Posts Tagged ‘vegetarian’
Curried Spelt Salad with Apple, Celery, and Pine Nuts
Posted by: EatFree
May 4th, 2012 >> Uncategorized
Spelt is another whole grain-much like the wheat berry, it is nutty in flavor and pleasantly chewy in texture. Here I’ve combined some classic Indian flavors with some more European ingredients such as the celery and pine nuts. This works well as a side dish for dinner or as a complete and hearty lunch! Use whatever variety of red apple you can get your hands on but just make sure to keep it the size of a Macintosh approximately.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole spelt grain, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 Roma apple, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions:
- Cook spelt grain much like pasta-bring a large pot of water to a boil, add spelt, and then cook on simmer for about 45 to 50 minutes or until spelt is tender and al dente. Drain, add salt, and set aside.
- Heat oil. Add onion, celery, apple, and salt. Cook on medium, stirring frequently, until all components are softened slightly. Add pepper, raisins, and curry powder. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add apple cider vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add about 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook on low for 4 to 5 minutes. Let all water evaporate towards end of cooking time.
- Stir cilantro off heat. Stir in spelt and pine nuts. Combine and enjoy!
These are the traditional buttermilk style biscuits, except I’ve replaced the white flour with 100% whole wheat pastry flour. The biscuits are just as light and tender, except with the added nutrition of the whole grain flour. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of skim milk to get similar results. Freeze cubes of butter the night before making.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups 100% whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons raw turbinado sugar, pulverized
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
- 1/4 cup all-vegetable non-hydrogenated shortening
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
Directions:
- Pulse together all dry ingredients in food processor until thoroughly combined-flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add in cubed frozen butter and shortening until coarse corn meal-like texture is formed. Slowly add in buttermilk until dough just comes together. Dump onto plastic wrap, wrap together, and refrigerate for half hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out dough gently to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out 3 inch rounds. (Makes about 8). Bake for about 18 minutes and enjoy!
I don’t personally mind the bitterness of collard greens and so don’t throw out the cooking water (as some recipes call for) to reduce the bitterness. Besides, the bitterness is partially what gives these dark greens their strong nutritional punch. The luscious creaminess of the ricotta and the butter work well to quell the bitterness of these greens. A touch of garlic adds just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the milky flavors of the ricotta.
Ingredients:
- 10 cups of collard greens, rinsed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- One 15 ounce container of unsalted organic whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon honey
Directions:
- Cook collard greens in a pot with about half cup of water until tender to your liking.
- Meanwhile whisk in flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into warm melted butter until smooth. Whisk in ricotta cheese until thoroughly combined.
- When greens are cooked to your liking, add in ricotta mixture. Cook until lightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add honey off heat and enjoy!
