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

By Katie Henry - 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 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!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:15
Total time: 00:25
Yield: 6 servings

Listening to Portugal. The Man – Modern Jesus

Remarkable Root Soup

I cannot wait for this long weekend. Yesterday, I was given the opportunity (aka nightmare) to give a speech about being a Radiologic Technologist to a large group of high schoolers with a specific interest in the healthcare field. Public speaking and I do not exactly go hand-in-hand. We don't even see eye-to-eye. In fact, I pretty much completely pretend to ignore such a thing even exists. Public speaking is my nemesis. Okay, let's be real...just talking to people in general is my weakness. I'm terribly socially awkward. If you've ever had a conversation with me, there's a lot of holding my breath, trembling words, and shaky hands. Does anyone else have this problem or am I just a complete freak? During this speech I was pretty sure I would stop breathing altogether (it happens...a lot) and shake so violently that I would just pass out of the floor, convulsing while 16 year old punks laughed at me. That didn't happen, but it's kind of a miracle it didn't. Anyways, my point is, after two foreboding weeks of not-so-innocuous tummy troubles and sleepless nights due to the stress of giving said speech, I am definitely looking forward to recovering during this three day weekend. I'm just going to lay in bed and sleep and dream of MLK. 

Okay that's not true, I actually had something else planned. Todd went to a rural village in Alaska about a week or so ago for work and when this happens he's usually granted a day off from work because he has to spend the night there. I had a secret trip planned to go nordic skiing during this long weekend and now I find out he's not taking his day off! I think steam is still escaping from my ears. Needless to say, I am completely filled to the brim with sorrow. So, I will have to live vicariously through you all. Please, please, tell me about all the fun things you're going to do with your long weekend. I'll just be bummin'...alone...all by myself.

On the plus side I made this soup a few days ago, and let me tell you, it's pretty darn remarkable. Who'd think that a few red potatoes, onions and one ugly-ass celery root would make such a deliciously, silky soup? Those peasants knew what was up. 

Have you ever cooked with celery root, aka celeriac? When Todd saw it, he was like, "Ugh! What is that ugly thing?!" He was pretty surprised when I told him I was going to make a soup out of it. I actually think he's a pretty awesome little guy (the celeriac). Makes me sad to think everyone's going about saying how wretched looking he is. Yes, in case you weren't sure...celery root is male. Obviously.

I like all his weird little knobs and crannies....that sounded a bit vulgar, I'm sorry for that. 

Remarkable Root Soup

Serves 4 

• 1/2 cup dry red lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 1 medium celery root (celeriac) about 2 lbs, peeled and diced
• 3 medium red potatoes about 1.5 lbs, diced
•  pinch of kosher salt
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. miso paste

Notes: If using brown or green lentils, they may need longer to cook. The celery root needs the peel removed. It's very easy, I just use a knife. 

In a small saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside for later.

In a very large frying pan or soup pot heat the coconut oil over medium. Add the paprika and saute for about 30 seconds. 

Now, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions become soft.

Then, add the celery root and potatoes. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and saute for another 10 minutes. 

Now, pour in the broth, deglazing the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes and celery root are soft. 

Remove the bay leaves and carefully transfer the chunky soup to a blender. Add the miso paste and blend on high for a few minutes, until the soup is silky smooth.

Transfer back into the large frying pan or soup pot and stir in the lentils. 

Serve hot and sprinkled with a bit of paprika and olive oil. 

Listening to Dillon – Thirteen Thirty-Five

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Comforting Shepherd's Stew

January and new year resolutions. I'm not into it too much. The latter that is. However, if you've got some changes to make in your life, especially in the food department (don't we all...don't touch that Oreo, Katie...) or just want to learn how to make healthier choices and free yourself from those "food prisons" I know some people put themselves in, then you'll have to check out my blogger friend Claire's new ebook over at Eat Well Party Hard. It's a very funny, no-nonsense ebook, complete with worksheets and straightforward advice to help get you on the right path. So go check it out!   January also calls for stew. But not just any stew. A thick, rich and almost gravy-like stew filled with hearty potatoes, crispy tofu, silky greens and fresh veggies. This stew is full of flavor and sure to fill you up! It's not messin' around. 

I'm not sure if the Lower 48 is still having their winter storm *cough* just another day in Alaska *cough*, but being born and raised in The Last Frontier, I can definitely say that this is one BA cold weather soup. Perfect for those -20 F days (not including wind chill). Has it warmed up in the States yet?

Comforting Shepherd's Stew

Serves 8

• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium red potatoes, diced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large portobello mushroom, diced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian herbs
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups vegetable broth
•  2 cups water (more or less for desired thickness)
• 1 Tbsp. oil olive 
• 1 lb. package of extra-firm tofu (I like sprouted tofu), drained and cubed
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

Notes: Adjust the water to your personal preference for the soups thickness. If using tofu that's in a plastic box container as opposed to one that's vacuum sealed, you'll probably want to press it for about 20-30 minutes. 

In large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the paprika, turmeric and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds. 

Now, add in the onion, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions become tender. 

Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Saute for about 10 minutes.

Then, add the mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes. 

Next, add the flour and dried herbs. Stir well to coat. Turn the heat to high and add in the soy sauce, Worcestershire, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium. Blot the tofu with a clean towel to remove any excess liquid and add the cubed tofu to the pan. Fry for about 10-15 minutes, scraping with a metal spatula, until the outside becomes somewhat crispy and brown.

Remove the soup from heat and stir in the vinegar, nutritional yeast, fresh parsley, spinach, and browned tofu. 

Serve hot and sprinkled with additional paprika and fresh parsley.

I do need to be better about returning library materials on time. I guess that's my new year resolution...does that count?

Listening to Churchill – Change

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