Pamela, Author at Pamela Salzman

Moroccan carrot and beet salad recipe

London has been amazing! Freezing, but amazing! At least we were prepared with our winter outerwear for the unseasonably cold temperatures. We have seen so much and the kids have really enjoyed it all. After our month in Europe this summer, we learned a bit about how to keep the kids engaged and not wanting to kill each other. We also learned that Mr. Picky, who is 9, has a 1 1/2 hour time limit in any museum (2 hours if he just ate breakfast.) Whatever we didn’t get to see will just have to wait until our next visit.

This week we have also booked a private guide each day, which has taken the pressure off my husband from whatever palace or neighborhood we are checking out. Besides going to many of the major sites, we also had a tour of London’s East End and its many outdoor markets, a rock tour (think The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, not One Direction), and a Shakespeare tour. All worth it and much more interesting for the kids! We are leaving London today for Chewton Glen in Hampshire. My husband visited when he was a child and loved it. I’m hoping it’s still as wonderful 30 years later and I’m hoping we make it in one piece since my husband will be driving us there. On the other side of the road. You know I’ll give you all the details either way!

Now I hope you didn’t think I was going to scamper about England this week and forget about you cooks. Rubbish! Although I’ve been tweeting what I’ve been up to and posting a few things on Facebook, I didn’t want the week to go by without something for you to try in the kitchen. Believe me, after a week of scones and mash (not at the same time, of course), I’ll be ready for a few salads like this when I return home.

First of all, if you think you hate beets, you may not hate them raw so stay with me here. This salad converted everyone who thought s/he didn’t like beets. I am fairly obsessed with chopped and grated salads. One of my favorites is my grated carrot salad with avocados and sunflower seeds. I love vegetables cut into small bits so that you get a lot of different flavors in one bite. And grated vegetables can actually be a totally different experience from their whole counterparts. This is completely true with respect to carrots. If you haven’t tried the carrot salad I just mentioned, you absolutely must!

The one thing you do need to do for this salad is go into your garage behind the piece of exercise equipment, pull out the Cuisinart box and find the medium grating disc which I’m hoping you didn’t throw out thinking you would never use it! If you did, go to the manufacturer’s website or thegourmetdepotco.com where you can buy missing or broken parts to almost any appliance. The grating disc is amazing, one of my favorite kitchen tools especially since I broke up with my mandoline. No love lost there. I use my grating disc to make very quick work of shredding cheese, onions, potatoes, zucchini, apples, cabbage, and of course carrots and beets. One tip I can give you is that many food processors give you the option of feeding your food through the wide part or the much narrower feed tube. In the case of carrots, I like to process them horizontally the wide way for longer shreds for a salad and through the feed tube for short shreds which are better for carrot cake or carrot muffins.

I was doing a Moroccan-inspired menu last month and I desperately wanted to include a carrot salad. Many Moroccan salads are too sweet for me and include dried fruit plus lots of honey in the dressing. In my opinion, carrots and beets are already rather sweet, so this salad is dressed with a cumin-orange-lemon dressing, a little tart and just a little sweet. You can leave this as grated veggies and dressing for a fab 5-minute salad or make a little extra effort and add the delightful fresh herbs which turn this into something really awesome. I eat this without feta since I’ve gone dairy-free (moment of silence), but if you can handle a little goat or sheep cheese, add it and you won’t be sorry! Either way, this is a juicy, crunchy, thirst-quenching, gorgeous salad which happens to be super nutritious and alkalizing.

I have served this salad with all sorts of fish dishes, simple roast chicken, frittatas and vegetable stew. I’m sure it would be great with lamb or grilled beef kabobs. My point is that you don’t have to be eating a Moroccan meal to enjoy this. A little heads-up about eating red beets, though. If you’ve never tried them, just be aware that when you eliminate, there will be a tinge of hot pink/red. I can’t tell you how many stories I heard of people calling their doctors or googling “hot pink poop.” On the other hand, eating beets can be a good indication of how efficient your digestive system is. If you see beets later that day or the next, things are moving nice and quickly. But if it takes 4 days for those beets to appear again, you probably need a little more fiber and water in your diet. Just a thought.

