Shiso Pesto

When you hear the word "pesto," what comes to mind? Do you immediately think of Basil? For most of us, our first taste of pesto was probably of the basil, garlic, pine-nuts and Parmesan cheese variety, but did you know - the term "pesto" can be used to define any combination of ingredients that have been pounded or blended together. The fiance and I have enjoyed trying different combinations of things in our homemade pesto, and this post is about our newest discovery - Shiso Pesto!

Shiso Pesto

If you don't know what Shiso is, it's a leaf commonly grown in Asia. It comes in both purple and green varieties, but the green seems to be more common in the United States. You might have seen it at Japanese restaurants, or in your little box of take-out sushi. Shiso has a strong smell, and the taste is unique. It's been compared to both mint and basil, but I have to say I don't think it has the taste of either. It is quite earthy and refreshing, definitely worth experimenting with if you see it around or want to try growing it yourself.

The recipe below is the result of my searching for a way for my future mother-in-law to use up the leaves of the giant Shiso plant she has in her garden. I came across this recipe from Summer Tomato, and decided to test it out on on zucchini "noodles" for dinner the other night. We loved it!!

Zucchini "fettuccine" with Shiso Pesto sauce.

Shiso Pesto (makes 15-20 servings, can be frozen)
Ingredients:
- 4C tightly packed Shiso leaves
- 1/2C Raw Pistachio nuts
- 2T Miso Paste (any variety will work)
- 1 Garlic Clove, pressed
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 3/4C Olive Oil

Directions:
- In a blender or food processor (I used my VitaMix), combine all ingredients. Reserve about 1/4C of the olive oil.
- Pulse until ingredients are evenly ground.
- Turn blender to "on" and drizzle the remaining olive oil in while the ingredients combine.
- Taste, and adjust salt and lemon to taste, if needed.
- Use immediately, or store in the fridge for a couple days. If you still have leftovers, use your ice cube trays to freeze the pesto in blocks. Once they're solid, pop them out and into a freezer-safe container. You'll have "fresh" pesto for months!

What's your favorite type of pesto? Care to share the recipe in the comments below?

Green Potato Salad - no mayo required!

The other weekend, my future mother-in-law asked us to house sit for one night while she went out of town. The main reason she asked is that her two dogs and the kitty need food and attention - we were happy to house sit. In addition to playing with the furry guys, we were excited because she has an amazing vegetable garden - from which we could harvest whatever we wanted!

You might recognize this photo from my Facebook page.

This time of year, as we get into late summer, there are so many delicious treats in the garden. Everything is organic (she even makes her own compost), and while rummaging around the raised beds we found eggplant, corn, lettuces, herbs, and so many tomatoes! She had harvested some potatoes for us as well, and even though she hasn't planted any in a few years there are still some "volunteers" in the dirt. I took the potatoes home with us, and a few days later I made a delicious Green Potato Salad. I have to give a shout-out, as this recipe came from my friend Jamie Greenwood, the fabulous woman behind Jamie|Living. I first had it when my mom and I attended Jamie's mother/daughter cooking class a few years ago. You might remember my excitement from that day, we had a great time and I learned how to make a frittata!

I've made this potato salad a few times since that Mother's Day event, but this is the first time it's been on Zwick's Picks. I love it for so many reasons. First of all, it's super tasty and delicious! Second, there is no mayo in it, just a light sprinkle of olive oil and vinegar! Third, I get to eat greens IN the potato salad, it's like the best of both worlds. You could even add more greens to this if you wanted to. Read on for the recipe...

Jamie's Green Potato Salad - yum!!

Green Potato Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs Organic Potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks
1 Organic Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3C Capers
1/4C Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.4T Red Wine Vinegar
2 Handfuls of Organic Arugula
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper

Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potato chunks and a pinch of salt. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Usually about 15 minutes, depending on the size. Drain the potatoes in a metal colander.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl (the larger it is, the easier it'll be to stir everything together). Combine the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix together.
- Serve either warm or cold.

