Brown Rice and Sweet Onions with Rosemary Shiitakes and Taleggio Cheese

This is so comforting, so fall. Mushrooms, taleggio, and hazelnuts give the dish a rich umami flavor, and lemon zest and parsley brighten it up. The onions offer just that sweetness and curl around your fork like noodles as you dig in.  If you have never had taleggio, it is quite a funky cheese. It has a very earthy flavor, sometimes described as barnyardy, and is a bit chewy, but melts beautifully.

This dish comes together easily. Cook some rice while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Pile it all on top of the rice and broil just until the cheese gets oozy.

Brown Rice and Sweet Onions with Shiitakes and Taleggio Cheese

1 cup brown basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 large yellow onion, sliced in half, and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 ounces taleggio cheese, chopped
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and papery skins removed**
1/2 lemon, zested
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook brown rice. Add water and rice to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to rest, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Crisp onions. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and some salt and cook over medium heat until they are crispy on the edges and softened but not completely caramelized, about 10-12 minutes.

Saute mushrooms. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in large oven-proof skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and allow to cook until mushrooms soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add chickpeas, garlic, and rosemary, and cook 2 minutes or until fragrant and chickpeas are warmed. Stir in 2 teaspoons vinegar and immediately remove from heat.

Turn on broiler. Mix rice directly into mushroom mixture, and level. Spread crisped onions over top. Cube taleggio cheese and mix with parsley and hazelnuts until cheese is coated with herbs and nuts. Sprinkle rice with cubes of cheese. Broil for 3-5 minutes or just until cheese gets melty. Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon zest. Enjoy! Serves 4.

**To toast hazelnuts: Toast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until skins are starting to peel off and nuts become golden. Place in a kitchen towel to run off as much of the papery skin as possible.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

What's your favorite way to celebrate fall? I still have not brought out my boots or unpacked my fall sweaters, but I have brought out the canned pumpkin. The thing with canned pumpkin is that a can (or now there is pumpkin in easy-to-open cartons!) can go a long way. You can get creative with adding a little bit of pumpkin to this or that, and it generally turns out pretty tasty. Think pumpkin in your oats, swirl some pumpkin into soup, add a little to curry or a nice stew. In baked goods, pumpkin tends to keep things moist but it also lends a more cakey texture. Pumpkin cookies tend to be fluffier rather than crispier, and cakes with pumpkin tend to have just a lighter crumb.

This quick bread is perfect as a breakfast or as a snack because it is not too heavy or too sweet. I season it with some favorite fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, and I love chocolate chips with pumpkin so could not resist throwing in some semi-sweet chocolate that I chopped from a bar. If milk chocolate is your thing, use that instead. It is a mix and dump sort of bread, but do not let it's ease fool you. It is tasty and will whisk you into fall, even if you are still wearing those flip=flops.

Do you have a favorite pumpkin bread recipe? Or another favorite pumpkin treat?

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour (or a mix of wheat and all-purpose)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey, preferably local or maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chunks of chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper to create a sling that is easy to lift out.

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour through salt). Whisk wet ingredients in another bowl until smooth (eggs through pumpkin puree). Stir dry ingredients into wet until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it. Remove pan from oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve. Enjoy! Makes 1 loaf.

Good Habit #3: Try a New Whole Grain

We all get into ruts. Or maybe they are not ruts so much as patterns. We stay in our comfort zone and inertia makes it that much harder to change. So I am proposing one small change this week in the kitchen, something to switch things up. Are you with me?

Let's Fall into Good Habits #3: Try a new whole grain. Maybe your go-to is brown rice, but why not try millet? Maybe quinoa is your thing. I love how quickly it cooks and how nutty it tastes, but what about trying bulgur wheat, or if you forgo gluten, buckwheat? There are so many options! Teff, farro, barley, and amaranth. You can eat it plain, alongside your favorite main, or try it as the star ingredient of a dish.

Whole grains are little powerhouses of nutrition. They are high in fiber, iron, and even provide a little protein. Many of them have nutrients that boost our immune system, and they help stabilize blood sugar compared to refined flours and breads.

Here are a few dishes from this site for some inspiration.

Bulgur: Cherry and Herb Bulgur Salad with Golden Halloumi
Sorghum (gluten-free): Chard, Delicata Squash, and Tahini Tofu Bowl with Sorghum
Millet (gluten-free): Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Millet and Black Beans or Roasted Carrots and Lemony Millet with Black Garlic and Herbed Yogurt
Einkorn: Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Let me know what grain you try and what dish you make!

If you missed the other Good Habits, click Good Habit #1 and Good Habit #2 to find out more!

Kale and Apple Honey Mustard Slaw with Pumpkin Pie Spiced Quinoa Crunch Almonds

This is one of those recipes that came out of the need to re-purpose and extend leftovers. I had leftover cabbage from making the Apple Honey Mustard Slaw, a bunch of kale, and some toasted nuts. It is the perfect crunchy and clean fall salad to accompany any heavier, richer main course, or you can add a chewy grain and some chickpeas or lentils, and you have a lunch salad for the week. I served it with a melty Taleggio grilled cheese, but you could really eat it with anything. It only gets better with age.

