I’d like to wish everyone a lovely holiday season, no matter how you celebrate (or don’t). It is the end of another challenging year for many and the bright start of a new year, a chance to make new goals and resolutions or fine tune the old.
Stay healthy and have fun finding ways to live simply, grow your own, try new recipes, and make natural things. The best for 2022.
Beet & Horseradish Salad
You can make the beet salad ahead for up to a week. Less stress on the day of.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb beets, about 4 medium
- 11/2 tsp whole grain mustard
- 1 Tbsp drained prepared horseradish (more if you really like horseradish)
- 3 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 11/2 tsp sugar or maple syrup
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped
- green onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced (that is just a start for me)
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Cook the beets in boiling salted water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly and then peel. Cut into small wedges or slices. Add the green onions and garlic.
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, horseradish, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Pour the dressing over the beets and mix. Taste test. You might have to add a bit more vinegar, olive oil or sugar.
Cabbage Pancake
I just couldn’t come up with a better name than cabbage pancake!! The surprising part is that they are really good and are a different side dish. You can make them ahead and keep them warm in the oven. When frying them make sure they are really brown and crispy on each side. I had to make a few substitutions because of what I had in my pantry and what I couldn’t get at the grocery store. To feed four, I one and one-half timed the recipe and made the pancakes smaller because they were much easier to flip.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups finely shredded Savoy cabbage, thick ribs trimmed away ( I used regular cabbage but sliced it thinly and made sure I didn’t slice any of the thick ribs)
- 1 cup finely chopped green onions
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled ginger ( I used the candied ginger pieces and added 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs ( I put large flake oats in the food processor and blended them until fine)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Salt to taste
- Oil for cooking
In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, green onions, pickled ginger, panko crumbs, eggs and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to soften slightly.
Stir again before cooking.
In a large skillet, heat some of the oil. Make sure you have a good amount in the skillet because you need the oil to make them crispy and golden.
Add the mixture (depending on the size you need) to the skillet in a small pile. Using a fork or spatula, flatten the piles and form them into circles, trying to keep them separate.
Cover with lid and cook until lightly brown. Gently turn them over, adding more oil and cook covered until they are golden brown. Serve warm.
Tempeh and Mushroom Pasta
This dish is a great vegetarian meal. Even a non-vegetarian would enjoy it. To add extra protein I used Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine from a company called Explore Cuisine. Don’t let the ingredient list intimate you, it’s pretty simple and the recipe is really easy and quick to put together.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb (225 g) plain tempeh
- 12 oz portobello mush-rooms, divided
- 3 whole garlic cloves, chopped finely
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped/sliced onions
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb of your choice of dried noodles
- Parmesan cheese
In a food processor, pulse tempeh, 8 oz (225g) mushrooms, garlic, and thyme until crumbled. Place in a medium bowl and stir together with Tamara, Worcestershire and wine. Let marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat butter or oil over medium heat. Cook onions until tender and lightly brown. Thinly slice remaining mushrooms.
Add tempeh mixture, sliced mushrooms and tomato paste to skillet. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in broth and mustard and cook until thickened slightly. Lower heat and stir in sour cream and parsley to combine.
Taste test!!!! Serve over noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
