SPRING FAVA SALAD WITH TOASTED WALNUTS & PARSLEY SAUCE VERTE

This season has been so strange.  The weather is erratic as ever which is making it feel neither like Spring nor Summer. Despite the consistent gloom, the Spring produce is finally rampant and my fridge is filled with green.  I'm loving lighter salads with fresh green vegetables and tons of herbs & flavorful greens.  This sauce, from Taste & Technique, is something I've been riffing on for months now, and putting on pretty much everything.  It tastes like Spring to me (tarragon!) and I throw some radishes in, just for fun, since I always seem to have them in excess.  Dreaming of more sunshine and temperate weather before the Summer heat hits..

Spring Green Salad with Favas, Toasted Walnuts & Parsley Sauce Verte (Serves 2-4) Gluten-free

*If you've never shelled fava beans, don't be scared.  They actually aren't as exhausting as they look, and I find the process super meditative.  Much like chopping vegetables or herbs (like this parsley sauce verte), I find those manual exercises super calming.  You'll probably have leftover dressing, so I suggest you put it on everything - I love it on avocado toast, soft boiled eggs, salads, roasted vegetables, etc.  The options are endless and it will keep in the fridge, flavors melding over time, for about 5ish days. 

• 1lb. fava beans, shelled
• 4 large handfuls of greens (I used a mix of baby kale, wild baby arugula and micro herbs)
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 4 oz. tangy feta, crumbled

Parsley Sauce Verte (adapted from Taste & Technique)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 2 teaspoon minced tarragon
• 2 radishes, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1-2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste (about a scant teaspoon)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a large (salted) pot of water to a boil.  Prep a mixing bowl with ice water & set aside.  Once water has come to a boil, blanch fava beans for exactly 1 minute, strain & add to ice bath and set aside.  Once both have cooled to the touch, strain and set aside.

Peel fava beans: Use your nail to puncture the pod, then remove the opaque outer skin to reveal bright green fava bean.  Continue until all fava beans are shelled.

For parsley sauce verte: make sure to chop all herbs/ingredients by hand (not a food processor!) - it makes a huge difference in the freshness & overall flavor of this sauce.  Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until well-combined.  Season to taste and set aside.

Add greens to a large bowl, assemble with fava beans, walnuts, and feta cheese.  Add a few spoonfuls of parsley sauce then toss well with your hands, to make sure every leaf is coated. Salt to taste & season with freshly ground pepper.  Serve immediately.

Beautiful blue plates are courtesy of GET PROPPED. Check out their gorgeous site!

CHICKPEA FLATBREAD WITH CHERMOULA, TOASTED PINENUTS & ARUGULA

Although it's technically Spring, the dreariness of New York is real.  The rain and grey has been non-stop and is beginning to feel like what I imagine Seattle is like.  Spring things are starting to pop up at the markets, but it just doesn't feel right to make rhubarb when the skies are this grey (but I'm trying).  Making bright green sauces on repeat to combat this weather.

I've been completely overwhelmed by the amount of (great) new cookbooks on my shelves and lately - not enough time to indulge in them.  I’m finally getting around to posting about Lily’s lovely new book, Good Clean Food.  She similarly lives gluten-free, finding it curing her migraines and overall health issues - and obviously, I can relate so much to her story.  I love her minimal sensibility, which is never intimidating and simple enough for everyday.  This chickpea flatbread did not last long…

Chickpea Flatbreads with Chermoula, Pine Nuts & Arugula (Serves 2-4) Gluten-free + Vegan

*This flatbread is like a cuter pizza with infinite possibilities.  I love it with this spicy chermoula, and if you do dairy, a tangy feta crumbled overtop would be amazing here.  You'll probably have some sauce leftover: use it on roasted chicken or tofu, roasted vegetables, quinoa, etc.  It's pretty amazing on anything.

Flatbread (Recipe from Good Clean Food)

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 packet instant yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
• 2 tablespoons psyllium husks
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for parchment

Chermoula:

• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped cilantro
• 2 cups roughly chopped parsley
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon coriander 
• 1 lemon, juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Pinch of cayenne

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 handfuls wild arugula
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and maple syrup.  Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, psyllium husks and sea salt.  Then mix in yeast mixture and olive oil, stirring well to combine.  It should yield a slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Cover with a kitchen towel or plate, and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

In the meantime, make chermoula: add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until a semi-smooth sauce. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Add a sheet of parchment to an inverted baking sheet.  Coat risen dough with a little olive oil and divide in two.  Using your hands and a little more oil, form dough into two, semi-even flatbreads.  Let rise another 10 minutes.

