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Bursting with Spring Buckwheat Noodles

May 5 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Beautiful photography in this post by Nina Menconi.

Spring makes me happy. It’s not just the sweet strawberries and ripe cherries that start popping up everywhere this time of year, or the yellow daffodils and tulips that tell me that winter is a distant memory. It’s the baby carrots and happy easter radishes, crunchy sweet sugar snap peas, and tender stalks of asparagus that make me want to cook and play in the kitchen. From radish dips to noodles bursting with spring produce, I’m energized to find ways to easily work in these yummy seasonal treats into my weekly meals.

And it’s not only because I love the taste of spring. Do you know how many nutritious goodies (including energy!) these vegetables and fruits provide?! I love looking at Ashley Koff’s spring vegetable “picks” list to feel great knowing that I’m treating my body and my family’s health right! The key of course is to “try” not go overboard–playing with new recipes should be fun, not stressful. That’s why I love simple one dish meals like soba noodles. I use my go-to sauce from the Joyful 12 kitchen learning lab and just mix up the seasonal produce on hand.

One of my new favorite things to add to soba noodles is roasted tofu. It sounds a little crazy, but I’m a newcomer to tofu as a protein source that makes it home in my shopping cart! I just never played with it much until recently when I was trying out a recipe that called for roasting it. In just 20-minutes, roasted tofu develops the most beautiful brown color and deep flavor without having to pan sear or fry it in a bunch of oil. And while I have the oven on anyway, I throw in some diced asparagus for ten minutes–just long enough to develop flavor but not lose the vibrant green hues.

When it comes to play, my motto is always to have fun making mistakes. Take this goof for example. I put my cooked soba noodles into my pan, along with the sauce and veggies and stirred and stirred and stirred, and guess what. The noodles broke! So much for long beautiful soba noodles–more like soba rice! But that just gave me the chance to make this recipe one more time for my husband, Jim, who adores soba noodles. After a little research, I discovered that the trick to not breaking your cooked noodles is to first wash them after cooking them in a big bowl of cold water (to remove some of their starch) AND to add your sauce and veggies off the heat and gently toss them just before serving. Version one was still delicious!

If you’re looking for a seriously happy and delicious spring meal, perfect for Meatless Monday, grab some sugar snap peas and asparagus and let the soba noodle party commence!

Bursting with Spring Buckwheat Noodles

2016-05-03 21:07:09

Serves 4

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

40 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

40 min

Ingredients

Asparagus, 1 bunch
Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
Salt, ½ tsp (divided)
Tofu, firm, 14 oz
Black pepper, ⅛ tsp
Green onion, 1 bunch
Sugar snap peas, 1 cup
Ginger (fresh), 1tsp finely chopped
Soba noodles (100% Buckwheat) 7 oz

Noodle Sauce

Hot pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp
Rice wine vinegar, 2 TBS
Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), 1/4 cup
Sesame oil, 1/4 cup
Ginger (fresh), 2 tsp finely grated

Instructions

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Cut asparagus on the bias into medium sized pieces. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Dry off tofu and cut into medium sized (bite-sized) cubes, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
Place tofu and asparagus on two different baking pans lined with parchment paper--roast the tofu for 20 minutes and the asparagus for 10 minutes at 425F.
Cut green onion into small pieces. Set aside some of the green tops to use as a garnish on the noodles when you serve them.
Cut the sugar snap peas into bite sized pieces.
Chop 1 teaspoon of ginger and set aside for the vegetable saute. Finely grate 2 additional teaspoons ginger for the noodle sauce.
Make the pasta sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and stirring together.

Cook

Cook noodles separately, according to their package instructions (approximately 5-7 minutes in boiling water--DO NOT salt!). Get a colander ready so you can rinse the noodles right after they are done cooking in cool water. Note: soba noodles should not be al dente, but you also don’t want to overcook them so taste one before pulling the pot off the heat. Once they have been rinsed, you’re now going to dunk the cooked noodles in a big bowl of cold water and “wash them” of their starch. Use your hands and rub them in the water. Drain again in the colander. Now they are ready to be used.
In a pre-heated pan, saute green onion, peas and ginger in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
Add roasted asparagus, tofu, and your sauce to the saute and continue cooking another 2 minutes.
Gently toss sauteed vegetables and sauce with the noodles in a bowl (off the heat).
Serve in bowls garnished with a little extra green onion and sprinkled with hot pepper flakes, if you like it extra spicy!

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Ashley Koff’s Approved Spring Veggies

May 25 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Spring is wrapping up now, and while I’m looking forward to sharing some fine summer recipes with you all, I will miss the spring lineup. We’ve spent plenty of time talking about the histories, both public and personal, behind our favorite spring vegetables, but hey- what about the nutrition?

