A Good Dish

making food simpler

Salad Every Day – Just Do It!

Early spring salad with bagged greens, oranges and toasted pumpkin seeds
Bowl by Adero Willard

I like to eat a salad at least once a day but this can be challenging in the winter. Fresh vegetables don’t always look that fresh come late winter and soup often seems more appealing. I make lots of soups (kind of like a hot salad in some ways) but I almost always accompany them with a salad of some sort. We just got home from 3 weeks of travel and the first thing we wanted was a big green salad.

Fresh salad greens are available year round

With better packaging techniques and shipping, a variety of greens are available in markets and grocery stores year round. Some greens, like watercress, arugula and baby versions of kale, beet and mustard grow well in greenhouses and can be bagged or boxed efficiently and keep pretty well for a couple day in your refrigerator. We can depend on them before local spring greens appear. Pears, apples, persimmons and pomegranates are available at different times during the winter and citrus is still plentiful. If you don’t have fresh fruit, chop some dried apricots or pears or add a handful of dried cranberries or raisins. Add fresh green herbs, storage vegetables (like carrots or radishes) and some toasted seeds or nuts and you have a gorgeous salad on the table in a flash.

Chopped celery and cucumber add crunch to salads

The following recipe is about as basic as salad gets and is is just a framework. It is the same structure for the raw beet and carrot salads I posted this winter only here I’ve used greens. It is more a reminder that a salad is so easy to make and the contents so flexible. Adjust the amounts according to your tastes. You can’t really go wrong. If you don’t feel like lettuce, use leftover or freshly cooked vegetables. Add in raw peas, scallions, raw cabbage, sugar snaps, red onion or whatever you like that you have available. I’ve included my usual vinaigrette recipe which dresses a big bowlful of vegetables plus some to store in the fridge for tomorrow’s salad.

VARIABLE GREEN SALAD with Basic Vinaigrette

  • Watercress, arugula and/or baby greens – the amounts depend on how much salad you want – washed, dried and torn in bite sized piece
  • Pear, apple, avocado or persimmon, diced or some citrus supremes or a handful of bite-sized dried fruit
  • Some combination of carrot, radish, celery, cucumber or jicama, sliced or diced in bite sized pieces
  • Cilantro or parsley, chopped (or any fresh herb you like and have on hand)
  • Toasted or raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or almonds or pistachios (optional)
  • Sprinkle of chia and/or hemp seeds (optional)

Whisk together:

  • 1/4 cup orange, lemon, grapefruit or lime juice or a combination
  • Splash of rice vinegar (about 1 TBs)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (or part olive, part avocado or walnut oil)
  • Pinch of granulated garlic (I use this instead of garlic powder as it is more flavorful)
  • Pinch of salt and black pepper

If you like a creamier dressing, add 1 TBs Dijon Mustard and 1-2 TBs Yogurt or Buttermilk

Endive, apricot, celery, cilantro and toasted walnuts
Bowl by Adero Willard

My New Favorite Breakfast – Add Greens!

Scrambled eggs with arugula
Terra Cotta plate by Mary Briggs

You may not ordinarily think of making a vegetable for breakfast, but tossing a couple of handfuls of quick cooking greens in your pan a minute before adding your scrambled eggs takes a ordinary breakfast up a nutritional notch. If you are vegetarian or vegan, simply add the greens to your tofu scramble or beans. If you like savory oatmeal, corn grits, congee or another porridge rather than sweet to start your day, adding greens is a no-brainier. Keeping some fresh arugula or spinach in your refrigerator is an easy way to insure you always have greens to cook. You can get one or two servings of veggies out of the way before you leave home in the morning.

Keep fresh quick cooking greens on hand in the fridge
Frozen vegetables can have more vitamins than fresh!

You could make a sandwich out of your scramble or eat it straight up. (If you don’t eat bread, adding vegetables is a way to bulk up your breakfast). If you wanted to enrich your eggs even more, you could sauté an onion before adding your greens or simply toss in some leftover vegetables from your previous meal. Peas, asparagus, sautéed or steamed greens, mushrooms and even zucchini all work well. I never use broccoli or cauliflower because I can’t handle the aroma early in the day but if you are careful not to overcook and the smell doesn’t bother you, go for it. Full disclosure – someone (who shall remain unmentioned) went through a broccoli in the morning phase and since she often overcooked it, we’ve had trouble even thinking about using it ever since! Keeping some vegetables in your freezer means you’ll have a veggie on hand to add. Frozen peas, green beans, artichoke hearts and mixed vegetables all work well. Just heat them in a little butter or oil to take the cold edge off (they are already cooked) and add your eggs to scramble. Grating in some fresh (or a pinch of dried) turmeric makes it healthier (anti-inflammatory/antioxidant) and spicier. Or try a handful of chopped fresh herbs (dill is especially good but even parsley works) to your scramble – already an improvement!

