Whirled Beans and Fresh Greens...

I'm not going to call it hummus. After 8 years of vegetarianhood, and many, many servings of store bought hummus; today I cringe at the word. Holidays went like this: "Oh Rachel's coming for dinner... dang! Can't serve her this gorgeous roast, maybe she would like a plateful of hummus and a carrot?"
Needless to say, I've had my fill. But I really like white beans whirled with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. It's about the same, but softer and creamier. Just a few ingredients blended together peacefully. For some reason, it makes all the difference keeping it simple. Here it is. For vegetarians and meat lovers alike:

Whirled White Beans (a.k.a undercover hummus):
*2 cans organic cannellini beans
*3 garlic cloves
*sea salt
*fresh ground pepper
*about 1/4 cup olive oil, give or take

Blend all solid ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Slowly add olive oil until all ingredients become smooth and creamy. Enjoy over fresh greens with some chopped fresh veggies. This is also very good in the morning with eggs and wilted greens.

My little nutrition blurb: Cannellini beans help cut cholesterol, are good sources of magnesium and fiber, and contain twice as much iron as beef! They also help prevent headaches due to the trace mineral molybdenum, which helps the body produce detoxifying enzymes. Sweet!

Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower seems to show up most often uncooked on an uninspired veggie tray with ranch dressing. You know the veggie trays I'm talking about. I don't have anything against them, in fact, they can be a good friend at a gathering that offers little in the way of a feel good finger food. Though, arranged next to broccoli and carrots, the cauliflower seems to be the last to get dipped and devoured.
Not anymore. When you toss this incredible underrated vegetable with some olive oil and garlic, and roast until tender, you have something very different from the cauliflower mentioned prior. Roasting brings out a sweet nuttiness you never knew was there. You can also take this one step further, and mash the roasted florets like you would potatoes for a unusually creamy side dish! SO good, and super easy!

Roasted Cauliflower:
*1 head organic cauliflower
*3-4 cloves garlic, pressed with a garlic press
*2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
*sea salt and pepper
*fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375. Wash cauliflower and chop into bite sized florets. In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, pressed garlic, salt and pepper. Add cauliflower and toss to coat. Arrange on a lined baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and toss with fresh parsley.

*Special Bonus: When cauliflower is chewed or chopped, an anti-cancer compound called sulforaphane is released. Cauliflower consumption has been associated with prostate cancer prevention and improving the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogens! It's s also a wonderful source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Chew on that!

Golden Beet Slaw

I recently read in Dr. John Douillard's Ayurvedic newsletter how great raw beets are for digestion. He discusses how many of us have a hard time digesting certain foods, but with a little help from beets for instance, you can jump start your system. He says, "If you can eat one beet a day for three months, you will help cleanse your liver and allow your stomach to fire up that (digestive) furnace."
I like this idea because it is easy and delicious. So, I have begun my digestive furnace regime. In other words, another tasty dish to feel good about. This raw salad is ultra refreshing, a bit like taking a quick dip in a spring fed lake. A little tingly, crisp, and packs enough punch to really wake you up.

Golden Beet Slaw:
*1 small golden beet, or red beet
*1/4 large carrot
*1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
*1/2 tsp. olive oil
*1 tsp chopped fennel leaves
*small squeeze of lemon
*small squeeze of orange
*pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Peel the beet and carrot. Julianne the beet followed by the carrot. Toss in a medium sized bowl with remaining ingredients. Allow to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
* This pretty slaw is good on fresh greens or as a nice contrast to a cooked dish, like black beans and rice.

Stuffed Grape Leaves.

Stuffed grape leaves, (dolmades), originated in ancient Mesopotamia. Nowadays they can be found throughout many countries including the Middle East, Greece, Central Asia and Turkey, their fillings changing with the region.
The previously mentioned lamb shank returns to star in these flavorful little bundles. After a slow braise, the lamb literally fell right off the bone. Added to wild rice with artichoke hearts and garlic, I think North Carolina dolmades have just found their place on the map.

North Carolina Lamb and Wild Rice Dolmades:
*1 cup wild rice, soaked overnight
*1 lamb foreshank
*3 Tbsp olive oil
*3 celery ribs, chopped
*1 medium sweet onion, chopped
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*2 cups thawed sungold tomatoes or canned San Marzanos
*3/4 cup dry red wine
*2 bay leaves
*salt and pepper
*1 jar grape leaves (usually found with the olives in most grocery stores)
*1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
*3 cloves garlic, pressed with a garlic press
*sea salt and pepper

Rinse and dry lamb shank. In a heavy pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sear all sides of the shank in oil, about 1 minutes per side. Remove from pot and set aside. Add remaining olive oil. Add the onion and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper (about a tsp. of each). Cook a few minutes before adding the wine. Stir. Allow to simmer a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and lamb shank. Spoon some of the liquid over the lamb, reduce heat to med-low and cover. Cook for 1 1/2-2 hours.
While lamb cooks, add wild rice and just enough water to cover it to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook without stirring until rice is tender about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove about 20 grape leaves from jar. Separate and rinse each leaf gently. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Briefly blanch grape leaves in boiling water, about one minute.
Set aside.
Remove lamb from heat. With a fork, separate meat from bone. With a slotted spoon, remove meat from liquid and coarsely chop. Add to cooked rice with artichoke hearts, garlic and 1/2 cup of the tomato liquid. Salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange a few grape leaves, vein side up. Spoon 1 Tbsp rice filling onto each grape leaf. Roll together tucking in sides of leaf as you roll. Repeat until all filling is used. Place all stuffed leaves in the pot with the leftover tomato liquid (with the lamb bone removed), simmer covered until tender about 30 minutes. Serve with more of the tomato liquid. These make a great appetizer or snack. Cover and store in the fridge. Keeps well.