Here then is a rundown of the nutritional benefits behind some perennial spring faves from Ashley Koff Approved, reprinted with her permission. Ashley Koff RD is an award-winning dietitian and creator of the Better Nutrition, Simplified program. You can read the original post and many others, here.

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus is one of the most versatile spring vegetables with a long list of health benefits. Asparagus contains the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), which can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It also contains inulin, which is a carbohydrate that is not broken down by the human body. Inulin is considered a prebiotic, which becomes a food source for probiotics in the large intestine and supports digestive health. Asparagus is also a good source of Vitamins C, E, and K, folate, and zinc. Asparagus is great roasted, grilled, steamed, pureed into soups or baked into frittatas.

RADISHES

This crunchy spring root vegetable varies in flavor from sweet to peppery can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, which help detoxify your body and support a healthy immune system. Radishes are also a good source of potassium, which has been to shown to relax blood vessels and helps to reduce blood pressure. Radishes are a great way to add crunch and texture to your food for very few calories (25 calories/cup, sliced).

SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Sugar snap peas are a cross between green peas and snow peas. Sugar snap peas are a great low-calorie snack option and are a good source of folic acid, which is required for DNA synthesis – and Vitamin K, which plays a key role in the blood clotting. We love snacking of sugar snap peas raw, with dips, and used in stir-fry recipes.

BROCCOLETTE

This hybrid vegetable of Chinese kale and broccoli is similar in flavor to asparagus. Like other members of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccolette is a good source of dietary fiber, which supports a healthy digestive system. It also contains glucosinolates, which are antioxidants that may have a role in reducing the risk of certain types of cancers. Broccolette can be enjoyed similar to broccoli – steamed or roasted as a side dish, tossed into your favorite pasta recipe, or even made into a pesto like this recipe courtesy of Earthbound Farm Organics.

RHUBARB

Rhubarb is most popularly known for it’s role in baked goods like pies and often paired with sweeter fruits like strawberries to compliment its tartness. Though it is normally treated like a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable. Rhubarb is high in fiber, and high in vitamin A, which is an important vitamin for eye health. Rhubarb when it is cooked is also one of the best plant sources of calcium. Rhubarb is a great addition to any baked pies or cakes or thickened to a sauce. Make sure to remove the leaves of the rhubarb plant, they contain a poisonous substance called oxalic acid.

MANGOS

“King of Fruits” – Mangos provide just 100 calories per cup and 100% of your daily value of vitamin C. Mangos are also high in vitamin B6, which is necessary in the production of the inhibitory transmitter in the brain, GABA. Mango can be added to sweet and savory dishes. We love adding mangos to our smoothies and making salsas with it to pair over fish. When choosing a ripe mango, the skin should be firm but give a little when pressed with your thumb.

HONEYDEW

There is nothing more refreshing than biting into a juicy piece of melon as the days become warmer. Honeydew is nature’s candy with many nutrient benefits. Honeydew is roughly 90% water, which makes it a filling snack at just 60 calories per cup. Paired with potassium, honeydew may have a role in regulating blood pressure levels. Like other melons, honeydew is also a good source of vitamin c, which helps produce collagen for healthier looking skin. Honeydew can be paired with protein-rich Greek yogurt or in a tomato salad with feta cheese.

These are just a few of our favorite flavors of spring. Take a stroll to your local farmers market and see what else spring has to offer. Eating seasonally and locally tastes better and is easier on the wallet, as farmers are usually willing to strike a deal – even on organic!

Take Back Lunch—With My Spring Build-a-Veggie-Toast Bar!

May 6 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

We’re joining Healthy Planet US this month to “take back lunch!” During May, you can join in this deliciously fun 21-day healthy cooking challenge. It’s easy to join: register at https://healthyplanetus.org/21daychallenge/. On May 11th, they will be giving away three Joyful 12 memberships, so be sure to register to receive daily updates and inspiration!

I was never a PB&J kid. I didn’t like sandwiches at all. Orange squares of cheddar cheese, atop salty crunchy Triscuits with a medley of fruit—this, I relished. But the sad bologna squares my friends ate with their Cheetos were not for me. From a very young age, I knew lunch was more than calories to fill my stomach. It was a chance to laugh and talk with my friends while munching on a small meal that satisfied my precocious need for variety, texture, and colorful bites to sample.

