Sweet potato, red cabbage + edamame bowl with ginger peanut dressing

Leave a comment December 16, 2015 urbankitchenapothecary

The humble sweet potato remains one of the culinary world’s most underrated vegetables. Granted this starchy root has made some progress, migrating from its once-a-year {often marshmallow-cloaked} appearance on the Thanksgiving table to being a frequent flyer in most restaurants’ fry-o-laters; but I fear that nowadays most people encounter sweet potatoes on their plates in deep-fried form and not much else. And that makes me sad. Dense and creamy, earthy, and subtly sweet, these brightly-hued, antioxidant-packed and beta-carotene-rich tubers are ultra-versatile and make a welcome addition to any meal.

A few examples: sweet potato hash with eggs for breakfast, warm sweet potato salad for lunch (if you’re looking for that recipe, you’re in the right place), chili-stuffed sweet potatoes for dinner. See where I’m going with this? And I’m only getting started. They’re quick cookers, too: a whole sweet potato roasts in 45 minutes at 375F; diced it’s tender and crisp-edged after about 20 minutes in the oven, and bite-sized cubes are tender and creamy after just 10 to 12 minutes in a steamer.

On days when I lunch at home, simple and easy to prepare one-bowl meals are my thing. I scan the fridge and pantry for veggies, fresh and dried fruits, proteins, herbs, spices, nuts and nut butters that make sense together and build my bowl from there. I almost always have leftover roasted or steamed sweet potato in the fridge (this is a great item to include in your weekend batch cooking if you’re into that sort of thing) or a sweet potato in the pantry, so that often makes an appearance in these Crazy Bowls, too.

This warm sweet-potato-based salad pulls together some of my other favorite wintry vegetables — crisp red cabbage, protein-rich, snappy edamame (I always keep a bag of shelled edamame in the freezer), and crunchy red radishes, with one of my all-time favorite sauces, a creamy peanut dressing spiked with fresh ginger, turmeric and chile flakes. With a squeeze of lime and a scattering of scallions and cilantro you are good to go for a satisfying and balanced lunch or light dinner.

Sweet potato, red cabbage + edamame bowl with ginger peanut dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter (can sub other nut butter, i.e. almond or cashew, or sesame tahini)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons coconut aminos (can sub tamari — start with 2 teaspoons since it is more salty, and taste as you go)
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch of red chile flakes
1/4 of a large purple cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

juice of 1/2 lime + 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 cups)

1 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
sea salt

Method:
Combine peanut butter, ginger, garlic, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, honey/maple syrup, turmeric and chile flakes in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. If needed, add water 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve a pourable consistency. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

Place red cabbage in a large bowl. Add juice of 1/2 lime and 1/4 teaspoon salt, toss to combine and set aside to marinate.

Steam sweet potato cubes until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, and set aside. While sweet potato cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook edamame until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Drain.

Add sweet potato and edamame to bowl with red cabbage along with half of the peanut dressing. Toss gently to coat vegetables. Serve warm or at room temp, drizzled with remaining dressing and garnished with scallions, radishes, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Winter Wellness, Urban Kitchen Apothecary Style!

Leave a comment December 13, 2015 urbankitchenapothecary

How to avoid wintertime colds and flus is one of the questions I’m asked most often. So, with winter approaching (though with temperatures hovering around the 60-degree mark NYC these days it doesn’t exactly feel like mid-December!) I thought it would be a good time to share a few of my favorite cold-weather wellness strategies and the essentials of my winter kitchen apothecary. Here are my 6 basic principles for increasing immunity, energy, and overall well-being this time of year, along with a collection of simple, go-to recipes to put these ingredients to use in everyday meals.

Eat the (winter) rainbow :: Summer’s endless parade of colorful vegetables and fruits makes it effortless to ‘eat the rainbow,’ as we are always reminded to do. Winter is another story — comfort foods abound, often arriving in a more subdued palette of browns, beiges, tans, and creams (and often with gravy on top). These types of foods offer much-needed warmth and nourishment this time of year, but in excess they can make us feel heavy and sluggish, and are often a source of wintertime weight gain. That’s why it’s so important to balance things out by eating plenty of colorful vegetables at every meal.

I like to focus on 3 particularly nutrient-packed groups of veggies this time of year: dark leafy greens; yellow, gold and orange starchy vegetables; and purple and red vegetables and roots. Even if you make no other changes in your eating style, by simply increasing the amounts of these foods in your daily meals you’ll fuel your body with a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that are vital for winter well-being. Aim for at least 2 servings from each group every day.


Dark leafy greens include collards, kale, chard, spinach, green cabbage, broccoli rabe, and mustard greens, parsley, and I’ll include broccoli and cauliflower in this group, too, although we typically eat the flowers rather than leaves of these plants. The dark leafies are packed with vitamins and minerals, have an alkalizing effect on the body that increases resistance to illness, and are the perfect antidote to heavy comfort foods, sugar, and holiday overindulgence.

Cooking can destroy certain vitamins in leafy greens, such as vitamin C, but makes minerals like iron and calcium more absorbable — so to get the best of both worlds aim to eat both raw and cooked dark leafies every day (those with thyroid issues should favor cooked). Eat dark leafies with a healthy fat, such as extra-virgin olive oil, to increase absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and with a vitamin-C-rich food (such as lemon) and garlic and/or onion to boost mineral absorption.

The orange, yellow and gold group includes sweet potatoes and winter squash like butternut, delicata, acorn, spaghetti and kabocha. Don’t fear the high carbohydrate content of these starchy vegetables: they are nutrient dense (especially high in vitamin A, which supports good vision), rich in antioxidants, and supply ample amounts of complex carbohydrates and fiber, which help us feel satisfied and energized for hours after a meal.

The red-and-purple family includes vegetables like purple cabbage, red onions, beets, and purple cauliflower. A red or purple hue is an easy visual cue that a vegetable or fruit contains high amounts of cell-protective antioxidants. Make a quick slaw with shaved purple cabbage, apple, and jalapeño; enjoy roasted purple cauliflower and red onion as a side dish; steam or roast beets and store in the fridge as a convenient and nutritious addition to salads and grain bowls.

Sweat it out with pungent herbs and spices :: Add more warming and invigorating herbs and spices to meals on a daily basis, such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chile peppers. I use these ingredients year-round but really amp up the amount and frequency during winter.

Individually, these foods have powerful antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and detoxifying effects. Used together, they act synergistically to clear clogged nasal passages, directly inhibit illness-causing bacteria and viruses, boost immune-system function, improve circulation and digestion, and act as natural painkillers. Not bad for simple ingredients you can pick up at the local grocery or farmer’s market without an Rx! Add generous amounts to soups, curries, cooked greens, stir-fries, even scrambled eggs.

Keep up the hydration :: In summer it’s easy and intuitive to hydrate frequently — it’s hot outside, we feel thirsty and drink plenty of fluids. During the winter, with chilly temperatures and lower activity levels, we may forget to hydrate adequately, and this can lead to fatigue, headaches, lowered immunity, and general sluggishness. We may also overindulge in hot drinks like coffee and black tea in an effort to energize and stay warm, but paradoxically these caffeinated beverages can worsen dehydration and make us feel even worse.  

To stay adequately hydrated in winter it’s helpful to have a different mindset; this isn’t the time to chug ice-cold water and soda, which can stress the digestive system and depress immunity. Keep plenty of warm or room-temperature water within reach to sip throughout the day, and mix things up with caffeine-free herbal teas and nourishing broths when you want something with more flavor. My favorite herbal tea blends are from Traditional Medicinals — they taste great, include thoughtful combinations of cleansing and immune-supportive herbs and spices, and are made with all organic ingredients. TMs’ Ginger Aid is my wintertime favorite; try it with a big squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of raw honey. Building meals (even breakfast) around hydrating, broth-based soups, stews, and curries can also help to increase overall fluid intake.

Nourish your microbiome :: Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you’ve probably heard the buzz about the microbiome, that complex collective of microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but also viruses, fungi, and in some folks, parasites) that live in and on our bodies. The gut microbiome in particular has attracted a ton of attention lately, and imbalances in this delicate ecosystem have been linked not only with GI conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer but also autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, and even acne. Our gut flora maintain an intimate association with our immune system — 80% of our immune tissue resides in the walls of our GI tract — and keeping the balance in favor of the good guys is even more important during winter, when the immune system is dealing with added stressors.

There are 2 basic ways to feed our microbiome: prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are foods that beneficial gut bacteria like to eat — particularly fibrous plant matter that human digestive enzymes are not able to break down. All plant foods containing insoluble fiber fit into this group, including our dark leafy green, orange/yellow, and red/purple veg friends (especially when we eat the fiber-rich skin), as well as beans, lentils and whole grains.


Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria themselves, which we can take by way of supplements or, as our ancestors did, in the form of cultured and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, kvass, kombucha, miso paste. Fermented vegetables in particular offer a one-two punch in that they provide both probiotics and prebiotics, in the form of plant fiber, and are a supremely health-supportive addition to winter meals. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut or kimchi to a bowl of soup, mix into a salad or grain bowl, or simply enjoy solo as a snack.

Pucker up to low-sugar citrus :: This is the season to keep the fruit bowl piled sky-high with tart citrus fruits. Low in sugar and packed with vitamin C, an essential nutrient for mineral absorption and healthy immune function, lemons and limes are our best friends during the colder months. These fruits have an alkalizing effect on the body, making us less hospitable hosts for cold and flu viruses that might want to come for a visit.

Squeeze half a lemon or lime into a glass of warm water for a refreshing drink and add citrus juice to tea, soup, cooked and raw dark leafies, and homemade salad dressings. Grapefruit is the way to go if you’re looking for a citrusy snack – and be sure to eat some of the white pith, which is high in antioxidants and aids in detoxification.

Give yourself a boost with superfoods and herbs :: I use a variety of tonic herbs (i.e., plants that are safe to use regularly on a long-term basis) and herbal extracts to support winter well-being and improve energy and immunity. As with any supplement or herb, ‘start low and go slow’ is a good rule of thumb. Here’s the round-up.

Adaptogenic herbs: Adaptogens are tonic herbs that when used on a consistent basis support the body in maintaining balance and dealing with stress (for example, extreme temperatures). Two that I use on daily in powdered form are maca (1/2 to 1 teaspoon per day) and ashwagandha (1/4 teaspoon per day), which I add to smoothies and other blended potions. I’ll also add a handful of dried burdock and astragalus root whenever I am making a pot of broth to infuse it with vitamins and trace minerals.

