Olive oil banana bread with dark chocolate chips + chia seeds

Leave a comment April 1, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

My latest baking project began simply as a Tuesday morning necessity to make use of a few overripe bananas loitering in the fruit bowl. Let’s be honest, I’ve been known to buy more bananas than we can eat just so I have an excuse to bake something banana-y. But after the husband declared this one of the best banana breads I’ve ever made — not that the addition of dark chocolate chips stacked the odds in its favor or anything — I knew this was a recipe to share.

I have gotten hooked on olive oil cakes lately. First, because I love the moist, tender crumb that olive oil yields; and second, because I can’t stand waiting around for butter to soften, or to dirty a saucepan in order to melt it. Olive oil is already at room temp and conveniently parked right next to the stove, so it’s often what I reach for when that baking itch needs to be scratched.

What else made it into this loaf? A few of the usual suspects: a generous amount of cinnamon, a little Greek yogurt, vanilla extract. Dark maple syrup is the sweetener and infuses the cake with a more complex and subtle sweetness than white sugar. I also added chia seeds to the batter, because I wanted a little textural contrast and thought they’d be more interesting than poppy seeds.

This is the first time I’ve decorated the cake’s top with a whole banana, halved lengthwise, and I must say I like it — it gives the cake a bit more visual character, and it also ensures a couple of bites of tender, baked banana in each slice. A win win.

Olive oil banana bread with dark chocolate chips + chia seeds
Makes 1 loaf

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) PLUS one banana, peeled and halved lengthwise, to decorate the top of the cake (optional)
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup dark maple syrup
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8-1/2 x 4-1/4 x 2-1/2-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a separate larger bowl combine bananas, eggs, maple syrup, and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Pour in olive oil. whisking constantly, then stir in vanilla extract.

Stir the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in chia seeds and fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and arrange remaining banana on top. Bake at until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Chickpea + almond olive oil crackers with herbes de Provence

3 Comments March 29, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

If there is one problem with jumping on the make-your-own-crackers bandwagon, it’s that you’ll likely be ruined for the packaged variety for good — and thusly committed to a lifetime of regular dough rolling, cutting and baking to get your cracker fix. Case in point: after eating my way through my first experimental homebaked batch, I found myself in a situation requiring a crunchy foundation for a slice of cheddar. No homemade crackers to be found, I reached into a kitchen cabinet and extracted a box of the usual store-bought suspects. Good ones, too. Whole grain, blah blah blah. But this time I was struck only by their bland, powdery sadness — a flavor reminiscent of the cardboard they were packaged in. And soon I was back in the kitchen baking a fresh batch of the real thing.

I was looking to make a grain-free, protein-rich cracker that would be crunchy and flavorful, sturdy, yet also delicate and crisp. For my first batch I went with a 100% almond flour dough, and although it yielded a tasty cracker it was not the easiest to work with — crumbly and difficult to roll thin enough to achieve the crisp, delicate texture I was after. For round two I decided to add chickpea flour and olive oil to improve the dough’s resilience and workability. Bingo. This dough was easy to roll out into a thin sheet without crumbling or breaking, and the baked crackers were crispy and crunchy with a rich and nutty flavor.

The basic recipe for these little gems comprises chickpea flour, almond flour, egg, salt, an unrefined liquid sweetener (I used coconut nectar, but honey or maple syrup would work just as well), and extra-virgin olive oil. From there you can take the cracker in any number of savory or sweet directions. Herbes de Provence and garlic powder are a great combination, perfect for a cracker to enjoy as part of a cheese board or with a savory dip or spread. And, although I haven’t tried it yet, I think adding cinnamon to the dough and sprinkling the tops with cinnamon sugar would be amazing — and would make a delicious cookie-like cracker to eat solo or spread with ricotta or chèvre.

Seeds, such as poppy, sesame, or chia, are also a nice addition to the dough for added flavor and textural interest. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are tasty additions, too, although with these larger seeds the dough can’t be rolled quite as thin.

With their foundation of chickpea flour, almond flour, and egg, these crispy wafers are way more nutrient-dense than the average cracker, packed with satiating protein along with a variety of vitamins and minerals. That’s another good reason to choose them over packaged refined-grain crackers, which typically offer little more than empty carb calories and are often enriched with synthetic vitamins and minerals in an effort to beef up the nutrition facts label, if not actual nutrient density.