Ok, that’s all I have for today, friends. I’m leaving the hustle and bustle of London for the English countryside and hoping to make it in time for Afternoon Tea which has become my favorite way to wind down after a busy day. I know some people like a glass of wine at 5, but I’m not sure they’ve tried sitting down to tea with a warm homemade scone. Brilliant!

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Moroccan Carrot and Beet Salad

Author: Pamela

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled
¾ pound fresh beets (about 2 medium beets), trimmed and peeled (with a vegetable peeler), greens saved for another use
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (measured after it has been chopped)
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon paprika
6 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (I like goat feta)(optional)

Instructions

Using the shredding disc of your food processor, shred the carrots and beets. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl.
Add herbs to serving bowl.
In a medium bowl or in a screw-top jar, combine lemon juice, orange juice, sea salt, cumin, paprika and olive oil.
Pour enough dressing on top of carrot mixture to coat lightly and toss to combine. Add more if desired.
Add feta on top of salad and taste for seasoning. If you dress the salad early, the dressing will pull water from the vegetables and make a pool at the bottom of your serving bowl. You can just serve from the top or pour off some of the liquid no problem.

Notes

Salad can be dressed the day before and herbs and feta added just before serving.

For a delicious, spicy note, add about ¾ teaspoon harissa to the dressing.

Minted Sweet Pea Dip

In as much as I promote buying and preparing fresh produce, I really have no problem with using frozen sometimes. Frozen vegetables are supposedly picked at their peak and frozen immediately, allowing less deterioration of nutrients. I can’t, however, say the same about canned. Thumbs down on that one. In general, I tend to use frozen vegetables more in cooked dishes than in raw. There are quite a few frozen vegetables which are staples in my kitchen including artichoke hearts, edamame, corn, chopped spinach and especially peas.

Believe me, I adore fresh peas. If they are picked off the vine and prepared right away, they can be so amazingly tender and sweet. But if they’ve been sitting around for too long, those sugars become a little starchy. Plus, they do take a bit of time to remove from the shell, which sadly I don’t have the leisure to do on a busy weeknight.

Peas are a great source of protein and fiber, so I love adding them to pastas, soups, stews and grain-based dishes for a complete protein. Peas also contain substantial amounts of many other vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins C and K, as well as Folate and Manganese. I post the contents of my kids’ lunch boxes every Monday on Facebook, so I know many of you saw a lunch Mr. Picky made a month or so ago with frozen peas as the entrée and frozen corn as the side dish. (They defrost by lunchtime!) That was by far the quickest healthful lunch we’ve packed all year!

Although fresh peas come into season in the Spring, I use frozen the whole year long. I first taught this delicious dip in a December holiday hors d’oeuvres class, but I made it recently for a dinner and it really sang spring. This dip is a bit like hummus, the Mediterranean dip made from pureed chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste) and garlic, although not quite as thick and rich.

Instead, this has such a lovely light, fresh flavor from the mint and lemon zest. It would be such a nice addition to your Easter festivities, whether you’re doing a brunch, lunch or dinner. Even if you have your whole menu planned, I bet you have almost all the ingredients to make this dip today. Best of all, it can be made in about 5 minutes or less. Seriously! You can definitely serve this dip with pita chips or toast points. But I love it with crudités like carrots or endive leaves or my favorite (and more indulgent), slices of grilled baguette. If you have some nice Pecorino-Romano cheese, shave a little sliver onto each crostini and you will be in heaven!

I wish you all a beautiful and joyous Easter. My husband and I were feeling brave enough to take the three kiddies to Europe again, so we’ll be in London for the next week. I hope to post some pictures of our adventures on Facebook! Always interested to hear about your faves and must-sees!

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Minted Sweet Pea Dip

Author: Pamela, adapted from My New Roots

Ingredients

2 cups fresh (already shelled) or frozen green peas, defrosted (original recipe used 3 cups)
zest of one lemon
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons raw tahini
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Crostini
French baguette, cut into ½ inch slices
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (optional)

Instructions

If using defrosted frozen peas, skip to Step 2. If using fresh peas, fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Plunge them into the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain well and pat dry.
Place all the dip ingredients in a food processor and puree. Serve with crostini and/or raw crudités. If you assemble the dip on crostini, you can also shave pecorino or parmesan on top of each hors d’oeuvre or sprinkle grated cheese on top and drizzle a good olive oil over all of them.

Notes

Crostini Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Brush each side of bread with olive oil and place on pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, turning after 7 or 8 minutes. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for several days.
Or preheat a grill over medium heat and grill the bread (brushed with a little olive oil) until slightly charred on both sides. This only takes a couple of minutes.

garlic lemon mint olive oil peas tahini

Tex-Mex Matzo Brei Recipe (Migas with Matzo!)

I used to look forward to Passover when I was a child even though I wasn’t Jewish and was never invited to a seder. But Pathmark and Shop Rite would carry matzo for about 2 weeks around the time of the holiday and I loved it. Do you know about matzo? It’s like a giant, light and crispy cracker usually made with wheat flour and a little salt, typically only eaten for Passover. Funny enough, my grandmother (also not Jewish) was the one who introduced me to matzo which she slathered with Breakstone’s whipped butter. This was really the only way I ever ate it unless I was feeling adventurous in which case I might spread on a little peanut butter and jelly.

I remember back then we could only find plain wheat matzo or egg matzo which was a bit softer. But now, it’s amazing to see all the different varieties available. Just the other day in addition to the traditional egg and wheat, I spotted gluten-free matzo, both plain and toasted onion flavor, spelt matzo (I bought two boxes), whole wheat, whole wheat with extra bran (good because matzo can be a tad constipating), and matzo crackers (Mr. Picky’s favorite.) Matzo has come a long way!

My matzo consumption has also evolved and become a little more interesting since I married a Jewish guy. I’ll tell you the truth, I really don’t eat much matzo anymore, but when I do I’ll turn it into a matzo lasagne or my favorite, matzo brei (rhymes with “sky.”) Matzo brei can be sweet or savory, but essentially you break up some matzo and combine it with beaten eggs and cook the whole thing in a skillet. For savory, you can add cooked onions, smoked salmon, salt and pepper. For sweet, we add a little cinnamon and serve it with maple syrup and fresh fruit on the side, sort of like French toast.

Well if you live in Southern California long enough, you’re bound to be influenced by the flavors south of the border. One of my favorite breakfast dishes is migas, which is eggs scrambled with fried corn tortillas and all the delicious accompaniments you would expect like salsa and avocado. I can’t believe it took me this long to cook up a Tex-Mex matzo brei! This has become my favorite matzo dish so far and there are so many ways to adapt it to suit your taste. I also included sweet bell pepper and onion and then served it with fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and cilantro. If Mr. Picky hadn’t been eating this the morning I photographed this, I would have added a little minced jalapeno to the bell pepper and onion. If you eat dairy, this is a natural for cheese and/or sour cream. And if you aren’t keeping Passover, by all means add some refried beans! This would be equally delicious for lunch or dinner. Enjoy!

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Tex-Mex Matzo Brei

Author: Pamela

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 sheets matzo (don’t use egg matzo as it’s too soft)
6 large eggs
suggested accompaniments: fresh pico de gallo or salsa, guacamole or fresh sliced avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese like Monterey Jack, crumbled Cotija cheese, refried beans

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté peppers and onions with a pinch of salt until tender and translucent.
Beat eggs in a large bowl.
Run cold water over the matzo for a few seconds to barely soften them. Crumble the matzo into bite-sized pieces and mix with the beaten eggs.
Add the egg and matzo mixture to the skillet with a healthy pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often until cooked to desired doneness. This should take 5 minutes more or less. Serve with suggested accompaniments.

bell pepper cilantro eggs guacamole matzo onion pico de gallo

Chocolate Banana Almond Flour Muffins with Chia Seeds Recipe (Gluten-free & Passover Friendly)

There’s a new (but not really new) diet in town which everyone is talking about called the Paleolithic Diet or Paleo, for short. Sometimes it’s referred to as the Caveman or Hunter-Gatherer Diet and it focuses on the foods humans ate pre-industrial agriculture. The idea is that our bodies recognize certain foods and haven’t evolved to recognize other newer foods so we should stick to what was eaten during the Paleolithic time to be healthy and fit. The diet allows lean grass-fed and pastured meats, eggs, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, coconut, avocado and healthy fats. Easy, right? But the diet does not allow anything processed or refined (like sugar, flour, packaged food), or any grains (wheat, rice, barley, etc.), legumes (beans, lentils), dairy, potatoes or processed oils. I am not encouraging or discouraging this diet, which I think has its pros and cons, but merely giving a quick explanation since I’ve received a few questions about it recently.

As I have noticed more and more people limiting gluten and grains, I have also noticed the increased popularity and use of almond flour, which is finely milled blanched almonds. Almonds, like all nuts and seeds, are gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Whereas nuts and seeds, generally speaking, can be slightly acid-forming, almonds are alkalizing.

A few years ago I found Elana Amsterdam’s great gluten-free website, www.elanaspantry.com, which I think started the almond flour revolution. Elana has since turned paleo, and all her newer recipes follow those guidelines. It’s really because of her website that I was inspired to experiment with almond flour and although I have had mixed results, overall I think it’s awesome once I figured out how to work with it. I think it’s great to add some variety to our diet and I love getting some extra protein into Mr. Picky. Almond flour also comes in handy around Passover, 8 days of no grains or legumes, except Matzoh which can start to get a tad boring after a few days.

I had a really delicious Chocolate Banana Chia Seed muffin at Le Pain Quotidian last year or the year before and I was intent on duplicating it. The muffin was moist with the perfect amount of sweetness and I loved the crunch from the chia seeds. They were kind enough to tell me the ingredients (although not the exact recipe) and I made a tasty version at home with whole wheat pastry flour and maple syrup. The kids thought they were great! When I tried using almond flour in place of the wheat flour, we all went crazy for them. The almond flour version of the muffin was the best — super moist, chocolaty and a little denser, but in a good way. Now when I make these muffins, I always use almond flour!

Before you start substituting almond flour one-for-one for wheat flour, stop right there. It isn’t a perfect substitution. Almond flour has no gluten, but does contain way more fat than wheat flour so there are a few adjustments to be made. I would stop by Elana’s Pantry for a quick lesson on how almond flour works. I also have found that specifically labeled “almond flour” is better than “almond meal” (like Bob’s Red Mill.) Per Elana, I started buying almond flour from Honeyville Grain, which has a very good, fresh product and a very reasonable shipping fee ($4.50 flat rate.

These muffins are not technically Paleo due to the yogurt, although if you can find an unsweetened almond milk yogurt, that would work here. Or you can try making these without the yogurt and just add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, although I have never done it and can’t guarantee the results. I’m really posting these as a great gluten-free, Happy Passover muffin, although I make these all year. In fact I made these recently and Daughter #2 had a few friends over and they inhaled half the batch in 2 minutes. (I’m telling you, if you want the kids to hang out at your house, you need FOOD.) To make this more of a dessert, you can certainly substitute chocolate chips for the diced dates. The chia seeds are fun and obviously nutritious, but there’s less than 1 teaspoon per muffin so it’s not a dealbreaker if you want to omit them.

As always, I love hearing about your experiments in the kitchen and would especially be interested to know about your experience with almond flour or your favorite Passover treats. Once again, I’m on dessert duty for Passover and I’m getting busy right now. This weekend I will be making loads of Macaroons, both plain and dipped in chocolate, the Lemon Ice Torte which I have been making since 1991, and a raw cashew “cheesecake” which I will have to share another time. There is also a recipe on my site for a (vegan) Coconut Tart with Strawberries which is perfect for Passover and Easter. Lots of delicious options!

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Chocolate Banana Almond Flour Muffins with Chia Seeds

Author: Pamela, inspired by Le Pain Quotidien

Serves: makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal – I use Honeyville)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 Tablespoons of chia seeds + 1 Tablespoon for muffin tops
½ cup diced pitted dates, about 7 dates (easier to dice when they’re cold) (optional, or ½ cup chocolate chips)
4 Tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
4 Tablespoons whole unsweetened yogurt
⅓ cup 100% pure maple syrup or honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached parchment liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and 2 Tablespoons chia seeds. Add dates and break up pieces so they don’t stick together.
In a blender, combine coconut oil, yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
Pour wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in mashed bananas.
Divide the batter into the prepared pan. (An ice cream scoop makes this job easy.) Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

almond flour bananas chia seeds cocoa powder coconut oil dates eggs yogurt

Creamy, Dairy-free Asparagus Soup Recipe and Video

Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman

I remember growing up in New York and feeling gipped when Spring rolled around. Why? Because 90% of the time it was still cold! My parents told me that last Saturday it was snowing. Brrrrrr! Sort of doesn’t really match the image I used to have of spring — lying under a flowering tree, daffodils and tulips under a sunny sky. I’d rather hunker down with a bowl of hot soup wearing a beanie and not a bonnet.

