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Homemade Pistachio Butter

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Pistachio Butter

Is it just me, or are pistachios everywhere recently?

I’m not sure if it’s a seasonal thing, or if the big pistachio TV ad campaign actually worked. I’m guessing the latter, because I just googled ‘when are pistachios in season’ and Google told me fall. So, way to go, pistachio marketers, getting PSY to dance with life-sized pistachios on national television somehow actually worked out for you.

Yikes.

Moving right along.

Pistachio Butter

I’ve had pistachios on the brain recently because we had a huge bag of them at work that no one could stop eating. (They were the salt and pepper kind from Costco – so good.) Then I started noticing pistachios popping up in lots of recipes. And a few weeks ago, I was reading an article on The Kitchn – I honestly don’t even remember which one – that mentioned making your own pistachio butter. It was just a casual aside and didn’t go into detail, but it was one of those moments where everything stopped and I was like, whaaaaaat, homemade pistachio butter?! I had to know more.

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Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

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Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

Wait, come back.

This is delicious, I promise.

For some people, there is probably no phrase in the English/Yiddish language more unwelcome than “Moosewood Cookbook borscht.” You might be thinking, “Mushy cabbage without any meat to redeem it? No thanks!” But I think borscht gets a bad rap mostly because of its name; the word seems to conjure up images of a smelly old Russian lady standing over you until you finish your meal. It certainly sounds like something you’d have to be forced to eat.

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

Luckily, I am not a smelly old Russian lady, and I’m probably several thousand miles away from you. (This is good for both of us, because I prefer to hide behind my computer screen.) I won’t force you to make this or eat it. I will just strongly recommend it, since it’s one of the best meals to come out of my kitchen in a while. Also, I’ll show you pretty pictures of it in the hopes that that will convince you.

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Simple Roasted Vegetable Stock

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Simple Roasted Vegetable Stock

A few months ago, I had a failed veggie stock experiment. It was my first attempt and I’m not sure what went wrong; I think I used too many greens and too few carrots and onions. And maybe too much water? Regardless, it was very disheartening, as I’ve never had a problem making meat-based stocks. It convinced me for a while that vegetable stock should be left to the pros, and I’ve been buying it from Whole Foods ever since.

Recently, though, I wanted to make a soup that just uses a simple broth for the base (recipe coming tomorrow!), and I felt like I couldn’t cop out and use store-bought stuff. If I’m going to use store-bought broth, I at least want it to be hidden, you know? So I gave the ol’ veggie stock another shot, and this time I roasted the vegetables to make sure they would be flavorful enough. Success! If veggie stock should be left to the pros, well, consider me one of them… and you can be, too.

Simple Roasted Vegetable Stock

Making your own stock really isn’t as scary as it sounds, and it’s also cheaper than buying it. And I should point out that it’s much quicker than making chicken stock. Unlike meat-based stocks, simmering vegetable stock for longer does not give it more flavor, so an hour is all you need. And as a bonus, you’ll feel like Martha Stewart as your kitchen fills with the scent of your homemade stock bubbling on the stove. For some reason, this always makes me feel like I really have my life together. Ego boost in a soup pot? Sure, I’ll take it!

Get crackin’ on this homemade vegetable stock so you can be prepared for the soup recipe coming tomorrow!

Simple Roasted Vegetable Stock

Simple Roasted Vegetable Stock
 
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Author:
Yields: 3-4 quarts
Ingredients
  • 2 carrots, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 2 parsnips, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • greens of 1 leek, thoroughly cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 2 yellow onions, skins left on, quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves, peels left on
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (more or less)
  • 1 small bunch parsley
  • 4-5 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400. Place vegetables (carrots through garlic) in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil (I probably used about 2 Tbsp but you can use more or less) and toss to coat. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring about every 10-15 minutes to ensure that nothing burns. If you notice that any of the vegetables are starting to char before the time is up, remove them and continue cooking the rest. Some caramelization is fine, but not charring! The leek greens are especially prone to burn.
  2. Remove from oven and place the vegetables in a large pot with the parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cover with cold water. (The more water you use, the less concentrated the flavor of your stock will be.) Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. (A few minutes more or less is fine.)
  3. Strain into storage containers. If not using in the next day or two, freeze until ready to use.

 

Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

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Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Hi there! How is Monday morning treatin’ ya?

We had quite the weekend. Between entertaining friends who stayed with us all week, my birthday on Thursday, a friend’s housewarming party on Friday, my company’s annual party on Saturday, and 20 inches of fresh powder in the mountains (that Nate took advantage of but I did not), we were pretty much out of commission by the time Sunday morning rolled around. These days I have to admit I don’t usually go out on both Friday and Saturday nights (and definitely not wearing monstrous heels), so this weekend was a reminder that I’m not as young as I used to be… and that sleeping in is necessary sometimes.

Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

As a side note, I still can’t feel one of my toes after wearing those heels all night. Maybe I’ll forget about this and bring them the next time I go to Vegas… but until then, I’m pushing them to the back of my closet. Flats are the way to go!

Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Anyway, after a busy weekend, I seldom feel like slaving over a hot stove all day Sunday. I much prefer going to yoga and then tossing together a quick meal like this, that involves just a little chopping and a few minutes of cooking time.

We loved these tacos because they’re so fresh and light. Nothing is as refreshing as homemade salsa, and using lettuce leaves instead of taco shells lightens up the meal. No sense in cancelling out all those chaturangas I just did!

Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

I based these off my chickpea tacos, using beans, onions, garlic, and the same spice mix. I know the ingredient list looks long, but honestly you just need a few fresh ingredients for the salsa, and the rest you most likely have in your pantry. I swear these come together quickly! If you’d rather use guacamole or regular salsa + cheese + sour cream, etc., go for it! But fruit salsa is allllways a good idea.

Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

5.0 from 5 reviews
Black Bean Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa
 
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These lightened-up tacos feature spiced black beans and homemade mango-avocado salsa wrapped in fresh lettuce. Quick to prepare and bursting with flavor!
Author:
Yields: 6 tacos
Ingredients
For the tacos:
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced (yellow or red)
  • 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups cooked)
  • 6 leaves bibb or iceberg lettuce
For the taco seasoning (or use 1/2 packet of your favorite taco seasoning):
  • 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
For the mango avocado salsa:
  • 1 mango, peeled and diced
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. First prepare the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine all taco seasoning ingredients. The tacos come together quickly, so I like to do this before anything goes on the stove.
  3. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add garlic and onion and saute until soft, 4-5 minutes.
  4. Pour in black beans and taco seasoning and stir to coat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through and some of the water is evaporated, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Serve with lettuce leaves to be used as taco shells and mango avocado salsa.
  6. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from my Chickpea Taco recipe and FoodNetwork.com.

 

Double Rainbow Layered Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

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Double Rainbow Layered Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

Thank you for all your sweet birthday wishes yesterday! It means so much. I had a great birthday, and I even got to eat one of the cupcakes leftover from yesterday’s blog post. I love it when the leftovers stick around that long!

Sometimes, like yesterday, I like to eat a cupcake… or two. And sometimes, especially after two weeks of experimenting with cupcake recipes, I like to eat a salad.

Then, because I ate a salad, I can totally justify a cupcake. I love the way that works.

So here is this week’s salad, which might be one of my all-time favorites. And that’s a good thing, because I have a lot of cupcakes to make up for earn!

Double Rainbow Layered Salad

This salad is a combination of all my favorite salad-y things. Red cabbage, which is randomly (but truly) one of my favorite foods. Quinoa and spelt, which are not only some more of my favorite foods, but make this salad much heartier than it would otherwise be. And then edamame, carrots, green onions, and pepitas for more protein, sweetness, flavor and crunch. Not to mention the the light and lemony dressing, which adds the perfect zing.

What could be better than all your favorite healthy foods stacked together in a cute and portable jar?

Not much, I’ll tell you that. In fact, when you taste it, you just might start yelling, OH MY GOD, DOUBLE RAINBOW!

Sorry for that reference. I know it’s so 2010. I just couldn’t resist.

This salad makes the absolute best leftovers (as long as you keep the dressing separate), which is key in my life. I’ve been eating it for lunch all week!

Double Rainbow Layered Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

All the ingredients are very sturdy, which also means the salad is super crunchy. (Spelt and red cabbage will do that.) So I may have even liked it best on day 3 or 4, when it was a bit easier on the jaw. (To make it less crunchy, you can put the red cabbage in a strainer and pour a pot of boiling water over it. This will soften it up a bit, but I didn’t bother.)

Enjoy this salad and have a fantastic weekend!

Double Rainbow Layered Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

5.0 from 1 reviews
Double Rainbow Layered Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing
 
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Yields: 5-6 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
  • 1 cup uncooked spelt berries
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 4 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 cups grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)
  • 2 cups shelled cooked edamame, defrosted if frozen
  • 6 green onions, sliced
  • ½ cup pepitas
For the dressing:
  • ½ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • heaping Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2-4 Tbsp water
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In separate small pots, bring spelt berries and quinoa to a boil with 1 1/2 cups water each. Simmer until tender but still chewy, 50-60 minutes for the spelt berries and about 15 minutes for the quinoa. Drain excess water and set aside to cool. This can be done ahead of time.
  2. While grains cook, prepare the salad dressing. Blend all ingredients together with an immersion blend (or regular blender).
  3. To assemble salad, layer ingredients in single-serving jars or clear bowls. You can also layer the entire salad in a large clear bowl, or just toss all ingredients together. Serve alongside dressing. Will keep for up to a week in the fridge (with dressing separate).
Notes
Inspired by Oh She Glows.

 

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