High-potency echinacea extract: I was not a believer in the efficacy of echinacea to prevent and shorten viral illnesses until I tried this high-potency Echinacea Supreme extract. I’ve turned a lot of people on to this stuff and let me tell you — no one has been disappointed. The key with echinacea is consistent use. For best results I take a dose (two droppersful in an ounce of water) at the first sign of illness or if there is a bug going around, and then continue to take a dose every few hours (up to 5 times a day) for several days. I also use echinacea as a general preventative, the same dose 2 to 3 times per week all winter long, or once daily when I am traveling. If you tend to find the flavor of herbal extracts off-putting, Quick Defense capsules are a good alternative; with liquid echinacea extract in addition to elderberry and ginger extracts.

Medicinal mushrooms: winter is a great time to add the immunity-supportive powers of medicinal mushrooms to your wellness arsenal. This reishi extract is my go-to morning boost, and I also like to add cordyceps and chaga mushroom powders to drinks and shakes, and whole, dried shiitake mushrooms when I am making a stock or broth.

Looking for ways to put these principles into action? Check out 3 simple new recipes below and a few of my winter-friendly, whole-food, plant-strong recipes from the blog archives:

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Kudzu 
Aduki Miso Soup with Wakame and Shiitake Mushrooms
Herb-Roasted Autumn Roots and Squash with Garlic Tahini Sauce
Yellow Lentil Dal with Preserved Lemon
Spiced Mung Beans with Kabocha Squash and Caramelized Onions
Roasted Roots with Miso Poppy Seed Dressing
Cauliflower Fennel Soup with Ghee-Toasted Seeds
Spiced Butternut and Apple Bisque
Chicken and Leek Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

Golden Glow Potion

Ingredients:
4 cups (1 quart) water
2-inch piece of fresh ginger
2-inch piece of fresh turmeric (or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground turmeric)
2 lemons or limes (or one of each), peeled
raw honey

Method:
Combine water, ginger, turmeric, and lemons/limes in a blender (VitaMix or other high-powered blender works best for this). Process on high speed for 1 minute. Strain mixture using a fine strainer or nut-milk bag to remove pulp.

To serve, gently heat 1 cup of this mixture per person over low heat (do not boil as it may reduce the healing constituents of the herbs and citrus). Pour into mugs and season with raw honey to taste (1-2 teaspoons).

Transfer any leftover ginger/turmeric/citrus mixture to a glass container (eg, mason jar). It will keep, tightly sealed and refrigerated, for up to 5 days. Drink a cup daily!

Spicy Braised Greens

Ingredients:
Cooking fat of your choice (I like extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee)
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric)
½ teaspoon red chile flakes (or to taste)
1 large bunch dark leafy greens (such as kale, chard, collards, mustard, broccoli rabe, or a braising mix), washed, any tough stems removed, and leaves roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Heat about 2 tablepoons fat in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chile flakes and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add a large handful of greens and stir until wilted. Repeat until all greens have been added to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt (about ½ teaspoon) and a few grinds of black pepper.

Add a splash of water to the skillet (about ¼ cup), cover and simmer over low heat until greens are tender, stirring occasionally – 10 to 15 minutes, depending on age of the greens and how tender or tough the leaves are. Drizzle with olive oil before serving. (The greens are delicious piled onto a baked sweet potato and topped with ghee and toasted pumpkin seeds!)

Chicken Soup with Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 quart chicken broth (can sub vegetable broth)
1 red onion, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 celery rib, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (also use the seeds if you like spice!)
4 cups chopped kale (from 5 to 6 large leaves, tough stems removed)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 dried bay leaf
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups diced cooked chicken (optional)
sea salt
wedges of lemon or lime, for serving

Method:
In a soup pot combine all ingredients except chicken (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add chicken, if using, and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Remove bay leaf and mushrooms (if you like, slice the caps and return them to the soup; discard tough stems). Season with salt if needed (you might not need to add any if the broth is salty). Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

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Slow-Cooker Braised Beans with Fennel and Herbs

Leave a comment November 29, 2015 urbankitchenapothecary

A simple pot of beans, aromatic vegetables and herbs cooked ultra-low-and-slow in the crock-pot have become my go-to evening meal on busy days. This is a dish that nearly cooks itself, requiring only a few simple prep steps in the morning (and no overnight soak on the beans), a gentle all-day simmer, and the addition of a few flavor boosters about an hour before you are ready to eat. Cooking the beans super low and slow means they don’t require soaking beforehand, and you can use whatever vegetables and aromatics you happen to have on hand — making this is more of a flexible blueprint than a recipe. Slow cooking creates a rich, flavorful and velvety broth without the need to add prepared broth or stock. When you’re just about ready to eat cook up a quick-cooking grain, if you like; white basmati rice cooks in 15 minutes and makes a perfect pairing. A steaming bowl of creamy, nutty beans and savory, herb-flecked broth topped with a small mountain of fragrant rice, a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley is definitely the kind of comfort food I want to come home to.

