Refreshing Radish Grapefruit Salad

Alright, I’m excited about this one! I had a collection of radish from the last couple of weeks and I often struggle to get through this healthy root veggie. I had been tending to just drizzle them in olive oil and roast them up with salt and pepper, but deep down my gut (and my reading about the importance of prebiotics to our gut microbiome and overall resilience) tells me that eating them raw gets me the maximum benefits. So, today, I decided to go for it and make a radish-based salad with grapefruit. I think my radish avoidance comes from the idea that the radish taste is overwhelming. However, upon first taste of this salad, I realized that idea is mostly in my head and that the crisp of the radish was quite delicious in this mix. It helps that the grapefruit also has a strong flavor. Plus the nut and spice blend just makes it beautifully flavorful. To my surprise, both my kids also liked the radish doused in the Dukkah nut and spice blend. The grapefruit is a different story! Ok, here’s the simple recipe—

radish (maybe 8 to 10 smallish ones)

grapefruit

lettuce or salad mix

salt

Trader Joe’s Dukkah Nut and Spice Blend (contains almonds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, anise seeds & salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

Thinly slice the radish.

Peel and chop the grapefruit.

Toss and sprinkle with a little salt and a generous amount of the Dukkah nut and spice blend.

Serve over a bed of lettuce and enjoy feeling all clean and tangy inside!

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!

Daikon Carrot Salad

If you’re looking to an introduction to this awesome root, check out this article.

Daikon, just like any other radish, was something I just didn’t know what to do with beyond using it as a topping for pozole. When we committed to our first CSA with Solidarity Farm, all of a sudden we had radish diversity and I was determined to figure out how to use them. To my delight, I learned about daikon carrot salad and have loved it ever since! Plus, it’s perfect during the cold season, especially this year, because of its strong anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. My next challenge is figuring out a second dish to make with it. But for now, I will share this one! It’s addictive. (C:)

INGREDIENTS

1 or 2 daikon radish roots, grated into long ribbons (I use a potato peeler), or a box or two of daikon microgreens!

4 to 6 carrots, grated into long ribbons (again, a potato peeler does the trick)

juice of ½ lemon

juice of 1 tangerine or orange

2 tsp brown sugar (optional, try leaving this out and doubling the orange juice!) 

6 tbs rice vinegar

2 tbs sesame oil

salt

pepper

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients (except microgreens and roasted sesame seeds, if using) in a large bowl and let soak (a.k.a. quick pickle) for 10 to 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you’re really hungry (I’ve done it) and it’s still yummy—it just gets better if you have the patience to wait!

 If using daikon microgreens instead of daikon root, toss microgreens in just before serving. Then sprinkle roasted sesame seeds over the top.

Final note: I like to make this a meal by serving it over a bed of vermicelli rice noodles (cooked according to package instructions) and topped with 2 boxes tofu, sliced and placed in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, drizzled with sesame oil and sprinkled with garlic powder, cumin, paprika and salt.

Agua de Melon (Cantaloupe Water)

Cantaloupe!

Few things remind me of my dad growing up like Agua de Melon…ok, lots of things, but this is one close to my heart. Nobody could make agua de melon as good as my dad. He also made agua de sandia (watermelon) and his favorite one to talk about was agua de tomate (yea, tomato). But my favorite is still this one—Agua de Melon. It’s so simple, but so amazing.

Here’s the recipe:

Canary Melon

1/2 a melon, cut into cubes with the peel removed (any other type of melon also works)

juice of 4 or 5 limes (or two large lemons)

water (enough to fill the blender)

a shake of salt

Instructions:

Put all ingredients into blender and blend. Some people strain, but we never did. Once well blended, pour into a pitcher and add more water if you like it less thick. It is important, for maximum deliciousness, to make this on a hot day and put in the refrigerator until it gets very cold. Then pour a big glass and enjoy.

Pesto!

This pesto recipe is might be close to traditional, but I tried to build in some flexibility. The deviations from more traditional recipes are because I like my pesto extra nutty and prefer the vegan option.

Ingredients:

1 cup basil (tightly packed)

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup pine nuts (traditional, delicious but expensive!!), pistachios (not traditional, but still kinda pricey!) or sunflower seeds (saves you some $)

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (or more, depending on your preference)

1/8 cup nutritional yeast (this is the vegan option!) or parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

Makes 1 cup.

Instructions:

There are a few ways to do this.

