Side-dish Archives - Coconut and Berries

Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Puy Lentil Salad with Almond Feta & Mint

Most people, including me, would probably name asparagus when asked to think of their favourite spring vegetable. But, while Spring has officially started (I think…), it will most likely be a few weeks until British asparagus appears.

I’m definitely looking forward to then but in the meantime was very happy to spot another of my seasonal favourites at the farmers’ market a couple of Sundays ago – purple sprouting broccoli! It was a rainy day and I had a hood up but the bright violet florets caught my attention and a bagful made its way home with me and into lunch!

If you haven’t had PSB before, it’s a little sweeter than regular Calabrese broccoli and you can eat the whole lot, leaves and all. Just trim off any tougher ones and woody stems.

Lentils are always reliable and cook nice and quickly so this meal came together in a flash. I mixed the lentils with a simple, lemony vinaigrette and plenty of herbs to keep things fresh and then topped them with steamed broccoli and salty crumbled almond feta.

For the feta, I used my Baked Cashew Cheese recipe but substituted blanched almonds for the cashews – both work nicely.

This is one of those great salads which holds up really well for a couple of days in the fridge and is perfect for lunchboxes too.

If you haven’t made any nut cheese in advance, another tasty option is to sprinkle some capers over the salad instead. They’ve got a salty kick to them so have a similar effect to the nut cheese.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Puy Lentil Salad w/Almond Feta & Mint

Serving Size: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients

Salad:

3/4 C Puy lentils
1 Bay leaf
Approx 150g Purple sprouting broccoli OR Asparagus, woody ends removed
1/3 C finely chopped red onion
½ C roughly chopped herbs (mint+ parsley)
Almond Feta, crumbled

Dressing:

1 ½ Tbsp lemon
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Rinse the lentils and place in a medium pan with the bay leaf and plenty of water. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain and leave to cool.
Steam the purple sprouting broccoli or asparagus for a couple of minutes. It should be bright green and still quite firm. Rinse in cold water to stop further cooking.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the lentils, red onion and herbs.
Top the lentil salad with the steamed broccoli and almond feta.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2015/03/27/purple-sprouting-broccoli-puy-lentil-salad-almond-feta-mint/

P.S. You can definitely swap out the PSB for asparagus when it arrives!

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Freekeh with Butternut Squash, Orange & Shallots

Hello and welcome to the December ’14 Virtual Vegan Potluck! I loved taking part last year so when the event rolled around again I signed up straight away. I brought Vegan Crepes with Date & Orange Compote and Cinnamon Ice Cream to the last party but this year I’m sharing a side dish. I’m also using the event’s “featured ingredient — citrus!

Have you heard of freekeh yet? The chances are you have if you’re a food blogger as it’s made a big comeback in recent years. It’s an ancient grain ( a form of wheat that’s harvested when young and green) so it’s actually been around for years, and is especially popular in the Middle East.

If you’re an old Coconut and Berries reader you’ll know that I have a bit of a thing for Middle Eastern food so I was bound to discover freekeh sooner or later. But there’s lots to love about the stuff. It has a firm, chewy texture and a distinct flavor that’s earthy, nutty and slightly smoky. It also has some great nutritional benefits: serving for serving it’s higher in protein and fibre than comparable grains like brown rice.

It’s really versatile too. Use it anywhere you’d usually use other grains, in sweet or savoury preparations — go wild!

Today’s recipe is a little nod to the grain’s origins with a slightly Middle Eastern feel. This hearty side dish is full of fun textures and I think the smokiness of the freekeh works wonderfully with the sweet butternut, orange and shallots.

I had intended this recipe to be a side dish but it’s very filling so makes a lovely main course too, served simply with some steamed green vegetables and a dollop of non-dairy yogurt.

