SPRING RAMP & FETA FRITTATA WITH TANGY FETA

Spring is in the air! Or at least in my farmer’s market. Even though it has been rainy and cold here in New York, I’m relishing the greener spring vegetables finally available at the market. As it happens each season, I’m completely over all heavy, winter foods and looking forward to light and colorful meals hopefully eaten in sunshine. This frittata is the winter-palette-cleansing kind of meal that will make you lust for Spring and all its upcoming produce. Make this frittata for breakfast, lunch, even dinner (I’ve done it) for the quickest one-pot meal to share.

SPRING RAMP & FETA FRITTATA (GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE) SERVES 4-6

• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or hemp, soy, whole milk etc. as long as it’s unsweetened)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon, juice & zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Scant 2oz. ramps (or one small bunch), ends trimmed
• 4 oz. tangy feta, crumbled
• Flaky sea salt, to top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, garlic, shallot and seasoning. Stir in the zest of one lemon & the juice of half the lemon.

In a (8-9 in.) cast iron, drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil. Preheat the pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes, then add whisked egg mixture to the pan. Lay ramps on top, overlapping as needed. Crumble feta over top & season with flaky sea salt and more pepper to taste.

Bake for exactly 20 minutes or until puffed up with browned edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve immediately! Frittata will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days, so feel free to make it ahead & eat for breakfast all week long.

PRESERVED LEMON GRAIN BOWL

Whenever I’m seeking comfort at dinnertime, I usually end up with a hodgepodge of quinoa, vegetables and some tahini sauce with enough accoutrements to make up for the initial simplicity.  It's a meal I have on repeat, changing up the grain or type of lentil depending on what I have on hand.  They’re uncomplicated, nourishing meals that do the trick when you need warmth (literally and figuratively) in a bowl.

When I’m really in the mode to make “weeknight” dinner into something a little more spectacular than a Topanga Canyon macro bowl, enter preserved lemons.  These salty-sweet lemons are the older/wiser cousin of fresh lemons with an almost indescribable aroma.   Although usually found at specialty food stores, it’s just as easy to make them at home (with a little or a lot of patience). You can make them authentically, quick-preserved or even “pickled” like Ottolenghi. I use them most in my self-described "hippie bowls" to add something lively (when you need some extra inspiration in your life). It's a weeknight win-win.

Grain Bowl with Preserved Lemons (gluten-free, dairy-free opt.) Serves 4

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 cup tri-color quinoa
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• 3 preserved lemons, rinds only & diced small (save pulp for another use)
• 4-5 kale leaves, de-stemmed and chopped 
• 1 small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh mint, chopped
• 8 dried apricots, diced
• 3 oz. feta, crumbled
• Black sesame gomasio, to top (optional)
• Sea salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper

Tahini Miso Dressing:

• 2/3 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1/3-1/2 cup water, depending on desired consistency

In a saucepan, add chickpeas and enough water to cover by about 4 inches.  Bring to a boil, then cover and let sit for one hour.  This method is a quick way to eliminate soaking overnight. Once the hour is up, bring to a boil then simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.  Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside to cool.

In another saucepan, add quinoa, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 14-16 minutes or until fluffy.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together until smooth & desired consistency.

In a large serving bowl, add chickpeas, cooled quinoa, sunflower seeds, diced preserved lemons, kale, herbs, and dried apricot.  Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and mix well to combine.  Top the grain bowl with crumbled feta and gomasio (optional).  Finish each serving with a generous drizzle of tahini miso dressing.  Serve immediately!

TURMERIC, CARROT & RED LENTIL STEW

It’s finally become Winter in New York.  It took an extra long time this year, and I’ve been relishing in the pleasantly chill 60 degrees until now. Although it feels like the tropics in my apartment (could be worse), I’m still craving warming meals.  This soup is perfect for those chilly nights when you need something to pack a punch and simultaneously shun any & all Winter colds.  Luckily it also serves a crowd, so you’ll have leftovers all week or the perfect opportunity to throw a soup party (they’re real).

I’ve always loved the act of making soup, when you have the time to casually prep ingredients and let it simmer on the stove for hours. It’s one of those things, like pie-making, that require a little more effort, but if you enjoy the process rather than oppose it, the act becomes a totally different thing. Pies are obviously prettier (and a little more fun), but with soup I actually enjoy the process of cutting, peeling & dicing a ton of vegetables.  It’s meditative and calming on the days when I need a little more balance in my life.  Since food has always been the thing I return to when I need solace, comfort, warmth.  I promise, if nothing else, this soup will taste good, but it also might just lift your spirits.

TURMERIC, CARROT & RED LENTIL STEW (Gluten-free) Serves 6-8

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 in. piece of ginger, grated or minced
• 1 lb. carrots, or 3 cups, roughly chopped
• 1 lb. kabocha squash or pumpkin, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch marjoram, tied with cooking twine
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 quarts organic vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon zatar
• 2 teaspoon sumac
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 5 stalks of kale, de-stemmed and torn
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper
• Sour cream or yogurt to serve, optional

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil, onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat.  Stir until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.  Then, add chopped carrot and pumpkin.  Stir for 5-7 minutes, then add marjoram, bay leaves, broth and red lentils.  Bring soup to a boil, then simmer.  Stir in all spices and tamari, then let the soup stew for 30-35 minutes or until pumpkin and carrots are tender.  

Add torn pieces of kale leaves right before serving, letting them cook gently in the hot soup.  Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. (don’t be shy with the salt!)  To serve, sprinkle sea salt atop, and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.  Serve piping hot.