Kale and Tomato Salad with Roasted Asaparagus

Summer is almost here! This dish I’ve made a little fusion of late spring and early summer with a faint throwback into a Mexican influence. I got most of these ingredients at local farm stands, so hopefully you can as well. Don’t feel like you have to adhere to this particular format of ingredients either, any hearty lettuce or softer dark-leafy green will work fine in this recipe.

This is fresh, delicious and a great “Meatless Monday” option (I would throw some beans on there to increase the protein) or side salad. Feel free to omit any spices or the cilantro. I’d substitute the cilantro with dill or parsley if you aren’t a cilantro person. I’ve also enjoyed this with a nice piece of pan seared fish or baked chicken. Top with some grated cheese for extra sexy points.

Whatever you chose to do with it, Enjoy!

Kale and tomato salad with roasted asparagus

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Lacinato Kale

1 Bunch asparagus

2 Tomatoes (sliced into 8ths)

1 Juice and zest of lime

2 Tablespoons olive oil

¼ Cup pickled red onion

½ Bunch watercress

¼ Cup Chive (cut thin)

¼ Cup Cilantro (rough chop)

½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

½ teaspoon garlic

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin (whole preferably)

Directions:

1. Wash ALL produce (Learn more here)
2. Take spices and combine in container
3. Toss asparagus in olive oil and place in oven (preheated at 400). Allow to roast for five to seven minutes, or until tender.
4. While asparagus is roasting, cut kale into fork size (about two inches) and put into large mixing bowl
5. Take tomatoes and core them (cut out the brown part on the top). Slice into 12ths if you have a big tomato 8ths if it is small. Place into large mixing bowl
6. Combine remaining ingredients into bowl and toss to incorporate.
7. Asparagus should be ready by now, or already done. Once removed from oven and cooled, cut on a bias into two inch strips. Add to bowl if you are serving family style. Keep Asparagus separate if you’re going to be plating. 

Ramp Whipped Skin-On Root Vegetables

This will probably be the easiest thing you can possibly make that I have written so far. I figured it was time for an easy recipe that requires little time to prepare, while still being a crowd-pleaser. Spring is in full swing and there are all kinds of goodness to go around. This low-calorie and complex carbohydrate recipe will really allow you to see the hearty beauty that spring has to offer.  This is a large yield recipe meant to be utilized later. If you scale back, just keep the ratio in mind. This isn’t an exact recipe by any measure.

If you do not have ramps, substitute the bulbs and stems with 4 cloves garlic (roasted preferred if you have it); and 3 scallion greens cut thin. 

How to utilize:

I chose to serve this hot on a spoon as passed Hors D’oeuvre. Mashed potato bars have been trendy for a bit, so it’s nothing to impress your friends with this dish and pipe it on a spoon with a pastry bag.

You can also serve this family style, I would garnish with thinly sliced ramp leaves or some kind of green oil.

This can also be flipped into a basis for potato pancakes. Add some onion, pepper, celery and thicken with flour or quinoa flour until thick enough to form a loose ball. Form cake size patties and sear in hot pan with olive oil. These go great with breakfast or as a salad topper. However, for the salad topper, I would say to skip the flour and form a loose patty and sear it; if it falls apart, think of it as less fork work.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes

2 lbs. Parsnips

2 lbs. Turnips

2 lbs. Carrot

3 lbs. Sweet Potato

6 Ramps (with leaves cut off and reserved to the side)

4 Tbls. Olive oil

1 Tbls Coconut oil

Directions:

1. Cut all ingredients in half long-ways. DO NOT PEAL! (but take the tops off)
2. Cut into half-inch sections (large dice).
3. Place in pot with enough water to cover the top of product.
4. Bring to a boil. Allow to cook until fork tender.
5. Strain ingredients and put back into pot.
6. Sweat chopped ramp bulbs and stems in 1 Tbs Olive oil until translucent. Transfer to pot.
7. Add chiffonade (thin slice) of remaining ramp leaves into mixture.
8. Add 2 Tbs Olive oil and 1 Tbs. Coconut Oil to mixture.
9. Using a hand mixer, whip ingredients until incorporated.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Springtime Bean Stew with Shaved Asparagus and Fennel Salad

So, earlier this week I found myself in the middle of Mother Nature’s “doom and gloom.” You know, one of those days where it’s cold and rainy outside and you simply crave the warm spring sunshine. These days usually consist of me cleaning out the fridge and making some kind of soup or stew concoction; and this day wasn’t any different!

After gathering up random odds and ends, I decided that the only answer on that frigid spring day was to make a stew. There’s simply nothing like being warmed from the inside out with this plant based protein. But, if you know me, that is nearly not enough – it’s got to be extra special nice. So what better to top the stew with than a shaved vegetable salad? Nothing.  So, without further to do, I present the following recipe.

Aduki Bean Stew garnished with a shaved fennel and asparagus salad... ENJOY!

Stew:

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups carrot (diced)
2. 2 cups onion (diced)
3. 2 cups celery (diced)
4. 2 cloves garlic (minced)
5. 2 Tablespoons olive oil
6. 1 cup white or blush wine
7. 16 cups stock (vegetable)
8. 2 bay leaves
9. 6 dashes Tobasco
10. 1lb 12oz canned tomato (whole or diced)
11. 500g Aduki bean (rehydrated)
12. 1 bunch cut asparagus stems (save heads for salad) cut on bias
13. 4 cups (packed) fresh spinach
14. 1.5 Tablespoon sea salt
15. 2 Tablespoons pepper

Directions:

1. Use large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil.
2. Combine ingredients 1-4 in a pot. Cook until onions are translucent. Stir occasionally.
3. Deglaze with wine (add to pot and allow to reduce slightly).
4. Add ingredients 7-11 and bring to a simmer for 1 hour (or until beans are tender).
5. Add asparagus and spinach. Stir in to stew.
6. Use salt/pepper measurements, or season to taste.
7. Stew is ready when asparagus becomes tender and spinach is wilted.

Salad:

Ingredients:

1. 1 Head fennel (shaved)
2. ¼ Red onion (shaved)
3. 1 Bunch of remaining asparagus heads (from previous stew)
4. Zest 1 lemon
5. 1 Lemon skinned and cut thin (cut in half from top to bottom, lay flat part down, slice thin)
6. ¼ Cup fennel greens (green part of fennel that looks like dill)
7. ¼ Cup parsley (chiffonade)
8. 1 teaspoon grated ginger
9. ½ teaspoon salt
10. 10 Grinds fresh pepper
11. 1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Directions:

1. Shave ingredients on a mandolin (or slice thin if you have the knife skills to do so).
2. Combine all ingredients in bowl and toss to incorporate.
3. Let marinate for about an hour before serving.