Not much has changed. When I’m cooking with kids or teaching adults in a class, I love to expand their ideas of what a tasty but simple lunch can look like. Ingredients are paramount, and my preference is to start with the vegetables first and build the rest of the meal around them. That’s fairly easy, when you begin with what’s in season. Right now, I’m seeing peas, radishes, and strawberries everywhere, so that’s where I begin.

When our partners and good friends at Healthy Planet US, Bryan Jersky, Chief Grower and CEO, and Erinn Butulis, Head of Storytelling, asked me if I’d like to share a fun recipe for their take back lunch challenge, I knew I’d need to channel my inner child to share a simple yet fun way to incorporate vegetables into the beloved sandwich—with an open-faced twist. My dislike for sandwiches hasn’t budged much in twenty years (or so!), but my love of savory and sweet spreads on artisan breads has just begun.

Toast bars and featured specialty toast menu items are all the rage now, and not just in San Francisco. Thick slices of homemade breads perfectly toasted with rich, creamy, and crunchy toppings satisfy customers’ basic needs to feel nourished and delighted. While, I’m a huge fan of supporting these restaurants, as a cook I know that in my own home kitchen, I can recreate these experiences, get more value for my dollar and even make them more vegetable focused.

This spring I’m making two cream cheese based spreads in the Joyful 12 that are made with radishes and are perfect on toasts and to dip spring veggies into as a snack for kids. Bringing back one of my childhood favorites, strawberry cream cheese, I mix fresh radishes, strawberries, and cream cheese together with just a hint of honey to produce a creamy pink spread that’s perfect on bagels and toasts alike. Using the same method, I can quickly switch up the flavors by using the ranch flavorings in my “Easy Homemade Ranch Dip”, mixing dried parsley, granulated onion, salt and pepper, with cream cheese and grated radishes. Just a warning—this dip can be very addictive!

The really fun part of making your own food is the twists and turns that can happen when you start with a recipe you know and trust but then deviate with whatever is on hand. This is exactly what happened with my pea toasts. I figured if radish spreads were delicious on toast, why wouldn’t a pea spread work as well! The French adore the simple pleasure of fresh, organic butter on toast topped with spring radish and a sprinkle of salt. Thus, my pea butter was created as a deviation from a classic that works—but with a pea perfect twist. Believe me, when you eat one of my creamy sweet pea butter toasts with crunchy sugar snaps on top, you’ll be glad you took back lunch by making it yourself!

A Rainbow of Radish and Spring Pea Toasts

2015-05-05 16:07:54

Serves 4

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

Red radish, 1 bunch (divided)
Breakfast radish, 1 bunch
Sugar snap peas, 1 cup
Bread, your favorite toast bread (4-6 slices)

Sweet Strawberry and Radish Cream Cheese Dip

Strawberries (fresh), 5
Cream cheese, 8oz
Red radish, 5 (from your bunch)
Honey, 1/2 TBS

Savory Red Radish Cream Cheese Dip

Red radish, 5 (from your bunch)
Cream cheese, 8 oz
Parsley (dried), 1 tsp
Onion (dried), 1 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Black pepper, 1/4 tsp

Sweet pea butter

Unsalted organic butter, 4 TBS
Organic frozen sweet peas, ½ cup
Tarragon (fresh), 2 tsp.
Salt, ½ tsp
Zest of 1 orange

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce.
Bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature.
If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling salted water for 1 minute, remove and drain before using to make the pea butter. If using frozen peas, bring to room temperature before using to make the pea butter.
For the mixture of radishes you’ll use to top the toasts, cut into thin rounds and set aside.
Snap peas used for topping your pea butter toasts can be left whole or sliced down the middle to reveal their interior peas.

Assemble

For either of the radish dips, blend the 5 radishes that go into the dip in the food processor until finely grated.
Then, add all other ingredients, depending on which dip you’ve chosen, and room temperature cream cheese. Blend until smooth in a bowl with a fork or spatula.
To make pea butter: smash peas with a fork. Smash butter until creamy with a fork (or use your food processor). Combine peas, tarragon, butter and salt and set aside.
Toast your bread and build your toasts using the pea butter topped with sugar snaps, or a radish toast with either radish dip topped with thinly sliced radishes. Enjoy these delicious toasts as a lunch, a healthy snack, or use the dips with fresh veggies in your packed lunch!

By Chef Hollie

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Meatless Monday Curried Quinoa Cakes with a Minty Pea Dipping Sauce

Apr 20 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

Everywhere I look, glorious peas abound. Sugar snaps are overflowing in my local grocery store, shelling peas are perfectly packed in tiny bags at the farmers market, and snow peas have been making my fried rice dishes even sweeter. But what do you do in your home kitchen when you run out of ideas for how to fit them into your Meatless Monday meals?