Chickpea + almond olive oil crackers with herbes de Provence

Yield: about 75 1-inch by 1-inch crackers

The key to achieving a thin, crispy cracker is to roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.  To anchor the paper so it’s not sliding all over the place, allow an inch or two of parchment to hang over the countertop and lean firmly against the overhanging paper as you roll the dough. Go over the dough a few times with your rolling pin, rotate the dough and parchment 90 degrees and repeat. Continue rolling and rotating until the dough is about 1/8 of an inch thick.

I sprinkled the crackers with flaky Maldon salt and poppy and sesame seeds before they went into the oven. The toppings adhered pretty well while the crackers were on the baking sheet, but a lot of the seeds fell off after they went into a storage container. So if you’re using seeds and want to store your crackers, I would recommend mixing them into the dough rather than sprinkling them on top (the recipe below is written to reflect this). I might also play around with brushing water or an egg wash on the tops of the crackers to help toppings adhere. As the experiments continue I’ll update here and add any new options and tips to the recipe below.

1 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup almond flour or meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour)
2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 tablespoon mixed seeds, such as poppy, sesame, and/or chia (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon coconut nectar, honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325F.

Whisk together all dry ingredients (except Maldon salt) in a mixing bowl. Add egg, coconut nectar, and olive oil, and stir with a fork until a crumbly dough begins to form. Once the mixture becomes difficult to stir, knead with your hands for a minute or two until a smooth dough ball forms. Divide in half.

Place one dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/8-inch thickness (see note above). Cut the dough into squares or diamonds (or larger rectangles, if you’re aiming for more of a flatbread style) with a chef’s knife or pizza cutter and transfer the parchment and dough to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with Maldon salt. Repeat with other half of dough.

Bake until crackers are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Cool completely on baking sheet and transfer crackers to an airtight container.

Mediterranean chickpea salad with leafy herbs and Dijon tahini dressing

Leave a comment March 25, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

The first few warm days after a long New York winter are magical. People, dogs, and Central Park turtles you haven’t seen in months begin resurfacing from hibernation, and suddenly you find yourself chatting leisurely with neighbors in the sunshine and the cold gusts of winter are a distant memory. I’m sitting at my desk as I write this, windows thrown open, gentle breeze coming in, almost 70 degrees in the early evening, looking up to catch the late afternoon play of light and shadow on the bricks of the facing buildings.

In that pause between the late afternoon dog walk and the start of dinner preparations, I’m sipping an herbal latte and wanted to share a quick and simple dish that’s become a favorite light lunch on warm afternoons. The inspiration was a kitchen fail — a batch of overcooked chickpeas that were originally destined for spice-roasting but ultimately seemed more suitable for mashing. Not in the mood for another batch of hummus, I landed on a Mediterrranean chickpea salad with crunchy carrot and fennel, scallions, briny olives and capers, lots of fresh herbs, and a creamy and bright tahini dressing with lots of fresh lemon juice and Dijon mustard.

I love this bright and protein-packed salad piled high on toasted sourdough rye as an open-faced sandwich, and it’s also great wrapped up in a sprouted tortilla with some leafy greens for a heartier meal, or piled into radicchio leaves when you’re looking for something lighter and less carb-y. It would also make a perfect light app spooned onto endive leaves.

Mediterranean chickpea salad with leafy herbs and Dijon tahini dressing
Makes about 3-1/2 cups

1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
dash of Tabasco
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 13.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 large fennel bulb, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl whisk together tahini, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Add 3 tablespoons of water and whisk until smooth (the dressing will thicken and then thin out again). If the dressing is too thick (it should be a pourable honey-like consistency), whisk in more water little by little to thin it out. Season with Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mash chickpeas using a fork or potato masher. Add carrots, fennel, scallion, olives, capers, and herbs and toss to combine. Pour dressing over mixture and toss until dressing is evenly distributed. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Carrot, onion and hijiki brown rice noodle bowl with crispy tofu