4-Step Cleaning Magic!

Have you ever cooked something and found that all your scrubbing and scrubbing does nothing to remove the burnt-on bits left on your pan or baking dish? As much as I love making and eating a frittata, cleaning the pan afterward has always been a chore.

Well...no more! That's because I've discovered the easy and non-toxic way to clean my pots and pans. All you need is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (or warm water), a sponge, and some time. I swear, it truly is that easy! And you don't even need to wear gloves. Follow along...

Step 1: Gather supplies. You'll need Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide (or warm water), and a bowl to mix it in.

Supplies

Step 2: Put about 1/4 cup of Baking Soda into a bowl, and add enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. It's too thin in my picture here, I added more baking soda to thicken it up after the shot was taken.

Making the paste

Step 3: Take your dirty pan, and smear the paste over it. Let the paste sit for at least 2 hours, overnight is even better.

My burnt pan :-(

Covered in the paste.

Step 4: Scrub clean with a soft sponge, rinse with warm water, and TA-DA! Your pan is shiny again!

My pan is shiny and new-looking!! :-)

What's your favorite non-toxic cleaning secret? Share in the comments below!

Bean and Kale Soup

Who knew that February 4th was National Homemade Soup Day? I had this recipe ready to go, and it turned out to be perfect timing!

Delicious!

Looking for a hearty cold-weather soup to make, one that will last you a few days? Do you have beans? Kale? Stock (chicken or vegetable)? Then you can make this soup! You can easily make this soup vegetarian or even vegan by simply using vegetable stock and omitting the sausage, or satisfy the meat eaters by using those ingredients. As with most soups, it's easy to alter the recipe to suit your taste buds.

Bean and Kale Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2T Olive Oil or Butter

2 Celery Ribs, cut to 1/4"

2 Carrots, cut to 1/4"

1 Onion, Shallot, or Leek, finely minced

1 Bay Leaf

1-2t Fresh Thyme (use half this amount if using dried)

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

6C Stock

1/2lb Dried Beans, soaked overnight and rinsed OR 2 Cans of Beans (I suggest white beans, but you can use whatever suits your fancy)

3 Smoked Organic Sausage, or 1 Smoked Ham Hock

1 Bunch Kale, juilenned

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat.

- Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Saute for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft.

- Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, til fragrant.

- Add stock, drained beans and meat, if using.

- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours.

- When beans are soft, remove bay leaf. If using ham hock, chop up the meat.

- Add the kale, and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Kale should remind bright green.

- Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Mushroom Miso Soup

Fresh, hot miso soup - yum!

The cold weather means that I eat a lot of warm soups for lunch and dinner, and on a recent night my stomach was also feeling a bit queasy (perhaps from the bagel I ate for brunch - ugh!). I still wanted something for my evening meal, however, and decided that a light soup would be just perfect.

I recently bought a container of Brown Rice Miso, and decided that a Miso Soup was just what the doctor ordered! As fresh shitake mushrooms can be pricey, especially when organic, look for dehydrated mushrooms. They're much less expensive, take only 10 minutes to rehydrate, and the leftover water makes a delicious broth base you can use in your soup instead of plain water! While I added garlic, seaweed and mushrooms, those things are all optional, as are green onions or tofu. Like many recipes I love, it's all about what you have on hand in the kitchen! The garlic will be strong, but it's also a great immune system strengthener - great for cold and flu season!

This is a super simple and quick recipe that can be made as a light meal, a hearty meal (with lots of additions), or as a side dish to a meal. Use the base recipe and make it your own!

Miso Soup (serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side)
Base Broth Ingredients:
5C of Water (use water from the mushrooms if you re-hydrated some)
1/4C of Miso Paste (any variety)
1T Tamari

Optional Additions:
1T Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 Block of Organic Tofu, cubed
3 Green Onions, sliced thin
3 Cloves of Garlic, pressed
1/2C Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
Anything else you desire!


