I think people who claim to hate vegetables just haven’t tried them in the right form. Show me someone who hates broccoli, and I can almost guarantee that this broccoli pesto will make them fall in love with it.

This is another amazing recipe from 101 Cookbooks, which I changed slightly because I didn’t want to drown my broccoli in heavy cream. I also cooked my quinoa in vegetable broth, because it’s just so much more flavorful than using water. I love this stuff!

Recipe:
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth

5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil

Bring the broth to a boil, then stir in the quinoa and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, steam the broccoli until tender. Transfer half the steamed broccoli to a food processor with the garlic, almonds, cheese, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse a few times, until nearly smooth (but a little texture keeps it interesting). Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, toss the pesto with the quinoa, then top with remaining steamed broccoli.

Not being from the South, I don’t think I ate a single black eyed pea until a few months ago. I’m not jumping-up-and-down excited about them, but they’re not bad, and since we have a couple bags of them to use up, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do with them. My search for recipes let me to Texas caviar, which appears to be just black eyed peas and diced vegetables in a vinegar dressing, served with tortilla chips.

I wanted to make a meal rather than an appetizer, so this is what I came up with. Meat-eaters would probably consider this a side, but I think it can hold its own as the main course of a light summer supper. The flavor improved a lot after a few hours in the fridge, so plan ahead. I’m sure frozen corn would work in a pinch, but now that we’re getting into peak corn season, it just makes sense to use it!

Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 ears of corn
3 cups cooked (or canned) black eyed peas
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
pinch or two cayenne pepper
salt
pepper

Slice the kernels of corn off the ears. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet, then add the corn and saute over medium-high until it’s tender. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Stir in the black eyed peas, red and green bell pepper, and green onion, and toss well.

To make the dressing, whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste (a pinch or two of each). Pour over the salad, toss well, then let sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. It’s even better the next day.

Are you one of those people that constantly ranks things, High Fidelity style? (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this then please watch the movie immediately).

I am. I could sit here right now and list off my top 5 vacation spots, races I’ve run, meals we ate while traveling in Asia, and outfits currently in my closet, but I’ll spare you. I could also tell you my top 5 vegetables to eat, and cauliflower would be nowhere near that list. But Mike loves it, particularly in Aloo Gobi, which I have to admit is pretty good (and it has potatoes, which are in my top 5). It’s another one of those Indian dishes that tastes more complicated than it actually is, and is such a beautiful yellow color that it makes up for the fact that cauliflower normally is, in my opinion, a blah, anemic-looking vegetable.

So regardless of your feelings on cauliflower, this is definitely worth a try.

Recipe:
(adapted from Manjula’s Kitchen)

3 cups of cut cauliflower (cut into small florets)
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (cubed into bite sized pieces)
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons water + additional water while cooking
3 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Combine the ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and cumin seeds in a small bowl and stir in 3 tbsp water.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven until hot, then add the paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes (it may splatter – be careful!)

Add the bay leaves, cauliflower, and potatoes, and stir well. Add 1/4 cup water and the salt, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. If things start sticking or beginning to burn on the bottom of the pan, add a little water and keep stirring.

When the vegetables are tender, taste and add salt if necessary, then garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

I realize that what I did to this recipe is pretty sacrelig, and if Judy Rogers ever stumbles upon this blog, I know she’ll be highly disappointed. I used regular old button mushrooms and frozen peas when the recipe called for wild mushrooms and freshly shelled peas. And although I’m sure using what she suggests would have made this even better, it was still HIGHLY delicious with the lowly, ordinary mushrooms and peas from the freezer.

Fideus is basically risotto made with pasta instead of rice. I found thin, 1 inch long noodles in the Mexican food section, but if you can’t find them, just take the thinnest pasta you can find, and break it up into short pieces. You may want to spread the preparation of this dish out over several days. The onion base is time consuming (but SO worth it), and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Once that’s ready, the actual cooking of this dish is pretty quick.

Recipe:
(adapted from Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers)

onion base
3 cups finely diced yellow onion
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt
1 diced roma tomato
2 small dried chilis, broken in half

noodles
10 ounces fideo pasta (or cappellini broken into short pieces)
2 tsp olive oil

6 ounces assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4″ thick
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup fresh peas (or frozen, rinsed with warm water and drained)
chopped parsley for garnish

To make the onion jam:
Put the onions and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir well. Heat until the onions begin to brown on the bottom, then turn down the heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they are all golden and very soft. Add a few pinches of salt, then stir in the tomato, garlic, and chilis. Continue cooking over low for about an hour until it has the consistency of jam, adding a little water if it gets too dry. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and keep in the fridge until ready to use (it will keep for about a week).

To toast the noodles:
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Toss the noodles with the oil in a large bowl, and spread onto two baking sheets so the noodles are in a single layer. Heat in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from the oven, let cool, and turn the oven up to 475 to finish the dish.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until they’re soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, onion base, noodles, and about 1 1/2 cups of broth. Simmer and stir until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 1/2 cups broth, and cook until absorbed. Add the peas and remaining broth, and turn the heat up to high, cooking until the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then remove and garnish with fresh parsley to serve.

I spent all day thinking about this dinner. I realize to some people that might be a little obsessive, but I knew I had quinoa and a random assortment of vegetables at home, and I wanted to make something that would use up what I had on hand but not feel like a dumping ground for odds and ends. I wanted it to be well put-together, satisfying, and delicious.

It’s kind of like when you were in middle school and wanted to talk to the boy you liked, so you’d agonize all day over what to say to seem cute and fun, not clingy and desperate. Middle school was so awkward. Anyway…

Roasting the mushrooms, red onion, and zucchini together in a little olive oil with salt and pepper bring out complex flavors in all three, and the lemon and thyme in the dressing bring a bright summer freshness that is hard to beat. With quinoa, the protein-packed super-grain, and some white beans for added protein and fiber, this is an awesome main course dish that will definitely keep you satisfied. For those of you that eat meat, you could always leave out the beans and serve it alongside grilled chicken or shrimp. I’m also thinking that for summer, grilled vegetables would be a seasonally-appropriate stand-in for roasted…whatever works for you!

Recipe:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa

1 large zucchini, cut into 1″ chunks
10-12 large button mushrooms, quartered
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1 can (or about 1 1/2 cups cooked) navy or canellini beans, rinsed and drained

juice of 1 large lemon (2-3 tbsp)
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Toss the zucchini, mushrooms, and onion with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Remove and set aside.

While the vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, then add the quinoa. Cover and turn to low, cooking for about 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Remove the cover, transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.

Mix together the dressing ingredients (lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper, olive oil, and shallot) and toss with the quinoa. Add the beans and vegetables, toss a few more times, and serve.

It just so happens that yesterday was my 26th birthday. Judge all you want to, but I’m one of those people that still gets excited about my birthday, probably in part because my family has a knack for picking out the absolute best birthday presents ever. My parents sent me a new lens for my camera (50 mm f/1.8 yippee!) and my aunt, who always picks out the perfect cookbook for me, sent this:

I know Irish food isn’t the most vegetarian-friendly, but there are some great recipes in here, and the photography is beautiful. I also love the little stories profiling various people and places. Since Ireland is one of my favorite places on Earth, I’m really excited about adding this to my growing collection of cookbooks.

Colcannon combines two of my favorite vegetables, kale and potatoes, and it’s nice and simple comfort food. I have to argue that the pat of butter on top is a crucial component, because it melts into the potatoes and gives them an alluring, velvety texture.

Recipe:
(adapted from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews)

serves 8

5 or 6 russet potatoes
2 tbsp butter, plus additional pats for serving
3 cups chopped kale (leaves only)
1 1/3 cups whole milk
4 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover about halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Pour out the water but keep the potatoes in the pan and let stand, covered, for about 5 minutes.

Melt the butter in a wide skillet and add the kale. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Bring the milk and green onions to a simmer in a saucepan and add a few pinches of salt and pepper. Stir in the kale, turn off the heat, and keep covered.

Peel the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the milk and kale, and mash until nearly smooth, seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Divide among bowls and top each serving with a pat of butter.

I wouldn’t put amazing in the title for nothing.

Well, maybe I would, but right now I promise I’m not exaggerating. These have completely changed everything I ever though oven-baked fries could be. They’re awesome on their own, and even better with ketchup. The nut butters don’t overpower the flavor of the sweet potatoes at all.

Angela made hers with parsnips, but when I got to the store and sweet potatoes cost less than half as much as parsnips, my mind was pretty much made for me. Plus I love sweet potatoes in all forms, so it worked out pretty well. I divided mine among two baking sheets just so they weren’t crowded and had ample air space for crisping up. The texture isn’t exactly like deep fried fries, but they’re pretty divine in their own way.

Recipe:
(adapted from Oh She Glows)

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into fry-shaped strips
1 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp chunky peanut butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 F and line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or parchment.

Put the sweet potato strips in a large bowl and toss with the oil, salt, and nut butters until evenly coated (It’s a little messy, but works best with your hands).

Spread the fries evenly on both baking sheets (make sure they’re not touching), and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Serve with ketchup.

Last night I came to the slightly painful realization that my photos have gotten incredibly boring. Food + white dish + white background over and over. And over. So today I went to the craft store (where I feel completely out of place because I’m not crafty in the slightest) and picked up some paper and fabric so I can spice up my pictures. My wonderful husband also moved the light box from the garage/basement up to a room at the front of the house that gets great light at dinner time, so I’m hoping this will improve my photo quality at least a little. I’m just going to let the picture above be one of the last of my “white phase.”

This dinner is incredibly flavorful, with an unusual combination of ingredients that work together surprisingly well: cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, eggplant, roasted red pepper, cashews, and a little lemon. It sounds like a really weird mix, but trust me, it’s comforting and just exotic enough to get you out of the rut using the same flavors over and over (which you might not do, but I kind of end up relying on garlic, soy sauce and little else a lot of the time). Although the recipe calls for rice (and I have no doubt rice is great in it), I’m keeping my pearl barley kick going.

Recipe:
(adapted from Fresh Indian by Sunil Vijayakar)

1 1/3 cups pearl barley, soaked in warm water for 30-40 minutes, then drained
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 whole dried red chiles (like Chiles de Arbol)
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups water
salt
1/2 lemon
1 red bell pepper, roasted and thinly sliced
1/2 cup cashew pieces
chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the shallots, mustard seeds, chiles, cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaf and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the eggplant and turmeric, mix to combine, then add the water. Stir in a few pinches of salt, then turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water has absorbed and the barley is tender (if it’s not soft, add a little water and continue cooking).

Turn off the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with lemon juice, pepper, cashews, and cilantro.

Over the last two months, I’ve gone from thinking barley was just in weird soups at mediocre restaurants to being more than a little obsessed with it. I recently had a craving for risotto, and when I saw that Heidi Swanson had made some with barley in Super Natural Cooking, I was immediately inspired.

I made a few changes to the recipe in the book because using both orange and lemon seemed like it would be citrus overkill for me. I also used spinach instead of arugula because I just like spinach a whole lot more. This doesn’t get as creamy as risotto made with arborio rice, but it’s much healthier and Mike called it one of the best things I’ve made lately (which is probably because my attempt at vegan macaroni and cheese last night was a GIGANTIC flop). So, you want risotto but you’re trying to eat more whole grains? Here you go!

Recipe:
(inspired by Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
a few pinches of salt
2 cups pearled barley
1 cup white wine
5 cups vegetable broth
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about five minutes.
Add the barley and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a simmer in a separate pan.
Stir in the wine and keep at a simmer. Stir in the broth, one cup at a time, waiting until most of the liquid is absorbed between additions. You may not need to add all the broth, but you’ll know when you’ve added enough because the barley will be tender and most of the liquid will be absorbed.
Stir in the lemon zest and spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted.
Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan and sour cream. Taste and add salt if needed, then serve, sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

If you’re ever hesitant about trying a new vegetable, roast it with tons of butter and it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll fall madly in love. At least, that was my experience with parsnips. I had never tried one until about two years ago, when Mike brought some home from the store, sliced them up, and roasted them with ungodly amounts of butter. Ever since then, I’ve been smitten.

When I saw this recipe, I immediately knew parsnips would play a major part in it, but I was also excited to try turnip and rutabaga for the first time. (The verdict? They’re good, but not as good as parsnips).

Anyway, since winter is prime root vegetable time, this is a perfect dish to make right now. The original recipe called for wheat berries, but I used barley because that’s what I had in the cupboard. I suspect it would be good with whatever whole grain you happen to like. I added some orange zest, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinegar, but there are a whole bunch of other ideas for making this on David Lebovitz’s post.

Recipe:
(adapted from David Lebovitz)

1 1/2 cups pearled barley
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
bay leaf
2 lbs mixed root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnip, rutabaga), cut into 1/2″ dice
1 red onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
zest from 1/2 an orange
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the salt, bay leaf, and barley. Simmer, partially covered, until the barley is tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered until you’re ready to mix up the salad.

Toss the vegetables, onion, olive oil, thyme, a few pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and spread on a sheet pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender.

Toss the barley and vegetables together in a large bowl with the balsamic, walnuts, and orange zest. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.