Broiled Tomatoes

(recipe from Real Simple magazine)

3 large salad tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, cut lengthwise into slivers
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, or 2 tsp. dried (I used fresh thyme)
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat broiler to 500F.  Cut the tomatoes crosswise in half and place them, cut-side up, on a broiling pan or shallow baking pan.  Stick the garlic slivers into the tomatoes.  Sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Drizzle with the oil.  Broil about 3 inches from the heat for 10 to 15 minutes or just until the tomatoes release their juices and the garlic begins to brown.  Spoon the pan juices over the tomatoes before serving.  Serve as a side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Collard Greens with Lemon

(recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine)

1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) unsalted butter (I used coconut oil)
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 small bunches collard greens (about 1 1/2 lbs.), stems removed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
3/4 cup vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and the garlic in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add greens, and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Stir in stock, 3/4 tsp. salt (I used much less), 1/8 tsp. pepper, and the zest, and cover.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add lemon juice and remaining Tbsp. of butter.  Stir until butter melts.  Season with salt and pepper as needed, and serve immediately.

(Nice simple preparation.)

Sweet Potato Hummus

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 sweet potato, chopped and roasted in the oven until fork tender
1/2 (14.5 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained (I used the whole can)
3 Tbsp. tahini
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin (or to taste)
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 carrot, grated
Dash of nutmeg

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Adjust seasonings and stir.

(A nice take on hummus.  I had a large sweet potato, so I adjusted the other ingredients to my taste.  I also added some olive oil and salt & pepper.  Serve with zucchini, cucumber, or whole-grain crackers.)

Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

(recipe from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, via a newspaper clipping)

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to oil the pan
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 8 strips

Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 to 3 tsp. chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 400F.  Lightly oil a baking pan.

Cut off the tough stem ends of the asparagus and discard.  Wash and dry asparagus.  Toss the spears with the Tbsp. of olive oil, the garlic and salt, and arrange them in a single layer on one half of the baking tray.  On the other half of the tray, arrange the red pepper strips.

Roast, turning vegetables every 10 minutes, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Set asparagus aside and let come to room temperature.

Place roasted pepper strips in a blender with the sauce ingredients.  Puree until smooth.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Arrange asparagus on a serving platter.  Drizzle some sauce over asparagus, and pass the rest when serving.  (Or, as I did, just dip the spears!)

(I very much enjoyed the roasted asparagus, as opposed to steaming.  The sauce was a nice accompaniment.)

Basil-Mint Pesto

(recipe from Williams Sonoma - Vegetarian cookbook)

1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup olive oil (I used half olive oil and half tahini)

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1 cup walnuts)

1 cup firmly packed mint leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine in a blender, process until smooth.  (Can add extra oil or tahini, if needed.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(Very delicious!)

Kabocha Squash, Fennel, + Ginger Soup with Spicy Coconut Cream

(recipe from dollyandoatmeal.com)

1 kabocha squash, halved and seeded
1 large leek (or 2 small), white and light green parts sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced (reserve some fronds for garnish)
1 knob of fresh ginger (about 3/4 of an inch big), peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
5 cups filtered water (or broth)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup spicy coconut cream (recipe below)
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

spicy coconut cream:
1 can organic coconut milk
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
a couple pinches of salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

To make the coconut cream, whisk the coconut milk with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust accordingly, adding more lemon, salt or cayenne. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Rub a good amount of olive oil over cut side of squash; place cut side down on baking sheet and place in oven.  Cook squash until fork tender, about 50-65 minutes.  Let the squash cool until it's ready to handle.  Scoop squash out into a bowl and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and coconut oil over medium heat.  Add sliced leeks and oregano, and saute until leeks are soft; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the fennel and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes, until fennel is soft and ginger is fragrant.  Add the kabocha, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper.  Stir.

Turn the heat up and bring soup to a simmer, cook for roughly 30 minutes, stirring every so often.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the spicy coconut cream.

In batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Transfer soup back to the pot and bring to a low simmer.  Stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

Serve soup with a dollop of leftover spicy coconut cream, poppy seeds, or chopped fennel fronds.

(Such amazing flavor!  I used about a cup less broth, and liked the heartier consistency.  My first time using kabocha, and I thought it had an incredible depth of flavor - my favorite squash soup thus far.)

Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

(recipe from Kinfolk magazine)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp. of water
Coarse sanding or sparkling sugar, for rolling

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup of the pecans and the salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until pale and fluffy.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until a dough forms, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap and form each into a long log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Wrap tightly and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brush each log of dough with some of the beaten egg white and roll it in sanding sugar to coat evenly.  Slice the logs into 1/2-inch-thick disks and arrange them at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Lightly brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans.  Bake the cookies until they're lightly golden on the bottom, 10 to 14 minutes.  Let them cool on wire racks.

(I made these cookies at Christmas time for giving.  They are light and delightful, and easy to make.  I even made one batch using whole wheat flour, which created a nuttier-tasting, even lighter-textured cookie.)