Freekeh with Butternut Squash, Orange & Shallots

Yield: 4 servings as a main, 6+ as a side

Freekeh with Butternut Squash, Orange & Shallots

Ingredients

1 C Freekeh
2 Tbsp Coconut OR Olive oil
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Stalk of celery, diced
1 Clove of garlic, minced
3/4 tsp Ground cumin
3/4 C Cooked chickpeas
1 heaping C Diced butternut squash (cubes approx 1cm)
Zest of 1 orange
2 C Vegetable broth
6 Shallots, peeled & halved*
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/4 C Chopped parsley
Non-dairy yogurt, to serve

Instructions

Rinse the freekeh well then cover with cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté for approx 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic, cumin, chickpeas and butternut and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the drained freekeh, orange zest, vegetable broth, shallots and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for approx 30 minutes. After 30 minutes most of the liquid should have been absorbed. If not, continue to cook for a few minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and leave to sit, covered, for a couple of minutes.
Serve, topped with fresh parsley and a dollop of non-dairy yogurt.

Notes

*Shallots can be a pain to peel. I've found the best way to deal with them is to cover them in boiling water, leave for 2-3 minutes then plunge into cold water. Slice off the tops and the skins should come off fairly easily.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/12/13/freekeh-butternut-squash-orange-shallots/

Please do check out the other contributions to the potluck. Simply click on the buttons below to go backwards, forwards or right back to the beginning.

Maple-Orange Roasted Chickpeas & Carrots ( & Brown Rice Bowl)

I haven’t had much chance to cook with home-grown vegetables this summer since I haven’t been at my family home to enjoy the garden. Last year I loved spending lots of time outside helping my Mum out with the gardening, and cooking and eating everything too of course. I shared some pictures of the garden/ our harvest here.

Though I haven’t been home lately, my Mum was in London over the weekend and brought me a ton of veg! I have a feeling she’s struggling to stay on top of eating everything without me there! A few of my next recipes will be featuring the home-grown produce.

First up- these Chantenay carrots!

These fresh-from-the-earth, imperfect specimens are so much more appealing than the luminous orange, uniform carrots you find in the supermarkets, aren’t they?

I gave them the roasting treatment to get them nice and tender and brought out their natural sweetness even more with a maple-orange glaze.

I added chickpeas to the mix too. If you haven’t had roasted chickpeas yet, you definitely need to try them. If you cook them a bit longer than I did here they get really crunchy and make a great snack. I cooked them alongside the carrots here which was just long enough for them to be crisp on the outside but still creamy inside.

The Maple-Orange Roasted Chickpeas & Carrots are a nice side-dish, or you could roast some potatoes at the same time and turn it into a one-pan meal, or do what I did and use them in a “bowl meal”. My other components were tamari-seasoned brown rice and steamed spinach.

Maple-Orange Roasted Chickpeas & Carrots

Yield: 2-4 Servings

Maple-Orange Roasted Chickpeas & Carrots

Ingredients

1-1/2 C Cooked chickpeas (1 Can, drained and rinsed)
175g/6oz Chantenay carrots, halved or quartered if large (you can also use regular carrots chopped into small chunks)
1 Tbsp Olive oil
A few sprigs fresh thyme
1-1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Zest and juice of half an orange
Sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C/400F
In a roasting dish, toss the chickpeas and carrots with the olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt (the salt balances the sweetness) and the leaves removed from the sprigs of thyme.
Cook for approx 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Add the maple syrup, orange juice and zest to the pan and toss well.
Cook for a further 5 minutes, or until carrots are tender and beginning to brown at edges and the chickpeas are crisp.
*UPDATE*Some readers are finding their carrots take longer than stated to cook through. If using regular carrots, not chantenay, I recommend blanching them before roasting to start the cooking process and prevent everything drying out from having to roast for longer.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/31/maple-orange-roasted-chickpeas-carrots-brown-rice-bowl/

Have you been growing your own vegetables this year? If so, what’s been the most successful?

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Nutty Quinoa with Inca Berries

Have you tried Inca berries? You might well have, you just don’t know it…

Inca berries or golden berries, those shrivelled, orange-coloured fruits you see below, also go by the more common name of “physalis”. Still not ringing a bell? I bet you’ve seen them in their fresh form garnishing desserts in restaurants. When they’re ripe, the outer layer gets dry and papery and the berries turn bright orange- definitely a pretty plate adornment!

Here’s a picture I took last year of physalis growing in our greenhouse! We sowed the seeds a little late so the fruit didn’t get the chance to fully ripen before summer was over but this year they’re apparently doing much better. My Mum brought me a little container of the “berries” when we met last week but I somehow managed to leave them behind in London so no pictures unfortunately.