But nature is giving us some new foods to enjoy, to help us detoxify all the stuff weighing us down from winter. I’ve been making mostly thick and hearty meal-in-a-bowl soups like lentil or mushroom-barley. But I saw gorgeous green local asparagus at the farmer’s market the other day and jumped for joy. And then I made asparagus soup! Since the season is so short, I will prepare it at least once a week until I see the words “from Mexico” and then it’s adios asparagus!

Believe it or not, asparagus is a total powerhouse vegetable. It is rich in antioxidants which protect against free radical damage. Asparagus also contains high amounts of histones, folic acid, and nucleic acid, which boost the immune system. It contains high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which serves as a natural diuretic, and increased urination not only releases fluid but helps rid the body of excess salts. This is especially beneficial for people who suffer from edema (an accumulation of fluids in the body’s tissues) and those who have high blood pressure or other heart-related diseases. And it is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers.

This creamy soup is so lovely and EASY. Easy enough to make tonight on a moment’s notice and special enough to serve for your holiday luncheon or dinner. Guess what? Passover is next Monday night and Easter is in less than two weeks. Time to get those menus in order! This soup is perfect and of course, it gets its creaminess not from dairy, but from one of my favorite non-dairy tricks, oats! Crazy, right? You cook rolled oats with the asparagus and puree everything to a thick and silky creaminess which tastes nothing of oats and only fresh asparagus! If you need this soup to be Passover-friendly, you can substitute 1 pound of Yukon Gold potatoes for the oats.

I have made this soup with all vegetable broth and it was terrific. I tried it will all chicken stock and I thought it was a little too chicken-y. My favorite way is with half chicken stock and half asparagus stock — amazing! What’s asparagus stock? You take the woody ends from the bottom of the asparagus spears and simmer them in water until you have a lovely, delicately-flavored asparagus broth. This would also be awesome for a vegetarian asparagus risotto! (Easy-to-follow instructions are at the bottom of the recipe.) Happy Spring!

4.9 from 8 reviews

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Creamy, Dairy-free Asparagus Soup

Author: Pamela

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 Tablespoon unrefined olive oil, unsalted butter or unrefined coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats (check label for gluten-free)
2 bunches of asparagus, about 2 pounds, woody ends trimmed* and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
2 cups water (or asparagus stock – see note at bottom of recipe)
1 large piece of lemon peel, about 2 inches
2 teaspoons sea salt (more if you use unsalted stock)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring soup to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover pot and cook for 10 -15 minutes until asparagus is very tender.
Turn off heat and remove the lemon peel. Or for a more assertive lemon flavor, blend the peel or half the peel with the soup. Puree the soup until smooth, either directly in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender (keep the lid open a crack.)Ideas for garnishes: steamed asparagus tips, garlic croutons, shaved Pecorino-Romano cheese or chopped chives.

Notes

*Save the ends for vegetable stock (recipe here) or boil the ends in 3 cups of water for 20-30 minutes for an asparagus stock. This should yield approximately 2 cups of asparagus stock, but measure anyway.

asparagus chicken stock lemon onion rolled oats vegetable stock

Healthful Vegan Mint Chip Smoothie Recipe

I quietly went dairy-free recently which made me a little bummed out because I love yogurt and feta and Pecorino Romano cheese. My acupuncturist was begging me for years to break up with dairy once and for all so that I might be able to stop complaining about this and that. Sure enough, without getting too personal, going dairy-free (even sheep and goat) has been a positive move for me and I am pretty motivated to keep it that way.