The Pumpkin Pie Spiced Quinoa Crunch Almonds are delicious and perfectly fall on their own and an excuse to make a big batch of them, but you can also substitute toasted almonds. You will just want to adjust the seasoning a bit.

Kale has so many wonderful nutritional benefits, some of which you may not know are vision boosters. A few months ago, I reviewed the book, Eat Right for Your Sight from the American Macular Degeneration Foundation when I made a variation of their delicious Spicy Udon Noodles. The mission of this organization is particularly personal because my mother and sister are both ophthalmologists and have many patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration. In addition to containing wonderful and easy recipes, the book taught me that kale contains lutien and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that protect the center of the retina and may reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. So in honor of National Kale Day (October 7th) and the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, here is a perfectly fall kale salad recipe.

Kale and Apple Honey Mustard Slaw with Pumpkin Pie Spiced Quinoa Crunch Almonds

Salad:
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves cut in chiffonade
1/2 small head red cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 sweet and crisp apple, washed and julienned
1 cup Pumpkin Pie Spiced Quinoa Crunch Almonds, roughly chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey, preferably local (maple syrup if vegan)
pinch sea salt

Combine kale, red cabbage, carrot and salt into a large bowl. Massage salt into mixture an allow mixture to wilt. Meanwhile prepare dressing. Whisk dressing ingredients together. Pour over kale and cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Add apple and almonds and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve. Enjoy! Serves 6 as a side.

Turkey and Cheddar Burger with Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

I am realizing that I hardly have any meat recipes on here. It is not that I do not eat meat, because I do, but I just find it so much more challenging and fun to create wholesome and nourishing plant-based recipes. While I eat a mostly plant-based diet, I feel better, more energized, with a little meat from time to time. When I am at home, I prefer to cook meat that is locally sourced and free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free, and/or organic. It does cost a bit more to eat meat this way, but because I do not eat it but a few times a week, I am able to justify this extra cost. While I am naturally drawn to more plant-based dishes, when I go out to eat or eat with family or friends, I am more flexible because I enjoy experiencing other peoples' creations. That said, I hope that our culture lessens the emphasis on meat-centric meals, and use meat in a more sustainable and intentional way.

Now, onto this burger. I thought this would be a good way to say good-bye to summer and hello to fall. It merges the summer burger with a fall-inspired slaw. I chose an English muffin here as the bun for a few reasons. English muffins are easy to freeze so they are often something I have on hand. Also, their slight tang complements the juicy burger and sharp cheddar. One of the main reasons I am using an English muffin stems from my experience cooking in restaurants. When I worked as the pastry chef for a restaurant in Norwich, VT, the chef served his most popular item- the burger- on homemade English muffins with Vermont cheddar, and it was dynamite. And guess who was in charge of making those English muffins. Yep, me. I will eventually get around to making a rendition of them on the blog because homemade English muffins are well, words just cannot describe. For simplicity sake, for this recipe, I use a store-bought whole wheat English muffin, toast it, and it gets the job done.

I cook the burgers in a cast iron skillet, although grilling is always an option. With the cast iron pan, I can sprinkle the cheese on after flipping and all the extra bits that fall to the side crisp up while the burger continues to cook. The slaw comes together in a flash. You can use your favorite crunchy apple, but I recommend something sweet and crisp. It may seem like a lot of cabbage at first, but it wilts right down after a good massage with salt, and letting it rest in the honey mustard dressing. Tahini + honey mustard dressing pulls it all together.

Serve alongside some easy Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potato Fries, and you have dinner.

Turkey and Cheddar Burger with Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

Burger:
1 lb. ground turkey, preferably local
2 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used Cabot extra-sharp), grated (about 1 cup)
Honey Mustard Apple Slaw (recipe below)
2 tablespoons tahini, for burger sauce
1 tablespoon reserved honey mustard dressing from slaw below
4 whole wheat English muffins, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow cast iron skillet to heat in oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, form 4 patties with the ground turkey. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper. Remove skillet from oven (turn oven off) and place on stove-top over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil, swirl to coat. Add patties, seasoned side down and allow to cook for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on the other side. Flip burgers and sprinkle with 1 ounce grated cheddar cheese each. Allow burgers to cook for 3-4 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes to allow juices to settle before serving.

Make burger sauce. Mix 2 tablespoons of tahini with 1 tablespoon remaining honey mustard dressing used for slaw.

Assemble burgers. Spread a thin layer of sauce on each English muffin half. Add patty to bottom halves, top with slaw, and top with English muffin. Enjoy! Makes 4 burgers.

Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

1/2 head small read cabbage, sliced very thinly (about 4 cups)
1 carrot, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey, preferably
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 medium crisp, sweet apple, julienned (I used Honeycrisp)

Add cabbage and carrot to a bowl. Add salt, and massage salt into vegetables. Vegetables will begin to wilt. Mix remaining ingredients minus apple in a small bowl to make dressing. Reserve 1 tablespoon of dressing for burger sauce. Pour remaining dressing over cabbage mixture and toss until well combined. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add apple, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve.