Parsley Chimichurri

If you’re interested in more detail, here’s a great post with an authentic Argentinian chimichurri recipe and lots of interesting notes.

My first experience with Chimichurri was during a Health and Sustainability fair that my high school students excitedly organized in City Heights. Along with the awesome medicine making, yoga and dance workshops, I always remember our awesome friend and event caterer Fer and her empanadas with chimichurri. I couldn’t get enough! This week’s parsley has inspired a return to that excitement and we’re going to make it with what we’ve got.

INGREDIENTS

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1 or 2 green onions

1 or 2 cups fresh parsley

1 or 2 tbs dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

4 tbs olive oil

2 or 3 tbs red wine vinegar

1 or 2 tbs lemon juice or water

INSTRUCTIONS

Finely chop garlic, green onions and parsley

Mix all dry ingredients

Add vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice (or water) and mix

Let it rest a bit, or not! Goes great with potato, spinach & tofu empanadas (!), roasted veggies (try acorn squash!!), salmon, beef or anything else you dream up!

Simple (and Fancy!) Eggplant Dip

Inspired by this Eggplant “Caviar” Recipe, I’ve upped the herbs and vinegar and added cherry tomatoes to make this warming (roasted eggplant) and, at the same time, refreshing (fresh herbs and tomato) dip. Serve it with toasted bread or crackers. If you go with a few seedy Norwegian Crispbread Crackers (because, they pack the protein), I’d say it counts as a meal.

It’s been a stretch for me to get creative with my eggplant recipes, although I have posted a couple. Nothing beats a batch of vegan lasagna (I gotta post that recipe soon!) when I’ve got eggplant around, but that’s a lot of work. Simply sliced and roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper is also delicious but, for some reason, I don’t feel it’s enough of a “dish” for company (just a comfort food for me!). Beyond that, I just don’t love babaganoush…but THIS dip turned out to be filling, refreshing and deliciously ‘visitor-worthy’. Even though we don’t have many visitors these days, it’s nice to have a simple recipe for a ‘fancy’, healthy (not fried!) dish for us to enjoy at home (with a glass of red wine, maybe…). Ok, here it is:

Ingredients:

2 medium italian eggplants or 1 large one (or 3 to 4 asian eggplants)

½ an onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Large handful basil or parsley, chopped

8 cherry tomatoes, chopped in fourths

1 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Stab the eggplant with a fork several times on all sides, then put on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and roast until very tender (about an hour for a large Italian eggplant, check sooner, after 20 minutes, if using a smaller or more narrow variety of eggplant). 

Saute the onion over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic and saute a couple more minutes. 

When eggplant is ready, take it out of oven and let cool a bit. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the flesh and finely chop before putting in a bowl.

Add the sauteed onions and garlic along with the tomatoes, herbs (basil or parsley), red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix.

Serve with toasted bread or crackers. Again, if you go with a few seedy Norwegian Crispbread Crackers (because, they pack the protein), I’d say it counts as a meal!

Butternut Peanut Soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut

1 large onion and/or 1-3 shallots if you want to get fancy.

3 cloves garlic

2 heaping tbs chopped ginger (about a 1/4 cup)

4 heaping tbsp peanut butter

4 tbsp Soy sauce

Veggie boullion (1 or 2 cubes)

oregano

Salt and black pepper to taste

Kale (chopped in thin strips)

and/or any other veggies you want to toss in (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are yummy additions but really, anything goes!)

Fresh herbs (basil, cilantro or parsley)

Lime

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop butternut and fry in olive oil or palm oil until browned

Transfer to a pot with just enough water to cover it and boil until soft. 

In the meantime, saute onions (and/or shallots)

Once soft, mash the butternut in the pot and then add the rest of the ingredients (except the fresh herbs and lime) and more water.

Bring to a boil and stir until peanut butter dissolves (just a few minutes)

Garnish with microgreens and/or fresh herbs (basil, cilantro or parsley works!)

And of course, I recommend a splash of lime juice and crushed chiltepin or cayenne in your bowl to spice it up.