I still give Mr. Picky raw milk and the girls eat their yogurt and cheese all the same. But when I make something for all of us to share, I’ve been using lots and lots of almond milk, like in porridges and smoothies. I haven’t gotten around to making almond milk yogurt yet, but I’d love to try. In the meantime, I just made this crazy delicious mint chip smoothie that will keep my dairy cravings at bay forever! Mint chip was always my favorite ice cream flavor and I love fresh mint in salads so how could I go wrong in a smoothie? I took my Leprauchan Smoothie from last year with a few tweaks and a couple drops of peppermint extract, presto! It’s so darn good, it tastes like a dessert even though it’s totally healthful enough to eat for breakfast. Except for the chocolate chips. Who cares! It has 4 cups of spinach which you can’t even taste and a couple of dates for sweetness. Not bad at all. In fact, so stinkin’ good!

My kids were even freaking out. This is one of those things you’ll make for St. Patrick’s Day because it’s green and you won’t stop making it. The only thing I don’t love about it is that it’s cold. And cold first thing in the morning when the weather is still a bit chilly is a bummer for your digestive system which has to work extra hard to bring up the temperature of your stomach to where it likes to be. I try not to give the kids cold smoothies first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and definitely not in the winter. Serving this with warm oatmeal or porridge is a better idea, or after a workout, or when the weather warms up a bit.

But I’d rather see you drink a cold smoothie in the middle of winter than anything with gross green food coloring. I just cringe when I see cupcakes with artificially-dyed frosting or green bagels. If you need some convincing, please read this article from Healthy Child Healthy World about why you need to go dye-free. In the meantime, go get yourself a giant bag of naturally green, chlorophyll-rich, nutrient dense SPINACH and enjoy some delicious St. Patty’s Day pancakes with a mint chip smoothie to wash it all down! 🙂

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Healthful Vegan Mint Chip Smoothie

Author: Pamela

Serves: makes 2 medium sized drinks

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice*
4 pitted dates or sweetener of choice to taste
4 cups spinach leaves
½ ripe avocado, pitted and peeled (optional, but good if you are trying to eat more high quality fats)
1 frozen ripe banana, cut into chunks (this should be peeled before it’s frozen--click here for tips on freezing fruit)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups ice
2 Tablespoons chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs
To garnish (optional): 2 mint sprigs and some shaved chocolate (I used a vegetable peeled on a dark chocolate bar.)

Instructions

If you have a high-powered blender, such as a Vita-Mix, place all the ingredients EXCEPT the chocolate chips into the blender and process until smooth.
If you do not have a high-powered blender, the dates may not get blended completely and may leave tiny little bits of date in the smoothie. If that bothers you, blend the almond milk and dates together and then strain the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender (EXCEPT the chocolate chips) with the strained almond milk and blend until smooth. Or just use honey or maple syrup to sweeten instead of dates.
Add the chocolate chips and pulse just a couple of times to break them up a bit. Divide between 2 glasses and garnish with a mint sprig and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Notes

*If you want to use a sweetened vanilla almond milk or other sweetened vanilla milk, you can omit the dates and vanilla extract and sweeten to taste.

almond milk avocado banana chocolate chips dates peppermint extract spinach vanilla extract

St. Patty’s Day Green Pancakes Recipe

My favorite green holiday is coming up which is funny since I’m not one iota Irish, I don’t drink booze nor do I eat beef. But I look forward to St. Patrick’s Day so I can take all the liberties in the world to play up the GREEN in what we eat. Sure, you can make Irish soda bread, cabbage and corned beef which are all very expected, but I think any green food shows your spirit! Last year I posted a spinach and avocado smoothie (sweet, not savory, Silly!) and spinach risotto (that’s what this Italian girl eats on March 17th!) in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Last weekend I was making a green smoothie for Mr. Picky and as I added the spinach I thought about blending spinach into the liquid mixture for pancakes. Light bulb! I know it’s weird to think of spinach in a non-savory way, but I promise it totally works! If you can’t taste the spinach in a smoothie, you shouldn’t be able to taste it in pancakes, right? Right.

Soooo, I very enthusiastically started making some green pancakes for breakfast. And very predictably, my daughters were like “Really Mom? What are those?” And before I could answer my darlings, Mr. Picky chimed in “Hey, are those for St. Patrick’s Day?” Yes, you fantastic child. That’s EXACTLY what they’re for!” Thanks for playing. St. Patrick’s Day pancakes for all!! Everyone, including my mother who was visiting, enjoyed these pancakes as much as my traditional buttermilk pancakes, because they taste exactly the same!