Although we’ve successfully grown them in the UK, they’ve been cultivated for thousands of years in the Incan Empire (hence the name) where they’re particularly valued for their nutrient content- They’re especially high in beta-carotene, protein, bioflavonoids, and vitamin A- giving them “superfood” status.

Nutrition aside, in this pantry clear-out project of mine, I found 2 bags of the dried Inca berries (why is it that I have 2 of everything?!)! I’m not wholly convinced by them eaten on their own but they’re a tasty addition to recipes. They’re chewy, sweet and tart with a lingering citrusy flavour.

They certainly gave this simple quinoa dish some pizzazz!

I decided to let the individual ingredients shine here and keep the seasoning really simple- with just a little caraway for a hint of sweet spiciness and coconut oil to bring out the nutty flavours.

With the quinoa, black beans and cashews you’ve got yourself a protein-rich and really satisfying meal. I like this for lunch or as a hearty side-dish.

Nutty Quinoa with Inca Berries

Yield: 4 Servings

Nutty Quinoa with Inca Berries

Ingredients

2 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Coconut oil, divided
1 tsp Caraway seeds
1 C Quinoa, rinsed
2 C Water
1/2 tsp Salt
2 C Water
1-1/2 C Cooked black beans/ 1 Can, drained and rinsed
1/2 C Cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 C Roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)
1/2 C Inca Berries

Instructions

Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and caraway and cook stirring for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
Add the rinsed quinoa, water and salt, cover, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook undisturbed for 10-15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Stir through the black beans and the other Tbsp coconut oil, cover again and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the cashews in a small pan over medium heat.
Stir through half the cashews and half the coriander, reserving half of each for topping.
Transfer to a serving platter or individual serving bowls/plates and scatter with reserved cashews, coriander and Inca berries.
I like this best served slightly warm or at room temperature, rather than chilled.

Notes

* I appreciate that superfoods are expensive and not necessarily staples in everyone's kitchen. If you don't have/don't want to use Inca berries, I'd suggest dried cherries, cranberries or golden raisins as substitutes.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/18/nutty-quinoa-inca-berries/

Other recipes using Inca berries from around the web:

High Raw Beet & Hemp Granola from Choosing Raw

Winter Greens & Walnut Salad from Thrive Forward

Green tea with Golden Berries from Meghan Telpner

Superfood Chocolate Cups from Navitas Naturals

Choosing Raw: The Book

I’ve been anticipating this book since before it was even announced, so you can bet I’m absolutely thrilled it’s finally arrived!

I’d be surprised if you’re a blog reader and haven’t come across Gena Hamshaw yet. Her blog, Choosing Raw, has a huge following, and very rightly so.

It was one the first blogs I started reading many years ago and one that had a huge influence on leading me towards veganism, something that has had an unimaginably positive impact on my life.

Beyond the food, it was Gena’s personal background which first resonated with me. If you know my story, you’ll be aware that my relationship with food didn’t use to be so positive as it is today. Gena has openly shared her own past struggles with food and, unknown to her, she has been a kind of mentor to me throughout my own journey towards recovery. She has written some very moving, thought-provoking and inspiring posts on the subject which I definitely urge you to take a look at, wherever you’re coming from with food. Some of my favourites are listed here.

Gena’s warmth and compassion shines through in every one of her posts, making them a joy to read, before we even get to the great food! I’m sure a lot of you are here for that though…so let’s get to it!

Cherry Vanilla Tahini Ice Cream- Gena was the one who brought us banana soft serve so it’s only fitting that it gets a little spot in the book. I would never have thought of this flavour combination but it gets a big thumbs up.

If you do read Choosing Raw, the blog, you’ll be happy to know that the recipes very much reflect the “Gena-style” we know and love- that is to say- simple but still creative and super nutritious dishes, ideal for your everyday meals, not just for special occasions.

There are 125 recipes in the book so a lot to sink your teeth into. I’ve only had the book a couple of days and have been out at work most of the weekend, but have already made quite a few of the recipes. This book definitely won’t be sitting on your shelves gathering dust!