Leave a comment March 18, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

Back when I was in culinary school sea vegetables hadn’t yet gone mainstream (this was before Annie Chun’s seaweed snacks became all the rage). Sure, I had eaten seaweed in various forms at Japanese restaurants in the US: nori-wrapped sushi rolls; a few bits of wakame (which at the time I didn’t know was called wakame) floating in miso soup; those squeaky, translucent mystery strands that make up the typical seaweed salad (which are actually some sort of extruded product only vaguely related to seaweed). But I didn’t cook with sea vegetables or keep them in the pantry. But if there was one thing I took away from my time at Natural Gourmet (don’t worry, there were many more) it was an appreciation of greens from the sea. Suddenly I began looking beyond the soy sauce and Thai curry paste in the Asian section of the grocery store and filling my basket with nutrient-rich kombu to add to pots of beans and broths, dulse for snacking and adding to salads and grain dishes, hijiki, arame, and the list goes on.

Carrot-onion-hijiki, which we made in one of our macrobiotic cooking classes, was the dish that really made a seaweed lover out of me. In this macro classic, brown-black threads of hijiki, one of the more intensely marine-tasting of the ocean greens, are soaked and then braised with sweet browned onions, earthy carrots, fresh ginger and tamari (traditionally fermented soy sauce). The resulting dish is balanced and deeply flavorful — sweet, salty, savory, slightly smoky, with a hint of ocean-y tang. It’s a delicious example of culinary synergy, where just a few simple ingredients magically combine to create something much more than the sum of their parts.
Hijiki braised in this style is typically a side dish or condiment, served alongside brown rice, tofu or tempeh, steamed vegetables, pickled vegetables and herbs, and/or a stew. I wanted to bring this flavor combination into a main course and decided on a noodle bowl, pairing the silky and gingery hijiki mixture with springy brown rice noodles, golden-crusted pan-fried tofu, crisp scallions, a drizzle of hot sesame oil and a sprinkling of furikake (a delicious mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried shiso leaf and nori). The result was a supremely satisfying and comforting dish that tangles up a spectrum of flavors and textures in one bowl.

Hijiki attracted some negative press in the natural foods community a few years ago when it was found to have a higher arsenic content than its sea vegetables relatives (it absorbs more of this heavy metal from ocean water). This led to speculation that consuming hijiki could increase the risk of cancer. Interestingly, although hijiki does contain a small amount of arsenic, like other leafy sea greens it also contains alginic acid, aka alginate, a polysaccharide that binds heavy metals in the gastrointestinal tract and aids in their elimination from the body. Unfortunately it’s not well understood whether the alginic acid in hijiki mitigates arsenic absorption in humans, as most of the research has been done on chemically extracted samples and in rodents.

My personal view is that context is very important here. In Japan, where hijiki has been part of the traditional diet for hundreds (or more likely thousands) of years, it has always been consumed as an occasional rather than an everyday food. Typical consumption is 2 to 3 teaspoons per person, once every 7 to 10 days. I continue to eat hijiki occasionally (not more than once a month) and in small amounts, and with this use I am not concerned with its relatively low arsenic content (seafood and conventionally grown rice are other potential dietary sources of arsenic). To reduce the amount of arsenic and other heavy metals I always soak hijiki for at least 10 minutes before using it and discard the soaking water. That said, if you prefer not to consume hijiki, arame makes a great stand-in for this recipe. {For more information on the hijiki / arsenic issue this is an interesting read. It’s written by the folks at Eden organics, which sells hijiki, but seems to be a scientifically balanced discussion nonetheless.}

Carrot, onion and hijiki brown rice noodle bowl with crispy tofu
Serves 2

6 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon dried hijiki (or arame)
4 ounces quick-cooking brown rice noodles (I used Star Anise Foods Vietnamese noodles)
sesame oil (not toasted)
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
salt
freshly ground black pepper

garnishes:
thinly sliced scallions
hot sesame oil

toasted sesame seeds or furikake

Drain tofu on a paper towel-lined plate for about 30 minutes.

Soak hijiki in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard soaking water.

Place noodles in a heat-safe Pyrex or stainless steel bowl. Pour 3 cups of boiling water over noodles, cover and soak for 3 to 4 minutes (or cook according to package instructions). Drain and rinse with cold water. Return to bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil to prevent noodles from clumping. Set aside.