This week, I’ve got a fun and filling main course that take spring peas to a saucy level. What inspired me to create this recipe was a delicious veggie burger I recently enjoyed at a food and health conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, California. Those little black eyed pea patties I sampled were not only moist and flavorful, but they also had great texture and mouthfeel.

My Meatless Monday meals generally revolve around what I’ve purchased from my Sunday farmers market and what’s at home in my pantry. Quinoa and chickpeas are always on hand in my kitchen, so my idea for little veggie burgers turned into quinoa cakes before I knew it. The next question I had to resolve was “in the burger” or “on top of it?” I adore pureeing peas and adding them to my risotto and my baked goat cheese dip, so I figured I could easily make them into a delicious and bright sauce in a matter of minutes–and that’s exactly what I did!

With kids, I adore helping them discover the joy of cooking a meatless meal by taking them on an adventure and telling the story of the dish we are making together. In my case, I lucked out with a fun story about the very first veggie burger. K. Annabelle Smith, from Smithsonian.com, just ran a story about the 32nd anniversary of the very first commercially sold “VegeBurger” by Gregory Sams of the London based restaurant, SEED.

We youngsters take it for granted that eating plant based has always been in vogue, but actually, Gregory and his brother helped pave the road for a vegetarian diet to go mainstream in their country.

“Though vegetarianism has a history that dates back to ancient Egypt, in the late ’60s a no-meat diet was less common in the UK than today—it was reserved for the hippies. Growing up, Sams was the only vegetarian in his class. In the United States, vegetarianism wasn’t trendy until 1971 when Frances Moore Lappé’s bestseller Diet for a Small Planet hit shelves.”

I would like to dedicate this post to Gregory Sams for making veggies the stars of the dinner plate way back in the early 80’s, because I’m pretty sure my mom was considered a “hippy” at times when she filled my plate up with an abundance of peas and other veggies as my main course.

This Meatless Monday, I hope you’ll enjoy making our Curried Quinoa Cakes with your little budding chefs, and make sure to let the peas become the special sauce to your veggie burgers!

Curried Quinoa Cakes with a Minty Pea Dipping Sauce

2015-04-15 18:26:54

Serves 4

Culinary note: when peas are fresh, we prefer using them. Just quickly blanch them, submerge in boiling salty water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and drain before placing them in the blender for our minty sauce. If using organic frozen peas, let them come to room temperature before adding them to the blender.

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

30 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

30 min

Ingredients

Quinoa, 1 cup
Chickpeas, 15 oz
Plain Yogurt, organic, ½ cup
Curry powder, 3 tsp
Cayenne, ¼ tsp
Cilantro, 1 cup (packed)
Salt, 1 ½ tsp
Egg, 1
GF Quinoa flour (or regular AP), ½ cup
Coconut oil, 2 tablespoons (divided)

Minty Pea Dipping Sauce

Shelled green peas, fresh (or frozen), 1 cup
Plain yogurt, organic, ½ cup
Mint, fresh, ½ cup (packed)
Salt, ¼ tsp

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce.
Preheat oven to 425F.
If using fresh peas for the dipping sauce, blanch them (submerge in boiling salty water for 30 seconds to 1 minute) before adding to the blender. If using frozen green peas in place of fresh, allow them to come to room temperature before placing in blender.
Cook quinoa according to the package instructions. Let air dry on a cookie sheet.
Drain chickpeas and rinse.
Rough chop cilantro.
Make the minty pea sauce by placing all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until chunky. Set aside.

Cook

Mix together chickpeas, yogurt, curry powder, cayenne, and cilantro in a food processor or blender.
In a bowl, mix the cooked quinoa and chickpea-yogurt blend, along with one egg and the quinoa flour.
Using a ⅓ cup measurer, make 8 portions. Roll each into a ball with your hands. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, which will allow the patties to come together.
Preheat a nonstick pan. Add one tablespoon coconut oil. When hot, add four of the patties to the pan. Gently press down with a spatula. After 2-3 minutes, flip each patty and let cook another 2 minutes on the other side. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside while you cook the remaining 4 patties in an additional tablespoon of coconut oil.
Place all 8 patties in the oven for 5-7 minutes to finish cooking.
Serve with minty pea sauce on the side and additional chopped cilantro or mint, as you desire.

By Chef Hollie

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Exploring Spring Peas

Mar 30 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Can you tell the difference between a sugar snap pea and a snow pea? Kids at Lu Sutton Elementary can! They learned about the three most common types of peas we eat during spring as a part of the Joyful 12 School Project and their “Eat Green” challenge during the month of March.

