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Celeriac Puree With Crispy Lentils

October 12, 2019 Colleen Stem
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Every now and then I make something for me. All for me. This is one of those dishes that was not destined to be shared with anyone. That I had no one else in mind to eat besides me. No worring about what anyone else with think. Just a simple little dish that I was craving and wanting.

So I made it and man, was it so freaking satisfying. Cooking for oneself is very much a gratifying experience.

Celeriac, or also know as celery root. Have you ever had it? If not, well duder, you need to. It is in my top 3 favorite vegetables and that is saying a lot. So anyway, celeriac, has a slight celery taste, but also kind of earthy and nutty. It pairs well with anything that a potato might, but also is amazing on it’s own. Roasted, steamed, raw. Just really fantastic. And it is in season so get on it and go find yourself some.

And lentils. In my top 3 favorite foods. Made them crispy because pureed celeriac and crispy lentils just sounded right and I love me crispy things. Again, I was making this dish fo me so crispy was happening.

Together, the creamy, delicious pureed celeriac covered with a bunch of spiced, crispy lentil….Amazing. Eating it, I couldn’t have been happier. I did myself one good with this one.

I might even have to make it to share someday.

Now to the celeriac and lentils!

The stuff. A bulb of celeriac, some cooked lentils, salt and pepper, chili powder, garlic powder. mustard powder, and oil. (oil is optional)

The celeriac. Ok, so most people peel it. I actually get weird looks from people when I tell them I don't , but let me do me, you know. So anyway. Peel it if you want, or not, just cut it up into chunks.

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Place cut up celeriac into a pot and cover with water. Place on stove on medium heat and cook until fork tender.

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Lentils meet spices and get mix all together. Add a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper too.

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Spread now spiced lentils onto a baking sheet, pop into oven, and bake until crispy. Easy peasy.

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And to puree the celeriac. Strain any extra water into a cup. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and grab the hand blender (or regular blender) and blend it, adding back in some of the strained water as needed, to get to a consistency that you like. Me, I liked it pretty smooth, but also with a little chunk. Heck, you could leave it really chunky or go all out completely smooth. Up to you. Also if you want a creamier texture, add in a teaspoon or so of the olive oil. That is a taste preference. I didn't add oil this time, but I have before. It’s good both ways.

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And there you have it. Add the celeriac puree to a bowl, top with crispy lentils, and garnish with something green if you want.

Then eat it.

Not going to lie. After this picture was taken, I busted out the spicy mustard and covered everything with it. And it was amazing.

-C


Celeriac Puree With Crispy Lentils

serves 1 as a meal, or a few as a side dish

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils

  • 1 large celeriac bulb (soft ball sized)

  • 1 teaspoon chili power

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • salt and pepper

  • olive oil (optional)

Grab celeriac and peel if you want, or just give it a really good wash. Cut into chunks and place into pot. Add enough water to just cover the celeriac and place on medium heat on the stove. Cook until fork tender.

In the mean time, mix all the spices and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper together with the lentils. Dump them and spread them out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in oven and turn to 400 degrees (you can start cooking the lentils while the oven is preheating). Bake for about 20 minutes or until lentils are crispy.

Once the celeriac is tender, strain water into a cup and either with a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until smooth, adding in some of the poured off water as needed. You can puree as smoothly as you like or leave a few chunks.. Also, you might want to add in a teaspoon or so of olive oil for a slightly richer and creamier taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ehen the lentils are done, take them from oven. Place large amount (or all) of the celeriac puree to a bowl, cover with some (or all) of the crispy lentils and that is that. Eat away.

Serving suggestion…. Mustard. Any kind. So good.

In Dairy Free, dinner, entree, Gluten Free, grain free, pulses, quick and easy, side dish, Vegan, Vegetables Tags Celeriac Puree With Crispy Lentils, plant based, vegan, roots, vegetable, pulses, lentils, easy, gluten free, grain free, celery root, heathy, clean eating, dinner, dairy free, celeriac puree, crispy lentils
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Beet Chips

August 31, 2019 Colleen Stem
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When your sister drops off 50 lbs of beets, on top of the 50 lbs that you have to harvest that are growing in your garden, what do you do?

Well chips of course.

Yeah, chips. That’s right. When I got home from camping on Monday and there was a humongous pile of beets sitting next to my front door, I am not going to lie, I was a little shocked. I mean there wasn't just a few little ones. These beets were freaking huge, like the size of my arm, and so many. But pretty much right after my initial shock I knew what needed to be done. First, eat a few roasted, second, roast extra to freeze for later, and lastly, make a few bunches of chips.

