Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon

For the last week, I've been going to bed at about 8:30 pm and am still waking up completely and utterly exhausted and depleted. I think our galeforce winds are sucking the life from me...like a Dilbert cartoon or something. Mother Nature is being a real monster.

Produce On ParadeI can see it, my soul being ripped from me and carried on the winds to god knows where. I need snow and I need to be outside. Neither of which I've been fortunate enough to enjoy for the last week or so. It's no way to live, people. It's no way to live.

My restlessness has been burgeoning, but now it seems to have imploded. I'm like a caged animal! 

Anyways, irritability has seeped into even my grocery shopping! Normally, a bourguignon has pearl onions in it. If you're a skrillionmillionaire, then go ahead and saute them with the mushrooms. I decided not to drain my 401k, and so I left the tiny $6 pack of pearl onions at the store. Annoyed, as I stood there staring at the expensive little cuties, I concluded that my bourguignon would be fine without them. 

Despite the absence of pearl onions, this bourguignon is rich with flavor. Hearty chunks of beets and red potatoes mingle with thick slices of portobello mushrooms and meaty lentils for a filling meal.

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Isn't it odd what we decide to spend our money on? $16 vegan Omega-3 supplements, yes. $9 vegan and cruelty-free deodorant, yes. $6 pack of pearl onions...over my dead body!! It's intriguing, because usually with fruits and vegetables I'm pretty liberal with my spending. Except for grapes. What, did I recently win the lottery recently or something?!

Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon 

Serves 6

Notes: If you'd like this more stew like, just double the wine and vegetable stock.

  • Lentils:
  • 2 cups green or brown lentils, dry
  • 4 cups water
  • Sustenance: 
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 medium beets, peeled and chopped
  • 4 medium red potatoes, chopped
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Flavoring:
  • 8 oz. red wine
  • 16 oz. vegetable stock
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 
  • Mushrooms:
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 10 crimini mushrooms, quartered
  • Thickening:
  • 2 tsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
  • 1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and set aside. 

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic. Saute a few minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add in the remaining sustenance ingredients and cook for 5 additional minutes. Add in the flavoring ingredients and continue to cook, covered, for 20 more minutes. 

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add in the mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes over medium-low, until shrunken and dark and all the water has evaporated.

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon In a small bowl, mix together the thickening ingredients then pour into the soup pot and stir to combine.

Add the cooked lentils and mushrooms to the soup pot and stir.

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon Remove bay leaves and serve hot!  Top with nutritional yeast if you like. 

Produce On Parade - Red Potato and Beet Bourguignon

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[yumprint-recipe id='76'] 

Broccoli Walnut Pesto

This creamy pesto, lightened up by using a smaller amount of oil, gets it's zing from lemon juice and miso. Pine nuts, move over because walnuts are taking center stage here. And for real, fresh basil in Alaska in January can be hard to come by. Plus, I'm not a bajillionaire. Broccoli it is!

“Oh my god, this is soooo so good!” ”Great! I’m glad you like it. It’s mostly broccoli and walnuts, so I was kind of worried that you wouldn’t.””Geeeeezzze, don’t tell me that!”
— Todd

Who says pesto can't be cheap, lower in calories, and seriously delicious...all while still being vegan? I say that it can and it shall be. 

If you have trouble getting your family members (husband included) to eat broccoli, this is your dish. Straight up. When Todd got home from work, I told him we were having pasta for dinner. This is usually pretty exciting because we don't tend to eat it very often.

Then, he walked into the kitchen and saw a giant bowl of broccoli. His face melted from delight to what can best be described as that of a kid who tore open a present on Christmas morning only to find a crocheted tie from Aunt Gladys. Disappointed and a bit bamboozled. 

He self-proclaims that he's "not-big-on-broccoli". That it's not really his thing. Well, four servings later, one for me and three for Todd...I ended up surrendering a big bowl of the pesto pasta to Todd for his lunch. I brought a PB&J to work. Best wife ever? Dang, now I really want some of that pesto!

Broccoli Walnut Pesto


Broccoli Walnut Pesto
By

This creamy pesto, lightened up by using a smaller amount of oil, gets it's zing from lemon juice and miso. Pine nuts, move over because walnuts are taking center stage here. And for real, fresh basil in Alaska in January can be hard to come by. Plus, I'm not a bajillionaire. Broccoli it is!

Ingredients
  • 1 large head of broccoli, florets only
  • 16 oz. of dry pasta
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 small handful of fresh basil (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. walnut oil (olive oil will work, too)
  • 1 Tbsp. miso paste
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Instructions
  1. In a large pot of water, boil the broccoli florets for 3 minutes until bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon (keeping the water in the pot) and rinse under cold water; set aside.
  2. Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package. Strain once cooked but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta. Return the noodles to pot and set aside.
  3. While the pasta cooks, in a food processor combine the walnuts through the vinegar and process until it's reached a fine consistency. There will be a lot of scraping down the sides of the bowl, but it's a small price to pay. Add the florets and process until very smooth and creamy.
  4. Stir the pesto sauce and some reserved water into the pot of cooked noodles until it’s reached a desired consistency. Salt to taste.
  5. Serve hot with some crushed walnuts on top, if you like!

    6. Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Yield: 6 servings
Broccoli Walnut Pesto - Produce On Parade - This creamy pesto, lightened up by using a smaller amount of oil, gets it's zing from lemon juice and miso. Pine nuts, move over because walnuts are taking center stage here. And for real, fresh basil in A…