Meatless Monday: “Kitchen Sink” Frittata

Putting my own house in order is one way I’ve found a bit of peace in these challenging times.

I have been trying to use up things I have on hand before heading out the door with a shopping list. I started by using up all my little travel toothpastes!

I have worked even harder than usual to keep my fresh produce out of the compost pile. Last week I found myself with a surplus of spinach on a day that was a bit too cool for salad as a main course.

For inspiration I turned to a series of recipes I discovered in last June’s Vegetarian Times. The recipes were all variations of the frittata, an egg-based Italian dish. Following are the steps common to each dish:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
• Whisk a number of eggs (ranging from 6-10) with salt and pepper to taste and then set them aside.
• Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron pan.
• Sauté some vegetables. 
• When they are almost tender, drizzle the eggs over them. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables slightly so the eggs cover the bottom of the pan.
• Put the pan into the oven to bake for about 12 minutes, until set.
• Cool slightly before serving.

Here is my recipe:

Kitchen Sink Frittata

INGREDIENTS

• 5 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 6 mini red peppers
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 generous bunch of spinach, washed, drained and roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

• Whisk the eggs with the salt, pepper, and turmeric.
• Thinly slice the onions and peppers; then sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until tender.
• Add the chick peas and spinach. 
• Stir until the spinach is starts to wilt.
• Drizzle the eggs over the mixture.
• Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables slightly so the eggs cover the bottom of the pan.
• Put the pan into the oven to bake for about 12 minutes, until set.
• Cool for few minutes before serving.

I found five eggs enough enough to satisfy two people and to hold the frittata together. If you are feeding more, adjust the number upwards and maybe even top the frittata off with some shredded cheese.

The possibilities are endless; the suggestions in Vegetarian Times ranged from cabbage to tomatoes. Just be sure that whatever vegetables you use are crisp tender before you put your frittata in the oven, especially if you use potatoes.

Happy Monday! "See" you again soon.

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Lentil Kale Soup

Summer is a time for salads and lighter fare, but when the weather turns abruptly cool, as it has today, a hearty soup can be a pleasant change.

In honor of 2014 Kale Day, I shared an original recipe for Sausage Kale Soup. In recognition of Meatless Monday, and as another small step in the vegan direction, today I offer you Lentil Kale Soup. Just a few small switches transform the former recipe into the latter. Lentil Kale Soup is deeply satisfying, economical, rich in vitamins, and delicious, too! And, if the hot weather suddenly comes back, pop the leftovers into the freezer. This recipe makes at least 8 hearty servings, and it freezes really well.

LENTIL KALE SOUP

Ingredients

• Olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pot)
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 qt vegetable broth (or 1 vegetable bouillon cube + water)
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 3 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• I cup red lentils
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 28 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 large head curly kale
• 1/8 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper

Method

• Peel and chop the onion.
• Peel and mince the garlic.
• In a heavy soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft, being careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the broth.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and carrots. 
• Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
• Quarter the carrots and cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Dice the celery.
• Rinse the lentils.
• Add vegetables and lentils to the broth along with the thyme.
• When the sweet potatoes are fork tender, add the tomatoes.
• Add the cayenne pepper.
• Wash well and roughly chop the kale
• Add kale to the soup when the tomatoes are hot.
• The soup is done when the kale is tender.
• Serve hot.

This soup is delicious as is. Optional pairings include shredded cheddar cheese or plain Greek yogurt for a topping, or a hearty whole grain bread as a side.    

For the past few Meatless Monday posts I have been floating the idea of working towards making Meatless Monday a dairy and egg -free day. For those who missed the original post, the idea stemmed from a desire to become a more ethical eater.

I proposed starting with small steps. Here are links to other recipes in the series: Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake, Avocado Mayonnaise, a one-pot vegan pasta dish, and Avocado Chocolate Mousse. I hope you enjoy the latest addition to this series.

Happy Meatless Monday!  Have a great week.

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Cranberry Sauce, A DIY for Everyone

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, it seems appropriate to continue the theme of easy recipes featuring native ingredients. [See easy cornbread from October 20.]

You can make this, too!

This week’s featured ingredient is the cranberry (Vaccinium macropcarpon), a member of the Heath family, and one of the few edible fruits native to North America. It was originally known as the “craneberry,” because the plant’s small blossoms reminded the colonists of the head and bill of a Sandhill crane.

Some form of cranberry dish is common to nearly every modern day Thanksgiving feast, whether traditional, vegetarian, or vegan. It is also one of the easiest foods to prepare. [More on that later.]

For years before the Pilgrims landed on the shores of what is now Massachusetts, Native Americans had been crushing this wild berry for use as a fabric dye, as a medicine to treat arrow wounds, and in a high-protein food called “pemmican,” which was composed of cranberries, dried deer meat, and melted fat.

The cranberry requires several special conditions to thrive: sandy soil, abundant fresh water, and a growing season that lasts from May to October. When the Pilgrims arrived in the 1600s, the cranberry was growing wild on low-lying vines in beds layered with sand, peat, gravel, and clay-like material. Known as “bogs,” these beds were originally formed by glacial deposits. According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Association website, in 1816 Captain Henry Hall of Dennis observed that the wild cranberries in his bog grew better when sand blew over them. He began sanding his vines, his technique was copied, and the cultivation of cranberries began.

I grew up thinking that cranberry sauce came in a can, that was cleverly removed in one piece by opening the can at both ends and gently, slowly, pushing the contents onto a plate for carving.