The most important element to any bean preparation is using truly fresh dried beans. These can be difficult to find in stores — even my most trusted local specialty food store carries beans that are less than fresh — so I’ve taken to ordering my dried beans from Napa, CA-based Rancho Gordo. If you’ve never tried RG’s beans I highly recommend that you do so immediately! The freshness and flavor of their beans are incomparable vs store-bought, and their unique varieties of heirloom beans are so beautiful and fun to experiment with that you’ll be inspired to add more of these health-enhancing legumes into your daily meals. I particularly enjoy their Rio Zape beans, Christmas limas, and Alubia Blanca beans; for this recipe I chose Yellow Indian Woman beans, which I ordered recently and have been looking forward to cooking with. This variety is dense, creamy, keeps its shape and makes a fantastic pot of beans when cooked with a few simple aromatics and herbs. I just checked RG’s website and sadly for us YIW beans are currently sold out, but any bean that you would use for soup would work great here as well (the Alubia Blanca in particular would be a fantastic substitute).

This is one of those high-synergy dishes where the whole alchemizes into much more than the sum of its parts — such simple ingredients yet the finished dish is packed with flavor and so satisfying. This is where another one of my secret soup weapons comes in — the magical Parm rind — since it imparts major umami richness to the broth. But if you’d prefer to leave out the dairy try adding a tablespoon or two of chickpea miso at the end of cooking to enrich the broth (dilute the miso with a ladleful of the cooking liquid and then add the mixture to the pot of beans).

Slow-Cooker Braised Beans with Fennel and Herbs
Serves 4 to 6

1 cup dried beans (such as Yellow Indian Woman or Alubia Blanca), picked over and rinsed/drained
1-inch piece kombu (dried kelp)
1 dried bay leaf

1 shallot, diced

1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
5 canned plum tomatoes (San Marzano, if possible), crushed by hand (save remainder of can for sauce or other use)
Piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (or other hard Italian cheese such as Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano) (if rind is large use a 2 to 3 inch section)
Bouquet garni of 2 sprigs each fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano tied together with kitchen twine
1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes (or to taste)
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

For serving:
cooked basmati rice, quinoa, or grain of choice (rule of thumb is 1 cup of uncooked grain = 4 servings cooked)
thinly sliced chives

1. In slow cooker combine rinsed beans, kombu, bay leaf, and 6 cups of water. Cover and set slow cooker to ‘low.’
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute shallot, carrot, and celery until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir for a minute more. Add vegetables to bean mixture. 
3. Cook beans until tender. This can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours depending on freshness and size of the beans and type of slow cooker. Since beans in the same batch can cook at different rates, it’s a good idea to taste 5 or 6 beans to determine whether the pot is done to your liking. When beans are tender, add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to distribute.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook fennel and scallions over medium-low until beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add to the bean mixture along with plum tomatoes, cheese rind, bouquet garni, chile flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover and continue to cook for about 1 hour more — you’ll know it’s done when the flavors have come together and the broth is rich and velvety. At this point you can serve immediately or switch the slow cooker to ‘warm’ to hold until you are ready to eat.
5. When ready to serve, remove bouquet garni, cheese rind, and bay leaf (you can also remove the kombu if you prefer, although I usually leave it in, breaking it up with a spoon — this adds extra minerals to the soup). Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, to taste. 
6. To serve, ladle beans into warmed soup bowls and top with a scoop of cooked grain, drizzle of olive oil, and scattering of chives.

Herb-Roasted Autumn Roots + Squash with Garlic Tahini Sauce

Leave a comment November 18, 2015 urbankitchenapothecary

Like clockwork, as soon as the leaves in Central Park begin their transformation to various shades of gold, orange, amber, and red, my food leanings turn toward a similar color palette. October and November greenmarket trips typically culminate with me lugging home shopping bags laden with myriad varieties of squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, fresh turmeric and ginger, golden delicious apples, and more. And although it’s not golden in color, the humble and rather awkward-looking celeriac (celery root) is also one of my favorite root vegetables, especially the crisp, freshly dug roots that make their way to the market in early autumn. All of these sweet, earthy, and nutrient-dense starchy vegetables are terrific roasted, of course, and also steamed or blended into a soup (especially with fresh ginger, shallots, garlic and coconut milk – yum! but that’s a topic for another post ;).

Today’s simple herb-roasted mixed roots + squash has become one of my fall favorites. This dish makes for a lovely presentation and would be a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving table (or any autumnal gathering, for that matter).  It’s also a dish that happily welcomes all comers: gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, it can be enjoyed by virtually all those who grace your holiday table.

To make this warming dish I cut sweet potato and celeriac into stout batons and toss with half-moons of delicata squash (acorn or butternut also fit right in), toss in a few skin-on cloves of garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme, and extra-virgin olive oil and roast until all is golden, tender and crispy. Then I squeeze the roasted garlic cloves, now soft, sweet and umami-rich, from their papery skins, and blend with tahini and red wine vinegar for the most delicious and creamy roasted garlic sauce you have ever tasted (I make a double batch because this stuff is so good on everything — quinoa bowls, salads, braised greens, and as a dipping sauce for roasted sweet potato fries). Before serving I like to add crispy pumpkin seeds or toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils (or dried cranberries) for an extra pop of flavor and textural contrast against the tender, creamy roots and squash.

Herb-Roasted Autumn Roots + Squash with Garlic Tahini Sauce
I do not peel delicata squash, because its skin is thin and becomes tender when cooked. I also like the extra color the skin adds to the dish, with its creamy yellow background and pretty orange and green stripes. If using a thicker skinned squash variety, such as butternut or acorn, I suggest removing the skin before cutting into the squash.

