Roasted Cauliflower and Cilantro Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are a bit underrated as far as Asian noodles go. They are so often overshadowed by more familiar noodles like chunky lo mein, springy ramen, and delicate rice vermicelli. Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made of buckwheat flour, which not only provides a healthy amount of fiber and protein, but also gives them an earthy taste and meaty texture. What makes them even more appealing is that they cook in 3-4 minutes. They hold up well in a number of cold and room temperature preparations, and I have made them most often with different Asian flavor profiles- flavors of sesame, peanut butter, soy, ginger, etc.. A few years ago, I watched an episode of No Reservations that inspired me to give the soba noodle a chance in my own kitchen. In the episode, Anthony Bourdain visits a Japanese restaurant that prides itself on making the perfect soba noodle for more than 200 years. Along with many other requirements, each noodle must be 1.6 mm in width and cooked to a specific doneness. It is this attention to detail, this appreciation for and celebration of such pure ingredients that gets me excited and makes me want to get into the kitchen and celebrate these ingredients in my own way.

In this recipe, I combine the noodles with an entire head of cauliflower that I grate and roast until a bit crispy, toss everything with a bright sesame and cilantro dressing, and garnish with toasted macadamia nuts. This makes a great side dish or make-ahead lunch, and to make it a more complete meal, we served it with some diced tempeh that we sauteed in coconut oil until crispy.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cilantro Soba Noodles

1 small head cauliflower
1 1/2 T. coconut oil, melted
generous pinch of salt
4 oz. (100g) soba noodles
generous 1/4 c. raw macadamia nuts

Dressing:
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled grated (about 1/2 t.)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T. rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. miso paste, I used brown rice miso, but any will do
1 t. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/2 t. honey
1/2 c. cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. Using a box grater or food processor with a grating blade, grate the cauliflower, including both florets and stems. I cut my cauliflower into fourths to make it easier. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread cauliflower onto baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring twice throughout the baking. The cauliflower will shrink down a lot and begin to crisp a bit.

While the cauliflower cooks, toast the macadamia nuts. Place the macadamia nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven with the cauliflower for 8-10 minutes. Because of their higher fat content, macadamia nuts cook a bit faster than other nuts so watch them carefully. Remove the nuts from the oven and very roughly chop.

Prepare the dressing. In a blender or mini food processor, place all of the dressing ingredients, except the cilantro and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides often. Add the cilantro, and pulse a few times until the cilantro has been incorporated.

Cook the soba noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water, then add the soba noodles, making sure they are all submerged. Cook for 3-4 minutes, testing the noodle for doneness. When you bite into it, you should see a tiny white speck, much like you find in an al dente Italian pasta noodle. Drain the noodles and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Add the cooked soba to a bowl large enough for mixing. Toss in the roasted cauliflower pieces and the dressing. Sprinkle in half of the chopped macadamia nuts and mix everything together. Garnish the top with the remaining macadamia nuts and serve. Serves 2-3. 

Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

I tend to eat a lot of bowls, bowls of nourishing goodness. Sara Forte, from Sprouted Kitchen, writes a beautiful post on the subject of "bowl foods" that you can find here and is even coming out with a cookbook devoted to the topic. For me, bowl foods are usually born out of a necessity to use up bits and pieces of leftover raw or cooked ingredients, especially grains, legumes, and vegetables. I love all of the different textures that come together and honestly, I love the satisfaction of using up all of my leftovers and not having anything go to waste. It's also a fun challenge to use up a hodgepodge of ingredients in my fridge and to resurrect them into something yummy and cohesive. This bowl in particular was once born out of a necessity to use up leftovers, but since then, I have made this combo many times intentionally because the flavors just worked so well together. The earthy Brussels sprouts are balanced by the sweet winter squash. The walnuts provide a buttery crunch, and the einkorn and tempeh provide bulk and protein. The lemon tahini sauce brings it all together.

Einkorn, also known as farro piccolo, is an heirloom wheat berry that is very similar to the spelt berry in both taste and texture; it's chewy, slightly sweet, and very satiating. It's also a terrific source of protein, iron, and B vitamins. You can find it at your local Whole Foods or online at Jovial Foods. If you cannot readily purchase einkorn, feel free to substitute any grain of your choice or even brown rice, being sure to follow the cooking instructions on the package.

Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Tempeh:
1 8oz. package tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 T. dijon mustard
1 1/2 T. maple syrup
1 t. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Vegetables:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, bottoms removed and quartered
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Einkorn:
1 c. einkorn
2 c. water
salt

Lemon Tahini Drizzle:
2 T. tahini
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T. water
salt, to taste

Garnish:
1/2 c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure that two oven racks are placed towards the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On one baking sheet, spread tempeh pieces out in single layer. In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade and set aside. Brush the remaining marinade evenly over the tempeh. Set pan aside.

On the other baking sheet, spread Brussels sprout quarters on one half and butternut squash pieces on the other half. Drizzle all with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss each half separately. Try to get all of the vegetables in a single layer to maximize their roasting. Place vegetable pan and tempeh pan in the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping pan positions halfway through and tossing vegetables around so they can roast evenly.