You know I don’t do the sneaky food thing. That’s too much work and too stressful for me and it really doesn’t upset me if my kids don’t like everything. I just do what my parents did which was to make one meal and if you ate it, you ate it and if you didn’t, you didn’t. No one got mad or anxious or worried. Eventually, we all ate like my parents. Eventually. My point is this isn’t about being sneaky. Sure spinach pancakes are an easy, tasty way to eat some greens without realizing you’re eating greens. I’m making these just for fun and they happen to be a bit more nutritious! But if you have alterior motives, go for it. There’s no better time to serve green pancakes than St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, there’s also Christmas, Earth Day, first day of Spring, Halloween, game day if you’re an Eagles or Packers fan……

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St. Patty's Day Green Pancakes

Author: Pamela

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour* (I tested the recipe with sprouted spelt flour.)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups buttermilk**
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Melted, unrefined coconut oil for brushing the griddle (or butter)

Instructions

Preheat a griddle to 400 degrees or medium heat. (I’ve noticed that many griddles cook differently even at the same temperature!)
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a blender combine the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, spinach and melted butter until completely smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Brush the griddle with coconut oil and spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle. When bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges become slightly dry, flip it over and cook until down. Maintain the heat on medium-low or 400 degrees.

Notes

*Gluten-free: substitute 1 cup buckwheat flour and 1 cup brown rice flour for the wheat flour. Or you can use GF oat flour, too, such as ⅔ cup oat flour, ⅔ cup buckwheat flour and ⅔ cup brown rice flour.

**No buttermilk? Sub half unsweetened yogurt and half whole milk.

Asian Slaw Recipe

I love salads and have since I was a kid. Give me a good basic vinaigrette and I will come up with the craziest salad combinations. Whatever I have in the refrigerator or the pantry is fair game. Quinoa, fresh herbs, sprouts, cooked beans, last night’s leftover vegetables, rice, whatever! I always try to wash a few heads of lettuce and make a vinaigrette on Sunday so that a delicious salad is only minutes away any day of the week.

The only tricky part about salads is making sure you’ve got good seasonal produce to work with. Lettuce is grown all year round in California, but tomatoes and cucumbers are not. So my winter salads tend to focus on things like avocados, fennel and citrus fruits. But I also love making winter salads with a base of something other than lettuce, such as kale or cabbage which are super fabulous at this time of year, and might I add super nutritious!

Dr. Mark Hyman just came out with a new book called The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook. I am a huge Dr. Hyman fan! I love his message about keeping blood sugar balanced, and I also followed his 30-day blood sugar challenge last year which had great health tips every day. I haven’t had a ton of time to really get into the new cookbook, but I immediately made the Asian Slaw since I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. Yummers!

Cabbage is one of the most affordable and nutritious vegetables. It has loads if fiber, Vitamin C and beta-carotene which aids in tissue repair. It can also help to protect against tumors and inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Another benefit, especially at this time of year, is that cabbage can stimulate the immune system. All good stuff!

This slaw is very easy to make provided you have a good sharp knife so you can slice the cabbage thinly. It’s a nice change of pace from typical mayonnaise-based slaws (not my fave.) If you don’t have a nut-free house, definitely add the cashews as that was my favorite part of this salad. Otherwise, try toasted and salted sunflower seeds. It was great paired with a piece of simply roasted fish and baked sweet potatoes. Leftovers were still delicious the next day with a quinoa, sugar snap pea and cilantro salad. With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, cabbage will be really cheap, so stock up and cook up some news ways to enjoy this tasty and versatile veg!

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Asian Slaw

Author: adapted from The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 large head green cabbage, finely shredded (I used a medium head.)
½ small head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
2 teaspoons unrefined toasted sesame oil
3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
6 scallions, sliced thinly
½ bunch (about 1½ oz) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt
½ cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews (I used roasted salted.)

Instructions

Place all the vegetables in a large serving bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, olive oil, scallions, cilantro, and lime juice, and season to taste with salt.
Pour the mixture over the cabbage and toss well.
Let the slaw sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with cashews before serving. Any leftovers can be stored in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

I felt as though it could have used a little more dressing, so I would add the dressing to most of the cabbage and then add more cabbage until you feel as though you have the balance of cabbage to dressing that you’re looking for.

cabbage carrots cashews