Brush the tops of dough with oil, then bake for 5 minutes.  Prick the flatbreads with a fork, then bake an additional 5 minutes. 

Top crusts with a generous dollop of chermoula, spreading evenly overtop (leaving some room for “crust”).  Sprinkle pine nuts overtop, then bake another 5-7 minutes or until crust is browned and a bit crisp. Top with arugula, flaky sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.  

CREAMY MISO KABOCHA SOUP WITH TURMERIC, LEMONGRASS & CRISPY LENTILS

It’s Winter.  There’s that bleakness in the air of people desperately craving Spring.  Although, we're closer to sunnier days than we were a couple weeks ago, we're still (unfortunately) in the thick of it.  Temperatures are unstable, snow storms & "frozen rain" have both been in the forecast this last week.  We’re all seeking a bit of comfort, in whatever way we can get it.  

I'm still calling it the beginning of the year even though it's practically (already) March.  Although it's passing quickly, the year so far has been an unprecedented one, in so...so many ways.  Not just “the world” / politically, but I’m personally feeling that “off-ness”.   When it’s time for change - transition - and it feels a little like growing pains.  Not really sure yet where to go with it all, so until then, I’m putting one foot in front of the other, and making soup.

CREAMY MISO KABOCHA SOUP WITH TURMERIC, LEMONGRASS & CRISPY LENTILS (gluten-free, vegan, grain-free) Serves 4-6

This soup is simple, delicious and the perfect warming bowl for these Winter months.  It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but in reality mostly requires a little chopping and adding things to the same saucepan.  If you don’t have fresh turmeric (or ginger) root, add about a teaspoons or so of the ground versions, taste it and decide whether you want more.  For the lemongrass, use the back of your knife to “bruise” the lemongrass - this helps bring out its flavor (don’t forget to remove before ou blend!).  Also, this would still be great without lemongrass, so feel free not to follow the recipe exactly ;)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots, medium diced
• 2 celery stalks, medium dice
• 1 bunch of scallions, roughly chopped
• 2 in. piece of ginger root, minced
• 4 in. piece of lemongrass, bruised then halved
• 1.5 in. piece of turmeric root, diced
• 6 cups of cubed kabocha (or about 1/2 a medium squash)
• 1 (15oz.) can of coconut milk
• 3 cups of water
• 1/4 cup miso
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• About 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• Greens, to serve

In a large saucepan, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium high heat.  After a minute, swirl oil around in the pan to coat the bottom, then add carrots, celery, scallions, stirring often for about 5-7 minutes or until they begin to cook down and scallions have softened.  

Then, add ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, and kabocha, cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, then add coconut milk, water, miso and salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until squash is softened (very easily pricked with a fork).  Taste the broth, it should taste flavorful (if it doesn’t, let it go another 5-10 minutes).  *Don’t forget to fish out your two pieces of lemongrass, if you choose to blend.  Then, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or add to a vitamix to whirl up.  Add the juice of one lemon, and stir to combine.

For crispy lentils:  Add 3 tablespoons or so (enough to coat your pan well) coconut oil to a skillet over medium high heat.  Once the pan is hot (hover your hand over the skillet to test), add cooked lentils in an even layer. (You might need to do batches for these, depending on your pan size, don’t overcrowd!)  Let them cook, stirring occasionally to keep from burning.  Add more oil if necessary, they should be “sizzling” in the oil to get them real crispy.  They will take about 2-3 minutes to get crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove and set over a paper towel-lined plate.  

To serve, top soup with freshly ground pepper, a handful of greens or herbs (cilantro or parsley would be great, I used baby arugula), and a small handful of crispy lentils per bowl.  It serves 4-6, depending on what you consider to be a “bowl” or if you’d like this as a meal, or starter.  Store the soup in a jar (beware, it will stain plastic) or tupperware, for up to a week (it hopefully won’t last that long).  The soup will thicken once refrigerated, feel free to use a few teaspoons of water when reheating, or keep it nice and thick.