Meanwhile, make the einkorn. Place the water in a pot and bring to boil. Add the einkorn and a sprinkle of salt, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the grain is tender and the water has been absorbed.

As the vegetables roast and the einkorn cooks, prepare the lemon tahini drizzle. In a small bowl, mix the tahini, lemon juice, water, and reserved 1 tablespoon of the tempeh marinade. Set aside.

Toast the walnuts over medium-low heat on the stove top for 8-10 minutes or in a small pan or skillet in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden brown. Roughly chop and set aside.

When all of the components are ready, assemble the bowls--grains + vegetables + tempeh + walnuts + lemon tahini drizzle. You're welcome to do it individually, which can be nice when you're having people over, or I've also mixed everything together in a bowl, so that I have a ready-to-pack lunch for the busy week. Serves 4.

Mountain Pie with a Vegetable, Bulgur, and Meat Filling

A few years ago, we got a rare day off of school due to inclement weather. My best friend and I lived just across the street from each other so we decided to celebrate with a dinner party. With the grocery stores closed, we pooled the ingredients we each had and came up with a dish we called Mountain Pie. It was reminiscent of shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, but we made it with ground buffalo meat because that’s what I had in my freezer at the time, and some sweet potatoes and yellow potatoes because we didn’t have enough of one potato type to make enough of a topping. I can’t recall why we named it Mountain Pie, seeing as buffalo don’t live in the mountains, but regardless, this dish pays tribute to that Mountain Pie and to my friend.

I modified our bare bones but delicious creation to make it a little more wholesome. For one, I reduced the meat by half and replaced it with seasoned bulgur which gives a nice texture similar to ground meat and provides fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. If you're not familiar with bulgur wheat, it's the little grain that appears in tabbouleh. I deepened the flavor with miso paste and tamari. The top is just a tad crunchy, with a smooth underbelly, and the filling is stick-to-your-ribs good. I hope you enjoy!

Mountain Pie:
Bulgur Filling:
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. miso paste (I used red, but any will do)
1 T. tomato paste
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
3/4 c. bulgur wheat

Vegetable and Meat Filling:
1 T. unsalted butter or olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 carrots, scrubbed clean or peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef or buffalo, preferably local, grass-fed, and/or organic
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 T. balsamic vinegar or red wine
2 T. whole wheat or oat flour
1 1/2 c. beef stock or water
1 c. frozen peas, thawed or still frozen
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Potato Topping:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Begin with the bulgur. Place 1 1/2 c. water in a pot and whisk in 1 T. tomato paste and miso paste. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add bulgur. Cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

For the meat filling, heat butter or olive oil in ovenproof skillet measuring about 12 inches across over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ground meat to skillet, and break into pieces. Again, sprinkle with a little salt. Cook the meat until brown. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and flour. Stir to combine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the stock or water, peas, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to develop some flavor while the liquid is being absorbed and the meat and carrots soften.

Meanwhile, prepare the potato topping. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes in a pot, and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then simmer, cooking for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, and add them back to the pot. Add the sour cream, 1/2 c. grated Parmesan, and a sprinkle of salt and mash until mostly smooth.

When the beef has cooked, remove the thyme and rosemary from the bulgur, and add the mixture to the beef in the skillet, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Smooth the mashed potatoes over top of the filling and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil for 8-10 minutes or until the crust turns a slight golden color. Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8 people.

Thai Loaded Curried Potatoes

This is very much a fusion dish, taking a little inspiration from Mexican nachos and inspiration from the Thai restaurant down the street. Sweet potatoes and good ole russet potatoes are cut into fries, rubbed with coconut oil and curry powder, and baked. While those are in the oven, the rest of the toppings are prepared, dishes are cleaned, and then it's dinner time. You will likely have extra peanut sauce left over, so it may be a good excuse to make extra fries for extra dipping.

Potatoes:
3 medium potatoes, preferably 2 sweet potatoes and 1 russet potato, rinsed and scrubbed
1 T. coconut oil, melted
1 T. curry powder
Salt, for sprinkling

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
1 garlic clove
1 T. tamari
1 T. sesame oil
2 t. peeled and minced ginger
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 t. honey or other sweetener
1 t. Sriracha or other hot sauce
3 T. water

Tempeh:
2 t. coconut oil
2 oz. tempeh, diced

Toppings:
2 handfuls cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. roasted salted peanuts, chopped
2 T. unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted in a dry skillet until golden
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut potatoes into 1/4" slices lengthwise, and then again lengthwise to make fries. Toss potatoes with coconut oil, curry powder, and salt thoroughly. Add to pan in single layer and bake on middle rack for 40 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure you incorporate everything nicely. Set aside.

Prepare tempeh. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and swirl to coat pan. Add the tempeh pieces and cook, stirring frequently until pieces are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove fries from oven. Assemble fries either in one big bowl or in individual bowls. Top with tempeh, cilantro, peanuts, coconut, and avocado. Drizzle with peanut sauce. Enjoy!

Serves 4 as a main dish.