Sautéed arugula only takes a minute to prepare
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, baby kale and turmeric

Another possibility, if you prefer fried or poached eggs, is simply to cook or warm your vegetables (with arugula or spinach it only takes a minute) and top the greens with your eggs or put it all on a piece of whole grain toast. If you don’t eat bread but do eat grains, topping leftover quinoa, grits or kasha with greens and poached or fried eggs is delicious and quite filling. Whichever way, you’ve bettered your breakfast without much effort. Without the effort of an omelet or frittata, adding greens easily ups both the nutritional profile and satiety level of your breakfast. It is eye pleasing and, best of all, tasty!

Green Breakfast Sandwich

A Carrot Trick – The Magic of a Late Winter Salad

Shredded carrot salad with cilantro, watermelon radish and toasted pumpkin seeds
Oval bowl by Emily Schroeder Willis

 

The cheery orange of a crunchy carrot salad in late winter brightens up any table on a dark evening. There is something magical about making a fresh salad out of a few roots stored in the bottom of your crisper. Carrots, like beets, radishes, parsnips and celery root keep well for months in a cool, dark place and provide some nutritious raw vegetables for salads throughout the winter months.

Fresh organic carrot bunches

I love carrots! One summer I ate so many that my hands turned orange, a garish but harmless condition. I’ve moderated my intake since then but still love to munch them. The crunch and sweetness make a satisfying snack and they improve almost any salad.

A carrot salad is one of the easiest salads to make (similar, in fact, to the raw beet salad I posted last month). Simply grate, thinly slice (on a mandolin), use a peeler to shave into strips or julienne carrots into thin matchsticks for the bulk of your salad. Add in some diced or sliced watermelon radish or jicama for crunch, grated ginger if you like spice, pumpkin or sunflower seeds or walnuts for protein and flavor, parsley, mint or cilantro for herbaciousness and apple, pear, persimmon, pineapple, currants or diced dried apricots for sweetness. Toss it all with a lemony or orange vinaigrette and you have a salad you can eat for several days running. Magic!

Julienned carrot salad with watermelon radish, bosc pear and currants

Carrot Salad

  • 1 pound carrots, grated or cut as you please
  • 1 medium watermelon radish or jicama, diced small
  • 1 medium apple or pear, diced small
  • 1/4 cup currants or diced dried apricots (optional)
  • A big handful of chopped parsley, mint and/or cilantro
  • A big handful of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts

Whisk together:

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
  • 2-3 TBs olive oil
  • Big pinch of salt and of black pepper
  • Splash of rice or sherry vinegar (optional)

Toss all together and let sit at least one hour or overnight.

6-8 servings and keeps in the refrigerator 3-4 days.

Works well as a lunch box salad or in a sandwich or pita (in place of lettuce and tomato) alongside leftover chicken or fish or cheese or baked tempeh or tofu in either case.

For a complete lunch, just add feta, goat or mozzarella cheese or cooked chickpeas. If you want it greener, add a handful of chopped watercress or arugula or serve over lettuce leaves.

Lentil Soup – Easy, Nutritious and Economical

Lentil soup with herbs, spices and vegetables
Wood-fired stoneware mug by Doug Casebeer

Making soup is a useful activity on a cold afternoon. It takes an hour or two and you have dinner prepared for a couple of nights during the upcoming week and sometimes a lunch, too. You can clean out your fridge at the same time because most soup recipes can handle the addition of leftover vegetables or starches, even proteins. (Mexican posole (my favorite and fallback feel good soup) uses up cooked chicken or turkey and any chicken soup can be enriched with finely cut collards or kale or cooked rice or barley – for example). Beans partner well with any leftover greens, grains, sausage or ham, even crumbled bacon, assuming there ever is any left over.

Red, Dupuy and Green Lentils

One of the simplest soups to make is lentil – red, green, yellow or brown – start to finish in an hour, although it tastes better if you leave it in the fridge overnight and then reheat. The flavor improves with time so you can make it a day or two before you want to serve it. Many cultures cook with lentils for good reasons. They are inexpensive, nutritious, easy to store and can be seasoned in different ways. Curry, tomatoes, Italian seasonings, dill, ginger or smoked paprika each change the flavor profile of the lentils. This pretty basic recipe has seemingly endless variations.Double it if you have more people to feed or if you want more leftovers to serve over rice with fresh cilantro and hot sauce for another meal. It isn’t the most beautiful looking soup you will ever make but it is fragrant, filling, warming and satisfying. You can make it more appealing by adding greens or a sprinkle of parsley and, of course by serving it in a wonderful handmade mug or bowl!

Lentil soup with chorizo

Very Basic Lentil Soup

  • 1 – 2 Tbs. olive or avocado oil
  • 1-2 large (Spanish) or 2-3 medium onions, coarsely diced
  • 1-2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated (or not, if you don’t like it)
  • 3 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and then sliced
  • 3 carrots, halved lengthwise and then sliced or diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1-2 tsp cumin (optional but adds depth)
  • 1-2 tsp each oregano and basil
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 2 cups lentils (brown, green or red), washed and drained
  • 8 cups water (or stock if you like your soup a little richer)
  • handful of chopped parsley for garnish (and to boost nutrition)

Heat oil in a stock pot until shimmering.

