Characteristic: gluten free
Spinach Curry with Coconut (Tofu or Chicken)
Start the rice the minute you walk in the door and sit down to eat 20 minutes later if using white rice or 35 if brown. And the leftovers are excellent. You could also substitute other greens like turnip or beet greens though spinach is particularly good here.
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Fried Rice "Pancakes"
Everything I might put into fried rice gets mixed in a bowl and panfried into neat little pancakes. A delicious alternative! And another reason to make twice as much rice as you need in the moment. . .so you have it ready for this sort of quick dinner.
Cabbage, peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips or any leafy green, basil and/or mint would be great. Be sure to chop them finely which helps the pancakes hold together when frying.
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Turmeric Roasted Spring Vegetables with Chickpeas
Roasting, or actually broiling in this case, is a great strategy for enhancing some vegetables. In spring I might find myself with random bits, a handful of radishes, a couple of salad turnips, a few spring onions, as was the case here. These aren't vegetables we necessarily think of as roastable/broilable but the quick broiling gives these tender vegetables a nice browning without turning them to mush. Adapt with what you have on hand, spices you like and mix and match your way to lunch/dinner.
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Spiced, Roasted Cauliflower with Mint
Roasting cauliflower with nothing but salt and oil is delicious. Add a little spice mixture and dress with fresh mint, after roasting, and you have even more flavor and contrast. Use cilantro and/or parsley if you don't have mint, or a combination of all three.
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Spiced Pea Shoots and Potatoes
My mother used to make creamed peas and potatoes in the spring with lots of dill. I always loved this dish and it was the inspiration for this entirely differently flavored dish of pea shoots, potatoes, cumin, garam masala and touch of cayenne.
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Creamy, Spiced Peas, Turnips and Cabbage
--Inspired by Quick & Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey
The complex flavors in this simple curry dish belie the speed with which it comes together. It is a good template as many different vegetables can be used and you can add meats or seafood as you like. I use whatever combination of vegetables I have on hand.
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Rice Bowl with Raab and Egg
[caption id="attachment_9953" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Collard raab over rice.[/caption]
If kale, collards greens, turnips and other brassicas are left to overwinter they will grow shoots with little seed heads in late winter/early spring. When the weather is still cool they are tender and offer a bright burst of flavor and color after the gloomy months of winter. They can get a bit bitter or sulphuric when the weather warms up but a quick blanch balances that out too.
You could make a big platter of this for 4 or more or make a small version for lunch for 1 or 2. Adapt with different greens, a fried or poached egg rather than strips of omelette, different pickles, etc.... Read more »
Salsify and Potato Soup with Bacon and Thyme
This is a lovely, light wintry soup. The earthy salsify makes it interesting.... Read more »
Mashed Leeks and Potatoes with Capers and Parsley
A light mash of leeks and potatoes gets topped with plenty of pan-fried capers and parsley.... Read more »
Polenta Pie
This is a great dish to use up whatever bits of vegetables you have as well as cooked beans, tomato sauce and random bits of meat either already cooked or cooked in the sauce. It's more technique than recipe: cooked saucy vegetables/meat + creamy polenta with cheese, baked until bubbling!
In this particular version I used cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, kale, black beans, leftover tomato sauce, garlic and thyme. I like to chop the vegetables fairly small for this dish.
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Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Garlic
This the perfect thing to do with the first of the season purple sprouting broccoli. Tender, fragrant with garlic and addictive.... Read more »
Rutabaga with Mustard Seed and Turmeric
This quick dish is delicious, not just with rutabagas, but a mixture of turnips, kohlrabi, and rutabaga, or any one of these. Top it with cilantro and some yogurt and you have a very satisfying side dish.
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Kale Salad with Garlicky Beets and Sunflower Seeds
Grated raw beets marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette are a fantastic addition to green salads, grain or bean salads or as a sandwich filling with goat cheese, to name just a few possibilities.
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Chicory, Black Olive and Blue Cheese Salad
You can use any kind of chicory here (radicchio, frisee, etc.). The robust leaves with a hint of bitterness pair well with the creamy, rich cheese.... Read more »
Black Radish, Carrot, Collard Green and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts
I love this combination of disparate flavors. Toast the walnuts a bit longer than you might typically--the hint of char is delicious here.
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Radicchio, Roasted Onion and Parsley Salad
Strong, slightly bitter radicchio (or any chicory), sweet roasted onions, parsley and crunchy hazelnuts make for a lively winter salad.... Read more »
Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Pasta
During my time in Italy, I ate versions of this simple, flavorful dish all over the country. It's often made it with maltagliati which means badly cut pasta, the bits and pieces of odd-shaped pasta that are left over from the commercial pasta making process. They are sold in bags, just like regular pasta. Now I use whatever I have on hand.
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Roasted Beets and Onions with Greens
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Saslify and Mushroom Ragout
This is a woodsy stew/sauce that is delicious over polenta, pasta, with any cut of meat or chicken or just as is with a piece of crusty bread and a salad.
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Spicy Chickpea, Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
I try to have cooked beans and chickpeas in the freezer at all times. I cook a good amount, 1 1/2-2 lbs, at a time and then refrigerate and/or freeze portions for future meals. It's just like having canned beans in the pantry but I've gotten so hooked on the flavor and texture of home-cooked ones that I've got a good routine in place that takes little effort.
This bright, hearty salad can be adapted to suit your tastes and pantry.... Read more »