Method 1: To destress (if you’re not in a hurry!) get your molcajete out (your mortar and pestle for those of you not familiar with the Spanish term with Nahuatl roots) and put your strength into grinding. I recommend you do the garlic first, then your nuts or seeds of choice, and add the basil last, a little bit at a time. Your setting yourself up for frustration if you pile the basil in—it’s just a lot harder to grind so many layers of leaves at a time. For me, it’s unsatisfying! But if you add two or three leaves at a time, you can really take pleasure in the meditative transformation of the beautiful leaves into a bright paste. After the garlic, nuts or seeds and basil is ground, scrape it out into a dish and then add the salt, nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese and, finally, the olive oil. This is where you decide how thick to make your pesto. If you don’t want it so think, add more oil.

Method 2: Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Or, put it in a slightly oversized dish (like a 2-cup pyrex container, for example) and use the immersion blender directly in the dish. This is not the fastest, but by far, the easiest clean up if you can manage to keep the immersion blender immersed below the level of olive oil so that it doesn’t spray everywhere when you start to blend.

Final tip: It took me a long time to assimilate our italian roommate’s discovery that the way to mess up pesto is by adding too much garlic. I love garlic so that was hard to hear. I think he’s right though because the power of raw garlic can easily overwhelm. (This from a person who’s mouth waters at the thought of taking a bite of the fresh whole garlic clove!) So, the tip is—When in doubt, add less garlic.

Serve with pasta, in place of tomato sauce on pizza, or over soup—our family favorite (Thanks, Tio Kooki for this!) white bean pesto soup (I’ll post that recipe soon!).

Pico de Gallo Fresh and Simple Salsa Recipe

The freshest, most simple salsa recipe—pico de gallo (some also call it Salsa Bandera because, you know, red-green-white are the colors on the Mexican flag). I’m no flag waver of any kind, but I do love the tasty simplicity of this mix: Tomato, onion, chile, cilantro and lime. It brings so many dishes to life—a bowl of frijol de la olla (just fresh cooked beans in its own broth), a quesadilla, pretty much any taco or tostada, oh and nopales and verdolagas! And of course, all of the above-mentioned dishes look and taste great with a sprinkle of microgreens. There’s nothing like the raw goodness of this rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies to keep you healthy. The raw onion alone has so many medicinal properties!

So, here’s the basic recipe for a good-sized batch. Proportions can definitely be adjusted to your personal preference—

Ingredients:

1 lb tomato, diced (any kind will do! This could be roughly 1 large tomato, or 3 roma tomatoes or 1 dozen cherry tomatoes)

1 onion, diced (white is most traditional, but yellow, red or green onions could work, too!)

1 to 3 jalapeño or serrano chiles, finely chopped (you decide how spicy)

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (I love it, but if you got someone with that weird cilantro-tastes-like-soap gene, you can leave it out or substitute with a handful of fresh oregano, maybe even parsley but that’s a big step away from Mexico and into Greece, I think!)

1 to 2 limes or lemon (the more you put, the better it keeps)

salt to taste

This fresh salsa has the best texture if eaten that same day but will keep just fine for a couple of days in the fridge.

Cabbage--Making It Last: Curtido and Kraut Recipe Ideas

Check out this infographic—amongst the many benefits, I was surprised to see that cabbage is high in omega 3 (with a good omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, at that!).

It’s cabbage season and I love it in so many ways: atakilt wat (ethiopian cabbage carrot potato dish), stir fried like my tias in Mexico do with chile, tomato, onion salt and coriander, in soups, baked as a cabbage steak with tofu, carrots, pineapple and peanut butter…the list goes on. But, even though it’s totally possible for our four person household to go through a cabbage in a week, there’s also good arguments for taking the time to preserve it so it lasts months maybe, or at least more than a week or two. What are these good arguments? The probiotic health benefits of fermented foods for one. And, the therapeutic benefits of knowing you have food in your fridge that you can eat in the next month or two. I’m no expert on pickling or fermentation, but I hear you don’t have to be…even novices like me could get good results. So, that’s my project for the week. If you want to try it out, too, here’s a few recipes to try:

(and please share any tips or comments—I have a lot to learn!)

Curtido Salvadoreño with True Fermentation (eat after 3 days, could last weeks!)

Curtido Salvadoreño Shortcut (uses vinegar instead of just salt to preserve, eat same day or within a week)

Red Sauerkraut (cabbage, beet, carrot, turmeric, ginger and garlic)

Traditional Sauerkraut (with caraway, optional though)

Brainstorming Kale--A Summary for Many Moods

Check out this Types of Kale art print by Marcella Kriebel.

