I’m here! Actually here. Cooking, enjoying summer, but not blogging. ‘Til tonight. A few folks have requested this recipe . . . so here we go. Got zucchini? This is a GREAT way to use it up, deliciously. It’s high-protein, low-carb and gluten-free. Eat up!

© 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This is a crowd pleaser. And you can do all the hard stuff ahead of time, so you’re not fussing when your guests are around, drinking and munching and socializing. You can drink, munch and socialize too! They’ll love it – as a friend of ours said the other night, “bread salad is an uncommon, but welcome offering.” It’s one of those simple yet delicious menu items that makes people happy – why wouldn’t you want to make it?

Tomato Bread Salad with Cannellini Beans and Feta (adapted from The Beekman Heirloom Cookbook)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the bread cubes on a large rimmed cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp, tossing the bread chunks after about 5 minutes of baking. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Add the tomatoes to the bread, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to combine. Let stand 20 minutes.

In a small, ungreased skillet, toast the pine nuts over low heat, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the beans, vinegar, basil, nuts and remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the bowl with the bread and tomatoes and toss to combine. Add the cheese and toss again, gently.

Serves 4 generously.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’ve been emboldened by my successes with raw kale salads. I know that if I massage the kale with the olive oil and the acid (lemon, vinegar), the kale will get tender and melty. The flavors have been incredible. So when I got a big, beautiful bunch of Swiss chard in my CSA box last week, I thought, “why not?” and onto Google I went. Up popped the inspiration for this salad, which D and I enjoyed on Saturday night. The perfect foil to the birthday celebration food we enjoyed on Friday for L’s big family birthday celebration.

This served the two of us as a meal salad, although D did have about 3 ounces of turkey tips with it. I found it filling enough to eat on its own – plenty of protein from all those greens, the hemp seed and the walnuts. Lots of rich and satisfying flavor from the avocados (loving the 5/$5 avocados at Whole Foods this past week!). Definitely one I’ll make again.

Avocado Massaged Swiss Chard Salad (adapted from the Good Food Collective)

Greens:

1 bunch of Swiss Chard, stems removed
Other salad greens as desired (I used red leaf lettuce from the farm share)

Dressing:

1 avocado, divided (mash one half for dressing, other half set aside for salad topping)
1 1/2 T EVOO
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad Toppings:

2 carrots, shredded
1 large tomato, diced
1/8 c. hemp seeds
1/2 c. walnuts, very roughly chopped
Reserved half of avocado, diced

Tear chard and other salad greens, rinse well and spin dry.  In a large bowl, mix mashed avocado, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Add salad greens and stir, completely coating greens with dressing mixture.  Use your hands!

Add and stir in all desired salad toppings, excluding any of these you don’t like, adding what you do. Hemp seeds are a great source of vegetable protein, but hard cooked eggs or cooked chicken/turkey would be good too.

Allow salad to “marinate” in dressing mixture for 10 minutes before serving.  The avocado and olive oil soften the greens up nicely, making it very easy and enjoyable to eat the chard raw in a salad. This would work great with kale, too.

Serves 2 – 4, depending on if salad is used a meal or as a side.

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This sounds like some sort of a throwdown from the Food Network: How many superfoods can you fit in one dish? I was inspired by my CSA haul at the end of last week. I had two bunches of kale, one lacinato, one curly. A ton of tomatoes. What could I make? A perfectly ripe avocado beckoned on the counter, my crisper was full of fresh organic lemons . . . what came together was a melange of superfoods that was creamy and flavorful and so, so good for us. This is my second foray into the world of raw kale salads, and I have to say, I’m officially over my fear. It might sound funny, but “massaging” the chopped kale with your fingers really does tenderize it. You do not feel like you’re chewing on rubber bands. Trust me. It’s toothsome but tender, and the rich flavor of the avocado and the brightness of the lemon will make your tastebuds sing. Enjoy.

Kale & Avocado Salad With Quinoa (adapted from Thrive Foods, by Brendan Brazier)

Using your hands, toss all the ingredients except the quinoa together in a large salad bowl. Massage the ingredients together so that you wilt the kale and cream the avocado. Taste and add salt and pepper to you liking. Divide the quinoa between two large bowls, and top each with one half of the kale salad. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Happy Friday, everyone! Here’s a roundup of my most popular pins this week.

This Pina Colada fruit salad recipe would be a great addition to a summer brunch:

Source: tasteofhome.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

Avocado & lime & cantaloupe salad? YES!

