat content with about 20g of fat per cup. But it’s the good kind of fat (yes, there is a good kind). We actually really need healthy fats in our diet which is why I am not high on low-fat or non-fat things. When you eat fat, eat real fat (e.g., avocados, nuts, coconut, yogurt, cheese) and when you’re going to eat sugar, eat real sugar (e.g., fruit, honey, maple syrup).

High in fiber, potassium, and vitamins, avocados are super nutritious. Honestly, most of the fat in a snack of chips and guac is in the chips… Which is why I recommend serving guacamole with carrot sticks and cucumbers. You’ve probably all heard my healthy living rule of thumb by now: if you do nothing else, don’t eat anything that comes in a package. Easy rule to follow, right? I’m convinced it’s the single best thing someone can do for themselves, followed closely by eliminating soda, juices, and flavored waters.

Now let’s talk about avocado skin and… skin. Avocado is a skin food. It is the single best moisturizer and face mask money can buy. It probably sounds crazy but… you’ve got to try this, if for no other reason than to turn your face green and provide some entertainment value to your cohabitant. Turn the leftover avocado skins inside out and smear the remaining pulp onto a clean, dry face. Massage the pulp into your skin until your face adopts a green-ish hue. Let sit for 10 minutes, gently remove with warm water, and pat your face dry. And just like that… baby face. Another solution to face or body moisturizer is to buy straight cold-pressed avocado oil in the grocery store and use it similar to coconut oil. Avocado oil can be a bit heavy, so use it sparingly.

Finally, it is no secret I am a fan of bowls. Bowl diets. Weeknight bowls. Themed bowls. Guacamole (or just plain avocado) is the perfect and necessary addition to a Mexican-themed bowl. Simply put, avocado is one of those hearty fruits that can stand on its own as a main course… like a sweet potato, a russet potato, or a Portobello mushroom. It is incredible how little the body actually needs to sustain itself (especially when we consider the portions restaurants deliver). It is also incredible how much protein we actually consume. To avoid giving an unsolicited lecture, I’ll simply head nod to Michael Pollan. Depending on your level of interest and amount of free time, here are three resources that make the case for altering the Western notion that a large piece of meat has to appear as the centerpiece of every plate:

For those with 15 seconds: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan
For those with 15 minutes: Unhappy Meals, Michael Pollan for NY Times
For those with 15 hours: In Defense of Food (also, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire).’

what you need

1 ripe avocado

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 small tomato, finely diced

1/4 sweet onion, finely diced

1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

Fresh cilantro leaves

(optional) 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

(optional) 2-3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese (I use about 1/4 of a half goat cheese brick)

Salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

For serving: corn chips (I like salted blue corn chips), carrot sticks, and cucumber slices

how to make it

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. In a ripe avocado, the pit should come out easily when tapped with the blade of a sharp knife and twisted. Spoon avocado pulp into small mixing bowl and mash with a fork to desired consistency (I like to leave mine a little chunky). (Save the skins!)

Add lime juice, chopped cilantro leaves, salt, pepper, cumin, and mustard, and stir until just combined.

Add goat cheese, mashing it gently with a fork and combining with avocado mixture until little white pieces are still visible.

Finally, mix in tomato, onion, and jalapeño pepper.

Top with: pomegranate seeds or bacon pieces or more cilantro leaves.

Serve with: blue corn chips, carrot sticks, and cucumber slices.

Tags avocado, bowl, chips, condiment, Dan Barber, dip, Florida, goat cheese, guacamole, health, latin, lime, mexican, Michael Pollan, nutrition, sauce, skin, summer, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight

Veggie

Dahl (Indian Lentil Stew)

Red Lentil Dahl with Spinach

Dahl is an understatement of a dish. Pitch “lentils and spinach cooked until mushy” to most people and you’re unlikely to garner much enthusiasm. But this dish… this dish… is a healthy, satisfying, vegan, weeknight game changer. It is rich and hearty, and I am pretty sure you could top crispy, sea-salted naan with Pennzoil and I’d eat it. The curry spices are not as prominent as in most Indian dishes so the flavors are subtle and the lemon keeps it fresh. So pull out your favorite style of lentil and give this one a try.

what you need

1 tablespoon sunflower oil or ghee

1 1/2 cups red lentils (I have tried with yellow, french, white… all good, but red are the best IMO).

1 can diced tomatoes

2 shallots or 3/4 yellow onion, diced

fresh ginger root, minced

2-3 cups raw spinach

juice from half a lemon

fresh cilantro

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 hot chili pepper, minced

Spices: turmeric, cloves, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cardamom, cloves, cumin, mustard seeds, or some sort of garam masala mix

Naan, basmati rice

how to make it

Rinse lentils until water runs clearly through them, then cook for ~15-20 minutes over medium heat in 4 cups of water. As the lentils cook, add salt and a generous amount of turmeric. You want the lentils to break down and become quite thick.

While the lentils simmer, heat the ghee or oil in a large pan. Add onions or shallots and cook ~3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook for ~2 minutes more.

Spice. Remove from heat and add your personal blend of spices, stirring to coat everything in the pan. Toasting the spices in this way releases their flavors, but you want to take care never to burn the spices over high heat, should your dish take on a bitter quality. You can be generous with turmeric, but should be sparing with cloves, cumin, and ginger, all of which can overpower in large quantities.

Return to heat and add the can of tomatoes, stirring well. The lentils should be completely collapsed by now and all the water evaporated from the pot. Pour the lentils into the pan with the tomatoes and simmer for ~10-20 minutes, taking care not to let the dahl stick to the bottom of the pan.

When ready, add lemon juice and the spinach, stirring and folding so the spinach becomes submerged in the dahl. Cook at least 5-10 minutes more until the spinach is fully integrated. Serve over basmati rice and with naan with a garnish of cilantro.

A note on naan: most any storebought naan will do. Lay it out on a pan, cut it into slivers, and sprinkle with a good olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and place under broiler until crispy. Really takes this dish to the next level.

Tags curry, dahl, ethnic, fall, indian, lentils, naan, soup, spicy, spinach, stew, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight, winter