Directions:
- Heat water (or mushroom broth) in a pot over low/medium heat. You want the water to get hot, but not boil. Boiling destroys the beneficial microorganisms and probiotics in the miso, which your body needs!
- Stir in the miso paste until it is well dispersed.
- Add the garlic, seaweed, and any other optional ingredients. Continue to stir occasionally, and do not allow the mixture to boil!
- Heat through, and serve immediately.

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

A steaming bowl of deliciousness!

Despite my best efforts, a few weeks ago I came down with a cold. It was going around, a few of my friends had it, and I thought my healthy diet and lifestyle would protect me from the virus, but it happened. It started with the tickle in the back of my throat, and within a couple of days I had the stuffed sinuses and runny nose as well. It wasn't horrible, nothing to keep me from doing most of my daily tasks, but it was still obnoxious and I wanted to get rid of it and get back to being healthy!

I met a friend for a cup of tea one afternoon, and she told me about the soup she loves to make when she or her husband have a cold. She got the recipe from a friend who also has a blog, and she sent me the recipe. As I read through it, I realized I had all the ingredients at home! No shopping required. So after our tea, I came straight home and started cooking dinner. I had a big bowl of the soup that night (see the above photo), and ate it again for lunch and dinner the next couple of days. I swear I felt better the morning after that first bowl! Besides all the healthy vegetables in the soup, it also has curry which is known for it's immune strengthening qualities, and miso has probiotics that help the immune system as well, so who knows what it was that helped me. I think it was the whole combination.

I know that the next time I feel a cold coming on, this is what I'll be having!

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup (makes 6-8 good sized bowls)
Ingredients:
2T Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Sweet Potatoes, rinsed and chopped
2T Tomato Paste
8C Filtered Water
2T Miso Paste
1t Ground Cumin
1t Curry Powder
4C Kale, rinsed and finely chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Note: The original recipe has you add the miso much earlier, but heating will destroy the miso's healing probiotics and living organisms. Add miso toward the end of any recipe, after you've turned off the heat, to ensure you're getting the benefits!
- In a large pot, over medium heat, pour in the oil.
- Saute the onion, garlic and carrot until soft and fragrant.
- Add the spices, sweet potatoes, and tomato paste. Saute a few minutes.
- Add the water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer 30-60 minutes.
- Add the kale during the last 20 minutes.
- Just before serving, after heat is off, add the miso paste and stir to combine.
- Pour into bowls and serve. Pour leftovers into glass containers to refrigerate or freeze.

Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Pie

Here in the United States, National Pumpkin Pie day is observed on December 25th. In honor of that holiday (even though it's still a month away) and to perfect my recipe, I decided to make a pumpkin pie from the real thing. That's right, no cans here! I used a "sugar pie pumpkin" and pureed it myself. One of these days I'll make my own pie crust too, and then it will really be a made-from-scratch pie.

So, if you're still looking for something to bring to a Thanksgiving feast, here's your recipe!

Pumpkin Pie, right out of the oven!

Recipe: Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Pie

Sugar Pie Pumpkin, before baking

Directions for Pumpkin Puree:
(This can be done a day or two ahead, to save time.)

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse and dry the pumpkin, then cut in half.
- Remove the seeds (save them for roasting), and place the pumpkins cut side down on a baking pan lined with foil. The foil just makes clean up easier, it's not required.

Sugar Pie Pumpkin, cut in half and cooked til soft.

- Bake the pumpkin for about 40 minutes, depending on size. It is done when it is soft to the touch. I'd recommend touching it with a fork or cooking utensil, not your finger, as it will be HOT!
- When pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool until you can hold it comfortably. (This took me about 30 minutes.)
- Scrape the inside of the pumpkin into a blender, and puree til smooth. My Vita-Mix worked great here!
- Put the puree into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and let drain for about an hour. You can squeeze the water out to speed up this process a little. Otherwise, your puree will remain very liquidy, resulting in a mushy pie.

Straining the puree in a cheesecloth.