 

Source: theppk.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

I have 5,000 lbs. of CSA tomatoes on my counter – this Southeast Asian tomato salad would be a tasty & creative way to showcase them:

 

Source: yumsugar.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 What about carrots? I have a ton of those, too, from my CSA. This duo of shredded carrot salads (one sweet, one savory) is a treat for the eyes, as well as for the palate!

 

Source: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 The addition of corn is an interesting twist on the classic Caprese salad:

 

Source: simplyrecipes.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 I’d add a can of rinsed & drained pinto beans to this Mexicali raw corn salad with beans & lime to create a light, vegetarian lunchbox item:

 

Source: care2.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

And my most popular workout pin? This rockin’ 5-superset Arms & Abs workout . . . summer’s not over yet, my friends!

 

Source: theleangreenbean.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

Enjoy!

P.S. Not following me on Pinterest? That’s just wrong. Find me here!

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Summertime is a great time for pesto – you can make up a big batch, use it lots of different ways, even freeze it for a treat come wintertime. I can’t tell you the joy we got pulling out a container of garlic scape pesto in the dead of winter, tossing it with some pasta, and reminiscing about summer.

Today’s pesto is an exotic departure from your traditional basil, walnut & Parmesan blend. The Thai basil lends a slight anise flavor, the toasted pecans add depth and richness. Whip up a big batch of this versatile, vegan concoction and keep it around for dipping, drizzling and dressing. It’ll keep in your fridge for about a week – and bonus! The lime juice helps it keep its bright green color.

Thai Basil Pesto (Adapted from Healthful Pursuit)

Place nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until broken down, about 30 seconds. Add basil, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and garlic. Pulse to mix, until basil leaves have been incorporated with the nuts. With the processor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until combined and until pesto has reached desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, mixing and tasting after each addition.

Yields about 1.5 cups.

What’re you gonna do with it?

• Great on pasta. Why not try zucchini “pasta”? I used a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of zucchini, heated them up quickly in a frying pan, and tossed them with the pesto. Delicious, a great way to use your zucchini, and a healthful, low-calorie alternative to pasta.
• Slice a tomato, spread the pesto on top, and hit it with the broiler
• Sandwich spread
• Try it over fish or chicken – we ate it over simple baked cod and it was delicious
• Veggie dip
• In a vinaigrette
• Pizza sauce
• Spread on crackers
• Freeze for later – either in small containers or in an ice cube tray.
• More good ideas here!

What’re your favorite ways to use pesto? Have a favorite pesto ingredient combo? Share in the comments!

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’ve posted before that I have a lot of kitchen stuff. Like so much that I have a giant Ikea armoire in the basement to house pie plates (I think I have 6), special pans (bundt, train cake pans, you get the idea), multiple waffle irons (yes, multiple), cookie cutters, etc. etc. etc. So I’m loathe to buy a single-use tool – there are usually other ways to accomplish the same task (I’m looking at you, mango pitter!). But then there are some essential single-use tools – the egg slicer comes to mind. And now, the TofuXpress.

I’d never heard of this thing, ’til one day a Semi-Sweet reader emailed me that her husband & daughter had gotten her one at Sur La Table. Intrigued, I checked out the site – a tool that squeezes the heck out of your tofu? Was small-ish? American-made? Dishwasher safe? Sign. Me. Up. I emailed the good folks at TofuXpress to see if they’d be willing to send me one to review, and guess what? They said yes!

Now yes, you can press your own tofu – here’s what I used to do:

Lots of paper towls (cringe-worthy from an environmental perspective), the cookie sheets, lots of plates . . . it works, but it also only goes so far. Unless you take time to change the towels, they get saturated quickly and your tofu will still have a significant amount of moisture in it. This doesn’t matter for some preparations, but say you want to get it crispy? Or really saturated with marinade? Or just want it to be firmer and more flavorful? The TofuXpress is your new go-to girl.

 You just put in your block of tofu, snap in the top (there is a heavy-duty spring in there, that’s what does the pressing) and let it go. The instructions say to put it in the fridge and let it press for an hour, or overnight, but I find the results to be awesome (and far superior to my old method) in as few as 15 minutes.  When you’re ready to remove the tofu, you just tip the unit upside down over a sink, remove the accumulated water, and free the tofu. So simple.

The TofuXpress also comes with a lid that conveniently attaches to the base for storage – use this for marinating. You need to press the tofu first, then remove the liquid, insert the tofu with the marinade into the base, and cover with the top – place in the fridge for the desired time, and voila! You can even press the marinated tofu to achieve a denser texture that’s more meat-like.