Serves 4 as a side dish
15 minutes to prep plus 30 minutes to cook

1 medium-large sweet potato, cut into batons (about 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch and 3 inches in length) (about 3 cups)
1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into batons (about 2 cups)
1 delicata squash, stem and base removed, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, and cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
3 large garlic cloves, NOT peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (sub in coconut oil or melted ghee, if you prefer)

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame butter)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons water (plus additional as needed)
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
1 teaspoon finely sliced chives
sea salt, as needed

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine prepped sweet potato, celery root, squash, and garlic in a large bowl. Add olive oil, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss to combine. Transfer vegetables to a parchment-lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer (use 2 sheets if necessary; if crowded the vegetables will steam rather than crisp up). Roast until vegetables are tender, golden, and crisp around the edges and garlic is soft, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and rotating pan halfway through.  Remove garlic cloves and set aside. Taste vegetables and season with additional salt, if needed.

3. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves from their skins and add to a blender with tahini, red wine vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt. Blend until creamy, adding more water, if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time until a pourable consistency is achieved. Season with salt to taste.

4. Transfer vegetables to a serving dish, drizzle with garlic-tahini sauce, and garnish with pumpkin and pomegranate seeds and chives. Serve warm or at room temp with remaining sauce on the side.

Aduki Miso Soup with Wakame + Shiitakes

2 Comments May 1, 2014 urbankitchenapothecary

This steaming bowl of deliciousness is your immune system’s best friend. With all the bugs going around during the winter and early spring, I made this on the regular. Along with daily herbal infusions and doses of a most potent echinacea tincture, I managed to stay healthy despite getting coughed, sneezed, and sputtered upon at work, on the subway, and in line at Fairway. I love this soup for breakfast, lunch, or dinner — you could also simmer up a big pot and eat it for all three meals for a day or two: a superfood miso soup “cleanse,” if you will.

Back in December I ordered a pound of whole, dried shiitake mushrooms from an herb supplier. Sounded reasonable enough at the time, but apparently my powers of estimation were off that day. Because a pound of dried mushrooms is A LOT of mushrooms. Turned out to be fortuitous, though, as that ‘shroom overload has inspired many pots of delicious soups, stews and broths over the last few months. Throwing a handful of these umami-bombs into any veggie-based broth changes everything.

In a nutshell, this soup’s got it all: probiotic-packed miso, immunity-boosting shiitakes, burdock, and astragalus root, iodine- and calcium-rich wakame, and of course garlic and ginger. Health in a bowl. With at least a few more chilly days headed our way this spring, it’s a good recipe to have on hand. Play with it and make it yours.

Aduki Miso Soup with Wakame + Shiitakes

Aduki miso has become my favorite miso paste – so richly flavored and complex, it really is a “meaty” alternative to a meat-based broth. Chickpea miso also works well here.

Yield: approx. 2 quarts
Total time: 1 hour

Small handful dried burdock root (about 2 tablespoons)
5-6 slices dried astragalus root
6 cups water
8 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 1/2 cup dried, sliced shiitakes)
Small piece of dried kombu (about 1-inch square)
1/4 cup brown rice
Shoyu or tamari, to taste
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 shallot or small onion, thinly sliced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons dried wakame
1/4 cup aduki miso paste (or miso of your choice)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sesame seeds or gomasio, to finish

cheesecloth + kitchen twine, or a bouquet garni bag

Combine burdock root and asparagus in cheesecloth or bouquet garni bag. Transfer to a large pot and add shiitakes, kombu, brown rice. Cover with water and add a splash of shoyu or tamari. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove shiitakes from pot, slice caps thinly and return to pot. Discard tough stems or save for making stock.

Add sweet potato, garlic, shallot and ginger to the pot. Simmer, covered, until sweet potato and brown rice are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Place wakame in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of water. Soak until rehydrated, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain (house plants love the soaking liquid). Add wakame to soup and simmer 5 minutes more.

Take pot off the heat. Remove bouquet garni and squeeze to get all the good stuff from the burdock and astragalus. Discard.

Ladle 1 cup of broth into a separate bowl; whisk in miso paste until dissolved. Add miso broth back to the soup pot. Season with lemon juice to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sesame seeds or gomasio.

To reheat leftover soup, heat gently over a low flame until the soup just reaches a simmer (avoid boiling miso).

Blueberry, Kale & Fennel Salad with Lemon-Ginger Dressing

2 Comments June 20, 2013 urbankitchenapothecary

Summer officially starts tomorrow, but my annual raw kick has been up and running for a while now. For the next couple of months my meals will revolve around the water-packed, cooling foods growing in abundance this season.



Leafy greens, crunchy vegetables like bell peppers, cucumbers, and fennel, and juicy summer fruits…they’re soothing to the body and soul this time of year, plus they are also rich
sources of the nutrients we need to stay energized in this season of movement
and expansion. These summertime treats also provide ample amounts of water to rehydrate our
bodies after a day spent outdoors in the heat — or indoors under air
conditioning, which also can have a drying effect on the body.

