edamame mash

ingredients:

1 bag of shelled edamame

3-4 T fresh lemon juice

2 T olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper

your favorite sliced bread

vegannaise---optional

...............................................

cook edamame according to directions on the bag...drain water off.

once cooked and cool enough to handle take 3/4 of the cooked edamame (putting the other 1/4 aside), and lemon juice and put into blender. blend until fairly smooth.....if you have lumps don't worry this will just enhance the texture. remove mixture from blender and put into a large bowl.

chop remaining 1/4 of cooked edamame into small pieces (this will create some texture in the recipe...so chop to your liking, the larger the pieces the more texture and vice versa).

add chopped edamame, olive oil, salt and pepper to blended edamame and stir til incorporated.

use your favorite sliced or homemade bread......i really like it on a seedy/grainy bread with vegannaise and sprinkle of salt on it. i also make the sandwich with about 3/4" of the mash piled on my bread. yummer!!! i think that is on the menu for the weekend.

enjoy!!!

FYI: the proportions of the condiments in this recipe can be adjusted to your liking.......amounts listed are just a guess-stimate. if the flavor is to subtle add a little more lemon juice and salt, and maybe a splash more olive oil. i just created this recipe after i had it at a restaurant here in austin. it's super easy to make and very delish.

the bowl is by our great friend charity davis-woodard. www.lanesendstudios.com

beet, fennel orechiette salad

chris made this for us on saturday night. it is surely one of our top five favorite meals. we originally had it at our friends noah and margaret's when they were living in austin last summer.

beet, fennel, almond & orechiette salad:

3 medium golden or red beets, washed

4 T olive oil

salt

black pepper

1 cup of almonds

2 cups dry orecchiette pasta

1 cup thin slice radicchio

3/4 cup thin slice fennel bulb

1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds

1/2 cup diced scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley

1/3 cup lemon vinaigrette

preheat oven to 350

make pouch out of foil, place beets in foil pouch. drizzle with oil and salt and pepper. seal pouch. bake for an hour on center rack in oven. make sure you can pierce with fork easily or bake a bit longer. when tender allow to cool, peel skin off and but in cubes... i have also just boiled these and it is just as yummy.

toast almonds in a dry skillet for 10-15 minutes til brown and you can smell em.

boil orecchiette pasta for 10-12 minutes with salted water. when tender drain off water and toss with a splash of olive oil. put pasta in a large bowl. add beets, toasted almonds, radicchio, fennel bulbs and fronds, scallions and parsley. set aside to make lemon vinaigrette.

lemon vinaigrette: makes 1 1/4 cups

1 T dijon mustard

2 t red wine vinegar

1/3 cup squeezed lemon juice

1 t honey

1 T freshly grated lemon zest

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

combine all ingredients except the olive oil and wisk together. then wisk in olive oil adding in as a stream to prevent separation. add dressing (1/3 cup is what the recipe calls for but i use a little more) to salad along with salt and pepper and toss.

this recipe is an adapted version from the macrina cafe favorites cookbook.

the bowl is one of chris' pieces.

enjoy :O)

carrot ginger dressing

i made this dressing last night for our salad..it could be my new favorite beating out the peanut butter asian dressing. here it is:

5-6 carrots

a 3-4 inch by 1 inch piece of ginger, remove skin

2 T of tahini

a splash of olive oil

5 T of lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

puree in a blender or food processor. you an add more lemon juice or olive oil to adjust the tang to your liking and to thin it a bit for easier tossing potential. i would definitely recommend tossing the salad with the dressing before serving in bowls to get maximum coverage. this dressing is slighty sweet and refreshing from the carrot ginger combo with a bit of creaminess from the tahini and tang from the lemon juice.....

salad details:

red leaf, mesculin, simpson lettuce from our garden

sliced fresh mushrooms

walnuts

dried cranberries

faux parmasian...just toss and eat..oh so yummy!!

the pale yellow bowl was made by our good friend charity davis woodard.

the mini small salt and pepper pinch bowls were made by my hubby, chris.