Not counting, but it’s been many days of staying in and as much as I enjoy my home life and the freedom to create daily rhythms with my two kids as I see fit—I might be feeling a little stir crazy. I am confident this is the worst of it since the cold weather is on its way out and today’s sunshine, alone, has done wonders for my spirit. Anyway, this is the backdrop to my approach to this week’s recipe. I feel disconnected from the outside world and, as such, I’m not sure what type of recipe to share with all of you, given you may be going through any assortment of situations and feelings amidst this moment in history. So, I’ve decided to share my brainstorm and a summary of my findings rather than a single recipe. Here goes:

COMFORT Sweet Tooth and Chocolate-Fixes-Everything KALE

If you’re also feeling in a pit when it comes time to approach your kale of the week, maybe it’s time to make Kale Brownies. Based on my research, I think you can pretty much add 1 to 3 cups kale to your favorite brownie recipe. Raw and finely chopped is the way I’d go, but a more refined approach could also be to steam the kale until bright green and just wilted, then blend it up before adding it to your brownie batter. If you’ve got any floppy carrots that you didn’t get around to eating last week, you can steam one or two and mash it in, as well.

GREEN JUICE Keeps the Blues Away KALE

If you’re feeling good and want to eat light and clean (no added sugar, please), then maybe juice is the way to go. Slow juicers are fancy and nice, but you can also just use a blender and add kale, lettuce, any other veggies you want to consume—last week’s chard, and/or a stick or two of celery which gives it a yummy saltiness, a dash of lemon or orange juice. After a glass of green juice, I always feel more grounded and ready to make the best of my day.

BED OF KALE—A Foundation for Balance

If you’re wanting to keep a balance in your life through healthy, hearty and complete foods, you might feel good starting with a bed of kale as the foundation for your meal. What to put on your kale bed? Root veggies (try roasting the radish along with sweet potato with olive oil, salt & pepper), your protein (roasted garbanzos! eggs…or glazed walnuts or any other nut or seed, think pecans or pepitas), pasta or quinoa…Just chop and steam the kale, salt and season to taste, and top your bed of kale with whatever you like. Here’s a simple recipe for tilapia on a bed of kale you might want to try.

KALE SALAD—Keeping it Fresh for the Sunny Days Ahead

Some of us love salads. I must confess, this isn’t always me! But, with the promise of sunshine ahead (my kids were so excited about today’s sunshine, they took to running around the backyard naked for the better part of the afternoon) does make me feel better about eating cold food. A kale salad is quick, nutrient-dense, long-lasting and oh so flexible. My favorite version involves, at its simplest, chopped kale, orange and/or lemon juice, salt and a splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar. Other ingredients might include nuts, seeds, avocado, carrots, apple, radish, and any kind of microgreens you’ve got around. Here’s a more specific Kale Salad recipe that runs along these lines.

I Need Food Now! KALE QUESADILLAS

This keeps happening, especially on days the kids and I get lost in the backyard working on projects. We hit a wall and need food NOW. Corn tortillas, cheese that melts and chopped kale (very finely chopped for the picky little ones, fat strips for me). Somehow, the kale helps me see this quick dish as more of a complete and healthy meal versus a hold-you-over junky snack. Sometimes, it’s cilantro, chard, or other leafy green instead of kale, but kale is my go-to favorite for this meal. Cholula hot sauce is my in-a-pinch salsa. I’ve switched to that over other hot sauce brands because it’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t have a bunch of weird preservatives.

Radish, Bok Choy and Carrot Salad

Quick and raw, this is a new way for me to eat bok choy (I’ve always cooked it). And it’s exciting because I’m always looking for new and easy ways to consume radish (it’s not my soul food, but I know it’s good for me!). If you’re looking for something more complex—here’s another article with radish recipe ideas.

Ingredients: (This is a simple combination—adjust amount and proportions of each to your taste!)

radish

carrots

bok choy

red onion

microgreens

lemon

olive oil

salt

pepper

Instructions:

1. Using a potato peeler or mandolin slicer, thinly slice carrots and radish.

2. Thinly chop bok choy and onion.

3. Toss radish, carrots, bok choy and onion with microgreens.

4. Drizzle with olive oil and add lemon, salt and pepper to taste.

Kohlrabi Avocado Salad

This recipe is my partner’s answer to last week’s Kohlrabi Apple Salad Recipe, which, as I mentioned, was the first to make eating raw kohlrabi exciting for me. So, this kohlrabi avocado salad is the one that made my partner excited about kohlrabi’s raw crunch. Rather than taking (much) offense that he didn’t fall in love with my exciting recipe, I’m sharing his, here, with you. And, if you want feed our competition, let us know which one you like better! Alright, here it is—

Ingredients:

2 kohlrabi bulbs

1 large avocado

olive oil

1 or 2 limes

salt

pepper

1 cup cilantro (chopped)

chipotle or 1 fresh chile (serrano or jalapeño) optional

Instructions:

1. Use a knife to remove the thick peel from the kohlrabi bulb.

2. Chop kohlrabi bulb and the avocado into 3/4 inch chunky squares.

3. Add the juice of 1 or 2 limes (depending upon your preference), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Top with cilantro and the optional chipotle or fresh chile.