Season tofu with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons sesame oil in a skillet and fry tofu until golden and crisp on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

Wipe out skillet and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions have softened and taken on some color, 6 to 8 minutes. Layer carrots and then hijiki over onions. Add tamari, grated ginger and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat tolow and cover pan. Cook until carrots are tender and liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes.

Add hijiki mixture to cooked noodles and toss to combine. Transfer to serving bowl(s), top with crispy tofu and garnish with scallions, hot sesame oil and sesame seeds or furikake.

Golden milk kudzu pudding with maple sesame brittle

Leave a comment March 11, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

Golden milk pudding brings together two of my favorite medicinal herbs, turmeric and kudzu, in one bowl of lusciousness that also happens to have a heap of health-supportive benefits. Golden milk is an Ayurvedic turmeric-based brew that’s long been used to prevent and treat colds and flus, headaches, and even depression. It’s a comforting and warming elixir that I’ve come to love especially during the winter, and during a walk in central park last week the idea struck me to marry this sunny elixir with another favorite, kudzu pudding, for a doubly potent healing food.

There are many recipes for golden milk out there. Fresh or dried turmeric is the key ingredient (this infuses the milk with a golden color), and ginger is often included as well — its bright spiciness and subtle sweetness are a great balance to the earthy and mildly bitter turmeric. Most recipes also call for the addition of a small amount of black pepper, which boosts the bioavailability of turmeric and its main active constituent, curcumin. The base can be dairy milk, nut milk, coconut milk — here I chose coconut milk since its creaminess makes for a thick and silky pudding. And typically a sweetener is added to balance the bitterness of the turmeric; I often use maple syrup or honey.

The healing powers of turmeric have attracted a lot of attention from the holistic health community over the last couple of years. But this herb (technically a rhizome) has been a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for much longer than that owing to its potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic properties. Consistent use of turmeric and its main active constituent, curcumin, has been shown to reduce joint inflammation, soothe and regulate the digestive system, and improve skin health, among other benefits. Turmeric is ubiquitous in curry powder blends, and I love to use it alone or together with other spices in curries and dals, kitchari, soups, smoothies and even scrambled eggs for its unique flavor and health benefits.

I first learned about kudzu, or kuzu, during culinary school, where we used kudzu powder (an extract of the plant’s root) in place of wheat flour, corn starch or gelatin to create silken sauces, desserts, and soups. Kudzu is hailed as a cure-all in the macrobiotic system and has been used traditionally in Chinese medicine to relieve musculoskeletal pain and stiffness (especially of the neck and shoulders), digestive disorders, headaches, anxiety, colds and flus, hangovers, and sugar overindulgence. This herb has a cooling and alkalizing effect on the body, and helps to reduce conditions of excessive heat, including skin rashes and reactions. You might be familiar with the macrobiotic beverage ume-shoyu-kudzu, which combines kudzu with alkalizing (and salt-rich) ume plum and shoyu (traditionally fermented soy sauce) and is a classic remedy for overindulgence in alcohol or sugary sweets. Kudzu can also be used to make a delicious pudding simply by dissolving the powder in fruit juice, such as apple or pear, and simmering the mixture until it has thickened and turned transparent (before cooking, kudzu gives liquids a cloudy appearance).

Back in the test kitchen, the addition of kudzu transformed my usual golden milk recipe into a luscious and decadent dessert. It’s delicious both warm and chilled — kudzu continues to thicken as it cools, so it will thicken and become even creamier and more pudding-like after an hour or two in the fridge. Lightly sweet and mildly spiced, it’s a sweet treat will actually feel good after indulging in. And the maple sesame brittle — I almost forgot to mention the brittle! This is worth making in its own right — toasty, nutty, sweet, slightly smoky, with a hint of saltiness for balance. A perfect crispy finishing touch to the silky pudding. It’s tough not to nibble on some brittle after it’s cooled, so consider making a double batch. It’s also fantastic sprinkled on a smoothie or added to a bowl of granola and is unexpectedly awesome on avocado toast.

Golden milk kudzu pudding with maple sesame brittle
Serves 4

Cheap kudzu, which is sometimes sold in bulk bins, is often cut with potato starch, so it’s important to buy a good brand here. It’s more expensive but you’ll know that you’re be getting the real thing, and a little kudzu goes a long way so it will last a while. I used Eden brand kudzu powder; Mitoku is another good brand.

I used full-fat coconut milk, but lite would probably work just as well if you are looking to lower the fat content. I like Native Forest, which is free of preservatives and packaged in BPA-free cans.

1/3 cup water
2-1/2 tablespoons kudzu powder
One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (approx. 1-3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger juice squeezed from about 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt

Combine water and kudzu in a saucepan and whisk until kudzu dissolves completely. Add coconut milk, turmeric, ginger juice, black pepper, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Whisk until well combined.

Heat coconut milk mixture over medium-low heat, whisking often, until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and the golden color will darken slightly as the kudzu cooks and changes from opaque to clear.

Transfer to the mixture to a bowl. Allow to cool slightly before serving hot or warm, or for a thicker pudding chill for at least an hour (you can speed this up by transferring to small serving cups before chilling). Serve topped with maple sesame brittle, if desired (see below).

For sesame brittle, toast sesame seeds in a small skillet until lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add maple syrup, stirring constantly, and allow it to bubble and caramelize; when its liquid has boiled off transfer the mixture to a plate and sprinkle with salt. The brittle will crisp up as it cools.

Spice-roasted cauliflower + chickpeas with Israeli cous cous, golden raisins + ghee-toasted pine nuts

Leave a comment March 4, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

With winter disappearing and then reappearing again (snow is falling as I write this, but it’s supposed to be around 70F in a few days!), I am turning to lots of comforting dishes and warming spices to heat up from the inside out. I’ve also been in a major lazy-cook phase lately, and nothing could be easier on a weeknight than a sheet-pan dinner. All that’s required is a quick raid of the crisper drawer and pantry to grab anything that looks like it might enjoy being roasted — broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, zucchini, onions, peppers, garlic, potatoes, squash, etc etc — cut ’em all into bite-sized pieces, season, toss onto a pan, roast until browned and crispy and eat! Serve with a cooked grain or pasta, or a slice of toasted and buttered sourdough, maybe put an egg on it, and you’re good to go.

In this case I chose cauliflower as the main player (if you’re not a cauliflower fan, try it roasted — an utterly different vegetable vs steamed or boiled) along with chickpeas and a curry-inspired spice blend — cumin, coriander, turmeric and fennel. Israeli cous cous, which has a lovely silken texture and becomes extra delicious when it absorbs the lemon juice and spices, keeps the dish tender and comforting, but if you prefer a whole grain, brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa or millet are good alternatives. The tahini yogurt sauce, tangy and pungent with pomegranate molasses, garlic, and lemon, is a must-have in my book, but if you prefer to go without just add a little extra lemon juice to the finished dish.

Two ingredients really make this dish: shaved raw celery and golden raisins. So don’t skip these components. The fresh crunch and bright, herbal flavor of the celery are a perfect contrast to the mellow roasted veggies and tender cous cous, and the raisins are a perfect pop of natural sweetness and chewiness that brings out the flavors of the spices and ties everything together. Without them the dish wouldn’t be the same.

Spice-roasted cauliflower + chickpeas with Israeli cous cous, golden raisins + ghee-toasted pine nuts
Serves 4 as an main course

1 cauliflower (approx. 1 lb), trimmed of leaves and core, and cut into bite-sized florets (about 4 cups)
2-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced into rings (I included the seeds)
extra-virgin olive oil
Celtic or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ghee, butter, or olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup Israeli cous cous

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on the bias (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

juice of 1 lemon

tahini-yogurt sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted tahini
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl combine cauliflower, chickpeas, onion, and jalapeño. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of black pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Toss to combine. Transfer to prepared sheet pan and roast until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned and chickpeas are crisp-edged, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir mixture and rotate pan halfway through. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat ghee in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool for a few minutes.

Cook cous cous in plenty of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add to bowl with vegetable and chickpea mixture. Toss to combine.

Add pine nuts, raisins, celery, parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to bowl with vegetables and cous cous. Toss to combine, taste, and season with salt and black pepper, if needed.

Whisk together tahini, yogurt, garlic, molasses, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add water until the sauce has a pourable, honey-like consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous drizzle of tahini-yogurt sauce.

Spicy coconut curry with butternut squash, potatoes and broccoli

Leave a comment March 1, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

In late February and early March I think a lot of us experience a bit of a cooking crisis. I’m not so keen on the foods and techniques of winter anymore, and rather fatigued on soups and stews and braises in general, but with changeable temperatures and frigid mornings and evenings raw salads and the foods of spring are not quite appealing yet. Not to mention that the farmers markets are still stocked with root vegetables and winter squash, and asparagus and other signs of spring are still a while off. This is where curry comes in. Seasonal transitions are an ideal time to go big with medicinal foods: lots of ginger, garlic, chiles, onion and other alliums, fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley, citrus, and potent immunity-boosting, anti-inflammatory spices, like cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander, and turmeric. Warming foods and spices stimulate circulation, soothe and regulate digestion, and get stagnant energy moving and flowing again — an early spring cleaning for the body after the sluggishness of winter.

A spicy curry is a great way to bring all these superstar ingredients together in the same pot to warm the body and soul from the inside out — a perfect meal for a chilly late-winter night. I like to use a combination of starchy winter vegetables, in this case Yukon gold potatoes and butternut squash, balanced by lighter ones — like broccoli, fennel, and zucchini. But this recipe is flexible, so play around with the vegetables you have on hand. Sweet potato would be great, as would cauliflower, kale, collards, or mustard greens, carrots, delicata or kabocha squash. Finished with lots of lime juice, cilantro, and crunchy toasted almonds, this makes for a satisfying one-bowl, plant-based meal.

Spicy coconut curry with butternut squash, potatoes and broccoli 
Serves 4 to 6

3 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (I included the seeds)
2 tablespoons curry powder, homemade or purchased
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 13.5-ounce coconut milk
1 cup broth or stock of your choice, or water
1 small tomato, diced
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of red chile flakes (or to taste)
1 small stalk of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 zucchini, sliced into quarter-moons (about 1-1/2 cups)
juice of 1 lime
Celtic salt

to serve:
cooked basmati rice
toasted sliced almonds, cashews or pumpkin seeds
chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds, and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the seeds begin to pop. Add onion and fennel and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and cook for another minute or two, then add curry powder, turmeric, and black pepper, and stir for a minute to toast the spices. Clear a space in the bottom of the pot and add the tomato paste, stirring to caramelize it and then stirring it into the vegetable and spice mixture.

Add squash and potatoes and stir to coat with spices. Add coconut milk, broth, tomato, cinnamon stick, pinch of chile flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes and squash are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add broccoli and zucchini to the curry and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice. Season with additional salt, if needed, to taste. Serve with rice and garnishes of your preference.

Broccoli and almond pesto with cannolicchi

Leave a comment February 26, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

I love to make pesto throughout the year, and in winter I try to keep it seasonal by using cold-weather greens, like broccoli or kale. Discovering a lonely stalk of broccoli in the crisper drawer earlier this week, I decided on a pesto with toasted almonds, lemon, and Parmigiano. Toasted almonds are a perfect pairing with broccoli’s mild flavor — the almonds’ mellow nuttiness would be overwhelmed by an assertive green such as basil, but it really shines through here. I add lemon zest and juice to give the pesto a bright flavor, red chile flakes for a bit of zesty heat, of course lots of good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, and a salty Italian cheese — here Parmigiano-Reggiano, but Pecorino or Grana Padano would work just as well.

We used the pesto to dress our new favorite pasta: cannolicchi, a tight corkscrew made to resemble the shape of a razor clam. The spirals maintain their shape nicely when cooked, and effectively capture sauce, making them a perfect shape to pair with pesto. (It’s also the best pasta I’ve ever had with Bolognese sauce — amazing. Try it sometime.) Garnished with toasted almonds, chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a grating of cheese, this is exactly the kind of green winter comfort food that I am leaning toward these days.

The recipe below makes about 2 and a half cups of pesto, which is likely more than you’ll need to dress a pound of pasta. Since this is a milder-flavored pesto I use quite a bit more to dress the pasta than I would with a basil pesto, but even then I do not use it all.  So here are a few ideas for that leftover pesto: stir a spoonful into a bowl of creamy polenta and top with a poached egg and greens for a delicious and healthy one-bowl meal. Or add a dollop to a cooked whole grain such as brown rice, farro, or quinoa; toss in some veggies and you have a flavorful vegetarian salad. Stir a big spoonful of pesto into soup — it adds seasoning and depth of flavor. Spread on crostini, or use it as a base for avocado toast. Because the broccoli is blanched, the pesto won’t turn brown like a basil pesto would, so it’s ideal to keep in the fridge for a few days to use in multiple dishes — beyond that, store tightly sealed in the freezer and use within a month (simply thaw in the fridge and stir before using).

Broccoli and almond pesto with cannolicchi
Serves 4 to 6, with leftover pesto (makes about 2-1/2 cups of pesto)

Approx. 10 ounces of raw broccoli, cut into spears (about 3 cups) (I peel and slice the stalk and use that, too)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of red chile flakes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano, Pecorino, or Grana Padano
Celtic salt, as needed
1 pound cannolicchi or other spiral-shaped pasta, such as fusilli or cavatappi

garnishes:
extra-virgin olive oil
toasted sliced almonds
chopped Italian parsley
red chile flakes
freshly grated cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove broccoli with a spider or slotted spoon, rinse with cold water, and drain well. Save cooking water to cook the pasta later.

Blend garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add almonds and blend again until mixture has a coarse sandy texture. Add lemon zest, juice, and chile flakes, and pulse for a few seconds. With the lid on, slowly add olive oil in a steady steam. The pesto should have a creamy texture; if it is dry add more olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time until creamy. Add cheese and process until combined. Taste and add salt if needed.

Bring pot of water back to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Transfer pasta to a large bowl (save about 1 cup of cooking water). Start by adding about 1/2 cup of pesto and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss gently to evenly coat the pasta with sauce, and add more pesto and pasta cooking water, if needed, to suit your taste.

Transfer pasta to serving bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and garnishes of your choosing.

Tahini, oat + coconut cookies { gluten-free + vegan }

Leave a comment February 23, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

My kitchen has turned into tahini central. After months (months!) of forgetting again and again to pick up tahini at the grocery store — where was my head? — I finally bought a fresh jar last weekend, and sesame paste immediately began sneaking its way into just about everything I make. After all, what’s a Buddha bowl without tahini sauce? A rather sad, naked pile of vegetables and grains, that’s what. Well, 7 days, 4 batches of tahini dressing, and 3 batches of tahini cookies later, I was headed back to the store to replenish my ta-dreamy reserves. Hooked, to say the least.

These cookies were born from a desire to create a nutrient-dense and not-too-sweet breakfast / snacking / anytime cookie, with ample amounts of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates for lasting energy. I also wanted it to be vegan and gluten-free. The cookie’s basic structure comprises just 4 ingredients: tahini, maple syrup, oats, and shredded coconut (and a pinch of salt). Then come the flavorful add-ins: dried cherries, sliced almonds, vanilla, cinnamon. With a perfect balance of mellow, nutty sweetness, a hint of salt, sweet-tart cherries and toasty almonds, crisp edges and chewy centers, I am not kidding when I say these little guys are the ideal anytime sweet: have a few bites with your morning coffee, as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or a light dessert. Don’t leave home without them. Tasty, light, and energizing, no sugar rush or subsequent crash.

An added pro — the cookies don’t contain eggs, so you can snack on the raw dough all you want (and it’s a delicious dough, let me tell you). Or, take it a bit further: roll the dough into balls, and then roll the balls in shredded coconut, sesame seeds, or cocoa powder — you just made raw truffles.

Another technique that your future self will thank you for: freeze your dough-balls (in a single layer so they don’t stick together) and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container until ready to bake. Cookie dough balls in the freezer = always a good idea!

As far as add-ins go, dried cherries and almonds are a natural. Here are some other combinations I’m planning to explore, if you like options as much as I do: cranberries + chopped pecans, chopped figs + walnuts, raisins + pumpkin seeds. A natural peanut butter or almond butter would also be a good stand-in for the tahini — not anytime soon for me, though, I’m pretty committed to my tahini jar for the time being.

Tahini, oat + coconut cookies with dried cherries + almonds 
Yield: Approx. 20 cookies

This recipe was tested using Sesame King lightly roasted tahini. Since tahini textures are relatively consistent across brands (more so than peanut butter or almond butter, for example) I don’t anticipate issues using a different brand, or using raw tahini instead of roasted. If you try the recipe using a different type of tahini (or another nut butter) please let me know how it works out for you.

1/2 cup unsalted, lightly roasted tahini (see note above)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (coconut nectar or agave nectar can be substituted, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grained sea salt, such as Celtic
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Combine tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add oats, coconut, cherries, and almonds, and stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated into a dough.

Scoop dough into balls using a 1-tablespoon (1/2-ounce) cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, arranging the balls about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350F until tops and bottoms of cookies are a light golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through.

Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Farro, cabbage and fennel soup with rosemary + roasted sweet potato croutons

Leave a comment February 17, 2016 urbankitchenapothecary

If there’s one thing I love about working from home most days, it’s enjoying a fresh, homemade lunch that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for at that moment. As much as I appreciate the quick lunch options around NYC, especially those places that lean towards the health-conscious, if I never see another Pret a Manger salad-to-go that would be fine by me.

A home-base lunch in winter usually means something warm: leftover or freshly made soup or stew, a Buddha bowl featuring whatever vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds I have on hand, or simply eggs and sautéed or braised kale with buttered sourdough toast (that last one’s so ridiculously quick and easy, and yet a tough one to beat).

After picking up a bag of pearled farro at Citarella recently, I’ve gotten really into this grain, which is an ancient variety of wheat, similar to spelt. Nutty, chewy, and mildly sweet, it’s great in soups, salads and grain bowls. I’ve been making a batch over the weekend to use in meals throughout the week, and I might even try making a breakfast porridge with it soon, because as much as I love steel-cut oats sometimes you just need to mix things up a little.

This farro soup is simple peasant fare — always the best kind of comfort food — and that is a wonderful thing. A humble trio of onion, green cabbage, and fennel make for a fragrant counterpoint to the nutty farro, which becomes plump, tender and luscious after simmering in its flavorful rosemary-accented broth. Finished with lemon and grana padano, and garnished with crispy, golden sweet potato croutons, a luxurious seven-minute egg, fresh parsley, and pumpkin seeds, this soup becomes something really special. I made a large batch in the interest of leftovers, and found that the next day’s bowl was even better: the broth was silkier, and the farro had taken on a risotto-like consistency. Make a pot and enjoy it for days.

Farro, cabbage and fennel soup with rosemary + roasted sweet potato croutons
Serves 4 to 6

1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
kosher or Celtic salt, as needed
1/4 head of green cabbage, cored and shredded
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 cup pearled farro, rinsed and drained
6 cups broth / stock of your choice OR 6 cups water + 2 vegetable bouillon cubes*
1 sprig fresh rosemary
pinch of red chile flakes
juice of 1/2 lemon
grated grana padano

garnishes (optional)
4 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

*I’ve been using Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cubes lately and love them. Heidi Swanson recommends this brand in her Super Natural cookbooks, and I decided to give them a try after spotting them in the natural foods section of my local grocery (Fairway market). They are made with organic ingredients and have a very balanced flavor (i.e., they don’t scream of dried celery or any one ingredient), plus they are available in both salted and unsalted options. I used the salted variety here and found it to be pleasantly seasoned and not too salty.

Heat oven to 400F.

Place sweet potato on a sheet tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat, spread the cubes into a single layer and roast until golden-edged and tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through for even cooking. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add cabbage, onion and fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Add farro to pot and stir for a couple of minutes to lightly toast it. Add stock or water, rosemary, pinch of salt, and a pinch of chile flakes and bring to a simmer. If using water, ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid into a heatproof pyrex bowl or measuring cup and stir in vegetable bouillon cubes. When bouillon is dissolved pour liquid back into pot.

Simmer until farro and vegetables are tender and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes. If serving with eggs, cook them while the soup simmers (see below). Stir in lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of grated grand padano. Season with salt to your taste, if needed.

For the 7-minute eggs: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gently lower eggs into water using a slotted spoon. Cook for 7 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to halt cooking, or run under cold water for about a minute. Peel when cool enough to handle.

Ladle soup into warmed bowls and garnish with sweet potato croutons, egg, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.