I haven’t tried this yet, but the instructions say that you can also use the TofuXpress to press other vegetables, like eggplant, or defrosted frozen spinach, for example. Check out all the details, including a video demo, at the TofuXpress site. If you eat tofu on a regular basis, this is $39.95 well spent. Two thumbs up!

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? Something innovative like the TofuXpress? What would you like to see me review here for you?

{Disclaimer: I was sent the TofuXpress free-of-charge to review, but TofuXpress did NOT solicit my review – I contacted them. All the opinions in this review are my own.}

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Again with the cabbage. I love the stuff! And napa cabbage is very mild tasting . . . so for those of you who shy away from those big, tough-looking heads of green or purple cabbage, try napa. It’s the kinder, gentler, softer cabbage (see also, savoy). But it’s still very low in calories and high in nutrients – in fact, it has the highest concentration of folate of all the cabbages. A lot of bang for the buck with this one, my friends!

This is a quick and easy slaw to throw together on a hot night. Pair it up with some pre-baked tofu (I like the Teriyaki flavored one from Trader Joe’s) and fill your belly while keeping your kitchen cool. Or, do your own baked tofu – slice a block of organic firm tofu into four slabs, press it, and then throw it in a 9×13 pan with a little sesame oil and a little soy sauce. Gently turn the tofu to coat and throw it in a 375° oven for 30-45 minutes, turning half-way through. It won’t be as dense as the pre-baked TJ’s stuff, but it’ll have a nice soft texture and great flavor. Now, on to the slaw!

Napa Cabbage Slaw (adapted from Food & Wine)

In a dry skillet, toast the almonds for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

 In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Add the cabbage, scallions and cilantro and toss. Add the almonds and season with pepper. Toss again and serve.

Serves 2 as a dinner salad, with the tofu, otherwise, can serve 4 as a side salad.

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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What the heck is kohlrabi, you ask? Well, I didn’t know, either, ’til I first received it in my CSA share a few years ago. When I took the alien orbs out of the box, I had to go back to the email our farmers send us each week to see what the heck it was! That, for me, is the fun of the CSA. It’s like Christmas every week with all the fresh, organic veggies, and every season there is at least one new-to-me veggie in the mix.

Kohlrabi’s good for you, my friends. It’s in the brassica family – the same one as broccoli, cabbage, kale and other super-nutritious veg. Loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and even, yes, protein, you should be lovin’ up on these, my friends. Any wellness warrior will tell you – calorie for calorie, brassicas are the bomb for your body. What does it taste like? I’d say kohlrabi’s sorta like broccoli stalks – mild, not as brash as cabbage at all. Certainly not as bold as Brussels sprouts or other brassicas. Could be a good entree into this family for the faint-of-heart.

This recipe’s a bit time-consuming – I’ll lay it out there. There is some grating and cooking involved prior to the baking. It’s true. But I argue it’s worth it – you spend about a half-hour on the prep to get it in the oven, but then you can walk away, clean your kitchen, herd your children – whatever – ’til it’s done. And then you’re faced with a warm and wonderfully-different veggie-based dish that’ll get you and yours outa your dinner-time doldrums. Even the “Not So Healthy Hubby” (as he refers to himself) liked this!

Kohlrabi Gratin with Feta & Dill (adapted from The New York Times)

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Peel the kohlrabi, making sure to remove the fibrous layer right under the skin, and grate using a food processor fitted with the grater attachment.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, stir together, and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the kohlrabi. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan from the kohlrabi, turn up the heat and cook, stirring, until it boils off. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, stir in the dill, and set aside.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and beat in the crumbled feta. Stir in the kohlrabi mixture and combine well. Fill the pie plate with the kohlrabi mixture.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top of the gratin is golden brown. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yields 6 to 8 side-dish servings, or 4 main-course servings. This would be good with a starch on the side – I ate this straight up, but D. had some of L’s tortellini. Also great would be rice pilaf . . . with butter . . . but I digress!

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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It’s summer. It can get HOT. You might be cranky. You definitely don’t want to turn on your oven, or even stand over your stovetop. But you want fresh food that’s good for you, right? Here’s a recipe that solves all the problems. It’s vegetarian, but has a lot of protein for those hung up on that stuff (I admit, I am). You could even veganize it if you wanted to (take out the cheese – the horror!). This is a 30 minute deal that’ll leave you cool, calm, collected & satisfied.

Feta, Lentil & Cilantro Salad

Cook the lentils according to package directions until tender, but still a bit firm to the bite, about 20 minutes.

Drain the lentils, place them in a large bowl, and dress with the olive oil, lemon juice and the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 generously as a main dish, 4 as a side dish. Can easily be doubled.

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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