No-Bake Sunflower Oat Bars- A great staple snack bar, easy and inexpensive. Just 10 minutes kitchen time and now I have tasty snacks for the whole upcoming week!

Though the recipes emphasize raw foods, there are also some healthy cooked foods in there too, like sweet potatoes, whole grains, legumes and the occasional tempeh or tofu.

After the section on “essentials” and a sampling of some of Gena’s staple recipes: juices, snacks, dressings/dips and meal-sized salads, you’ll find breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes divided into three chapters, working from mostly cooked, to exclusively raw. If you’re just dipping your toes into vegan food then you might want to start in the “Tried and True” chapter, or, if you want to get stuck into all raw immediately, then head straight to the “Brave New World” chapter.

Kale Salad with Sweet Potato, Almonds, and Creamy Maple Chipotle Dressing- Gena is queen of the meal-sized salad! The dressing really makes this sing and will no doubt even have greens skeptics chowing down on platefuls of kale.

In case it’s a concern, unlike many raw recipes out there, those in the book that call for a dehydrator are in the minority. And in any case, Gena always gives the option and instructions for using your oven instead so it’s certainly not a necessity if you’re not concerned about your meals being “officially” raw.

Mango Coconut Chia Pudding- Chia pudding for breakfast is always a good start to the day up. Gena’s ingredients ratio was spot on for a thick, perfectly sweet (but not too sweet!) pudding.

I’ll admit to often skipping the non-recipe sections in vegan cookbooks, since, 5 years into veganism, I’m pretty familiar with the ingredients, equipment and the usual things discussed. But, as well as being a recipe collection, this book is a resource/lifestyle guide on all things vegan and nutrition related. Gena discusses the why, the what and the how of veganism and vegan and raw foods, in such a way that everyone, from the newbie to the well seasoned vegan, will learn something new.

I especially appreciated her balanced perspective on some of the big issues in nutrition which seem to cause a lot of controversy these days- oil in a vegan diet, soy, gluten, food-combining, and more.

Hemp-Seed Tabouli with Yellow Tomatoes and Mint

While you wait for your copies of the book to arrive…I’ve got a couple of recipes from the book for you to get started with! A big thanks to Gena for allowing me to share them.

The Raw Carrot Falafel and Hemp-Seed Tabouli with Yellow Tomatoes and Mint are a perfect pairing and such a fun twist on the classic cooked versions. The falafel have a sesame seed and carrot base and are dehydrated (or oven-baked) not fried. I was particularly excited about the tabouli. It looks so much like the traditional Middle-Eastern bulgur wheat and herb salad, but is fully raw!

(Raw) Carrot Falafel with Tangy Tahini Sauce

Raw Carrot Falafel, Hemp-Seed Tabouli with Yellow Tomatoes and Mint

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Raw Carrot Falafel:

1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups carrot pulp from juicing or 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot, squeezed firmly between paper towels to remove excess moisture
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup fresh curly parsley

Hemp-Seed Tabouli with Yellow Tomatoes and Mint:

1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 medium yellow vine or Jersey tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shelled hemp seeds
2 tablespoons hemp oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

For the Falafel:

Grind the sesame seeds and sea salt in a food processor until finely ground.
Add the carrot pulp, garlic, lemon, cumin, if using, and flax, along with 1/3 cup of water. Process until the mixture is smooth.
Add the parsley to the processor and pulse to combine.
Shape the mixture into twelve small patties. Dehydrate at 115 F for 6 hours, flipping once through.
Alternatively, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the falafel for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Top with tangy tahini sauce (pg. 188), and serve.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, both dehydrated and baked falafel will keep for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen.

For the Tabouli:

In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process the parsley, mint, and sea salt until minced.
Transfer the herbs and salt to a large mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, hemp seeds, hemp oil, and lemon juice. Mix well, and serve.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the tabouli will keep for 2 days.

Notes

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/06/29/choosing-raw-book/

Congratulations again Gena on your first cookbook! It’s all I hoped for and more!

Get your copy of Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat now if you haven’t ordered it already.

I want reports back on your favourite recipes too everyone! N.B. All pictures here are my own but the recipes in the book are accompanied by beautiful photographs from Hannah Kaminsky.

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[Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of this cookbook for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own]