Have you ever had beet chip? They are amazing. Crispy, crunchy, tasty as all heck. If you like beets, even in the slightest, you will love these. If you hate beets, well maybe don’t? Either way, beet chips are the best chip. Wha't’s not to love? Pink, and chippy. Sweet, and salty. And then you add the fact that making beets into chips is a good way to get your veggies in and that you can eat a whole bowl full and feel zero guilt because you are just eating beets. Plus making beets into chips is a good way to use up any extra beets you might have laying around or that have been dropped off at your front door.

These chips, once they are made, will not last long. So when you do make them, know you will probably be making them again soon there after. Me, I have still have to harvest all my garden beets so beet chips are happening again soon. Real soon (like this afternoon!)

To the beets!

The stuff. Beets (these are Formanova beets but any variety works) salt and pepper ,and oil.

Ok so you need to cut these bad boys reallllllly thin. Like 1/15th a inch. So, what I am saying is, use a mandolin. If you don’t have one, a knife will do, but you are going to have a hard time getting them as thin as you need to and all of them consistent so baking is going to be a little more tricky so maybe you should just go borrow or invest in a mandolin.

Grab baking sheets, oil, and salt and pepper. You can either dump the oil directly onto the pile of sliced beets and really toss to make sure each one has been coasted or do what I did which was I drizzled oil into my hands and rubbed each sliced beet between my oiled hands before placing on the sheet.

After you get them on there, single layered with no overlapping, sprinkle tops with a pinch of salt and pepper.

On the way into the oven.

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After the oven. Baked for about 18 minutes. You really have to watch after the first 13 or so minutes to make sure you catch them at the perfect time. Crispy, but not burnt.

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A side by side shot. Crazy shrinking will happen!

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Oh man, so delicious. And so pretty!.

Let the chips cool before eating, you know, so you don’t burn your tongue. Plus they crisp up a wee bit more.

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Once cooled, pile them into bowl, and then eat them. And eat them all. They are only beets after all. And you won’t be able to stop yourself anyway. Ha

-C


Beet Chips

Makes enough for an evening of chip eating for 1-2 people

  • 2 Large beets (think softball sized)

  • a tablespoon or two of oil (I used grape seed but really any would work)

  • salt and pepper

Note. Making these without cutting with a mandolin will be a pain in the ass. It can be done, but if you have a mandolin, use it.

Preheat oven to 350

With a mandolin, slice the beets about 1/15 inch thick. (No need to peel the beets unless you want to.) Once beets are all sliced, either drizzle them all with a tablespoon or so of oil and toss until all are coated. OR what I did and found worked really well was drizzled oil into my hands and rubbed each beet between my oiled hands as I was placing them on the baking sheets. Either way.

Now place oiled beets, single layered, without overlapping, on baking sheets. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and place into oven. Bake for about 13 minutes without worrying then start to check every minute or so until the beets are a deep golden brown and crispy ,which will be between 15-20 minutes. Also, even though you cut them all the exact same thickness, some might crisp up faster so you should remove done chips as they happen. Once they are done, place on a rack to cool. And then do another batch. And not, they do crisp up a tiny bit more as they cool.

Once chips are cool and crisp, eat.

Store uneaten (how did you not eat them all?) chips in an air tight container. If you notice that they turned a bit chew, just place them back into oven while preheating oven to 300 then turn oven off and let sit in there for a few minutes.

In 5 ingerdients or less, crackers and chips, quick and easy, snack, Vegan, Vegetables Tags Beets, Baked chips, Beet Chips, chips, veggie chips, veggies, plant based, vegan, food, recipe, gluten free, heathy, snack, baked, not fried, simple
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Black Olive Avocado Dressed Greens with Almond Crumbs

March 16, 2019 Colleen Stem

Do you ever wake up first thing in the morning with a craving, a maybe somewhat strange food craving? Lately I have been waking up and within an hour of being up, I start to think about olives. My mouth starts to water and it’s like I can almost taste the salty, briny, fattiness in my mouth, which in itself is kind of weird, but for me is really really weird because up until very recently I completely hated olives. Now, well now I just want to eat them all. And first thing in the morning.

I don’t pretend to understand such things. My brain is going to do what it’s going do. Tell me I like olives, well all right then.

Another thing I am desperately craving is freshy fresh greens which makes complete since because I always crave greens. I am still pretty deep in root veggies and cooked things because winter and Vermont and all, but all I really really really want to eat are buckets of greens. Any kind will do, but the sweet tender baby ones…. So good.

And so I combined my two cravings, greens and olives and hit those craving like POW! BAM! POOF? A salad so simple yet so amazing and mouth watering. I outdid myself here.

To the bestest, most amazingly perfect salad yet!

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The stuff. A big ol’ bowl of greens. Black pitted olives, half an avocado, a lemon, toasted almonds, a chunk of red onion, a couple cloves garlic, and pepper.

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Almond crumbs. Exactly what it sounds like. Place almonds into a clean food prosessor and pulse until they are crumbs.

