carrots

Chili!

Jennifer 2 Comments

fancy-chili

After having a spring-like 60 degree day yesterday, winter reminded us that she’s still here with a blizzard that has dropped about a foot of snow so far in New York City. Seems like a perfect day to enjoy a big bowl of chili 🙂 I’ve begun to incorporate more meat into my diet these days, as I’m expecting and need more protein than before. However, this recipe can easily be made vegetarian just by eliminating the ground beef and possibly replacing with crumbled tofu or TVP. The recipe comes together very quickly and is delicious!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped scallion
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
One 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked red kidney beans
2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup frozen sweet corn
Pinch of salt

Optional topppings:

shredded cheddar cheese
chopped scallion
sour cream
Procedure:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions and cook for about 1 minute.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and ground cumin until fully combined.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, bell pepper, carrots, corn and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s Fancy Chili recipe

Spicy Thai Carrot Ribbons!

Jennifer 1 Comment

spicy thai carrot ribbons

The creaminess of the peanut butter tames the heat of the crushed red pepper flakes in this yummy sauce for gently cooked carrot ribbons. No spiralizer needed! It could easily be bulked up into an entree with the addition of edamame or some crispy tofu over jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup vegetable broth
2 tablespooons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 medium size carrots
thai basil
toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame oil.
2. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook just until fragrant, stirring constantly.
3. Add broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and vinegar. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly until the peanut butter melts into the sauce.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes.
5. In the meantime, use a vegetable to first peel off the skin and discard. Then shave carrots into thin ribbons.
6. Add ribbons to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir to coat thoroughly in sauce.
7. Serve warm and garnish with thai basil and toasted sesame seeds.

*Follow me on Instagram for more delicious photos!*

 

 

 

Shiitake-Ginger-Miso Soup!

Jennifer 1 Comment

shiitake-ginger-miso soup

I made this soup today in an attempt to beat the sniffles, but even if you’re not fighting a cold, it’s really delicious and soothing. If you prefer not to eat the ginger, you can peel and leave in large chunks so that they can easily be removed later. Boost your immune system with the help of shiitakes, garlic, and ginger in addition to the healing powers of miso. Add some leafy greens to the pot before serving for extra vitamins!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
2-3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, diced
1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
3 carrots, diced
10-12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup white miso paste
1 head of roasted garlic, peeled and mashed
Directions:
1. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute ginger and onion until onion is translucent.
2. Add raw garlic and carrots; saute for a minute before adding 1.5 quarts of water.
3. Bring to a boil, add mushrooms, and lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat and add miso paste, making sure all of the miso is dissolved.
5. Add roasted garlic paste and stir well.

Red Cabbage & Carrot Slaw!

Jennifer 1 Comment

red cabbage and carrot slaw

One of my friends shared this recipe with me a couple of years ago and I’ve been making it ever since! Red cabbage is such a beautiful, vibrant purple, indicating its high concentration of antioxidants. It’s not only a good source of Vitamin C, but has 10 times more Vitamin A and twice as much iron as green cabbage. For this slaw, I prefer to use the mandolin over the food processor to get it thinner, allowing it to be more tender. The carrots are easily shredded by hand with a box grater or very quickly in the food processor, which is what I did today. Toasting the pumpkin seeds really gives them a greater depth of flavor and extra crunch, which is welcoming in this slaw. I choose to just sprinkle them on top, so that they won’t get soggy. This would be perfect to bring to a bbq or spring/summer potluck. Enjoy!

1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and grated
4 sprigs fresh mint, chiffonade*
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

Dressing:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together.
2. Add cabbage and carrots to bowl and toss, ensuring dressing is evenly distributed.
3. Add mint and gently toss again
4. Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds on top and extra mint, if desired, for garnish.

*chiffonade is just a fancy way of saying to cut into thin strips or ribbons. Pick the mint leaves off the sprigs, lay them on top of each other (10 at a time), roll lengthwise, and slice into thin strips.

Carrots with Caramelized Ginger!

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carrots2

These carrots are absolutely to die for. They may not be low in fat, but they are too delicious to not indulge! The maple syrup tames the bite of the ginger and glazes the carrots beautifully, with the help of butter 🙂 Most of the nutrients in vegetables is found right under the skin, so these carrots are not peeled to retain their nutritional value. Serve them over a bed of arugula or as a decadent side dish. This will surely satisfy while we endure the polar vortex!

2 bunches of carrots with tops, scrubbed well, trimmed, and halved or quartered depending on size
3 tablespoons butter, divided
Sea salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup divided
1 inch piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks*
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Arrange carrots in single layer in heavy large skillet. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with sea salt.
2. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 5-10 minutes, depending on size.
3. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots to plate.
4. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup and ginger to skillet and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Boil until juices are syrupy and pale golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon ginger sauce over carrots and let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.

*the easiest way to peel ginger is with a spoon!

Spicy Quick-Pickled Carrots

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pickled carrots

Continuing with my pickle cravings 😛 I really love these carrots straight out of the jar or diced on a salad. Tonight, over wilted kale, I drizzled avocado oil, sprinkled sea salt, and topped it with some of the diced pickled carrots. They really give a salad some oomph! Vinegar helps manage your blood glucose levels and could help lower your risk of high blood pressure.

1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns*
1 bunch carrots with stems, de-stemmed, peeled, quartered lengthwise**

1. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and add garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, and chili flakes.

2. Place the carrots in a wide-mouth quart-size mason jar or large bowl (preferably glass or ceramic) and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Stir to combine spices. Make sure all the pieces are submerged in the brine. Allow to cool completely (at least a couple hours) before serving.

*peppercorns can be cracked with mortar and pestle or placed in a ziploc bag and smashed with the bottom of a pan.

**cut the carrots to the length of the jar. I like to use these carrots on the stem because they tend to be sweeter and more tender, but they can be replaced by regular carrots. Also, carrot tops are edible! Wash them really well and saute with olive oil and garlic for a refreshing side dish