GUIDELINES
1. What grows together goes together.
2. High notes and low notes in balance for harmony in a dish.
3. Sentence structure - understanding the purpose of each ingredient to determine whether it’s an essential component and if it can be substituted with something else.
A Simple Dal
Serves 4
2 tablespoons ghee, oil or butter, or a combination
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup dry red lentils
1 can coconut milk
½ pound greens (spinach, chard, kale…), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Heat the ghee or oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, around 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lentils, coconut milk, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Stir in the greens and cook until they are tender, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add lemon and salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.
Miso Soup
(Adapted from Didi Emmons)
Serves 4
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 2-inch strip kombu (seaweed), optional
1 ½ inches fresh ginger, sliced thin
2/3 cup miso
8 ounces silken tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 green onions, chopped fine
Slightly crush the garlic cloves with the side of a chef’s knife. Heat 2 quarts of water with the crushed garlic, kombu and ginger. Bring the water to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic, ginger and kombu from the water. (For a stronger garlic and ginger flavor, puree the water with the garlic and ginger and return to the pot.)
Add the miso and stir until it breaks down. Add the tofu and let stand for another 2 minutes. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with green onion and nori.
Optional additions: leafy greens (add at very end). Add at beginning so will become tender with cooking – asparagus, snap peas, carrots, broccoli…
Broiled Cabbage
(or maitake mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots…)
1 small or medium head of cabbage, sliced into thin wedges, keeping the core in tact
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Turn the oven on to the high broil setting. Place the cabbage on a rimmed baking dish and use your hands to gently coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cabbage starts to turn brown in spots and remove from oven. Flip over with tongs or a spatula and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes. The cabbage should turn more of a vibrant hue and golden-brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and toss with lemon juice.
Tom Kha Gai
Adapted from David Thompson, Thai Food
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups canned or carton full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar (palm sugar, if possible)
2 stalks lemongrass, white and light green parts (discard the root end and the woody top) crushed and cut into long pieces
1 shallot
1 bunch cilantro, roots in tact if possible
2-3 bird’s eye chilies (tiny green chilies – can use any heat source if can’t buy), optional or fewer for less heat
6 thin slices of galangal
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
12-14 brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half or quarters if large
1 block tofu, diced or 2 chicken breasts, diced or shred into bite-sized pieces
1 cup 1-inch pieces green cabbage
2 -3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
Heat the stock and the coconut milk in a pot until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and add the salt and sugar.
Bruise the lemongrass, shallot, 2 cilantro roots and chilies using a pestle and mortar. Add to boiling stock, along with galangal and lime leaves.
Lower the heat, simmer for a few minutes, then add the carrots, brussels sprouts and tofu. Continue to simmer until the carrots and Brussels sprouts are almost tender and then stir in the cabbage, fish sauce, lime juice and cilantro. Simmer for another 1-2 minutes until the cabbage is tender, then check seasoning – it should taste rich, salty, sour, and hot.
Nigella seeds - breads, crackers toast them if not gonna be baked, vinaigrettes (w lemon juice and zest, coconut milk, olive oil, sweetener, combined in India w mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds to make a five seed blend called panch phora used to flavor fried potatoes. some dukkah recipes. vinaigrette for fish.
Aleppo pepper - anywhere put red pepper flakes. substitute for paprika but use less because it is hotter. Green salads, bean dishes, quesadillas, soup, potato salad. chicken salad w walnuts, muhammara along w urfa pepper
Urfa pepper - bitter like coffee or chocolate and sweet like molasses, deep smoky aroma moderate heat but strong flavor. ceviche, tomato sauces, scrambled egg , eggplant, - baba ganoush
Sweet Smoked Paprika - meaty bacon-y flavor
My New Roots
Basically
Healthyish
The Kitchn
SAUCES
Creamy - nuts/seeds in blender (hemp seeds are a great neutral base!), nut/seed butters, yogurt, tofu, coconut milk.
Peanut sauce (also make w almond butter or tahini add chickpeas) - variations w lemongrass, coconut milk, curry paste or powder, smoked paprika
Simple Tahini Sauce
Adapted from My New Roots
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
1 small clove garlic
pinch salt
¼ cup honey or other liquid sweetener
4-6 Tbsp. water, as needed
Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
Lemon Mint (non-dairy) Yogurt Sauce/Dressing
Makes around 1 ¾ cup
1 cup plain Greek-style non-dairy yogurt - I like Kite Hill almond yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced into a paste
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled.
Thai Inspired Coconut Dressing
Makes around 1 cup
¾ cup coconut milk
1-3 small red Thai chilies, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, light green part only, minced
1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime (around 2 tablespoons)
1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar
Large pinch salt
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. Keeps in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Yogurt-based - tzatziki, raita, chili paste, lemon, mint..
Ranch
Horseradish
Hippie sauce w nutritional yeast, tahini, smoked paprika, lemon, dijon etc
Herby - in olive oil or in any base (tahini, coconut milk, olives...)
Chimichurri and other herb based sauces - use the recipe you normally do but try with other herbs like mint and dill. Same for pesto. Or swap olive oil with tahini or yogurt
Chimichurri
Makes around 1 cup
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves/stems
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
3 Piquillo peppers
1-2 cloves garlic
Sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Alternatively, if you like a more chunky sauce, chop the herbs, peppers and garlic and mix together with remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Green goddess
Zhoug - I like this version.
Chermoula - I like this version
Vegetable/fruit based - olives, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers
Plum Sauce - I like this version with less sweetener and I use coconut sugar or jaggery (Indian palm sugar)
Harissa - I like this version (but I like it with sweet smoked paprika rather than spicy smoked paprika)
Romesco Makes around 1 ½ cups
2 roasted red peppers, cored and seeded
1 dried Ancho pepper (or 2 teaspoons powder), rehydrated in hot water until soft, cored and seeded
2 - 3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika 1 Jalapeño pepper or less 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts and/or toasted almonds 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Place all of the ingredients except for the oil, salt and pepper in the food processor and puree with ¼ cup of water. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Muhammara
Adapted from Ana Sortun
Makes 6 servings
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions (3 to 4 scallions)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 teaspoons pomegranate molasses, divided, see note
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, divided
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
4 to 6 tablespoons bread crumbs
Note: Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern markets and international food stores like Barbur World Foods.
To roast the pepper, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the pepper on a foil-covered baking sheet and cook 25 minutes, or until charred all over. Place in a closed paper bag or wait a couple of minutes and wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap. After 15 minutes, the skin will come off easily in your fingers. Remove and discard the stem and seeds.
Combine pepper, scallions, lemon juice, cumin, salt, 2 teaspoons of the pomegranate molasses, 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and all but 2 of the walnuts in a food processor (or mortar and pestle) and blitz until mostly smooth. You can use a blender but make sure not to blend too long because you do want some texture.
Add 4 tablespoons of the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. If mixture is too loose to hold its shape, add the remaining bread crumbs and pulse again. Season to taste with salt and crushed red pepper.
Scrape into a bowl and make a well in the center with the back of a spoon. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in the well. Crush the reserved walnuts between your fingers and sprinkle over the top.
Red Onion & Sun Dried Tomato Relish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces sundried tomatoes (in bulk or in a bag – not in oil), thinly sliced 2 cups balsamic vinegar
Sweetener of choice, optional, to taste
Sea salt to taste
Cook the onion in the oil in a medium skillet until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the onion and tomatoes are soft. If they aren’t soft enough, stir in water in 1⁄4 cup increments and continue to simmer until soft.
Fig and Olive Tapenade
Makes about one cup
David Lebovitz adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris If using a mortar and pestle, I find it easier to hand chop the olives a bit first before giving them a good pounding. Make this tapenade at least one day before you intend to serve it, which allows the flavors to meld and develop. Serve tapenade with slices of baguette or pita triangles that have been lightly brushed with olive oil and perhaps sprinkled with salt and fresh thyme, or a dusting of chili powder, then toasted on a baking sheet in the oven until nice and crisp. Or as a dip for fresh vegetables or as a sauce over cooked vegetables.
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces, 90g) stemmed and quartered dried black figs (use dried Black Mission figs, if available)
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoons capers, rinsed, drained and squeezed dry
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 teaspoon minced)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup olives, rinsed and pitted (I like a combo of Castelvetrano and Kalamata)
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain or Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (150ml) extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper and salt, if you like
In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the figs in ¾ cup water for about 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid.
Make the garlic into a paste by chopping and smashing with salt repeatedly. Leaving the garlic paste on the cutting board, combine it with the other ingredients as you chop them – the capers, rosemary, lemon zest. then the olives and the figs. Smash all of the ingredients with the side of your knife blade to turn into a paste.
Transfer to a bowl or storage container and stir in the lemon juice, mustard, oil and black pepper and salt, if necessary. (The spread can be thinned with a bit of the reserved fig poaching liquid.)
Olive Oil based
Basic Vinaigrette
Makes around 1 cup
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Slowly add the oil, whisking until emulsified. Alternatively, shake the ingredients in a jar.
VARIATIONS- To make different types of vinaigrette, do the following:
· Substitute balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, a different vinegar or lemon juice for the Sherry vinegar.
· Substitute minced garlic for the shallot.
· Substitute olive oil with roasted hazelnut/roasted walnut/roasted almond oil
· Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, cilantro, or thyme.
· Add ½ have cup crumbled blue cheese or ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.
· Use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar; add 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan.
· Substitute toasted sesame oil for the olive oil, add 1 teaspoon minced ginger, substitute lime juice or rice vinegar for the balsamic vinegar.
Garlic Confit
Place a head of peeled garlic cloves into a small pot. Add ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil and place over low heat. Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat. Once cool, store in an opaque air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Variations - add toasted ground cumin, coriander, sweet smoked paprika (I use a good 1-2 tablespoons of each so the sauce is thick) and chopped roasted red peppers; add za’atar; chilies
Other
Nuoc Mam Cham - I like this version with less sweetener
Lime, Dijon, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pep (love this as a salmon marinade)
Sweet Miso Sesame Garlic Sauce
Makes 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chickpea or white miso
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small airtight container. Keeps for up to one month in the fridge.