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Dump the almonds into a bowl. Don’t bother cleaning it out, you are about to use it again. Olives, avocado, garlic, and all the juice of the lemon now get a go in the food processor. Pulsed together into a creamy, kinda of chunky but mostly smooth, mixture of amazing. Add a few tablespoons of cold water if the mixture seems really thick, but other then that, you be done.

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Very thinly slice up red onion and slice up a few extra olives.

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All here, all ready to go. Just got to toss it together now.

Greens, some slices olives and onion tossed all together in a good amount of the olive avocado goodness then topped with a hardy helping of almond crumbs. Fresh pepper to finish it off.

I was barely able to stop myself from eating it all before snapping a few pictures.

All of my cravings come true…

It’s salad time!

-C


Black Olive Avocado Dressed Greens with Almond Crumbs

Makes enough dressing and crumbs to feed 2-4 people

  • 1/2 of a ripe avocado

  • 1 cup pitted black olives

  • 1 lemon

  • 2-3 tablespoons cold water

  • 1-2 cloves garlic

  • 1/4 cup toasted almonds

  • 2-4 large handfuls of fresh greens (I used a mixture of baby spinach, baby chard, and baby kale. Spring mix or even chopped leaf lettuce would be grand as well)

  • about 1/2 a small red onion

  • pepper to taste

Place almonds in food processor and pulse until they are crumbly. Not to fine, a few big chunks are good.. Remove and set aside

Roughly chop the garlic and place in the food processor (no need to clean it out after the almonds). Add in the avocado and most of the olives (leave few behind to slice up). Add in the juice of the lemon. Pulse until mixture is combined but with little specks of olive left.or completely smooth if you wanted too. Scoop out into a container. You want it to be slightly loos so it will mix well with the greens. If the mixture seems really thick, add in a a few tablespoons of cold water to thin out.

Grab the onion and remaining olives and thinly slice.

Now to assemble salad. Place a handful of clean greens into a bowl. Toss a some onions and extra sliced olives into greens. Add as little or as much olive avocado dressing as desired then sprinkle as much or as little of the almond crumbs all over that. Top with freshly find pepper

Then eat it.

In Dressing, quick and easy, Raw, salad, Spring, Vegan, Vegetables Tags Black Olive Avocado Dressed Greens with Almond Crumbs, salad, black olives, olives, avocado, vegan, grain free, gluten free, plant based, vegetables, spring, fresh, simple, easy, almonds, heathy, raw, good fats, oil free
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Sweet Potato Chickpea Hash with Lemon Tahini Sauce

March 10, 2018 Colleen Stem

Easy quick dinners are no joke because sometimes life happens and then you are hungry, then hangry,  then maybe yelling and or tears start and nothing is ever going to be good again. And then you eat and everything is A OK, but that time between tears and food can be long, especially when you just can't think so one should have a least a good 2 or 3 good dinners up there sleeve (besides pasta) that can be made quick and easily to avoid the fallout of food deprivation. This bowl of goodness here is one of those. And sure some people might not always have a sweet potato, tahini, or chickpeas is the house  (I ALWAYS have a sweet potato or some type of winter squash and tahini and chickpeas... they are staples here) but with a tiny it of foresight, you can make these things happen too. And then you will make it and realize that you must have these ingredients on hand at all times because yeah, a good go to meal that will prevent the tears.

Admittedly I have made this for the mr but he is not that into it. Says he is not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. (what the fuck is wrong with him?) But me, I eat is and I eat it all.. The sweet potato/chickpea/tahini combination is classic fantastic. This hash is sweet potato sweet, a little chickpea crunchy, salty, savory, and creamy citrusy.  It's all sorts of goodness. I tossed this hash on a big bed of kale (any sturdy green would be good) and only good things happen in my mouth. So the mr. might not like it but I am starting to realize (after 15 years) that my taste is far superior to his. Haha. (but really)  Quick and easy (and healthy) and good.  Make it once and it will turn into on of your go to dinners, unless you don't like sweet potatoes. In that case there is pasta. 

The stuff. Chick peas (I had just made a batch but if you don't have any made already, grab a can) a sweet potato, an onion, a lemon, some tahini, and garlic Also some cumin and chili powder, olive oil, and salt and pepper. 

Preheat your oven and chop up the onion and sweet potato into mouth sized pieces. 

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Toss the chopped stuff onto a baking sheet with the chickpeas.

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Drizzle the whole shebang with olive oil and toss with cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper.  

Into the oven it goes.

Half hour later it is all roasted and ready.

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Oh quick, make this before the stuff is out of the oven. Tahini, minced garlic, a dash of salt, a bit of the liquid from the chickpeas and the juice of a lemon. Just stick it all in a cup or bowl and mix it around. Then it's done.

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Scoop the hash into a bowl (I like a large pile of greens underneath) and cover with the tahini sauce. 

Eat is all to your face.