Add onions and turn heat to medium.

Add garlic and cook until onions turn translucent.

Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, herbs, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.

Stir in lentils, add water and turn up the heat.

When it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer until lentils are cooked and soup has thickened, about 30 – 60 minutes depending on the kind of lentils you use. If the soup is too thick for your preference, thin it with water. Add more salt, pepper and cumin to taste – it will need it. Remove the bay leaves, sprinkle with parsley and consider adding one or more of the extras listed below.

Extras:

– I think this soup is greatly enhanced by grating in some fresh ginger and turmeric toward the end of cooking plus a 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder or, alternatively, stirring in a heaping tablespoon of pesto before serving.

– If you like tomato in your lentil soup, add a can of diced tomatoes during simmering.

– For a starch, add 1 or 2 cups of cooked rice or cubed leftover (or raw if you add with the lentils) potatoes or sweet potatoes.

  • A squeeze of lemon juice, a little lemon zest or a splash of vinegar at the end of cooking boosts flavor.
  • For spicy, add hot sauce, cayenne pepper or salsa.
  • To boost the protein content, add chopped or crumbled cooked sausage (pork, turkey, chicken or vegetarian all work), diced leftover ham or shredded smoked turkey.

– Instead of thinning with additional water at the end, you can use a cup of coconut milk.

– Freshly Grated Parmesan (added before serving) thickens and adds depth if your soup seems too bland or thin. For vegans, add some smoked paprika or nutritional yeast to boost flavor.

– I think this soup becomes even better with the addition of chopped kale, collards, swiss chard (all blanched or pre-cooked or added 10 minutes before soup finishes cooking), spinach or arugula (added when serving).

 

To use for a second meal, reheat at low until thickened (stir often so it doesn’t burn) and serve over cooked rice or greens and top with chopped cilantro (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro) and put out salsa, hot sauce, chopped red onion, grated cheese and diced avocado for people to add as they please. The leftovers make a great box lunch.

Befriending the Under Appreciated Parsnip

Roasted Parsnip “Fries”
Glazed Porcelain Dish by Andrew Martin

I will never say that parsnips are my favorite vegetable but I have learned to enjoy eating them. They are inexpensive compared with greens, even the organic ones – and we should be buying organic when we buy roots because washing doesn’t remove many pesticides. Also, when roots are organically grown, you don’t have to peel them and there are nutrients in the skins. Plus, they are one more vegetable available to us in winter.

Raw parsnips at the Union Square Greenmarket

Parsnips have a strong but sweet flavor, less cabbage-y than turnips, but also less sugary than beets. Raw parsnip adds another layer of flavor when shredded into a beet or carrot salad. One very tasty way to eat them is cooked and mashed with carrots (1 parsnip for every 2 carrots) with a little butter and salt and pepper. Parsnips can be mashed or pureed alone with a little butter or olive oil or mashed along with potatoes (and celery root) to lighten them up. For those who like things richer, there are versions with cream and nutmeg.  If you make vegetable chips, either by baking or frying, try including parsnips. Cream of parsnip soup, with roasted chestnuts is delicious but a bit more work. I often add a small parsnip (or half if they are large) to a pot of chicken or vegetable stock to enrich the flavor but be careful of the amount because parsnips, like turnip and cabbage, can overwhelm the flavor. A little goes a long way.

Parsnips cut into mostly equal “batons” for even roasting

Aside from mashed with carrots, my favorite way to eat them is simply roasted, preferably with a little maple syrup, which helps caramelizes them. If you have lots of vegetables (like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, celery root, potatoes, etc.) to roast, you can just add some sliced parsnips along with the rest. But if you want to cook them alone, roasting is the way to go.

Parsnip and carrot mash
Glazed bowl by Janice Tchalenko

OVEN ROASTED PARSNIP “FRIES”

  • 6-8 parsnips, scrubbed with ends cut off
  • 1 TBs olive oil (or 2 if you don’t use maple syrup)
  • 1 TBs maple syrup (optional but intensifies caramelization)
  • Sprinkle of salt

Slice the parsnips and mound on a rimmed cookie sheet or roasting pan.

Mix oil and maple syrup together and drizzle over parsnips, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and toss.

Spread pieces out flat on the pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, but watch to make sure they don’t burn. Ovens all cook differently.

A few variations:

  • Sprinkle with thyme and/or chopped rosemary, za’atar or cumin along with the salt, with or without the maple syrup
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or orange zest for “sweet fries”
  • Add toasted, chopped walnuts when serving
  • Add a pat of butter to hot, cooked parsnips and toss to melt
  • Substitute melted coconut oil for the olive oil
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving