Chopped brussel sprout stir-fry with cranberries and hazelnuts

Ah, brussel sprouts. A truly love-it-or-leave-it vegetable. For all you haters out there, I challenge you to try this recipe. It may just turn you into a lover.

My guess is that people who don't like brussel sprouts on their own are turned off by their overpowering cabbage smell. While steaming and boiling seem to intensify the noxious odor, other cooking methods seem to make it less offensive.

Your best bet: Don't use water to cook them, and dress them up in a melange of sweet, tart and savory flavors.  You won't even know that you're eating a vegetable.

In this recipe it is the texture, rather than the smell of the brussel sprouts that shines through. By coarsely chopping them and stir-frying them in an iron skillet, they get a nice golden sear instead of becoming mushy. Crispy shallots, plump cranberries, and toasted hazelnuts make this side dish seriously addicting--and perfect for your Thanksgiving day table.

 Chopped Brussel Sprout Stir-fry

2 large shallots, sliced into thin rings

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb brussel sprouts, sliced into circles, then chopped into thirds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 one large orange, juiced

1/4 cup whole raw hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

salt and pepper

• Steam the cranberries for a couple of minutes to re-hydrate them. Turn off the heat and set aside.
•  Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook them until they start to brown.
• Add the brussel sprouts and stir--but not too much, you want them to get a nice golden sear.
• Once the brussel sprouts are nearly cooked to perfection, add the orange juice, cranberries and hazelnuts. Cook and stir for a couple minutes more.
• Turn off the heat. Now would be a great time to drizzle a little hazelnut oil.

Un-roux-ly shrimp and sausage gumbo

 
I am from California. I'll admit that I've probably never had the "real thing". I imagine Paula Deen, Emeril Lagasse, and Alton Brown collectively laughing in my face as I attempt to make a healthy version of a Southern classic.

And yet, I attempt anyway. Gumbo without the roux? Yes, Mary Lou, it can be done! And it can be delicious. I won't make any claims of authenticity, but all the necessary components are in there, and plenty of Cajun spices give it that savory kick.

Traditional gumbo-making begins by browning some flour and a ton of fat together in the pot. This is the roux--the part that thickens. It also adds some flavor, and a lot of unnecessary gluten and calories. (Something tells me that roux was invented by peasants. It's a very cheap way to make your belly swell.)

Here I omitted the roux and used chicken stock in its place. The okra alone thickens well enough, and it's so much healthier--It's also tasty, if you get it fresh from the farmer's market like I did. I threw some collard greens in, too, for good measure. You can never get enough greens.

Un-roux-ly Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

3 tbsp olive oil 

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

 3 celery stalks, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (I prefer red)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound okra, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne 

1 tbsp oregano

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

4 large tomatoes, cored and chopped

3 bay leaves

5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves striped from the stem

2 quarts chicken or seafood stock

1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp

1 lb andouille-style turkey sausage, cut into 1/4" pieces and browned

1 bunch of collard greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Long grain brown rice for serving

• Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper and salt over medium heat until soft.

• Add the sausage, then the okra, and saute for a few minutes more.

• Next add the spices and tomatoes.  Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add the stock and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

• Add the sausage, shrimp and collard greens. Cook another minute or two, then turn off the heat. The shrimp and greens will continue to cook without the burner on.

• Serve over brown rice.

Seven Vegetable Couscous

This vegetable couscous is one of the most ubiquitous dishes in northern Africa. It is both sweet and savory, and fragrant of the spices that characterize the region: ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and mint. There are hundreds of regional and seasonal variations, but one thing about the dish remains the same: the number of vegetables is always seven.

Seven is considered a lucky number in Islam. The most common explanation I've seen for this is that there are seven heavens in the Islamic faith. However, there are also seven gates of Hell, so I'm open to other ideas. In any case, the number comes up frequently in religious ritual and texts (There are seven verses in the first chapter of the Qur'an, for example, and during the Hajj, pilgrims walk around the Kaaba of Mecca seven times.)



The point is that no Muslim will ever serve you a couscous dish that contains six or eight vegetables. The number will always be seven, whether for religion or purely out of superstition.

I encourage you to experiment with your own combination of seasonal veggies for this dish, but I think it's also a neat idea to retain some of its cultural authenticity by keeping the number seven present. Although it's up to you to decide which of the ingredients actually count as vegetables...;-)

The stew portion of the dish is typically cooked in a cone-shaped clay pot called a tagine. If you have any other sort of clay pot, use it! It enhances the flavor tremendously.

A piece of chicken, lamb or beef is usually added for richness, but it's also delicious without it.

Seven Vegetable Couscous

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1lb of chicken legs and thighs, beef or lamb on the bone (optional)

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

6 cloves of garlic, diced

2 tbsp diced ginger

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 cinnamon sticks

cayenne and black pepper to taste

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 lb. cooked chickpeas 

2 1/2 quarts of chicken stock or salted water

4 small waxy potatoes, quartered

5 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise, and again horizotally

2 - 3 small yams, cut horizontally, then cut into quarters

1/2 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets

2 medium zucchini, cut in half, then quartered

1/4 cup small black raisins

1/2  bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 abundant handful of fresh mint sprigs, chopped

2 cups dry couscous, preferably whole wheat

Serves 6 to 8.