breakfast yummi

1/2 cup of water 1/4 cup of rice milk

healthy spoonful of peanut butter

1 ripe banana

2 T flax seed

blend all ingredients in a blender til smooth. this drink makes me think of elvis and monkeys, not "the monkeys", but the animal type.....yep, i may need therapy for that one!! anywho, i got this recipe from my friends jade and robert. it's my new favorite breakfast...it's worth getting out of bed for :O)

not your average peanut butter oatmeal cookies

ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

3 T ground flax seed…….if you don’t have flax seed you can add an additional 1/4 cup of canola oil (i always put flax seed in baked goods, on salads, and in dips…..it’s a super good source of fiber and promotes a healthy heart and gut…..so “they” say)

3/4 cup of peanut butter

1 cup raw cane sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rice or soy milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 F. lightly grease cookie sheets.

toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. in separate bowl mix together the oil, flax seed, peanut butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla.

add dry ingredients to the wet, and mix. the dough will be firm and moist. spoon onto cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until slightly golden.

bowl by meredith brickell

she is one of my favorite potters.  :O)

couscous salad with dates and almonds

***modified on 7/7/08

ingredients:

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups of couscous.....i have always used wheat couscous

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T grated lemon peel...i have left out before and it is just as good

1 tsp. ground cardamom

3 T fresh lemon juice ***add an additional 2 T of lemon juice: 5 T total

*** 1 T red wine or rice wine vinegar

*** 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

*** 1/4 teaspoon of salt

***1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 15-16oz. can of chickpeas/garbonzo beans..drained

2/3 cup of chopped pitted dates

1/2 cups minced basil or cilantro

1/2 cup of almonds toasted....i have forgotten to toast the almonds before and it is still good, but it is way better if you toast them.

preparation:

bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil. add couscous, stir 30 seconds. remove from heat. cover and let stand 5 minutes. fluff with fork. transfer to large bowl to cool. to toast almonds: i just put them in a dry pan and turn the heat on low.............watch closely stirring often. if your still prepping ingredients then your sniffer will tell you when to turn stir them. as soon as you smell the almonds it’s stir time. this only takes a few minutes. just toast until slightly golden and let cool.

whisk oil, lemon juice, peel, vinegar, caynenne, salt, pepper and cardamom to blend in small bowl. drizzle over couscous. mix in chickpeas/garbonzo beans, dates, almonds, basil or cilantro. season with salt and pepper. let stand at room temperature for an hour if possible.....if your really hungry even better then just to dig in. i’m pretty sure i’ve never waited an hour to eat it.

this recipe is super easy to make and it is really tasty!!!

serves 4 healthy portions or 6 smaller portions

quinoa and black bean salad

Servings: Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)*i normally put in about 1 ¾ cups

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned

1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 large sweet potato, peeled and cooked (method below)

1-16oz can of corn

3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced...if your hands are sensitive wear rubber gloves

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

For dressing
:

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

*available at specialty foods shops and natural foods stores.........if you have to make a special trip to get the quinoa..............it is completely worth the effort.

preparation:

place quinoa in fine strainer and rinse with warm water for 3 minutes rubbing grains to remove the bitter outer hull. in a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 15 minutes until the quinoa only has an opaque spot in the center. the steaming will finish cooking the quinoa and then the “grains” will be completely transparent and look like they have little tails. drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a lid, until fluffy and dry, about 
10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary). don’t worry if some steam is escaping because your lid is slightly to small or doesn’t have a tight fit on pot since there is the sieve between the pot and lid.

while quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

peel sweet potato and pierce with a fork several times wrap potatoes in a wet paper towel and then in plastic wrap sealing in the potato so it’s completely covered in plastic wrap. place both potatoes in microwave and cook for approximately 7 minutes or until potatoes are soft when you stick a fork in them. careful not to burn yourself when you remove the plastic wrap from potato. this is the fast, easy method to “bake”a sweet potato. once potatoes are cooked and slightly cool cut into cubes.

transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. add beans, corn, sweet potato, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.

make dressing:

In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.

drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. you can let cool before serving or just dig in. i think it’s really good both warm or cold. also, it’s super yummy for leftovers as well......which is perfect since it makes quite a bit.

enjoy!!!