Pumpkin Pie:
Ingredients;
- One Sugar Pie Pumpkin (yes, that is what they're really called), or 2C canned pumpkin puree
- Pie Crust
- 1C Heavy Cream
- 1/2C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/3C White Sugar
- 1/2t Salt
- 2 Whole Eggs, plus 1 Yolk
- 2t Cinnamon
- 1t Ground Ginger
- 1/4t Ground Cloves
- 1/4t Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4t Ground Cardamom
- 1/2t Lemon Zest

Directions:

(Total time is 3-4 hours. Prep, cook time 65 min, cooling for 2 hours.)
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugars, salt and spices. Add in the lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs. Pour eggs into large bowl with sugars.
- Add the pumpkin puree and combine.
- Add the cream and mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour mixture into pie shell, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drop oven temperature to 350 and continue baking 40-50 minutes longer.
- Pie is done when a toothpick (or thin knife) comes out clean in the middle.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Slice, and serve with a dollop of whipped (organic) cream on top!

Pumpkin Pie, before going in the oven.

Pumpkin Pie, after baking. Smells delicious!

Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you grateful for this year?

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa

With the return of fall weather recently, I've noticed that I'm craving less raw salads and more hearty meals. And the other night was no exception. As the seasons change, have you noticed a change in the foods your body craves?

Acorn Squash - those seeds are tasty too!

Because I've taken the October Unprocessed pledge, I took a look in my kitchen and tried to come up with something to make that would not require me to buy anything or go to a restaurant. I saw an Acorn Squash I bought recently, and decided to turn it into a complete meal. How to do that, you ask? Enter quinoa! I always have quinoa in my kitchen, in fact I have three kinds of it: white, red and black. Each ones tastes subtly different, so depending on what I'm making I'll choose a different type. To go with the squash, I decided to go with the blend, as it seems to go well with savory dishes.

To start, I roasted the squash in my oven. As that was baking, I cooked the quinoa in a pot on the stove. And miraculously, everything was done at about the same time!

A delicious meal! Yum!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa (serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 1 Acorn Squash
- 1/2C Quinoa
- 1C Water
- 1/3C Minced Onion
- 1/8C Your choice: Raisins, Currants, Cherries, or Cranberries
- 1/8C Pecans
- 1T Olive Oil
- 1T Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse and dry squash, then slice lengthwise down the middle.
- Remove and save the seeds for roasting.
- Put the squash face-down on a foil-lined baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes, or until soft.
- While squash is baking, prepare the quinoa.
- Rinse the quinoa to remove the natural saponins that give it a bitter taste. When water runs clear, put quinoa in a pot with water (ratio is same as for rice - 1:2).
- Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer quinoa until water has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. In the last few minutes, add the onion.
- When water is absorbed, remove quinoa from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, and let sit until the squash is done.
- Spoon the quinoa into the squash, and serve.

Chard and Chickpeas with Farro

Chard wilting in the pan.

We're about a week into October now. How is your #unprocessed challenge going? I'm lucky in that our CSA delivers fresh produce year-round, making it easy for me. (To find a CSA in your area, check out Local Harvest.) Lately they've been sending us a lot of chard, so I've been finding new ways to cook with it. Here is one that I created based on what I had around the house. It was delicious, and it made enough for me to have leftovers too! And we all know how much I love my leftovers! This dish is great this month, for October Unprocessed, but it would be delicious any time.

When I make a dish that consists mainly of vegetables (like this one), I like to combine it with a whole grain. Quinoa or brown rice are my usual go-to grains that I keep around the house, but lately I've been hearing a lot about farro. I usually buy my grains in the bulk section of the grocery store, and store them in glass jars. I've found that this reduces the amount of waste from all the packaging, and also keeps my kitchen nice and organized! If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in having me give your kitchen a make-over, send me an email and let's talk!