We just completed week four of our Joyful 12 School pilot at Lu Sutton Elementary in Novato, CA, and we’ve accomplished so much in the few weeks we’ve been there. I’ve had parents and teachers tell me that the children are coming home talking about the vegetable of the week and saying things like, “It’s so important to try new foods,” and asking their parents to make them spinach smoothies. I promise, I’m telling the vegetable truth!

In addition to every member of the school receiving free access my Joyful 12 Online Kitchen Learning Lab to learn how to cook vegetables at home with their families, the amazing thing about our project has been the community effort from teachers to parents to community partners that have made it possible for us to help this school community excite, educate, and empower 360 children in Novato to learn how to explore seasonal vegetables as their new healthy (and delicious) food culture!

Each Monday, 360 kids have sampled our vegetable of the week through the school food samples I’ve been making with Miguel Villarreal, Director of Food and Nutritional Services for NUSD, and his dietetic interns Dorette Franks and Robin Larkson: Brussels sprouts, asparagus, spinach, and this week was peas!

Each Wednesday, our friends and partners, Chefs Elianna Friedman, Amy Nghe and Rachel Kiichli from Bay Leaf Kitchen, have taught anywhere from 30-50 kids of the school as I’ve been teaching their parents how to cook the vegetable of the week at least two different ways. Last week, we made a spring spinach Minestrone and Spinach Pesto Toasts (in just an hour!) and this week was a Spring Pea Fried Rice and fresh strawberries for dessert.

Our vegetable report cards in the gymnasium are filling up with kids declaring they’ve tried the vegetable of the week with their stickers (see photo attached of weeks 1-3)! Kids will fill out their last board for peas this week!

Huge thanks to all of our partners in the Bay Area for their support of this pilot: Director Miguel Villarreal and the Food and Nutritional Services Department of NUSD, Bay Leaf Kitchen, Whole Foods Market® Novato, The Humane Society of the United States, and the SF-Marin Food Bank. Our amazing chefs, educators, and dietetic interns: Amy Orlandi, Dorette Franks, Robin Larkson, and Delaney Kidd.

If all this talk of peas has made you crave a heaping plate of them, you can make our Spring Pea Veggie Fried Rice at home with your kids and experience the joy we felt when this Novato community came together to celebrate cooking, eating, and relishing seasonal veggies!

Spring Pea Veggie Fried Rice

2015-03-27 17:11:32

Serves 8

Save Recipe

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

Pre-cooked and chilled brown rice, 6 cups (cooked)
Coconut oil or vegetable oil, 2 TBS
Carrots, 2
Ginger (fresh), 1 TBS
Green onions, 1 bunch
Green peas, 1 cup (fresh shelled or frozen)
Eggs, 2
Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), 1/2 cup
Sesame oil (dark), 2 TBS
Lime, 1

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Cook the brown rice in advance. This is a great thing to do the night before. Cook according to package instructions. Hold in refrigerator.
Peel and grate the carrots, peel and mince the ginger, slice green onions into small dice (both the white and green parts). Set aside some of the green tops of the onions as a garnish!
Shell fresh peas (or use frozen).
Chop cilantro and set aside as a garnish.
Zest and juice lime.
Crack eggs into bowl and beat them with a fork.

Cook

In a large deep bottom pan, heat the oil over medium high heat and cook the carrot and ginger for approximately 3 minutes.
Next add your other vegetables (scallions and peas) and cook an additional 2 minutes on medium high. *Note – you can substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand for what’s in this list, including frozen veggies. Try to make sure there is a variety of colors – green, red, orange, etc.
Push the vegetables to the left side of the pan. Next add your two eggs that you have lightly beaten with a fork in a separate bowl. You will scramble them on the right side of the pan and then mix them into the vegetables.
Add your tamari and sesame oil, and check for flavoring. Add the juice of ½ lime. Cut the other ½ lime into wedges to garnish each serving of the fried rice.
Mix in the chilled rice well and cook for an additional two minutes on medium high heat or until heated through.
To serve, you can top each bowl with extra green onion and cilantro.

By Chef Hollie

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Visual Recipe: Tarragon Chicken and Mushroom Wild Rice Casserole

Oct 9 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

On a cold fall night, who doesn’t love a casserole? We created this one pot meal for families who need a little comfort with their dose of good health on a weekday night. The wild and brown rice give this casserole a wonderful, nutty taste and texture, which pair beautifully with the creamy tarragon chicken and mushrooms and their cheesy rich topping. We enjoy this casserole with a simple butter lettuce salad dressed with our family friendly measure-and-shake homemade salad dressing. Voila! Dinner is served.

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