But once I discovered that cranberry sauce is one of the easiest things to make, there was no going back for me. Homemade cranberry sauce has a kick that just doesn’t come with jellied sauce from a can. 

Every bag of fresh berries has a recipe printed on the back. You need five things:

• A source of heat
• A pot for cooking the sauce
• Water
• 1 cup of sugar
• A 12 oz bag of cranberries

Here is the recipe: 

• Rinse and the berries well and pick out any small stems or shriveled berries. (It is important to do this well.)
• Dissolve 1 cup sugar in one cup water over medium high heat. 
• When it boils, add the 12 oz bag of berries. 
• Return to a boil.
• Reduce heat and boil gently.
• Stir often until all berries have popped (about 10 minutes). 
• Remove from heat, pour into a bowl or storage container and cool. 
• Then refrigerate until ready to serve.

There you have it, the perfect addition to any T-Day feast.

After your initial success, feel free to experiment. If you like a firmer sauce, use less water next time. If you like your sauce less sweet, cut the sugar.

November is the month when the produce bins are well-stocked with bags of these colorful, just harvested fruits. Buy a lot — for cooking now and for future use. They are easy to store; just pop the unopened bag in the freezer. There is no need to thaw the berries before you use them; you can use frozen berries in any recipe calling for fresh fruit.  Be sure to rinse them well and keep in mind that they will take a little longer to pop.

For more on the cranberry, check out this blog post from the past. Ocean Spray is an excellent source for recipes.

Here’s to home cooking! 

Happy Meatless Monday. Good health to you, and to the planet.

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: The Wonderful Watermelon

Watermelon may not be local just yet in Connecticut, but it is in season in the southern states. That means it’s inexpensive and plentiful in my local stores.

#127741243 / gettyimages.com

Watermelon is a nutritional powerhouse. Two cups of this colorful fruit provide 8% of the potassium, 30% of the vitamin A, and 25% of the daily requirements of vitamin C, with just 80 calories! 

Watermelon is 92% water. That means eating a slice or two is a cheap and good way to replenish the fluids lost after a few hours spent out in the hot summer sun.

These days there is much more to watermelon than eating it by the slice and seeing how far one can spit the seeds. With the advent of seedless watermelon [more on this next week], this fruit is trending in the food world, as an ingredient in salads, appetizers, salsas, beverages, desserts, and even main dishes. 

A regional chain has me on their direct mail list and sends along the occasional promotional piece, replete with coupons and recipes tailored to my taste. Last week the promoted item was watermelon. With basil in plentiful supply, how could I not try “Watermelon Skewers with Feta?” They make the perfect appetizer to impress your guests, but they are so easy and delicious that you may find yourself wanting to eat them all by yourself, again and again!

WATERMELON with FETA Skewers

Ingredients

• 1 small watermelon, cut into 48, 1-inch cubes
• 1 lb. feta cheese, cut into 24, 1-inch cubes
• 24 basil leaves, washed, patted dry, and cut in half vertically
• 24 small wood skewers or toothpicks
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Balsamic Glaze

Method

• Skewer 1/2 basil leaf, 1 cube of watermelon, 1 cube feta, 1 cube of watermelon, 1/2 basil leaf
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze
• Repeat until you have as many skewers as you need

Here’s a tip. Store any remaining ingredients separately in covered containers in the refrigerator. Pick and prepare the basil just before you need it, and you will be able to throw a few skewers together in no time. 

The one “mystery” ingredient  – Balsamic Glaze – is a reduction of balsamic vinegar and some sort of sugar. I found some in a squeeze bottle on the shelf of Trader Joe’s. If you are pressed for time, you can make a substitute by combining honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar and balsamic vinegar in a 1/1 ratio, but it will not be as thick as the bottled kind, and you won’t be able to drizzle it as neatly. If you want to make your own glaze, and time is not problem, there a number of recipes online. Here is a link to one. [Be warned, however, that user comments indicate that if you do not pay attention while the glaze is reducing, you can end up with a mess.]

I also tried “Watermelon Agua Fresca.” According to the recipe, this translates to “juice made with fresh water” and is “a super satisfying way to beat the summer heat.”

WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Ingredients

• Watermelon
• Water

Method

• Blend together 2-3 parts watermelon with 1 part water

This drink was refreshing, but I found myself wondering why I had gone to the extra trouble when a cold slice of watermelon would have been easier and more flavorful, with fewer dishes. 

For more recipes, check out the recipe section of the National Watermelon Board’s website. You will be amazed at the creative ways watermelon marketers have found to promote their product.

Have fun, and come back next week for the saga of the seedless watermelon.

Happy Monday. Have a great week!

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Labor Day 2013

According to my most recent Honest Tea lid (a frequent muse), Gandhi once said, “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”

Today seems an appropriate day to honor and thank those who dig the earth and tend the soil to grow us the fruits and vegetables we celebrate on Meatless Mondays and enjoy every day of the year.

Thank you, farmers! Happy Labor Day to you.

It’s rather unsettled in the Northeast today. I suspect many planned picnics will be turning into indoor potlucks. If you are in need of some last-minute side dish or dessert suggestions, here are a few ideas from past posts. Most require very few ingredients and can be whipped up in no time. Many of you will find that you have everything you need for whipping up a skillet cake stocked on the shelves of your kitchen cupboard.

• Guacamole 
• Greek Cucumber Salad
• Black Bean Salad
• Fred Harvey’s Coleslaw
• Peach Paradise
• Blueberry Ricotta Cake 
• Skillet Cake

Have a great holiday and a wonderful week. Eat well. 

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”