-C


Sweet Potato Chickpea Hash With Lemon Tahini Sauce 

dinner for one, a side for two. Very easily doubled or tripled. 

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 2 cups or 1 can cooked chickpeas drained but liquid reserved 
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup of aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic

Preheat oven to 425

Chop sweet potato and onion into mouth sized cubes and place on a baking sheet. Add the drained chickpeas and drizzle with olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle on the cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and toss that around again. When the oven is preheated, slide the baking sheet on in. 

While the stuff is baking, mince the garlic and place it in a bowl with the tahini, the juice of a lemon, and a pinch or two of salt to taste. Add in 1/4 cup of aquafaba and mix it all around. If to thick for your liking, add a little more of the aqaufaba until its a good consistency. 

Check the stuff in the oven after 20 minutes and give it a toss.  Keep baking for another 5-10 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked and starting to brown. Remove from oven and dump into a bowl (maybe on a bed of greens or rice) and drizzle all over with the tahini sauce.

Eat

 

In Vegetables, Vegan, side dish, sauce, quick and easy, pulses, Potato, grain free, Gluten Free, entree, dinner, Dairy Free, beans Tags Sweet Potato Chickpea Hash With Lemon Tahini Sauce, vegan, grain free, gluten free, sweet potato, tahini, dinner, quick and easy, plant based, heathy, vegan dinners, pulses, beans, chickpeas, sheet pan dinner
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Cashew Creamed Kale with Pomegranate

November 17, 2015 Colleen Stem
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  I use to suck the juice out of the seeds (they are actually called arils) of the pomegranate and spit out the actual seeds... I thought that the seeds were poisonous. (I blame my sister for this .She is the one that told me that).  And it turns out that it is an actual thing. That other people think that the seeds are not edible, so I guess don’t feel so duped. But I leaned. The seeds, they are very much edible, and very much tasty. I love biting into a pomegranate seed, letting the juice flood my mouth, followed by a nice little crunch from the seed inside, just like little crunchy red jewels. And the method of removing the seeds just makes them that much better. When you have to whack a fruit for it's edible parts, it got to be good. And to make this clear…. to all the people out there that thick the seeds are poison… the seeds are NOT POISION. In fact, they are quite good for you.

Now that that has been established, we can get to eating these little pearls the right way.  And being all holiday and jolly lala, I was thinking of some classic side dishes that are typical around this time.  Creamed spinach came to mind, but that just seemed a little boring. That’s where the pomegranate comes in.  You add pomegranate to anything and it’s not boring anymore. Also I switched out the creamed part and replaced it with cashew cream, and spinach with kale… cause that’s what I do. And the results are fantastic! Sweet, creamy, crunchy, earthy... All the best flavors. And even though I ate most of it hot, it’s definitely a side that moves from hot to cold and still taste super great. Would even make a nice sandwich or maybe add a little bed of grains and you got yourself a nice little lunch.

But the again, you probably wont have any left overs

The stuff. A bunch of kale, some cashews that have been soaking for a little while,  and a pomegrante  (I only used half of one). We also need us some more fresh water, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.

Remove the arils (thats what the juicy seeds ae called) by placing half the pomegranate into a bowl and whacking  it with a big wooden spoon. (martha stewart taught me this)

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Strain the soaking cashews and dump them into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, some fresh water and some salt and pepper.

Turn blender on and blend until a nice smooth consistency

Chop up the kale and place into a really big skillet with a few splashes of water.

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Once the kale has wilted, pour the cashew cream all over it. 

Add in the pomegranate  seeds

And get yourself a fork (bowl is optional( and eat. 

Creamed food never tasted this good!

-C


Cashew Creamed Kale with Pomegranate

makes 3-4 servings 

  • 1 bunch (abut a pound) Kale
  • 1/2 cup cashews that have been soaking in water for a little while
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-3 loves garlic
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 a pomegranate)
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Take your pomegranate , slice in half, and place half seed sside down into a bowl. Take a big wooden spoon or something like it, and whack the outside of the fruit. The seeds will all fall out.. but check for any stuck seeds

Strain cashews from soaking waterand dump into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, ¾ cups of water, and a pinch or two of salt. Blend until a smooth a creamy cream. If you think the cream is to thick, add in another splash of water

After washing kale, chop it up into smallish pieces. (remove stems if you want.. I don't, I like the stems) Stick the kale into a large skillet with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt and place on the oven on medium high heat. Stir around until kale is wilted and the water has evapotated. Pour on the cashew cream, mix around and top with the pomegranate seeds.

and eat..hot or cold. Its all good.

In Vegetables, Vegan, Savory, sauce, Paleo, holiday, grain free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Tags thanksgiving, side dishes, vegan, gluten free, paleo, Cashew creamed kale and pomegranate, pomegrante, fresh, clean eating, plant based, meal prep, salad, nuts, simple sides, heathy, protein
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