Shaved Fennel Salad with Arugula and Orange

Fennel is a bright, crispy bulb-like vegetable with a faint flavor of licorice and is slightly sweet. It is well-loved in Mediterranean cooking and is a lovely addition to salads. The orange in the recipe nicely complements the peppery greens and the licorice flavor of the fennel.

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Shaved Fennel Salad with Arugula and Orange

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD
Servings: 4
Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

4-6 handfuls arugula
1⁄2 fennel bulb, core removed, sliced thin
1 orange, zested then peel cut away and sliced into rounds
1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon mild vinegar like Champagne vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
1-2 grinds of fresh pepper
1-2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Arrange the arugula, fennel and oranges in a salad bowl. Drizzle with orange zest, oil and vinegar, and sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper. Toss just before serving and garnish with a few of the feathery fennel frons.

Nutrients per serving: Calories 58; Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 6.5g; Fiber 2g; Sugar 3g; Protein 1g

Roasted Vegetable Tagine with Apricot Chutney and Chermoula

Roasted Vegetable Tagine with Apricot Chutney and Chermoula

Diet trends come and go, but having a diet rich in vegetables has always been recognized for its ability to promote health. Getting a variety of vegetables in your diet each day should be a priority for everyone.

While veggies are great boiled, steamed or raw, my favorite way to eat veggies is roasted. Roasting is a wonderful technique for bringing out vegetables’ natural sweetness and deep flavor.

This recipe involves two sauces that add dramatic flavor to the veggies. They are easy to make and definitely worth the time investment. Each recipe makes a large quantity that can be frozen in portions for future use to make quick gourmet quality dinners with minimal time and effort.

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Roasted Vegetable Tagine with Apricot Chutney and Chermoula

A tagine is a North African stew that is named after the clay pot in which it is typically prepared. The chutney and chermoula in this tagine add dramatic sweet, tart and spicy flavor to the caramelized vegetables.

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD; Adapted from Late Harvest Kitchen
Serves: 6
Time: 45 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 6 cups prepared brown rice, quinoa or couscous

• 9-12 cups of assorted raw vegetables,* chopped in large bite size pieces

• Apricot Chutney 

• Chermoula

• Optional: Feta, Northern or garbanzo beans, chicken or lamb**

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss each veggie with a small amount of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on one or two large sheet pans. Keep the veggies in individual groups rather than mixed. This will allow you to easily remove veggies that finish roasting before others. 

3. Roast the veggies for 25-40 minutes or until the veggies are fork tender and slightly charred. Flip veggies once while roasting. 

4. While the veggies are roasting make the chutney and chermoula.

5.  To serve, place the roasted veggies on a bed of rice. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of chermoula and a spoonful of chutney. Enjoy. 

* Use your favorite veggies. Broccoli and cauliflower florets, broccolini, carrots, parsnips, pearl onions, green beans and button mushrooms all work well. Plan on 1.5-2 cups of raw veggies per person if serving the dish as a main course. 

** Adding Northern beans, garbanzo beans, lamb or chicken will make this a complete meal. 

Check out these addition tips for perfect roasted veggies.

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Apricot Chutney

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD; Adapted from Late Harvest Kitchen
Makes 3 cups
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried apricots (about 6 ounces)

• ½ red onion

• 2 medium garlic cloves

• 1 packed cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems (about ½ bunch)

• ½ cup coconut or brown sugar

• 1 ½ cup red wine vinegar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the apricots in a food processor and pulse until the fruit is small pieces. 

2. Add the onion, garlic and cilantro to the processor with the dried fruit. Run the machine until all ingredients are finely chopped. 

3. Place the fruit and onion mixture in a sauce pan with the sugar and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes:

• This mixture keeps for months in the freezer. Portion the mixture in ½ cup servings for easy use in the future. Gently warm before serving.

• It your apricots are particularly tart add an additional tablespoon of sugar. 

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Chermoula

Chermoula is a marinade or relish commonly served in North African cooking. It traditionally includes herbs and many spices to flavor fish, seafood, meats and veggies. 

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD; Adapted from Late Harvest Kitchen
Makes 2 cups
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon ginger powder

• ½ teaspoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon coriander

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 squirt sriracha

• 1-1¼ cup neutral olive oil

• 1 large shallot 

• 2 medium cloves garlic

• 2 packed cups parsley, leaves and tender stems (about 1 bunch)

• 1 packed cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems (about ½ bunch)

• 2 Tablespoon sugar or honey

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor with the exception of the olive oil. Run the machine until the mixture is finely chopped. 

2. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture is the consistency of a sauce that can be drizzled on the veggies. 

3. Adjust seasoning and spices to taste. 

Note:

•  This mixture keeps well in the freezer. Portion the mixture in ¼- ½ cup servings for easy use in the future. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Fresh, raw greens are the most nutritious foods we can eat as they provide great antioxidants and include many important nutrients that nourish our bodies and prevent illness. They should be included in everyone’s daily diet, but it’s sometimes hard to find variety with how we eat them. Sure, salads are easy to throw together, but it’s not the only way to enjoy greens. Try sautéing spinach to add variety to your dinner plate and increase your intake of this nutrient-dense food. In this recipe, we’ll use walnuts, raisins and garlic to add depth and flavor to the spinach. Don’t have these in your pantry? Try substituting pine nuts or slivered almonds for the nuts and cranberries or currents for the pop of sweetness. This recipe comes together in minutes and is ideal for using up spinach or other greens in your fridge.

Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Spinach is a versatile green. The tender leaf is ideal for salads but can become a delicious savory warm side dish. Pairing this green with walnuts and raisins creates a delicious sweet umami flavor that complements any hearty meal. 

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD

Time: 8-10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, whole but crushed

1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

¼ cup raw walnuts

2 Tablespoons raisins

6 cups spinach (5 ounce package), washed and dried

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, walnuts and raisins. Sauté this mixture until the walnuts start to toast, the raisins plum and the garlic becomes soft, about 2-3 minutes 

2.    Add the spinach to the pan. Gently toss the leaves periodically until the greens are soft and wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. 

3.    Serve warm.