Anyway, back to my dinner...Farro is the italian name for emmer wheat, and is an unprocessed grain of wheat. Farro is lower in gluten and higher in protein and fiber than conventional wheat. It is also high in magnesium and B vitamins. Sounds good, right? I purchased some from the bulk section at the store, and it had been sitting on my shelf for a few weeks. I thought this chard and chickpea recipe was the perfect dish to try it with. And I was right! The farro has a nice bite to it, almost like al-dente pasta, and it has a nutty flavor too. It paired very well with the chard and chickpeas, and was hearty, and left me feeling full without being stuffed. This grain could be substituted any time a recipe calls for rice, pasta, or another grain. That's the best thing about these grains - they're so interchangeable!

Finished dish, served over farro. 

Leftovers! In my glass "tupperware" to bring to work and reheat.
(Sorry for the horrible lighting here.)

Chard and Chickpeas with Farro
Ingredients:
2T Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Small Onion, chopped
1C Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans (they're the same thing!)
1 Bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped
1 Tomato, sliced
1/2 Lemon, juiced
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in garlic and onion, cook and stir until soft and fragrant. They'll turn a bit translucent.
- Stir in the chickpeas, and season with s&p. Heat through.
- When chickpeas are hot (a few minutes), add the chard to the pan. Cook until wilted.
- Add tomato slices, squeeze lemon juice over the greens, and heat through.
- Plate, and season with more s&p, if desired.

Farro, almost done cooking.

Cooking Farro:
- Similar to rice, the ratio of farro to water is 1:2. For example, if cooking 1C farro, use 2C water.
- Be sure to rinse the farro before using. Even better, soak it!
- Boil water in pot, salt it, then add the rinsed farro. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed. Cooking time will vary depending on how much you're making, but 1C of farro took me about 30 minutes.

Eggplant Two Ways: Roasted & Baba Ghanoush

Dinner: Roasted Eggplant and Tomato with Pesto

I had a problem the other night. I was home alone, and there were two huge eggplants (a globe and a rosa bianca) sitting in the fridge. No matter the preparation I chose, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to eat it all in one sitting. But I needed to cook them soon. And then, I had an idea! Why not roast some eggplant tonight (with some under-ripe tomatoes), and make baba ghanoush tomorrow? Brilliant! I love meals that meld into each other - another way to use leftovers! If you aren't thinking ahead that far, you can roast the eggplant the same day as making the baba ghanoush, but be sure to allow enough time to let it cool first.

Eggplant and tomato slices. Fresh and hot, right out of the oven!

Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 Eggplants (any variety will work)
4-6 Tomatoes (under-ripe works great here!)
1t Salt (plus extra)
1/4t Black Pepper, freshly ground
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced (I used a press)
8 Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped (or 1t Dried Basil)

Directions:
- Rinse the eggplant and pat dry, then slice into 1/4" rounds, put in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. This draws out the moisture, making them less bitter.
- Let eggplant sit for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- When time has elapsed, remove slices and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Put slices (plus sliced tomatoes, if using) in a big bowl, and toss with salt, pepper, oil, garlic and basil.
- Lightly oil the baking sheet, and arrange slices in a single layer (use two baking sheets if you're overlapping).
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until slice turn a bit brown.
- Eat immediately, or let cool to make the baba ghanoush.

Baba Ghanoush (without tahini)

Leftover eggplant, about to be blended up!

The result: delicious Baba Ghanoush!

Ingredients:
1.5 Pounds of Eggplant, weigh before cooking (how many this is depends on size)
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1T Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:
Note #1: Because I was using the seasoned roasted eggplant from the night before, I did not need to add seasoning. If you're using plain roasted eggplant, add 1t sea salt and 1 clove of pressed garlic to this recipe.
Note #2: Most recipes tell you to remove the skins of the eggplant, but I left them on the slices. Not sure how this would work in a regular blender (and I would not do it for bigger pieces) but in a Vita-Mix it turned out great.
- Add ingredients to blender or food processor, and pulse until combined to desired consistency.
- Serve either at room temp or chilled with your favorite dipping items: fresh veggies, whole wheat pita, etc. Or use as a spread on sandwiches.