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Healthy Chicago Cooking Classes

Lemon

Charred Lemony Carrot Salad

Carrots are one of those veggies that always goes first on a veggie platter. But I think they are best just seared, blistered or grilled for just a few minutes so you get a deep, sweet, smoky-ness while still maintaining some texture.

Here I blistered them in a cast iron skillet with red pepper flakes and squeezed a lemon over the pan to really give them some zing. The creamy goat cheese acts like a dressing that gets slightly warmed by the hot carrots. Who said carrots have to be served hard and cold?
Happy Eating!
~Monique

Charred Lemony Carrot Salad
4 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise
2 tbls olive oil
1 lemon
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
Fresh mint, parsley and basil (a couple sprigs of each)
2 -4 cups arugula
1-2 oz goat cheese

Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and all of the salt, pepper flakes and black pepper.

Sear the carrots in a cast iron skillet over hot heat until charred and blistered.

Once the carrots are ready, squeeze the lemon over the whole pan and then pour onto a platter. Toss the almonds into the same pan, place on low heat and let the almonds toast, being careful not to burn them. Place toasted almonds on top of the carrots.

Add a handful or two of arugula to the same pan, toss lightly just to pick up a little of the olive oil and pan seasonings. Place on platter with carrots.

Tear fresh mint, parsley and basil over the top of the whole platter along with goat cheese. Enjoy.

Roasted Vegetables with Almond-Carrot Top Crumble

Sheet pan roasted vegetables are my absolute go-to dish in the fall and winter. I always have a batch of them around because they are so super simple to do, they make a great side or a fine main, can always be blended into a soup and it’s a great way to use up all the odds and ends.

But plain ol’ roasted veggies can certainly get boring, even to me. Yummy sauces (like my Cashew Bechamel Sauce or my Coconut Almond Dipping Sauce) are just a couple ways to mix it up. Today I’m giving you another fun option with this Almond and Carrot Top Crumble. Think of it as a loose pesto that just needs to be tossed together.

Fresh kaleidoscope carrots, purple sweet potatoes, honey nut squash and a couple of onion slices provided a great backdrop for the topping, but any roasted veggie is going to perform great in this dish. I toss all the veggies on a tray and let them cook, then just toss the remaining ingredients on top- it couldn’t be simpler!

Happy Eats,

~Monique

Roasted Veggies with Almond-Carrot Top Crumble

1 sheet pan full of veggies, chopped into large pieces (I used 1/2 small squash, 1 small potato, two handfuls of carrots and onion slices)

2 tbls olive oil, divided

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup carrot tops, roughly chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

->Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the veggies with 1 tbls of the oil, the salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Roast 25 minutes or until just fork tender. Finish under the broiler for 2 minutes.

While the veggies bake, toss together the remaining oil, carrot tops, almonds, garlic clove and lemon juice and zest in a small bowl.

When potatoes and done, drizzle the dressing over the top.

Tahini Kale Coleslaw

You can never go wrong with a side of coleslaw and this Tahini Kale Coleslaw is no different. But this one changes up the dressing with creamy tahini and ume paste- a sweet and salty fermented plum paste that offers an addictive flavor.  Substitute vinegar and perhaps a touch of honey in place of the ume.

 

Tahini Kale Coleslaw

2 cups red cabbage, sliced thin

1 cup kale, torn into pieces

1/2 green apple, cut into matchsticks

1 carrot, shredded

2 tbls pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

2 tbls craisins

handful of snipped chives

2 tbls tahini

2 tsp ume paste (or apple cider vinegar + a touch of honey)

6 tbls orange juice

1 tbls lemon juice

1 tbls extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Whisk together the tahini, ume paste or vinegar, orange & lemon juice and oil.

Toss the cabbage, kale, carrot, apple, pepitas and craisins with dressing.  Top with snipped chives.

Add salt and pepper as desired to taste.

 

Chorizo Sausage-Stuffed Summer Squash

Take your summer squash up a knotch by making a sausage-stuffed summer squash using chorizo. Guaranteed to fill you up and taste amazing.  I created it dairy free, but give you an option to top with cheese based on your preference.

Enjoy!

~Monique

 

Chorizo Stuffed Summer Sausage

4 large yellow summer squash or zucchini

4 chorizo sausages

2 tbls olive or avocado oil or ghee

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery sticks, diced

1 tbls fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Cashew Bechamel Sauce

Optional: edible flowers, cheese

Remove the sausages from the casing and saute until cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Remove from pan and set aside. Remove an extra grease from pan as well.

While the meat is cooking. Cut the squash in half lengwise and scoop out the insides (saving this for the stuffing), leaving just enough flesh for the squash to retain their shape.

Rub the squash with 1 tbls of oil, season well with salt and pepper. Grill (or roast) the squash until just fork tender.

Dice the onions and celery and mince the garlic. Also dice up insides of the squash.

Heat remaining oil over medium high heat, add the diced onions and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes just to soften. Add in the garlic and the diced squash and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes until the squash is lightly sauted. Add back in the chorizo nd the fresh thyme and toss well. If the pan is super dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.

Place each squash on a platter and fill each with the chorizo filling.

Drizzle with my creamy , ‘cheesy’ Cashew Bechamel sauce. Top with edible flowers. Enjoy while warm.

Optional: Or top with a bit of cheese, then place under the oven broiler for a couple minutes to melt the cheese.

Lemon Kale Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash (oil, salt and pepper)

1 tbls olive or coconut oil or ghee

2 cups sliced leeks

4 cups curly kale (about 4 leaves), torn into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup water

1/2-1 tsp aleppo or red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

juice of 1 lemon

small handful of fresh parsley

small handful of fresh mint

Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions
Roast the spaghetti squash: preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Place cut side down on an oven-proof pan, roast until squash is fork tender (40-60 minutes depending on the size of your squash.) Use a fork to release the long spaghetti squash strands.

Start the kale when the squash is nearly done:

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add in the leeks and saute until just tender and edges begin to brown. Add in the kale and toss well. Continue to cook to wilt kale. Add in 1/2 cup water- this will help the kale to cook, simmer and steam.

Once the water has evaporated, add in the garlic, salt and pepper flakes, toss well and cook for another minute. Use the lemon to deglaze the pan. Remove from heat and toss in the fresh parsley and mint.

Fill the spaghetti squash with the kale mixture, be sure to include any juices in the pan. Top with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

 

Notes
This would be great with sausage or chicken too, just cook with the leeks and continue as directed.

Roast the squash ahead of time (during your meal prep) and just rewarm for a super easy supper.

If you are really struggling to cut the squash in half, try microwaving it for a few minutes to soften it first.

Asparagus Soup with Lemon Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 2 hours soaking)

Prep Notes: Pre-soaking the cashew nuts will soften them and make them easier to blend; skip this step if time does not allow

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbls olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
5 cups diced asparagus
1 tbls sherry vinegar
1 cup white wine
2 cups broth
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup cashews (soaked 2 hours)
3 tbls chives
sea salt

Directions
Warm the olive oil in a medium to large soup pot. Add in the onions and cook 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Add in the garlic and asparagus, stir well to coat, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, add in the broth and vinegar. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until the asparagus is soft.

While the soup is cooking, place the soaked cashews, lemon juice and the chived in a blender and blend until creamy and combined.

Use an immersion blender to blend soup until creamy, or carefully pour into a blender and blend. Add sea salt to taste.

Scoop soup into bowls adding a good dollop of the lemon cream.