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and saute another minute. Finally, add the dry spices and cinnamon sticks.

• Add this point add the tomatoes. Once they've release a good amount of liquid, add the chicken, beef or lamb, if using. Also add the chickpeas at this time, and give everything a good stir.

• Once the tomatoes have begun to dissolve, and the meat is almost cooked, add the stock or water. Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high

• Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes and carrots.

• A couple of minutes later, add the sweet potatoes and raisins.

• Once the yams are beginning to soften, add the cauliflower and zucchini.

• When all of the vegetables have been sufficiently cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and mint. You may wish to add more olive oil or salt at this time.

As for the actual couscous, instant seems to work just fine for most people. But if you'd like to learn how to make it the old-fashioned way-- in a couscousier-- by all means, eat your heart out.

Serve the tagine (vegetable stew) on top of the couscous in a mound, as you would a curry. I'll be eating mine with quinoa instead.

A Moroccan man shops for legumes.

A Moroccan woman sells mint in the streets of Chefchaouen.

Toasted coriander quinoa with butternut squash

What does Fall taste like? What smells fill the air? What foods fill your belly and nourish your soul?

For me, Fall involves a lot of toasting and roasting. It's the season in which earthy flavors reign supreme, and it's cool enough to justify the excess heat in the kitchen.

It's also a time for squash--All sorts of varieties of knobbly, colorful and oddly-shaped pumpkins parade the markets. Two of the more obvious icons of the season in American culture are cornucopias and Jack-O-Lanterns--Both conjure up feelings of fullness,  creativity and the desire to share and celebrate with those around me.

Actually, pumpkins are a symbol of abundance in most cultures, and there is little wonder why--Both their seeds and flesh are very nutritious, and just one seems enough to feed a whole family.

Squash are packed with vitamin A and carotenes, which are indispensable co-factors in vitamin D absorption. During the fall and winter we get far less sun exposure, so it's even more important to consume these supporting nutrients.

Toasted Coriander and Sesame Quinoa with Butternut Squash

For this dish, both coriander and sesame seeds are toasted in a pan over the stove top, then lightly crushed together in a spice grinder. Your house will really smell like autumn after making this, and you'll see why toasted coriander is one of my favorite aromas in the world.

Nutty, earthy, savory and sweet, this comforting quinoa makes a great segue into fall. You can see that I used the last of the late summer's green beans, just as autumn's butternut squash were beginning to march into their prime.

1/4 cup whole coriander seeds

1/3 cup whole, unhulled sesame seeds

1 tsp salt

6 large cloves of garlic, diced

2-4 red thai chilies, diced (depending on how spicy you want it)

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp honey

1/4 cup tamari

2 cups uncoked quinoa

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

1. Put a large pot of  salted water on the stove to boil.


2. Toast the coriander seeds lightly in a small pan over medium heat.


3. Careful they don't burn! Transfer them to your spice grinder, mortar, or magic bullet. ;-)


4. Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan and transfer them to the spice grinder. If you want, you could also toast the quinoa before cooking.


5. Shake, and grind just long enough to release more of the aromas of the seeds. You do not want to pulverize them. A few whole seeds are really ok.


6. Once the water is boiling, add the quinoa, green beans and squash. Watch the quinoa carefully. It should only take about 15 minutes to cook. You will the the curly part of the seed beginning to separate from the endosperm.


7. In the small pan, add the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and the chilies. Once the garlic becomes soft (careful not to burn it), turn off the heat.


8. Slowly add the honey, and stir until it dissolves. Add the tamari, whisking it into the mixture.


9. When the quinoa is done it should still be a little chewy in the center. Drain the pot over a fine mesh strainer.


10. Once adequately strained, add the quinoa and vegetables back to the large pot. Fold in the coriander and sesame mixture. Then add the sauce and mix thoroughly.

Serves 6-8. Delicious warm or room temperature. Great for picnics or potlucks.

Kombu shitake dashi

This may be the simplest recipe that exists for enjoying kelp (kombu), and it serves as a base for many Japanese recipes. A nutrient-rich broth is created by first soaking strips of dried kombu for several hours, and then boiling it with sliced shiitake mushrooms.

Kelp is the best known edible source of iodine on the planet. In fact, most sea plants are rich in iodine, which makes them nature's best protection against a range of thyroid problems, including hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure.

Sea plants are also great sources of vitamins and alkaline minerals which the majority of inhabitants of western countries are deficient in. Besides being flavorful, shiitake mushrooms are also known to have powerful immune-boosting properties, and several studies have shown them to be effective in fighting cancer.

Both kombu and fresh shiitake mushrooms can be found at asian supermarkets, or in health food stores.

Kombu Shiitake Dashi

3x4 inch piece of kombu

5 large fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 quarts of water

salt to taste

1. Soak the kombu in warm water for at least 2 hours.


2. Clean and slice the shiitake mushrooms.


3. Add all ingredients to a large pot and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

This broth makes a great base for noodle soups. Try adding green leafy vegetables, such as spinach after turning off the eat. Add miso paste before serving for saltinesss, and serve with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and coriander.