My go-to salad this year features heaps of
raw, leafy greens paired with seasonal fruits for satisfying sweetness and nuts
for texture and protein. A new favorite rendition incorporates nutrient-packed
kale, antioxidant-rich blueberries, cooling fennel, and crispy toasted almonds,
all tied together with a light and bright lemon-ginger-honey vinaigrette that complements
the salad’s main stars rather than covering them up.

Kale is a good source of bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin K, immune-boosting vitamin C, blood-building iron, and a variety of phytonutrients that may reduce the risk of certain cancers. This dark leafy green is also rich in flavonoids, compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and is one of the best plant sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that help protect against macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

A couple of tips for salads based on raw kale. First, it’s important to start with good greens. At the market, select kale with smaller-sized leaves, which will be milder, sweeter, and more tender than older, larger leaves. Massaging kale with dressing is a great no-cook method that tenderizes the leaves and brings out their sweetness, while also aiding digestibility and preserving heat-sensitive nutrients, such as vitamin C.

An added benefit of adding a raw kale salad to your meal is that, unlike delicate salad greens, already-dressed kale keeps beautifully overnight in the fridge. I like to eat the leftovers alongside scrambled eggs for breakfast (add some ripe avocado and I’m in heaven!) or stirred into a bowl of steamed rice or quinoa for a quick and light lunch or dinner.

One thing I especially love about this salad is that it’s so versatile throughout the year. Mix it up through the seasons by including seasonal fresh or dried fruits in place of the blueberries: stone fruits such as peaches or plums, melon, apples or pears, dried currants, cherries, or apricots. Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese (or another protein of your choice) for a heartier salad that can be served as a main course.

Kale Salad with Blueberries, Almonds & Lemon-Ginger Vinaigrette 

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

1 bunch kale (curly kale or Lacinato/Tuscan kale are my favorites)

juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon honey (preferably raw; use
maple syrup if you prefer)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ fennel bulb, stalks and tough outer
layer removed
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup almonds, toasted and roughly
chopped (I used Marcona almonds)
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Wash kale thoroughly. Remove stems
and chop leaves into bite-sized pieces.

2. Whisk together lemon juice, honey,
ginger, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and black
pepper.

3. Add kale to bowl with vinaigrette.
Massage kale with clean hands until the leaves begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
Set aside for 15 minutes.

4. Grate fennel using the rough side of
a cheese grater. Add to bowl with kale and toss gently to combine. Taste and
adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Garnish with blueberries and almonds
before serving.

Shiitake Mushroom and Green Pea Ragout with Chickpea Miso

6 Comments April 29, 2013 urbankitchenapothecary



Despite the calendar’s proclamation of spring, my winter coat has remained in frequent rotation for most of this chilly Northeast April, and I’ve been craving hearty comfort foods on the regular: Mr Yogi’s Hatch green chili stew has saved us several times, along with brothy soups, pots of spicy lentil dal, and lots of roasted roots.


I always find the between-season flux particularly challenging, especially from the immunity perspective. So along with my must-have morning lemon-ginger elixir and a few targeted supplements (I’ve noticed big improvements the last few months with zinc, D3, and B complex), I’ve been relying on immune-boosting mushrooms and miso to get me through in one piece. Rich in nutrients, these foods also help cleanse the body’s systems and support healthy digestion and immune function.

During a recent recipe testing session I came up with one of my favorite mushroom dishes to date: a creamy shiitake + crimini ragout that’s savory
and satisfying, punctuated with the verdant sweetness of green peas and herbal
fragrance of fresh thyme. Finishing the ragout with a touch of butter lends an
extra luxurious quality to the rich, miso-based sauce, but the dish can also be
made completely dairy-free by leaving it out.

Serve the ragout alone as a side dish or as a main
course with polenta, pasta, or a whole grain such as brown rice or quinoa. I think it would also make a satisfying gravy over a plant-based protein such as seared tempeh or grilled tofu.

Shiitake Mushroom and Green Pea Ragout with Chickpea Miso

Adapted from
Saveur Magazine’s Wild Mushroom Ragout
Serves 4

Prep time:
10 minutes
Total time: 25
minutes

1/2 pound
fresh shiitake mushrooms

1/2 pound
fresh crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots,
peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic
clove, peeled and minced
3/4 cup water
or vegetable stock
2
tablespoons chickpea miso paste
1/2 cup
shelled green peas (thawed, if frozen)
1 teaspoon
minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh parsley
Freshly
ground black pepper

1.      
Trim mushrooms and remove stems, reserving for
another use (to make stock, etc). Slice caps into ½-inch strips.

2.      
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium
heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

3.      
Whisk together water (or stock) and miso paste in a
bowl until miso is completely dissolved.

4.      
Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until they
release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add miso mixture, peas, and thyme to skillet. Simmer for 5
minutes, allowing the liquid to thicken. Stir in butter and parsley.

5.      
Season with black pepper, to taste.

Chocolate Chia Pudding Inspired by Hu Kitchen

5 Comments March 26, 2013 urbankitchenapothecary

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with a friend at Hu Kitchen. The two of us started working together a few months ago, only to discover that we are both Jersey girls who now live just a few blocks from each other in Manhattan, are getting married within a week of one another in May, practice yoga, and love talking about (and eating) food. Oh, and to top things off, I’m obsessed with Portlandia, and Fred Armisen lives IN. HER. BUILDING! She just needs to start a food blog (c’mon, everybody has one…), and our doppelgangerism will be complete.

Anyway, one fine March Friday we hopped the subway from midtown to Union Square to check out this new(ish) food spot called Hu. I love the mission of this place: to be a resource for real, high-quality, unprocessed food that’s actually good for humans to eat (they’re somewhat Paleo-minded in that they eschew refined sugars and grains). We ordered some entrees and sides, and all were pretty good (especially the miso kale salad), but I’ll get right to the highlight of our meal, which was dessert: a rich, creamy and super-chocolatey chia pudding.

I usually label anything featuring chia seeds as health food, but this stuff was downright decadent. At first taste we both exclaimed in unison that it tasted just like chocolate frosting, so that’s definitely saying something. Before we left, I scanned the pudding’s ingredients label (it was in a grab-and-go container, thus bearing an ingredient lists — so helpful for those tinkerers and re-creators among us). Lo and behold this delicious concoction contained simply coconut milk, coconut sugar, chia seeds, Valrhona cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt.

The keys to the richness of this pudding are using thick, creamy coconut milk and top-quality roasted cocoa powder, such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger (I would avoid raw cacao powder here, as it is lighter and fruitier and can give off notes of alcohol). In my version I added ground cinnamon to help boost the chocolate flavor and subbed maple syrup for the coconut sugar (so I wouldn’t need to blend the mixture to dissolve sugar granules).

Chia seeds are a polarizing topic; they seem to be one of those ingredients you either love or hate. There is indeed a ‘slime factor’ involved when working with chia, and that’s not often a characteristic we appreciate in our food. But I admire the chia’s thickening power, as well as its wealth of nutritional offerings (good source of omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, protein), and as I’ve worked with these little seeds in various recipes I’ve developed a fondness for them.

One thing I’ve found is that the longer chia seeds soak, the more pleasant (read: less slimy) the pudding’s mouthfeel becomes. If the pudding sits for a short time (15 to 30 minutes) the slime factor is more pronounced; but once you get to the 12 + hour mark (I think 24 hours is ideal), the seeds become more fully hydrated and the pudding is not slimy at all, but rather thick, rich, and frosting-like. This is a great recipe to make in the evening to enjoy the next day; I tried it as breakfast, snack, and dessert (it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it), and can attest that it fits the bill for each.

Chocolate Chia Pudding
Inspired by Hu Kitchen

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 12 to 24 hours (depending on your desired chia-soaking time)

1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup high-quality cocoa powder (such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup chia seeds
Fresh berries, toasted shredded coconut, chopped dark chocolate, and/or chopped toasted nuts (hazelnuts are particularly good), for garnish

1. Whisk the coconut milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup and/or cocoa powder until the levels of chocolatey-ness and sweetness are to your liking.

2. Whisk in chia seeds.

3. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes, then whisk again to break up any lumps (this will help ensure that the chia seeds are evenly distributed throughout the mixture). Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.

4. When ready to serve, stir pudding until smooth and transfer to small bowls or ramekins. Garnish with berries, toasted coconut, dark chocolate shavings, and/or chopped nuts. 

Red Rice with Roasted Fennel + Apricots

8 Comments March 18, 2013 urbankitchenapothecary

Enabled by the long stretches of watchful waiting that sourdough baking requires (the Tartine Bread method – try it!), I recently undertook a big pantry cleanout. Every box, bag, packet, and jar came out of the cabinets and was accordingly inspected, consolidated, and repackaged; the works. When all was said and done, I had transferred all of the grains and legumes to glass jars, labelled them (use blue painters’ tape – it comes off easily when it’s time to change things up again) and upgraded them from their cabinet banishment to our open kitchen cart, where I can easily see their status when menu planning or before I head out to the market.

With limited cabinet space in our kitchen, some of the more interesting items can get pushed to the back where I never, ever think to use them, so a re-org session is always a source of cooking inspiration. Lo and behold, among other lucky finds, my toils unearthed not one, not two, but three colorful varieties of rice that had been puchased with big plans in mind and promptly shoved in the back of a cabinet, utterly forgotten: forbidden black rice, purple sticky rice, and Himalayan red rice. And I’m happy to report that in the couple of weeks since the pantry re-do, all three have seen some quality stove time, to very positive review from my resident food critic, mr. yogi (boys need carbs, apparently? I dunno, learning as I go along 😉

For the red rice, I came upon yet another promising preparation from Chef Yotam (aka Ottolenghi) for a red rice and quinoa salad by way of 101 Cookbooks. As it turned out I had nearly all the ingredients — or suitable substitutes — at home (minus the quinoa, which I decided to leave out so the red rice would be the starring grain). So it was the one to guide me.

I soaked the rice during the day while I was at work, which shaves down the cooking time a bit, and when I arrived home, roasted off some thinly sliced fennel and red onion while the rice cooked. The red rice is beautiful, with a satisfying chew and nutty flavor: a bit fruitier and more complex than the brown rice I usually cook with. Finished with a sweet and savory combination of dried apricots, walnuts, scallions, cilantro, and a bright, ginger-spiked citrus vinaigrette, this is simple, whole grain cooking at its best.