*you could easily make these vegetarian by leaving out the lamb, adding extra artichoke hearts, and maybe some dried currants?

Fast and Easy Chickpea Salad.

There is a suggestive trend in food media these days, that cooking is difficult and best left to the experts. This implies that famous chefs and those featured on the food network are the only ones who can make a dish taste good.
This simple preparation was not gushed over by a camera crew or food stylists, but is none the less flavorful. In a grand total of about 5 minutes, it was ready to serve over greens. Take that Bobby Flay!

Chickpea Salad:
*1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
*2 celery stalks, finely chopped plus some of the flavorful celery leaves, chopped
*2-3 cloves garlic, minced
*3 Tbsp. minced sweet onion
*small squeeze of fresh lemon
*1 Tbsp. olive oil
*2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (add more to taste)
*sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve over fresh greens with julienned carrots.

An added plus: Chickpeas contain amounts of calcium equivalent to yogurt and close to milk. They also are a good source of fiber, protein, zinc and hold a low glycemic load!

Local Lamb Chops with Balsamic Blueberry Sauce and Artisan Grits....

Yesterday at the store I found myself gazing delightfully at an array of fresh local lamb cuts from East Fork Farm. There were the well known loin chops, as well as blade chops and foreshank. I asked the man behind the meat counter to tell me a little about the blade chops and shank. When he replied "I don't really like to cook" I gave him a stiff nod and noted, "I guess cooking isn't everyone's cup of tea", though these words of condolence were hard for me to say. Maybe he should transfer to the canned goods isle?
Anyway, I purchased the chops and a forshank and came home to consult my "meat cut chart". Even though this chart compares cuts of pork, I figured it would give me a better understanding of what part of the lamb my purchase came from.
Blade chops are cut from the shoulder end of the loin. They boast lots of flavor but tend to carry a bit more fat than chops cut from the tenderloin. The foreshank is taken from the top portion of the lamb's front leg usually including a bit of the shoulder and is sold bone in. Both cuts were modestly priced, I believe due in part to the fact that these are a more exercised part of the animal, making them a bit tougher. Such cuts are usually good candidates for braising (breifly searing all sides before slow cooking in flavorful juices), or in the chops case, searing to medium-rare.
Okay, so here we go.

Lamb Blade Chops:
*2 blade chops
*salt and pepper
*butter or olive oil for searing

In a large heavy skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Rinse and thoroughly dry chops. Salt and pepper both sides of chops. Sear until desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Trim away some fat and allow to rest before serving.

Balsamic Blueberry Sauce:
*1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
*1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
*1/4 cup water
*1 tsp brown sugar or molasses

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium low heat stirring occasionally until reduced to a spoonable sauce. Spoon over lamb chops and garnish with some fresh fennel.

Artisan Grits with Shallots:

*1 cup stone ground grits (I got these from Wayne at Farmer's Market)
*4 cups water
*splash of cream...optional
*2 Tbsp butter
*2 large shallots, sliced thin
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*Fresh ground pepper and sea salt

In a medium saucepan, saute shallots in butter for about 5 minutes. Add garlic. Saute until golden. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Add water and bring to a boil. Whisk in grits and cream. Reduce heat to low and add shallots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook covered until grits are done, about 30-40 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Allow to rest a few minutes before spooning onto a plate. Arrange a lamb chop over top, with blueberry sauce. Serve with greens.
And of course toast your local food producers before digging in!

A perfect meal for Valentine's!

Rosemary Bread!

There really isn't anything quite like fresh baked bread (unless you are gluten intolerant and in that case, there really isn't anything quite like fresh baked Namaste gluten-free brownies).
If you are still part of the glutenous crew or occasionally indulge, this recipe will treat you right. Adapted from the New Basics Cookbook recipe for Olive Country Rosemary Bread, I often leave out the olives as a matter of what's in the pantry. It's delicious either way!

Rosemary Bread:
*1 pkg. active dry yeast
*1 1/2 cups warm water
*1/2 cup plain yogurt, milk or additional water
*2 Tbsp honey
*1/2 cup organic yellow cornmeal
*3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
*2 Tbsp. chopped rosemary (fresh is best, but dried works great)
*2 tsp. sea salt plus extra for sprinkling
*2/3 cup chopped onion *(optional)
*2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
*2 cups organic whole wheat flour
*3 to 3 1/2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour

Stir the yeast, warm water, yogurt and honey together in a small bowl. Let stand (this allows the yeast to proof, or begin eating the sugar. It should bubble if active). In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, butter, rosemary, salt, pepper, *onion, whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Add yeast mixture. Blend with a fork. Place the sticky dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes adding the remaining flour until dough is workable. Let dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Begin kneading the dough again until it is smooth and elastic, (about 10 minutes), adding more flour as you go.
Place kneaded dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a draft free warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough. Divide in half. I shaped one into a round loaf and the other was baked in a ceramic loaf pan. You can do whatever you like. Sprinkle a baking sheet with a bit of cornmeal and place round loaf onto it. Grease a loaf pan, roll the other half of dough into a fat log and place in pan. Score each loaf with a sharp knife and sprinkle with sea salt. Cover and allow to rise again for about 40 minutes. While rising, preheat oven to 350. Bake the loaves until browned and hollow sounding when tapped, about 45 minutes.
Eat warm from the oven. Note: Even tastier shared with a crowd.