Red Rice with Roasted Fennel, Red Onion and Apricots
Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Red Rice and Quinoa

Serve as an accompaniment to a protein, or over a heap of leafy greens for a lighter one-bowl meal.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 cup red rice, soaked for 6 to 8 hours in water to cover, rinsed and drained (see note)
1-1/4 cups water
1 fennel bulb (about 1/2 pound), thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
grated zest + juice of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, grated or crushed (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes (to taste)
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400F.

1. Combine rice and water in a medium pot. Add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover pot. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender but not mushy, 35 to 40 minutes. Gently fluff rice with a fork and keep covered until ready to use.

2. Combine fennel, onion, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Transfer vegetables to a sheet tray and roast at 400F until tender and caramelized around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and chile flakes in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Transfer rice and fennel-onion mixture to bowl with vinaigrette. Add apricots, walnuts, scallions, and cilantro; toss to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, if needed. Serve warm.

Note: Soaking the rice shortens cooking time and, in general, increases the digestibility of whole grains, as well as making the minerals they contain easier to absorb. If you do not have time for a soak, give the rice a good rinse in cold water and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer than noted in step 1, above.

Yellow Lentil Dal with Preserved Lemon

6 Comments February 28, 2013 urbankitchenapothecary

Comfort food by candlelight.

If we were to conduct an official count, this humble dal would probably take the top spot among our dinner table’s frequent fliers. The fundamental recipe consists of yellow lentils, aromatics (often onion, garlic, ginger, and green chile), dried spices, and ghee (or coconut oil). I make a variation on it at least once a week, using different spice combinations, more or less chile depending on our tastes that day, and with the addition of whichever leafy greens or herbs happen to be in the fridge. I don’t think I’ve made exactly the same recipe twice.

This dal has become one of my weeknight favorites because the lentils cook quickly (in about 30 minutes) and don’t need to be soaked ahead of time; the rest of the ingredients are almost always in our fridge or pantry. If I’m missing an ingredient or two, a 5-minute stop at our local grocery on my walk home from the subway is all it takes to round things out.

Many recipes for dal recommend cooking the onion and spices along with the lentils. Easy, for sure, but this tends to dilute their flavors, and the end product can be dull. So, even though it requires using (and later cleaning 😉 an additional pan, I prefer to make a tarka, in which the spices and aromatics are cooked separately in hot fat, building tons of flavor and aroma, and then added to the cooked dal just before serving.

While the lentils simmer, I heat ghee in my heavy cast-iron pan and toast the spices until they begin to crackle and pop. In goes some sliced onion and other aromatics (and sometimes tomato, too), and I cook the mixture down until everything is soft and caramelized. The toasting of the spices and browning of the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile intensifies their flavors and releases them into the oil; when this concentrated mixture is added to the dal, the mild lentils are infused with tons of rich and complex flavors.

I buy what’s labeled ‘petite golden lentils’ at Citarella, a specialty market with several locations around nyc. Their pulses and grains are top-notch, a bit pricey but always super-fresh. These particular lentils resemble tiny mung beans that have been split and had their green skins removed (and maybe that’s what they are?), and I haven’t seen yellow lentils exactly like them elsewhere. The larger split yellow peas sold in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores would also work just fine here, as would split, hulled mung beans or red lentils (all cook in about 30 minutes, give or take).

Dal is flexible by nature; there are as many variations as there are cooks. There’s no need to follow this, or any other, recipe exactly. Change up the type of lentils, spices, aromatics, greens, herbs, etc, to create your own signature dish. Anything goes. On this particular evening, after adding the tarka to the cooked dal, I stirred in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach, allowing the leaves to wilt for a minute or two, and then squeezed in lots of lime juice. Over each bowl I sprinkled bits of minced preserved lemon peel, which added the perfect salty, citrusy pop to complement the earthiness of the lentils and heat of the chile. If you don’t have preserved lemon on hand, grate some lemon or lime zest over each serving.

Yellow Lentil Dal with Preserved Lemon
Serves 4

You can vary the amount of lentil cooking water depending on how thick or soupy you’d like your dal. Four cups of water to 1 cup lentils yields a thicker consistency (good for serving over a grain); I add an additional half-cup of water if I’m going to serve the dal as a soup.  Serve your dal alone or over rice, alongside a salad or not. Some toasted naan or pita would be a tasty accompaniment, too.

1 cup split yellow lentils, red lentils, or split mung beans, sorted and rinsed
3 tablespoons ghee or virgin coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, minced (depending on your preferred spice level)
2 cups baby spinach leaves (lacinato kale or roughly chopped cilantro are also good)
juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon peel
sea salt

Lentils: Bring 4 to 4.5 cups water to a boil in a medium pot (4 cups for thicker dal, 4.5 cups for a soupier consistency). Stir in lentils, 1 tablespoon ghee, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils have dissolved and mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes. If the mixture is thicker than you like, add a few tablespoons of water; if too thin, simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes to evaporate excess liquid.

Tarka: While lentils are simmering, heat remaining 2 tablespoons ghee in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds, stirring for a minute or two until they begin to pop. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until onion is soft and browned, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Add tomato, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno to skillet. Cook until tomato breaks down and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally to pick up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.

When dal has finished cooking, add the onion mixture to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the spinach, allowing the leaves to wilt. Season with lime juice and sea salt to taste. Reheat over a low flame, if needed, before serving.

Serve hot, finishing each portion with a sprinkling of preserved lemon peel.